THOR
Chris Blackmer might not have had the results he wanted this summer but because of jumps like this, he was a fan favourite.
PHOTO BY JAMES LISSIMORE
Even though Josiah Natzke didn’t join the Triple Crown Series until Round 4 he still made a big impact and hopefully the New Zealander is back in 2023.
A year ago Shawn Maffenbeier was close to retirement but after a great summer in the 450 class, we could see him now for a few more seasons.
Well, that was one heck of a summer in Canadian motocross! Both at the pro level as well as the amateur level, we witnessed more than just a few incredible performances. From an event point of view, how great was the western swing of the Triple Crown Series and its amateur days earlier this summer? The 2022 WCAN was exciting and well attended, as was the ECAN, and of course, the 30th Anniversary of the Walton TransCan was as busy as it’s been in some time. I honestly don’t know how we all did it this summer with gas prices higher than they have ever been. But we did it, and because we did it, we now have some cherished memories that will last us a lifetime.
As I mentioned, this summer, we experi enced sky-high prices for everything from fuel to pretty much everything at the gro cery store. Most of this was caused by inflation, but due to Covid, there were still supply and demand issues and a bit of greed. Hotel rooms for instance were astronomi cally high this summer and that was only because they knew the human race was restless and was going to travel. We got through it, and hopefully, the worst is behind us. But the question of “why do we do it and why do we put ourselves through so much physical, mental, and financial pain?” is always out there. I mean, usually, it’s my mom asking me that question as she doesn’t always look back on our family moto experience as a positive thing. Don’t get me wrong,
she loved that we had a pastime and that as a family we found some success at it. However, at times the stress and anxiety she had to go through on most Sundays, I think, scarred her for life. Not to mention having to watch both her sons get loaded into ambulances more than once and watching thousands of dollars fly away in the wind with the fumes from our dirt bikes. So while it’s a shock for my mom that I’m not only still involved in moto but that her grandson is also, for my dad, it’s a different story. At 79 years old and having to deal with deteriorat ing health conditions, I don’t think a day goes by that he doesn’t wish he was back at Hully Gully trying to scrape the sticky mud off my CR80. He loved it back then, and he still loves it today. But to be fair, my mom didn’t grow up riding motorcy cles or living on the edge as my dad did. For my dad, motorcycles have
been part of his life since he was a child, so watching his sons and now his grandson ride has provided nothing but enjoyment.
This is one reason I love walking around the paddock at the races and seeing families all pulling together to help their kids have a safe and successful day. Obviously once the gate drops motocross is an individual sport in every sense of the word. However, everything leading up to that gate drop is a team effort, which is part of what makes this sport so special. This is why all of us can find a way to deal with two dollars a litre for fuel or $200/night for hotel rooms. It’s because we don’t just love motocross and the joy it brings to our family dynamic; it’s because we have a bottomless passion for this sport, which gets us through the tough times. I get asked for advice quite often at the races about everything from riding technique to what foods to eat on race day, but my best advice for anyone in this sport is that if you don’t have a true passion for it, then it’s going to be very challenging to stay in it for a long time. But don’t fret, whether you’re involved in motocross for 45 years like me or 45 mins, this sport is a powerful thing, and it can put a smile on your face that will be difficult to remove.
It was most certainly a great sum mer for my family as we were able to enjoy some highlights from almost every race we attended. We compet ed in a few AMO Racing events, we raced some of the amateur days at the Triple Crown Series events, the ECAN in Deschambault was fun and memorable as it always is, and who could forget the Walton TransCan in August, which provided everyone with ideal track conditions and the best week of weather ever. Yes, there were some difficult moments both on the track as well as off of the track, but the smiles and laughs outnumbered the tears, and isn’t that all that matters? Our son grab bing his first-ever TransCan podium this summer was something we’ll never forget. I know there were some challenging moments for everyone and even some lifechanging injuries for a few riders, but I hope this past summer was a memorable one, and I hope you head into 2023 with even more love and passion for this sport.
So that leaves us with this longawaited issue of MXP Magazine. This issue has taken a little longer than originally expected but trust me when I say it’s worth the wait. From the Walton TransCan story to the Yamaha story, to the Stark Varg story, to the incredible cover photo of Ryder McNabb and Dylan Wright. Every page in this issue is great, and we at MXP Magazine are extremely proud of it. We hope you enjoy it and we hope this fall issue of MXP Magazine finds you safe, healthy, and of course, passionate.
See you at the races...
Palms
WITH CHRIS
For my dad, motorcycles have been partof his life since he was a child, so watching hissons and now his grandson ridehas nothingprovided but enjoyment.”
WITH DYLAN WRIGHT
This last little bit has been a really busy time for me. Heading into the end of a championship is never easy. Then, juggling that with all my spare time away from the track spent organizing my wedding for my beautiful fiancée and me and now getting ready for the biggest race of the year, being Motocross des Nations. Add contract negotiations in there to take up some head space. All of these things within a month of each other truly sometimes felt a little overwhelming, but I guess time flies when you’re busy!
Let’s begin talking about the end of an amazing summer for me and my career. Coming into this 2022 season, if you would have even mentioned the word ‘perfect season’, I probably would have laughed. The winter training really didn’t go as planned. After just 2 short weeks on the bike down south in Florida, I had a major setback. I ended up tearing the meniscus in my knee which already had a torn ACL. This was then causing my knee to slide out of place while riding and causing me pain and a lot of discomfort on the bike. After trying to grind it out, I ultimately decided to head home and see my team of specialists to come up with a plan, and quickly, get me ready for the season. I actually ended up taking about 6 weeks off the bike. This isn’t good mentally either as I’m sitting at home on the couch watching my competition put in laps and get ready for the
upcoming season. I’m not going to lie, coming in, I was not 100%, but I was ready to battle. With the time I had before the season my trainer, the team, and I were able to get to a good spot with my body and with the bike.
I was a little nervous going into Round 1, not knowing how my knee would hold up at race pace. But let me tell you, the feeling after the gate drops, that feeling goes away and the only thing to think about is doing my dang job and winning this race. Throughout the season, my health was improving a ton and I feel like I was getting to a great place on the bike that I was happy with. Then disaster struck, I crashed during a practice session and broke a rib the Thursday before a race. I had grinded so hard all season to get to where I was and not having lost a moto. As hard as it was to block out the pain, if I wanted to do this crazy perfect season, I was going to have to ride the smartest I had
ever ridden in my career. Nothing unnecessary and just win the dang race. This went on for a couple of weekends through Deschambault where I would actually clinch the championship.
After clinching it early, I really felt I still had unfinished business with getting this perfect season done. There really was no celebrating. Right back to work we went! Then after Walton the weight off my shoulders after getting the perfect season felt unreal! Finally, I could relax a little bit and get this dang beat-up body looked after!
That relaxing didn’t last long as after one day off, my now wife was on me about getting some muchneeded stuff done for the wedding. I’m not going to lie, I put the planning a little on the back burner while racing the series. I only had two weeks to get everything worked out and done for the wedding. I went up to my parent’s farm about a week and a half early to get the property the way it needed to be for the wedding, and did I ever have a ton of long days getting everything ready! This really gave me a new appreciation for the promoters who put on events! But all the hours worked were totally worth it when I got to see my beautiful wife walk down the aisle towards me! What an amazing day it was and, also, the party was all-time!
Now after riding the high of the wedding, there was no time for a honeymoon! MXON is coming up quickly! Thank god my wife is so supportive! This is such an amazing event that I don’t want to coast into it. I want to do my absolute best to represent our amazing country the best I can! The prep is on and I’ve been putting in the motos and the hours in the gym to be the best I possibly can!
I’m really excited to head to this event and see all the Canadian fans supporting us! SEE Y’ALL
That relaxingdidn’t last longas after one day off, mynow wife was on me about getting some much-needed stuff done for the wedding.”
Hey guys! It’s been a while, but I’m here to give you a bit of an update on my summer. Oh, where to begin though? This summer has been absolutely crazy and wonderful.
It all started with the West Coast series back in June. It may have only been 2 months ago, but it sure does feel like it’s been a while! At the time, I was in the midst of doing a 9-week full-time internship for university and it was not possible for me to take a lot of time off, which meant I had to fly back and forth every weekend to come back and do my clinical hours during the week between the rounds. It was definitely a different vibe than when I last went to the west coast in 2019 because they were all new tracks and I couldn’t get seat time on them during the week like I did back then, but I was able to adapt fairly quickly fortunately. It all started at the WCAN in Kamloops when I showed up to the track after practice because that was the only flight I could get, so I just jumped into the first ladies moto and learned the track as I went. Through the 4 following rounds, I had some great battles with Lexi Pechout and Kaylie Kayer as well as a whole lot of fun getting to know my team better, so it was even
more meaningful when I was able to clinch my first West Coast title!
After a quick weekend off and finally finishing my internship, it was time for the East Coast. Now, I’m going to be honest with you and tell you that it was the hardest thing I’ve done, physically and mentally. When I first got word that Jamie Astudillo was here to do the whole series, I was floored. Actually, the first thing I did was look at my dad and boyfriend and say the following : “Well, RIP my championship”. I knew Jamie very well, I had raced her for many years until 2018, and we had always been the same speed. However, in the years since we had last raced each other, I could only assume she had gotten that much faster (and she did!) racing in Europe and doing everything she had been doing.
I didn’t think I would be able to stand up to the challenge, I didn’t think I had a chance. After that first weekend in Walton, I think we were all pleasantly surprised to see that
I actually could potentially have a chance at this championship. So, for every moto after that, I showed
up to the starting line praying for the best and hoping that I could put it together for a whole moto. To say that it was stressful is an understatement; Jamie and I actually joked about this a few times saying that it was nerve wracking to never know how it was going to turn out every single moto because we were so close in speed that it often came down to whoever made the least mistakes. In the end, I still can’t believe that I was able to win this championship with a 12-point lead, because it was so close all along and Jamie sure gave me a run for my money.
All in all, it may not have been the summer I was expecting when I first came in, but that’s what made it so great. Coming in, I was hoping to have some time to ride with the boys as well, but with how intense the WMX champion ship got, we decided to save our energy for this class. So if there was a downside, that would be it, but I don’t think that matters all that much because it gave me the opportunity to out-do myself in a whole different way and to learn so much about my abilities/my strengths. It taught me that it’s ok to struggle sometimes, it’s ok to lose some races and it’s ok to ad mit that there are days where you just aren’t good enough, because the good days will always outnum ber the bad ones in the end.
At the end of the day, I want to take the time to thank the whole GasGas/Cobequid Mountain Sport/Callus team for getting me through this season and these 2 championships. It was a wonderful opportunity that I was given, and it brought me a lot more than I could have ever expected. Whether it was through advice, mental support, line suggestions or bad jokes, every single person on the team was there when I needed them. It gave me a bigger purpose than just racing for fun and I’m so grateful for that. My only hope now is that every girl out there gets an opportunity like mine or Malia Garant’s (PRMX team) at one point during their career, so they finally get the support they deserve.
Now, it’s time for me to rest, enjoy my off-season and get back into studying! Until next time ;)
All in all, it may nothave been the summer I was expectingwhen I first came in,but that’s what made it so great.”
Receiving a very loud, and very red, makeover, the entire GASGAS 2023 motocross range mixes serious on-track performance with a fresh new look for continued weekend fun! Spice things up and take shredding around your local MX track to a whole new level on bikes that deliver proven technology and vibrant styling. Choose one of our screaming 2-strokes or a powerful 4-stroke and enjoy our no-nonsense approach to performance, each and every ride. Get dirty, refuel, then do it all over again!
To find success in anything you first have to begin with a solid plan. For the Honda Canada/GDR/Fox Racing Team, the 2022 race season began on a solid note with a well-planned and well-attended media day at their team HQ, Gopher Dunes. It’s hard to believe that day took place over four months ago as this past summer went by way too fast, but looking back now those hours spent hanging out with everyone really seemed to get the race season started in a positive way for the GDR Team. At the time, everyone in attendance knew that the team of Dylan Wright and Ryder McNabb were going to find some success later that summer in the Triple Crown Series, but no one could’ve predicted the type of domination that the Red Riders enjoyed during the nine-round series.
Heading into the opening round, the GDR Team was looking to get off to a solid start in both classes.
Considering this was the first time the Triple Crown Series had headed out west since 2019, there was a lot of added excitement as everyone ar rived at Whispering Pines Raceway.
For Dylan Wright, he picked up right where he left off last summer as he rode smart and patient to win both motos without too much trouble. It wasn’t hard to see that thanks in part to his five MXGP races last fall
Dylan was riding at an entirely new level. If his competition was a little worried coming into the opening round, then they were extremely concerned at the end of the day.
Ryder McNabb came into the opening with high expectations after coming within a few points of winning the 250 title last summer. After spending most of the winter training in Florida, Ryder came into Round 1 in great shape and ready to go. Although the opening laps of moto 1 didn’t go as planned, Ryder would charge all the way to second and within a few feet
of race winner Jacob Piccolo. This come-from-behind moto gave Ryder a ton of confidence and when the gate dropped for moto 2, he was out front and riding off to dominat ing moto and overall win. It was a perfect start to the 2022 series for the GDR Team and one that they were extremely proud of.
A week later, the series arrived at the first new track of the 2022 series in Drumheller, Alberta. This track featured hard-packed soil and multiple elevation changes. Round 2 also represented the first Triple Crown format in which the riders in each class race three shorter motos instead of the traditional two longer motos. For Dylan, this didn’t make any difference as he battled hard to win all three 450 motos and build on his points lead. For Ryder though, Round 2 was a real struggle as a mid-week illness had him bedridden until the Friday before the race. Low on energy and not really gelling with the track, McNabb rode to a low-key 4th overall in the 250 class and was forced to hand over the red plate to Jacob Piccolo. It was a tough pill to swallow for McNabb as the goal was to get the points lead and then never give it back. However, at the time the concern was more for Ryder’s health as the illness really took a toll on his body and he only had a week to recover before the series headed to hot Manitoba for Round 3.
If there were two words to best describe Round 3 in Pilot Mound, MB they were hot and remote. For whatever reason, a rare mid-June extremely hot air mass had parked itself over Southern Manitoba that weekend and it pushed the tem peratures into the high 30s. Also, with the track being located in rural Manitoba there wasn’t much to see or to do for miles. The good thing was that the track was amazing and every rider, including Wright and McNabb, loved the second ‘new’ track of the 2022 Triple Crown Series. For Wright, it was another solid 1-1 day as he raced as if the heat wasn’t an issue. For Ryder, he was still feeling the effects of his post-Kamloops sickness, and his 6-3 moto score was pretty indica tive of how he was feeling. It was a tough day for everyone and with the extreme conditions at Round 3 it was good that the series had a weekend off before beginning its eastern swing.
Time off and recovery was exactly what Ryder McNabb needed and once the series moved east he really found his groove. After taking
third overall at Round 4 at Walton Raceway and second overall at Gopher Dunes the next weekend, McNabb went on a tear and won the next three rounds in dominat ing fashion. If there was any doubt surrounding Ryder’s health and de sire to win this title, those doubts were quickly erased by Round 6 in Sand Del Lee. Even a freak off-site practice crash on Saturday before Round 6 couldn’t slow him down as his 1-1 moto score gave Ryder his first win since the opening round in Kamloops. It was a great performance and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Another incredible moto for Ryder came a week later in Riverglade as he went
2-1 for the overall win. In moto 2 that day, Ryder didn’t have to win as his closest rival in the points standings Mitchell Harrison was having an awful day. However, like most champions do, Ryder grabbed the lead and never looked back. It was a statement moto and one that he could look back on as the one that made him the clear 250 championship favourite with just two rounds remaining.
As for Dylan Wright, his first taste of adversity came at his home race in SDL as a bad start and first lap crash in moto 2 pushed him way back. Even as the race reached its halfway point, Dylan was still nowhere near the lead
and his winning streak appeared to be over. However, a few laps later Dylan had caught up to second place, and soon after he took the lead and his perfect season lived on. Then a couple of days later while practicing for Round 7 in Riverglade, Dylan crashed hard and suffered broken ribs. This injury could’ve been a devastating blow to not just Dylan’s winning streak but also his championship hopes. But this is Dylan Wright we’re talking about and not only did the two-time 450 champion soldier through Round 7, but he also went 1-1 and kept his streak going. This was by far Dylan’s toughest race of the 2022 season as he was strug gling to breathe in both 450 motos. However, he made it through, and it was all downhill from there.
Heading into the final round at Walton Raceway, all that was left for Wright was to see if he could remain perfect for the season. For 16-year-old McNabb, his 23-point lead was good but not good enough that he could afford to relax. For Dylan, he rode off into the Walton sunset with another perfect moto score and in the process, he became the first rider ever in Canada to win every moto
in a series. It was an amazing performance by our now three-time 450 champion and one that will be remembered for years to come. As for Ryder McNabb, he refused to let the pressure get to him and his 3-3 moto score was enough for him to secure his first-ever Canadian pro championship. What a season and what a comeback for McNabb after fighting through that early series illness.
As we mentioned at the beginning, coming into the 2022 Triple Crown Series the GDR Team had a plan to win both championships and solidify themselves as the most successful race team ever in Canada. Back in early May at the teams’ media day, they made that plan known to everyone in attendance. They knew it was going to be a massive challenge as the other riders and teams had plans of their own. But through hard work and attention to detail they persevered and now they can look back at the 2022 season with nothing but pride. So congratulations to Dylan Wright, Ryder McNabb, Derek Schuster and the entire Honda Canada GDR Fox Racing Team. What a summer it was and what great performances we were all able to witness.
“AFTER TAKING THIRD OVERALL AT ROUND 4 AT WALTON RACEWAY AND SECOND OVERALL AT GOPHER DUNES THE NEXT WEEKEND, MCNABB WENT ON A TEAR AND WON THE NEXT THREE ROUNDS IN DOMINATING FASHION.”
Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations.
The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.
There’s no such thing as “good enough” in motocross. Constant progression is essential. The all-new 2023 FC 250 is engineered to outperform the competition and the level you were at yesterday.
Photo: R. Schedl, KISKA GmbH
Imagine this: It’s 2009, and you’re a mom of 4 young girls trusting your daughters to be safe at home with their dad while you head out for a weekend ladies’ trip. You leave your girls at home having pretend weddings and playing with Barbies, only to come home Sunday evening to them ripping up the yard on a Honda 50cc dirt bike that definitely wasn’t there before.
When my dad first bought us that Honda 50cc I, Ciel, was 9 years old, Ani was 8, Katrine (whom every one knows as Kitty) was 6, and Tea was 4. Not all of us were diehard fans of the sport at first. I still remember the first time Tea tried riding a dirt bike a couple years later. It was a beauti ful spring Saturday and we had gathered with some family friends for an out of town trail ride. Surrounded by a group of us encouraging her, Tea hopped on the bike and went about
100 meters up the trail before she whiskey throttled the bike into the trees, giving her the fright of her life. It was another 2 years before she got back on a bike, and then we weren’t able to get her off of it!
Eventually we graduated from riding in the backyard and started attending some local Hare scramble races held by Manitoba Dirt Riders. Us girls would race in the morning, our dad (Travis) would race in the afternoon, and our mom (Marie) would be running the show behind the scenes taking photos of us all. Racing has always been a family affair before anything else. We’ve spent countless weekends in the woods as a family, weaving through the trees on our bikes during the day and roasting marshmallows under the stars afterwards. As our skills on the bike improved we started to gain a lot of attention at our local races. We were 4 sisters all battling for the top spots in our classes. Ani and I have always been on identical bikes racing the same classes, neck and neck.
Although our competitive sides were unleashed against each other at full force on the track, we were the best of friends at home. We grew up on a gorgeous property in the country, just south of Winnipeg, MB where up until 2018 we had all been homeschooled. When we’re not causing havoc at the track, our lives are still insanely busy! It’s very rare that you’ll find everyone home at the same time. Ani and I both work full-time jobs. I spend my days working for the family company, Temple Metal Roofs. While Ani works at Capitol Motorsports, a local motorsports shop in Winnipeg that has supported our racing
careers from the very start. Katrine and Tea are now both in high school and are both very accomplished volleyball players.
It was only in 2018 that we started to make the switch from woods racing to motocross, and finally in 2019 we were fully committed. Thanks to having such deep roots in woods racing we were all technically sound riders, which made the transition in riding styles a smooth one. We all excelled in our competi-
“IT WAS ONLY IN 2018 THAT WE STARTED TO MAKE THE SWITCH FROM WOODS RACING TO MOTOCROSS, AND FINALLY IN 2019 WE WERE FULLY COMMITTED.”
tions and were really starting to make a name for ourselves. In 2020 Ani and I jumped at the opportunity to race the Thor WMX nationals with a small race team out of Manitoba. We both had a very successful season, finishing in the top 8! The following year we branched out on our own and were fortunate to gain support from some of the countries’ most renowned motorsports brands including Fox Racing Canada, Husqvarna Canada, Spy Optics and RynoPower Canada as well as getting some local support from Capitol Motorsports and Chudds Powersports to name a couple. Backed by the best, we continued to race the WMX nationals in 2021, as well as the ECAN and Walton TransCan amateur events! This year was the first time all 4 of us raced the nationals together. With Kitty and Tea making their way on to 125cc’s in the past year, we were finally all able to push our limits and race against each other with the rest of Canada’s fastest amateur and professional racers.
Although we really are living the dream, life crammed into a camper with 5 girls, and only 1 bathroom isn’t quite as dreamy. There’s always a lot of bickering about bathroom minutes but in the end we still manage to make it work in the tighter space. With all 4 of us racing together we really feel like a team and do our best to always act as professional as possible while still having fun. Before motos, we always wake up early to get a good group stretching session in while mom makes us all a hearty breakfast. When it’s time to get ready and gear up, our trailer often turns into a dance party. If you ever hear a bunch of girls singing along to Alicia Keys’ “Girl on Fire”, I can guarantee you it’s the 4 of us getting our pre moto hype on!
During any amatuer events such as WCAN, ECAN, CCAN and Walton TransCan and local events, our dad also races in the plus 40B and plus 30B classes on his TC250. One or two of us will always go and make sure we’re with him before his moto to help him on the line and then all head out to watch him battle for the box while cheering wildly on the sidelines. Seeing as there’s only one of him, when it comes time for our amateur races and WMX races, we typically have to find volunteers to help out at the gate. We’re extremely lucky to have such a supportive community where someone is always willing to give us a helping hand when we need it. But behind the scenes our mom is the real magic. She’s always working diligently to make sure there’s food ready for us at all times. Whether that means meals or snacks or getting electrolyte drinks ready for us, she’s always right there when we need anything. She’s also our very own personal photographer! When we first started racing she had quite a bit of anxiety concerning motocross, having grown up not doing anything that might come with physical risks, but she has grown to love it just as much as we have.
Although collectively this was our third year racing Walton TransCan, it was by far our best experience yet. There was so much work put into the track this season and it made for some really great races. One of our favorite things about Walton Raceway is how rutty the track gets and how many different lines develop, making the track a lot more technical. At home we spend a lot of time working on our technical skills. We have a solid training group where we have private training sessions with DJ Burmey of Burmey Training at Zhoda International Raceway just
1-hour southeast of Winnipeg. Our training sessions often end up with some Ferguson-on-Ferguson battles as we are all strong riders and we’re always pushing each other’s limits and learning from each other. This continues into our races where we almost always end up battling each other even more than we do any of our other competitors!
While a lot of our friends come from the motocross community, a lot of them are totally shell-shocked when they discover our love for such an extreme sport. Many have a hard time believing it at first,
“ALTHOUGH COLLECTIVELY THIS WAS OUR THIRD YEAR RACING WALTON TRANSCAN, IT WAS BY FAR OUR BEST EXPERIENCE YET.”
seeing that we are all young women competing in such a male dominated sport. Some are all for it, they think it’s super cool and are often very impressed when we start to tell them about our racing. A few just think we’re downright crazy! But hey, you have to be a little crazy to love getting launched up into the sky at high speeds right? Many of our rela tives can’t even bear to come watch us race at the track, it absolutely terrifies them watching us race so instead they show their support by staying up to date with our races and by following us on social media and watching live results from races.
Motocross has always been such an influential part of our lives and it always will be. We’re building memories to last us a lifetime. We all still plan on continuing racing for many years to come and then when we can’t race we hope to stay as involved as we can with the sport. We want to try and eventually give back as much as we’ve received. None of us would be the person we are without this sport and its community. It has taught us good sportsmanship and how to work through our highs and lows and still come back stronger. Motocross has molded all of us into hard working, dedicated women that won’t let anything stand in the way of our dreams and that’s one of the many reasons we adore it so much.
This past summer we witnessed a celebration of one of the longest-standing and most iconic events in Canadian motocross. During the second week of August, the 30th running of the Walton TransCan took place on the Lee Family farm located a short straightaway from Walton, ON. For three decades racers and their families have come from as far away as New Zealand and South Africa to compete against the best riders from Canada and the USA. Even through two years of Covid-19 the TransCan crew persevered to keep this event not only running but flourishing as well. This year the Walton TransCan had over 1000 entries on hand to celebrate its Pearl Anniversary and thankfully Mother Nature gave everyone a beautiful week of weather.
To celebrate the week at the 2022 Walton TransCan here are some incredible photos by James Lissimore.
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The couple who makes this whole event happen, Brett Lee and Melody Hodgson welcome everyone to the 30th Walton TransCan.
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Manitoba’s Bailey Orbanski(7) and BC’s Kaylie Kayer(912) battle for position in the Ladies class.
Plenty of creativity for this year’s Golf Cart parade.
The next generation of TransCan competitors hit the first turn in the Tyke race.
BY BRETT LEE / PHOTOS BY STARK FUTURE
Like the bike itself, there wasn’t a rumble or noise about what was coming. A motorcycle—that certainly to the people at Stark—was created to change the sport of o -road forever.
O-road has faced numerous obstacles - emissions led to the four-stroke revolution, and now urban sprawl and sound seem to be the limiting factors in motorcycle riding. Fewer places to ride, and the places that do exist have fewer people excited to hear the rev of engines.
Located in Barcelona, Spain and steered by Anton Wass, a passionate and experienced CEO, Stark Future is a company with the makings of something great: the fastest, cleanest and quietest highperformance motocross bike the world has ever seen.
Unloading our gear at the MX Golf Park in the beautiful countryside of Spain, it became evident that this media day was cutting no corners. This test was unique: traditionally, bike launches have up to 50 media and a dozen bikes at a test ride. Instead, four of us were each assigned to a bike, engineer, mechanic and a complete media team. A er changing into our gear, a driver toured us through the former golf course, where the entire Stark team greeted us at the top of a hill. Again on most test days, there are always vital marketing people, mechanics and support sta . On this day, Anton Wass, Benjamin Cobb—Media Manager, Paul Soucy—Founder and COO and World Champion, Sebastien Tortelli, delivered the introductions. The entire leadership team immersed themselves in sharing this experience with us. It may have been one of the great takeaways from the Stark test—a group so obviously brilliant
unsel shly shared their time and showed a genuine interest in what we would experience.
Wass and Soucy guided us around the snow-white Stark VARG. Their pride in what they created was evident - and well-deserved. The two pointed out the ner details as the bike stood on the stand: its seamless lines and the 24 karat gold emblem on the tank; it was stunning. Their description was as if we were looking at a Ferrari, not a motocross bike and their excitement to see us on this bike was sincere. They knew our reactions would be substantial.
Tell anyone you have ridden the Stark VARG, and immediately you’re asked the same question: What was it like?
Swinging a leg over the Stark and preparing to go for the rst time is a surreal moment. Is it on? Do I just turn the throttle? There’s a moment of hesitation everyone goes through. In silence, you hesitantly twist the throttle that rst time and the bike quietly moves forward. No gears, no noise, no vibrations. The silence is surreal for anyone (like me) who has never ridden one before. Many of the points of reference we have all grown to identify while riding, like engine noise, a clutch,
vibrations or changing gears, do not exist. From the moment you roll forward, you become aware of those di erences and begin to pick up on the new tells. The sound of your tires gaining and losing traction. The sound of impact on the jumps. Sounds that historically have been lost in the noise of a gas-powered engine.
Once you open the throttle, you learn that the bike is fast. Really, really fast. While on a traditional bike, there are references of noise and gears that help you understand speeding up or slowing down. Those do not exist on the Starkand it can get you into trouble if you are not careful. The VARG comes in 60Hp (this is what we tested and is equivalent to a good 450F) and a more potent 80hp version (yes, you have read that correctly).
And the VARG, in true electricengine reputation, accelerates hard. There is no hesitation, no miss-shi s, but pure linear acceleration from a dead stop to the moment things begin to blur by. Few motorcycles can compete with the bottom-to-mid acceleration of the VARG. And you need to prepare for that.
Electric vehicles make all their torque from zero rpm - from the moment you twist the throttle. Stark claims 80 hp and an incredible 664.5 pound-feet of torque. The engine can be customized (via the smart display) to keep the power usable, but that much power needs to be respected. Once you’re moving, things become more natural, and the bike turns exceptionally well.
Stark Futures chose Golf MX for our rst ride on the VARG, a beautiful track in the mountains outside Barcelona, Spain. Coming from North America, it was surprising how hard-packed and dry the track was. Being raised in Walton, with ruts, the hard-pack track warranted some serious respect.
As far as feel is concerned, the minor di erences are not something to dislike. The bike is narrow and has a “Honda” feel. Not having a clutch is a strange sensation, and as a rider who rides with his nger on the clutch, it did take some getting used to. There is no gas tank or cap, so the bike is very flat and easy to move around. You cannot feel VARG’s claimed 242-pound weight in the air; however, coming up short did make a thump. The extra pounds never felt like an issue.
The extra pounds, while not directly felt, play into the breaking of the bike. With the stock trim, there’s no engine braking when slowing down. Although equipped with Brembo brakes, like those found on KTM, you do appreciate the assistance of an engine and gearbox in breaking when you attempt to stop. Set in stock trim, it free wheels and, like everything, takes a bit to get used to. You can program the bike to have little to as much engine braking as you want through the programmable interface.
The Stark VARG uses KYB Suspension components, the same as
what you’d nd on a Yamaha. The stock suspension performance is as good as any motocross bike from the gas world.
Jumping the Stark does take some getting used to. Again, the references we have all grown up with are now gone. Gear selection and the sound of the bike do not exist. And more throttle can change things on takeo . Gears do not limit you, so over or under-jumping is a real challenge in the beginning. Those with a mountain bike background seem to get comfortable much quicker than those who have been on motocross platforms only.
A fundamental consideration for all electric-based platforms, whether a Stark or a lawnmower,
is the battery capacity and charging time. For motocross - that means 30ish minutes of use, followed by a charging period. The truth is there is no easy or xed answer to battery life. What a rider weighs, how a rider rides and the settings used all play into the battery. Our tests were limited to 4-5 laps, and we placed the bike on a charger, so it was never an issue all day. We never depleted our batteries through our shortened motos, but the VARG does come with a bike stand with a built-in charger that can get a fully nished battery back to 100% (depending on the variables) in about 1 to 2 hours. The bottom line, it wouldn’t be an issue in a normal moto for average riders.
What is a very unique and cool feature is the smartphone-based display on the crossbar pad. Literally, a smartphone and tuner are at your disposal while working on the bike and a full-colour display while riding. While the version we tested was not an active cell phone, this will be a future option.
The drive home from MX Golf raised the nal question: How does this bike compare? What they have achieved at Stark Future is extremely impressive. Already other brands are coming forward, and the big players have models they are developing. This bike matches all the motocross bikes in their bracket on handling and feel. It perhaps outperforms from details to design and power. But will people buy them? With more than 13,000 units pre-ordered, it seems there are plenty of people ready for what Stark and the future can be o -road.
The history of the Yamaha Motor Corporation’s involvement in Canadian Motocross is long and storied. They have been around since the beginning and indeed led the charge on behalf of the Japanese manufacturers in the early years of the sport. In this, the first of a two-part article, we will look at Yamaha and the riders who piloted them to victory from the early 70’s right up to the turn of the century in the year 2000.
BY MIKE MCGILL / PHOTOS BY BILL PETRO
The early years of North American motocross were dominated by European machines. The sport originated in Europe so of course this makes sense but as the popularity started to take off in Canada and the U.S. in the early 70’s the Japanese manufac turers came into the game in a big way and by 1974 the market became flooded with the shiny new Japanese machines, and the hordes of young riders the sport was attracting bought them up like hot cakes.
Yamaha is of course one of the big 4, which consists of Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki. Their history in the sport in Canada is, as previously mentioned, a long and storied one. Virtually all of our
greatest riders have thrown a leg over a YZ at some point in their careers, so let’s break it down, take a trip down memory lane and examine the place of Yamaha in the history of Canadian motocross.
As mentioned, the European ma chinery such as the German-made Maico, the Swedish Husqvarna and even the Czechoslovakian-made CZ dominated the competition in the late 60’s and early 70’s but by 1972, Yamaha was ready to enter the increasingly competitive dirt bike market in Canada and Trevor Deeley organization, the who were the cur rent Yamaha Importers for Canada wasted no time in signing Canada’s top rider, Ron Keys. George Davis, Keys mentor and mechanic during his tenure at CZ, had recently left the company and joined the Trevor
Deeley organization. This allowed him to continue supporting Keys, only now on the all-new Yamaha. “It was a big deal at the time,” remembers Keys who received a $2,000.00 signing bonus for inking with Yamaha. “The bikes were really trick,” remembers Keys. “All kinds of titanium parts. The, 360 weighed in at 193 pounds. Keys and Yamaha dominated in Canada for the 72 and 73 seasons winning the 125, 250
and 500 National championships over the course of the two years. The 125 and 500 in 72 and the 250 in 73. Keys and his Yamaha also represented Canada well in the US on several occasions during this period placing highly in many TransUSA races in the States”.
The mid-seventies were truly a magical time for motocross in Canada as all the manufactures got involved in the racing scene in a big way. The Japanese bikes were becoming legitimate contenders and the European machinery was still strong. In 1974, Yamaha Canada decided to go in a di erent direction in Ontario and Keys lost his ride. At the time the company was headquartered in B.C. and western riders Larry MacKenzie and Bill McLean continued to receive full support and factory OW equipment. Burnaby native McLean was a Yamaha man through and through as he spent virtually his whole career not only racing for Yamaha but later working for them in a managerial capacity as well. Bill was one of the few Canadian riders who could hold his own, and even beat, much of the imported talent in the seventies. In fact, Bill won the 125 National Championship for Yamaha Canada in 1973—his rookie pro season. In 1974, McLean had another great season winning the B.C. Provincial Championship and nishing second overall and rst Canadian in the National Championships.
By 1975, Yamaha were back with one of the most innovative bikes in the history of the sport. In 74, Yamaha had been testing and racing their radical new mono-shock design in Europe and it was unveiled to the public in 75. Yamaha jumped
back into motocross in a big way in Canada in 75 elding a team which consisted of BC riders Bill McLean and Larry McKenzie as well as Japanese import Nobuyasu (Nicky) Kinoshita and Finnish immigrant Heikki Ylonen. Kawasaki, with Swedish ace Jan-Eric Salqvist had been dominating Canadian moto in 74 so Yamaha wanted to make sure they had something for them with their new bike in 75. Kinoshita was a fantastic and popular rider during his short stay in Canada nishing 2nd overall in the 250 and 500 Nationals to Salqvist that season. As of a couple of years ago, Kinoshita, who must be nearly 70 years old by now was still apparently working for Yamaha in their road-racing division in Asia.
Al Logue, an extremely talented rider out of Hamilton, Ontario carried the banner for Yamaha in the late 70’s. Al started his racing career on a CZ and battled the U.S. and European imports valiantly throughout the 70’s. He probably should have had a few more to his name but Al won his one National Championship—a 125 title for Yamaha in 1977.
In the early 80’s, Yamaha pinned their hopes on a young B.C. talent Terry Ho os. In 79. Bill McLean, who had recently retired from racing, came back to work for Yamaha Canada. One of his rst orders of business was to sign young up-and-comer Ho os. Armed with a full factory, and super trick, OW 125 Yamaha, Ho os, a 125 specialist, did not disappoint and won back-to-back 125 National Championships in 80 and 81. Hoffos, however began to lose interest in motocross a er winning his two National titles and by 1984 he was out of the sport.
“The mid-seventies were truly a magical time for motocross in Canada as all the manufactures got involved in the racing scene in a big way. The Japanese bikes were becoming legitimate contenders and the European machinery was still strong.”
Mount Albert, Ontario native Doug “the Sweeper” Hoover was the next great hope for Yamaha in Canada. A er a highly successful amateur career with Yamaha, which saw him win the 125, 250 and 500 classes in the Ontario Highpoint Championship as well as the CMA National Motocross Senior 125cc Championship. In 1981, he secured a factory ride for the Pro Class with Yamaha for 1982. Hoover was a fantastic rider and should have won many National Championships, but he had one major obstacle in his way. That being Ross “Rollerball” Pederson. “That guy just never lost,” remembers Hoover. By 1984, Doug had solidied himself as the number two rider in Canada. He nished second overall in the 125, 250 and Cana-
land Ross for Team Yamaha. The three seasons Ross spent at Yamaha were arguably the best of his illustrious career with 87 perhaps being the greatest.
Riding, that year, for the Yamaha Motor Canada Team, Ross had some of his nest results both at home and on the international stage. Ross was a regular down in the states of course and while he was able to consistently put in solid results in the US, his best nishes occurred during that 87 campaign, when he scored a 3rd overall at the Hangtown National in the 250 class. He backed that up with a 5th at Southwick on the YZ 250 and scored another 3rdoverall at Red Bud on his air cooled YZ 490. He even nished in the top 10. 9th to be precise, that year in AMA Supercross even though he did not attend all the rounds. Pretty impressive. As was normally the case Ross dominated everything in Canada that season including the Montreal and Toronto Supercross’ against some sti American competition. As Marshall Plumb, Ross’ mechanic during this period recalls, if Ross had of been able access some better equipment during this period, there was no doubt in his mind he would have been a consistent podium threat in the U.S, particularly outdoors.
dian Supercross Series standings to Ross, but the actual chances of him de-throning the Rollerball from the top step of the podium seemed to be slipping away.
It wasn’t until the 85 season, his last with Yamaha, that Hoover came to the realization that he needed to up his game. Hoover started developing a Rollerball like training regime of his own. 1985 turned out to be a breakout year for Hoover. His new commitment to training paid o in a big way as he went head-to-head with the Rollerball and won the CMA 125cc National Championship. “I beat Ross straight up quite a few times that year,” states Hoover. “But for me it wasn’t so much about beating Ross as I just had the feeling, especially in the 125 class, that I was going to win every time I got on the bike. Hoover also took his Cycle World Yamaha Canada sponsored bikes to 2nd overall in the 250 Nationals and 3rd in the 500cc division. Probably one my most memorable and satisfying races of that year came for Hoover at the 250cc GP of Canada at Moto Park when Doug was able to score a 2nd overall podium position against some of the top GP competitors in the world.
The following season, Hoover moved to Honda which le the door open for newly-appointed Yamaha Canada Racing Manager Lawrence Hacking to make a pitch to sign the man himself, Ross Pederson, to a Yamaha ride. “The Hoover’s were de nitely hard business people,” remembers Hacking. “Every season they wanted more money and it got to the point that we just couldn’t re-sign Doug.” With Hoover out of the equation, Hacking was forced to put together a creative package to lure Pederson to team Yamaha.
“I didn’t have the budget to o er him the salary that he should have gotten,” comments Hacking. “My bosses wouldn’t have gone for it, but I knew, and so did Ross, about all of the contingency or bonus money that was up for grabs. And of course, he cleaned that up,” Hacking chuckles. “So, my bosses were happy and so was Ross. It worked out well.” Hacking goes on to mention that it was quite the “feather in his cap” to be able to
“His bikes just weren’t quite as good as the U.S. factory machines,” he laments. “He should have been a factory guy.”
A er the 88 season, Yamaha Canada changed their direction yet again and their budgets for motocross dried up substantially. Ross went back to Suzuki and Lawrence Hacking le his role as Racing Manager in Canada and headed over to work for Yamaha in Europe. Still, Hacking remembers this period as one of the most rewarding of his career. “It was really great,” remembers Hacking. “Working with guys like, not only Doug and Ross, but others as well.” Hacking goes on to mention several other standout Yamaha pilots of the period such as Glen Nicholson, Je Sutherland and Serge Gregoire. “It was great fun and we had a really good vibe on that team.”
It was at this time that Yamaha turned to a young 24-year-old Mark Stallybrass to run their racing program. Stallybrass of course will be most remembered in the sport as the founder and guiding force behind the CMRC National Motocross Series in Canada. But before that, he worked for Yamaha in their marketing department and as mentioned, eventually
rose to become manager of the motocross program.
The motocross program certainly struggled for a few years, but the hard-working Stallybrass developed several innovative concepts which allowed Yamaha riders in Canada to receive some muchneeded support during a down time. Yamaha’s racing budget was extremely low at the time so Stallybrass instituted a delayed nancing program for the team riders which essentially meant that they could race their bikes for the season and sell them at the end of the year and then pay for them. This practice is common now but was something new at the time. He also arranged excellent gear deals with several di erent companies for all the team riders and basically put Yamaha back on the map as far as motocross was concerned. Some of the riders who bene tted from Stallybrass’s programs included Kevin Moore, Brad King, Glen Nicholson and Chris Pomeroy in Ontario and Jason Frenette out west.
Another highlight of Stallybrass’ tenure as manager of the Canadian Yamaha Motocross team came in 1989 when he somehow managed to persuade the entire U.S. Factory Yamaha team to come and participate in the inaugural Toronto Supercross at the Toronto Skydome. Making the trip were Micky Dymond, Jim Holley, Mike Larocco and a 17-year-old phenom out of Charlotte, North Carolina named Damon Bradshaw. They put on quite a show and Bradshaw notched his rst professional win at the two-day event. Outdoor motocross in Canada was in a pretty shameful state in the early 90’s. The CMA, who had been running things, basically into the ground forever, were nally
out but Stallybrass’s new CMRC Series was struggling to make any real head way or gain any type of serious legitimacy. Needless to say, the manufacturers, Yamaha included were reluctant to become involved. In fact, the rst couple of seasons of the CMRC Nationals in 93 and 94 consisted of just one event which took place in conjunction with the Amateur National Championships which Stallybrass co-promoted with the Lee family in August at Walton Raceway.
Championship rounds were added in 95 however with Ste Julie and Ulverton in Quebec along with an additional Ontario round in Barrie at R.J.s Motorsport Park to go along with Walton. It was in 95 that long time Ontario Pro and Yamaha rider Marty Burr pulled o a legendary performance at the season nale where he swept the pro classes winning all four motos on the day. The following season in 96, the series was really starting to build momentum and the paddock was beginning to look much more professional. It was in 96 that Burr nally won his one and only National Championship title for Yamaha in the 125 class.
The series continued to build momentum for the next several years, but it wouldn’t be until 2000 when Yamaha would make
yet another huge splash and usher in the 4-stroke era in pro motocross in this country. The North American economy, which so many people were so concerned about in regard to the Y2K bug actually seemed to be growing faster than ever, and in terms of motocross the big manufacturers were nally ready and willing to spend money again. Big money as a matter of fact, and the CMRC National series was about to reap the bene ts of this new-found largess.
The really big story that year was the somewhat surprising entry of former top U.S. Pro Doug Dubach into the MX1 class. Dubach was of course well known to any motocross enthusiast, having competed in the U.S. National Series and Supercross for the Factory Yamaha team for many years. In fact, Dubach was arguably the biggest name to ever compete in any Canadian National Motocross Series at that point in time, and even though he was at the tail end
I really started to get serious about doing it, so I had to act fast,” remembers Gowland. And so, with the limited support he had been able to secure through an old Indy Car contact at Fed-Ex and new Team Manager John Bayliss, from Yamaha Canada he decided to take a flyer and put in a call to Mitch Payton at Pro-Circuit, to see if he would be willing to help at all. “Mitch was all for it,” chuckles Gowland, “and he also told me ‘Hey, I know just the rider you should hire’.” That rider turned out to be Doug Dubach. It should be noted that Dubach, at the time had fully transitioned from active racer to full-time test rider.
In fact, Dubach was pretty much the main test rider in the development of the four stroke YZ program having taken the bike right from its infancy in the early stages of 1996 up until the release of the production YZ 426F in 1999.
of his career and approaching the age of 38, the Costa Mesa, California resident was obviously still a force to be reckoned with. The architect behind bringing Dubach to Canada in 2000 was non-other than Dave Gowland. Dave of course had a long history of involvement with the sport in Canada having raced himself as a youngster growing near Mississauga, Ontario. Dave would later transition to the mechanical side and wrenched for Canadian motocross legends Ross Pederson and Carl Vaillancourt before packing up his toolbox and moving stateside in 95. Of course, it was all pretty last minute for Gowland and his new team. “It was actually a er Christmas when
“It was really a perfect storm,” remembers Dubach. “I joke around with my old mechanic (Allan Olsen) to this day that we could never duplicate that season again, even if we had a thousand chances to do so.” Dubach showed up at the opening round with handlebars, forks, shock and a bone-stock YZ 426 which caused Gowland some distress. “He was always asking me if we should be doing some motor work or changing pistons or something like that,” laughs Dubach. “I would tell him no, just change the oil and clean the lter. It was prettyfunny,” recalls Dubach. “Back home in California and throughout the States for that matter, the four strokes were already quite popular. They were really starting to catch on but I’m telling you I Canada mine was literally the only one on the starting line. I had the choice between riding the 2 or the 4 stroke but by this time I was pretty much known to be a 4-stroke guy. I knew that was the future, although,” he laughs “apparently in Canada they didn’t know yet.” But they were about to nd out.
Dubach won the Championship in convincing fashion and Yamaha was back on top of the motocross heap in Canada. The trend would continue over the next two decades as a veritable who’s who of Canadian and international talent would suit up for Team Yamaha in the years to come. In the next issue of MXP, we’ll look at Yamaha’s continued upward trajectory in the sport. The innovation, the teams and the riders that have shaped the new millennium in the sport of motocross in Canada.
We are so fortunate in our industry to have an abundance of smart and determined women doing everything they can to make this sport better in Canada. Kourtney Lloyd is one of these women who decided years ago that she was going to take on large projects outside of her family’s uber-successful powersports dealership in Prince George, BC to help Canadian riders nd success not just here at home, but also on the world stage. From sponsoring local BC riders out of their Cycle North dealership to managing Team Canada on three separate occasions at the MXON, Kourtney has proven time and time again that if you want to do something then you simply nd a way to make it happen. We caught up with Kourtney as she was preparing for her latest adventure of managing the ClubMX FXR Team as they travel the world in the upcoming FIM World Supercross Championships.
MXP: I KNOW BINGO WITH PHIL [NICOLETTI] WAS A HIGHLIGHT A FEW YEARS AGO, WHAT MOMENTS STOOD OUT THIS YEAR AT THE TRANSCAN?
This year was so special in so many ways but the stand out for me was the Ride With Me charity ride that Tanner Ward puts on. It is for such an important cause and for Tanner to take the time to plan it each year and to make everyone feel so included is awesome. I am not a cyclist (shocking news there) but I make a solid e ort to go and it is such a fun way to get us all together and go on a bike ride and have some fun away from moto.
MXP: JUST PRIOR TO THE TRANSCAN IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT YOU WOULD BE RUNNING THE CLUBMX FXR TEAM THIS FALL IN THE NEWLY FORMED FIM WORLD SX CHAMPIONSHIPS. WAS THIS NEW POSITION IN THE WORKS FOR SOME TIME OR WAS IT KIND OF LAST MINUTE?
MXP: HEY KOURTNEY, THE LAST TIME WE SAW YOU IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL WEEK AT THE WALTON TRANSCAN. I LOVE HOW YOU MAKE AN EFFORT TO TRAVEL THERE EACH YEAR TO REALLY JUST HANG OUT AND BE A PART OF IT. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THAT EVENT THAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK?
Hey Palms! It was so nice this year at the TransCan. I wouldn’t miss that event for the world. The whole
experience from start to nish is just so fun and yet so much hard work and I respect that. The comradery that is built in that week is priceless. I have so many friends that I only get to see once a year and it’s at the Walton TransCan. It holds a very special place in my heart. Until Brett and Mel boot me out, I will keep coming back.
The idea came about a couple of months before the announcement but I was dragging my feet waiting to see if my World Supercross Licence would be awarded to me. However, once it was established that I wasn’t one of the ten teams chosen I talked to Scott Je ery and Brandon Haas about what it would look like as far as me being the Manager for the ClubMX FXR Team. I have never had a boss before except
for a short stint at KFC in grade 10 (in which I got red) so I needed to make sure I was prepared to learn how to be an employee and not an employer. I de nitely wouldn’t say it was last minute but the way the series is changing and moving so quickly it feels rushed, but I think that is just my own anxieties coming into play there.
I am very proud of what I have accomplished with my numerous teams and riders, especially the MXON Team that I ran for three years. Cycle North Powersports is a massive machine with many moving parts and my family and I deal with many things on any given day which I think helps me to juggle all of the hats I wear when it comes to racing. Taking on the ClubMX FXR team is no di erent than the other programs that I have run except for having a management team above me to run ideas and things past. No matter where we are going everyone needs the same tools as they do at home so if you can provide those to the riders and mechanics it makes it a lot smoother once you get overseas and to the events.
We are so excited to head to Cardi , the stadium looks incredible. I have rented an Airbnb next to it so we are nice and close. The riders have pretty speci c diets so we have a chef that is going to be there to ensure everyone has exactly the foods they need. The team personnel include familiar names like Risi George* and Sascha Baier who everyone knows from my Team Canada e orts. It was crucial for me to nd people that I know will be there for the right reasons and to ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible once we arrive. I trust these guys so much and I know they will always give me 110%. The riders Phil Nicoletti, Cade Clason, Grant Harlan, and Jace Owen are all such beauties that I have no doubts about them being beside me on this incredible journey. Luckily for me Phil, Cade, and Jace have been my friends for years. I actually met Jace back in 2013 in Germany when me and Ross Johnson were there for the German Supercross Series. So I know that they have my back and that they will make sure we are dialed going into Round 1. I also
know them so well that if they do get out of line I just have to give them my “Kranky Kourtney” look as Phil calls it and they will get back in line (laughs).
MXP: IT SOUNDS LIKE THE CLUBMX FXR TEAM IS READY TO GO. OKAY, AS WE MENTIONED THIS SERIES IS GLOBAL AND AFTER CARDIFF YOU WILL BE HEADING TO AUSTRALIA. FIRST OFF, HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO TRAVEL DOWN UNDER AND WHAT IS THE PLAN THERE WHEN YOU’RE NOT AT THE RACES?
I am extremely excited to be heading to Melbourne, I have been there once before but for something like this, it has a different feel. With it being the home of the WSX Team, I think it will be done right and the stadium will be just booming with fans and friends from across the globe. I think it is so important for the fans to be able to meet all of the riders that they would normally only see on TV. International events are so important in that sense. I can’t tell you our plan when we are not at the races because Phil wasn’t invited with us and we don’t want to hurt his feelings.
MXP: POOR PHIL! MAYBE YOU’LL SEE CROCODILE DUNDEE WHILE YOU’RE THERE. I BET HE AND PHIL WOULD GET ALONG WELL.
No, Dundee is too nice. I think Phil would get along better with the crocodiles.
MXP: ON A SERIOUS NOTE THOUGH. THIS IS GOING TO BE A GREAT ADVENTURE AND ANOTHER AMAZING CHAPTER IN YOUR LIFE.
This truly is. I have been so lucky to have earned my way into some pretty incredible situations and this is one of those things that I will look back on and be like, Wow I did that. I am not supposed to be here. I am a girl from a Northern town in Canada and the odds of this are so slim and it just shouldn’t be. I’m thankful though that I’ve been able to build this into a life and I am so proud of the person I have evolved into. Unconventional is an understatement but I wouldn’t want it any other way
MXP: BACK HOME IN PRINCE GEORGE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY RUN A VERY SUCCESS FUL DEALERSHIP CALLED CYCLE NORTH POWERSPORTS. HOW WAS EVERYTHING THROUGH COVID AND HOW IS THE DEALER SHIP DOING NOW?
Cycle North is the heartbeat of my family. All five of us are involved and we work so hard every day to ensure its success. A family business can be trying but we all have the same goal and it is to make this a success and that is what we wake up every day to accomplish. My brothers are
my business partners and they support me to follow this dream but also rein me in when I need to be. I think it is important to listen to those that know you best. My parents built this up in such an incredible way and taught us how to be successful, providing us with all of the right tools. They are by far the best people I know and such role models for my brothers and me. Covid was tough on the retail environments everywhere but we got through it and we kept all of our staff employed through it all and that was the goal so I am proud of how they all handled the madness.
MXP: CYCLE NORTH IS FOUR SEASON DEALERSHIP AND PRINCE GEORGE MOST CERTAINLY GETS ALL FOUR SEASONS IN SPADES. WHAT PRODUCTS ARE YOU MOST BUSY WITH NOW?
We are right now in hunting season so the wakeboards and life jackets go away and the gun boots and camo come out. Sled season is just around the corner which is our busiest so we will be prepping the showrooms for that in the next few weeks
MXP: I BET EVERYONE IS GOING TO MISS YOU WHILE YOU’RE ON THE ROAD WITH THE WSX SERIES.
Most likely just my dog Paisley and my horse Maple. My brothers say it is going to be a nice break from me.
MXP: YOU ALSO SUPPORTED A COUPLE OF RIDERS THIS SUMMER IN THE TRIPLE CROWN SERIES. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE ABOUT HOW THEY DID?
Yeah for sure we did. Daniel Elmore and Ethan Ouellette were our riders heading into the summer. Unfortunately, Ethan hurt his hand in Kamloops and tried to make it through the season but it was just not working for him so he headed back out West to let it heal.
Daniel made a huge name for himself this season with not only his career-best but Cycle North’s best ever results in the 450 class. He end ed up 4th at Walton in his final moto.
I was crying, yelling, and cheering so loud. Bill Van Vugt and Dutchy were standing with me and they probably thought I was a crazy person. It was so exciting and it made me so proud to see him up there
MXP: ON ANOTHER NOTE. FOR THREE YEARS YOU RAN A VERY SUCCESSFUL TEAM CANADA PROGRAM AT THE MXON. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU’D LIKE TO DO AGAIN OR ARE THE POLITICS AND STRESS JUST TOO MUCH?
I loved running Team Canada, it is one of the things I am most proud of in all these years. The politics were so much and with that brought on so much stress that wasn’t needed for one weekend a year. That old mentality that the CMA had appears
to be dissipating so I am hopeful that the new faces on the board will breathe some life back into these programs. Not only the MXON but also the ISDE. I would love to run the team again and I would not even hesitate to put in just as much effort as I did in years past to make it what it was in 2016, 2017, and 2018. There has been so much negativity around that program over the years and we need to get it back to a place of positivity. National spirit and pride for our country are very important for the fans of our sport and it’s also important that our riders feel that as well.
MXP: WELL KOURTNEY, IT’S BEEN A PLEASURE AS ALWAYS SPEAKING WITH YOU. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SPEAK WITH US. ANY PARTING WORDS OR INFORMATION AND PERHAPS SOME FUTURE PLANS YOU HAVE? YOU SEEM LIKE SOMEONE WHO JUST CANNOT SIT STILL!
Thanks for wanting to hear what I have to say and for caring about the WSX program. I think it is a great step into something big and to have a small part in it is so exciting. I just want to thank ClubMX for this op portunity and I can’t wait to see how the season with them goes. I cannot sit still, but one day I will have to and I will have all of these incredible moments to look back on and that is what motivates me.
FOR THIS MONTH’S FACE TO FACE, WE SIT DOWN WITH HEAD REFEREE PAUL KINGSLEY AND HIS FAITHFUL ASSISTANT DARYL MURPHY. THESE TWO DOWNTO-EARTH INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER FOR SOME TIME AND IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE THEM NOT BEING A PART OF THE TRIPLE CROWN SERIES. THROUGH THE GOOD TIMES AS WELL AS THE TOUGH TIMES AT THE RACES, ‘KINGER’ AND ‘MURPH’ ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE FAIRLY AND, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT IS ALL YOU CAN ASK FROM OFFICIALS.
MXP: WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?
DM: Regina, Saskatchewan.
PK: First 14yrs in England. New Brunswick then Oshawa since 1978.
MXP: WHAT IS THE MOST FAMOUS THING ABOUT YOUR HOMETOWN?
DM: Daryl Murphy’s Moto X Van of course.
PK: Nothing in the “shwa”.
MXP: WHEN DID YOU FIRST ENCOUNTER DIRT BIKES?
DM: When I was about 5 years old, learning to ride in the backyard – Could have made for a great reel on Dumbest Stuff on Wheels – Hit a fence immediately.
PK: 1975
MXP: DO YOU LOVE DIRT BIKES OR ARE THEY JUST AN ADDICTION?
DM: Love, Passion & Addiction.- It’s the ultimate entanglement of all three.
PK: I love them and always will.
MXP: GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT?
DM: To be human and understand the value of mistakes.
PK: Expert Hare Scramble National championship 1987 also the plus 30 and 40 MX Championships.
MXP: FAVOURITE PART ABOUT BEING AT THE RACE TRACK?
DM: The Moto Family – Good, Bad, Ugly or other wise - we show up for each other.
PK: Still being involved and watching riders develop.
MXP: LEAST FAVOURITE PART ABOUT BEING AT THE RACE TRACK?
DM: When things come unglued.
PK: When bad accidents happen.
MXP: YOU’RE BOTH WELL-KNOWN AT THE TRACK. WHO TALKS TO MORE PEOPLE IN A DAY?
DM: Most definitely me!
PK: I’m sure it’s Daryl.
MXP: FAVOURITE RIDER TO TALK WITH ON RACE DAY?
DM: Talking to any athlete is an opportunity to learn and grow. Some more so than others, but no favourites here.
PK: Any rider that wants to talk to me.
MXP: ALL-TIME FAVOURITE MOVIE?
DM: Boondock Saints.
PK: Shawshank Redemption.
MXP: WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE?
DM: I don’t know, but whomever it is, I would wish them luck!
PK: You couldn’t pay someone to play me.
MXP: WOULD YOU RATHER LIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS OR ON A BEACH?
DM: Beach with shades on.
PK: Definitely on a beach.
MXP: FAVOURITE TYPE OF MUSIC?
DM: Something with good rhythm and beats.
PK: Late 1980s music.
MXP: FAVOURITE ALBUM OR CD OF ALL-TIME?
DM: I grew up favouring AC/DC Albums.
PK: The Joshua Tree by U2.
MXP: FAVOURITE TRACK?
DM: Riverglade – I love the atmosphere.
PK: Unadilla!
MXP: LEAST FAVOURITE TRACK?
DM: Nanaimo – Only because of the up hills for running/walking during the running of a race… and the shale.
PK: Any hard packed track.
MXP: FAVOURITE RIDER OF ALL TIME?
DM: Kevin Windham
PK: Jeffrey Herlings
MXP: HOW MANY STEPS DO YOU TAKE IN A DAY?
DM: At least 20,000 plus at every event.
PK: 6000-7000 on race day.
MXP: OTHER THAN INJURIES, WHAT COULD OUR SPORT DO WITHOUT?
DM: Closed-minded people.
PK: Whining!
MXP: WHAT CONDITIONS ARE HARDEST TO WORK IN, HEAT OR RAIN?
DM: Both provide unique challenges whether it be for safety reasons, track conditions, fatigue, and more.
PK: Rain!
MXP: BEST RACE YOU’VE EVER WITNESSED?
DM: I’d say the 250 class this summer was off the hook.
PK: The 2014 Toronto SX when JS7 went from last to first.
MXP: FAVOURITE SPORT OTHER THAN MOTOCROSS?
DM: CFL Football. Go Riders!
PK: Mountain biking.
MXP: IF YOU WEREN’T DOING THIS WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING?
DM: Posting Canadian Motomemes.
PK: Riding my E-Bike somewhere.
MXP: NAME SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?
DM: I have colour blindness and it’s hard some times to distinguish different shades of certain colours that involve reds or greens within that spectrum.
PK: I’m a bit of a loner.
MXP: FAVOURITE THING ABOUT BEING A RACE OFFICIAL?
DM: Working with the entire event crew. PK: Being part of the show.
MXP: LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT BEING A RACE OFFICIAL?
DM: The long days!
PK: Dealing with all of the BS.
MXP: THE BEST WAY TO SPEND A DAY AWAY FROM THE TRACK?
DM: Listen to music, see friends and family. Any thing but moto to stay rejuvenated.
PK: Riding trails with friends.
MXP: THE WORST PLACE ON EARTH?
DM: Pearson International Airport- 2022
PK: Anywhere that’s cold.
MXP: WHO GIVES YOU MORE GRIEF AT THE TRACK, RIDERS OR TEAM MANAGERS?
DM: Team Managers!
PK: Definitely the Team Managers.
MXP: MOST ANNOYING THING ABOUT YOU?
DM: I take forever to tell or share a story. PK: I tend to get upset with tardy people.
MXP: WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST MOMENT?
DM: After not riding for more than a decade I finally got back on the bike this summer. PK: Winning the Formula 2000 racing school at Shannonville.
MXP: WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB IN MOTO?
DM: Finish line official.
PK: Finish line guy for CMC in 1989.
MXP: THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE EVER DONE TO EARN SOME MONEY?
DM: Motocross is as crazy as it gets for me. PK: Racing motocross ….usually cost me more than I made.
MXP: WHAT IS YOUR DAILY VEHICLE?
DM: Honda CRV!
PK: 2021 VW GTI.
MXP: WHAT IS YOUR DREAM VEHICLE?
DM: Helicopter with pilot included. PK: Nissan GTR
MXP: WHERE DO SEE YOURSELF IN TEN YEARS?
DM: Visiting Kinger in the seniors and posting Canadian Motomemes.
PK: Hopefully above ground and vertical.
MXP: WORDS TO LIVE BY?
DM: Make your own self-care and mental health a priority and focus on the things that you can control - your own thoughts and actions.
PK: It don’t hurt until the bone shows.
By the time you read this the 2022 MXON event at Red Bud will be a part of motocross history. This iconic event has been around for over 40 years and after taking place in Italy last year it was great to see it back in the USA this year. In the past, we’ve seen famous tracks in the USA like Unadilla, Budds Creek, Lakewood, and of course Red Bud host this global event. After visiting Red Bud for the first time back in 2018 the MXONs seem to have found a welcoming home in the State of Michigan. Let’s face it, everyone loves Red Bud and since the facility did such a fantastic job of hosting this event prior it only made sense to head back there for a second time.
Hopefully, our team of Dylan Wright, Ryder McNabb, and Tyler Medaglia finished well this time
around as the MXONs have not always been kind to Team Canada.
Heading into this year all three of our riders are coming off incredible summers of racing with both Wright and McNabb being crowned champions, and Medaglia riding better than he has in years. Finding success at this event takes a little bit of everything so let’s hope our riders brought their A game
and things go their way. We as a country most certainly deserve some success in Red Bud. With all eyes focused on this year in Red Bud let’s take a look back at some MXON memories from 2016 in Italy, 2017 in England, and finally 2018 in Red Bud. These James Lissimore photos definitely tell a great story from these memorable years at this famous event.
It’s been quite a few years for the young phenom from B.C, Braxton Zeitner. Not only was he victorious last summer at the Walton TransCan but this past August he was able to nd even more success on the most famous track in Canada. With multiple Canadian championships already on his resume, Braxton is looking forward to the Future West AX Championships this fall as well as some solid training in the o -season. We caught up with the Yarrow, BC native for this month’s Young and on the Rise.
BZ: Hi Chris. Things are going well for me thank you. My home is in Yarrow, B.C. –a small farming town between Abbotsford and Chilliwack.
Even though Yarrow is so small, it has a pretty cool skatepark. There are also a lot of trails here near the river or on the mountain for a mountain or dirt bike.
I have been riding a dirt bike since I was 2 and a half years old. My mom and dad had dirt bikes for trail riding, just for fun, and they used to take me on rides when I was just a baby in a carrier. I’ve always loved them.
My rst race was at Future West Moto Arenacross in Armstrong, B.C. in 2016. I remember my parents put me in the school to practice rst because I had never done it before. I cried and cried and didn’t want to do it because I was so scared of all the bikes that were bigger than mine. Kyle Beaton bribed me with a pair of signed goggles if I would just do one lap. That night, I actually ended up winning all my races.
I would say that my favorite track to ride in B.C. right now is Bear Creek in Kelowna because it is flowy and fast and just a lot of fun.
I’m very lucky to have a few people who help me. Kyle Beaton has always worked with me. He has been my private coach since I was on 50s. He will come to di erent tracks to work with me or at my house. He has built me different arenacross tracks here at my place too. When he can’t be at the races, he always calls to talk. Ryan Lockhart and Tyler Gibbs have given me lessons as well, and Tyler just helped me for the entire week at Walton. He did all the practices with me, and came to every start and podium too.
MXP: DID YOU GO DOWN SOUTH THIS PAST WINTER TO RIDE, OR DID YOU JUST REMAIN AROUND HOME?
This past winter I went to California to ride and practice for just over a month. It was a lot of fun because I had some of my friends there too. We went to a bunch of di erent tracks and rode almost every day. I hope that I will get to do that again this year.
MXP: OTHER THAN MOTOCROSS WHAT OTHER SPORTS DO YOU LIKE?
I like to wakeboard and mountain bike in the summer, and I like to snowboard and do indoor BMX bike parks in the winter. I just tried the driving range while in California last year for the rst time, and I really liked that too, so I would like to try gol ng more.
MXP: OKAY, LET’S TALK ABOUT LAST YEAR. WHAT WERE SOME OF THE RESULTS THAT YOU WERE MOST PROUD OF?
I was super proud to qualify at the Loretta Lynn Area Quali ers in the spring on both the 65 and 85. Also winning 3 championships at both the WestCan and TransCan was super awesome. That was the goal I had at the beginning of the year, so I was pumped that I accomplished that. I worked really hard.
MXP: HEADING INTO THIS SEASON WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOU HAD TO WORK ON THE MOST?
I think I had to train the most on my 85cc because that was still new to me, and cornering was di cult. I also knew I had to learn to try to nd ways to deal with my nerves. I get excited to race, but I think that I try too hard. Sometimes at
bigger races, I get flustered and then make silly mistakes. I need to try to stay calmer… I will probably always have to work on that.
MXP: PRIOR TO THE WALTON TRANSCAN HOW WAS THE 2022 SEASON GOING? My season was going really well. I was racing all the Future West Moto races, had done some racing in the USA, spent Tuesday nights at Mission with all my friends and had been practicing a lot. I was really enjoying riding the 85 this year outdoors the most.
MXP: YOU WERE ONE OF THE NUMEROUS RIDERS THAT MADE THE TREK TO THE WALTON TRANSCAN A FEW WEEKS BACK. HOW DID THAT RACE GO FOR YOU? Walton was awesome. The track conditions were mint and the weather was great! I was struggling a bit in the 65 classes to keep my bike on two wheels. I made some mistakes and was crashing out for the rst couple of days, but nally calmed myself down and pulled it back together. I am obviously super stoked to nish with all 3 championships ( 65cc GP, 65cc 10-11, 85cc 7-11) and to be awarded the Top Mini Rider award from Atlas Brace!
MXP: OBVIOUSLY, YOU’VE HAD TO DO A FEW LONG DRIVES WITH YOUR FAMILY TO GET TO THE RACES. CAN YOU GIVE US YOUR CRAZIEST ROAD TRIP STORY?
I think it would be the rst time I went down to California for the winter and to race Supercross Futures in 2018. My dad’s truck blew up on the highway halfway there. It was either go home or rent a U-Haul. Thankfully, we had friends behind us a couple of hours, so the
Davies family picked up the rental for us, we le his truck on the side of the road and kept going.
MXP: ALTHOUGH THIS SPORT IS AN INDIVIDUAL ONE, YOU STILL NEED A GOOD SUPPORT SYSTEM. DO YOUR PARENTS LOVE RACING AS MUCH AS YOU DO? Yes, my parents give me so much support! I think they love racing as much as I do. Neither of them ever raced dirt bikes, so this sport was new to them. We have all made so many friends doing this – they are like our family now and we all have a ton of fun at the races. I also get so much help and support from my other family – whether they are coming to the races to cheer for me or helping us out by watching our house and animals when we are away.
MXP: LET’S TALK ABOUT SCHOOL FOR A MOMENT. WHAT GRADE ARE YOU CURRENTLY IN AND WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SUBJECT?
I’m going into Grade 6 this coming year, and this will be my third year doing homeschool. I think that I would say my favorite school subject is science.
MXP: LET’S FAST FORWARD FIVE YEARS. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 2027?
Five years from now I will be 16 years old, so I hope I am under the KTM rig and racing the 250 pro class!
MXP: IF YOU ASKED YOUR PARENTS TO BEST DESCRIBE YOU IN ONE WORD WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Oh, that’s a hard one.. maybe they would say determined? I think that word because I like to make a lot of goals for myself and I try really hard to achieve them. And not always just for riding –sometimes I will work extra hard at school for a few days so I can take a day o to go to the lake or snowboarding on a Friday.
MXP: THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS BRAXTON. ANY SPONSORS OR PEOPLE YOU’D LIKE TO THANK?
Thank you for thinking of me for the interview! Of course, I want to thank my family and friends for all their help, encouragement, and support! Also, KTM Canada, Holeshot Motorsports Langley, 6D Helmets, 100%, Atlas Brace, Matrix Concepts Canada, Ryan Lockhart, FXR, MD Distributions, Nihilo Concepts, Ryno Power Canada, Tyler Gibbs, and Kyle Beaton for always working with me.
To the best of our knowledge, Jeremy is the only Gatorade Canada sponsored athlete in motocross. In an industry dominated by energy drinks, Gatorade is a refreshing new rider sponsor focused on fueling athletic performance. Jeremy’s cooler is filled with the Frost Arctic Blitz flavour, helping him stay hydrated in his
Jeremy McKie is no stranger to Canadian motocross fans. One of Quebec's top pros, he carved his way through the amateur ranks, winning back-toback Fox Racing Instinct Bronze Boots before making his pro debut in 2020. A respected mentor to up-and-coming riders, including Alek Guadagno, Jeremy has balanced his natural talent with major dedication and, as a result, found himself racing for KTM Canada/Red Bull/THOR Race Team at Deschambault and Walton this past summer. Between managing co-owner duties at SMX Motocross in Saint-Pie, QC and racing the last of the Quebec Provincial Series, we caught up with Jeremy to chat about his favourite things in this issue's MXP Essentials.
Fresh La Peufra, born in 1997, also known as Fresh and L’Enfant des Bons Coins, is a Belgian rapper from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is known for winning the first edition of La Nouvelle École, a French-language adaptation of Rhythm + Flow, a music reality television series on Netflix (the first of its kind). His title from the show’s finale, Chop, is certified gold.
fresh_lapeufra
Not much of a TV guy, when Jeremy has some downtime he’ll toss on SWAT, a show on Netflix that follows a locally born and bred S.W.A.T. lieutenant who is torn between loyalty to the streets and duty to his fellow officers. Tasked to run a highly-trained unit that’s the last stop for solving crimes in Los Angeles, the lead actor “Hondo” (Shemar Moore) has been easing the tensions between the community and the LAPD since 2017. www.netflix.com
Jeremy is a self-proclaimed big time sneaker guy with a solid collection he’s built over the years. Sneaker culture and Nike are often synonymous with one another, and rightfully so. Over the years, Nike has branched out to create shoes for a great variety of sports, and the simple and clean design of their shoes has opened the door for countless variations of colorways, making them the perfect canvas for color blocking and artistical freedom. On steady rotation: Nike Dunk Low Retro White Black Panda (2021). On the want list: Nike Dunk Low Jackie Robinson. Nike.com
Released in 2022, Top Gun: Maverick is the second installment in the Top Gun series and is the highest-grossing second film of all time. We doubted this movie. We’re old enough to remember the ICONIC 1986 original, but fortunately, we are humble enough to recognize when we were wrong. It’s an instant action classic and improves on the original in every way possible - the fighter jet scenes are worth the price of admission alone. Top Gun: Maverick is still in the theatre, and it’s a must-watch even if you haven’t watched the original movie.
Jeremy was fortunate to spend his winter at one of the USA’s top motocross training facilities last winter. Located in Cairo, Georgia, Millsaps Training Facility (MTF) is set on 210 acres and features national calibre motocross, supercross and arenacross tracks. The team at MTF provides structured training programs, camping, recreation and storage facilities and is backed by some of the motocross industry’s most prominent riders and sponsors. Combining the latest in sport science technologies with over a decade of experience, MTF offers complete training programs for riders of all ages and abilities at their first-class
Jonathan has been Jeremy’s personal trainer for three years. Located in a private loft in Montreal, Jonathan has prepared Jeremy for the Triple Crown Series MX Tour and life in general.
Jason Benny has focused on teaching MX schools since an injury sidelined him in 2020. Known for training some of Quebec’s fastest riders (such as Jeremy McKie, Alek Guadagno, and Malia Garant), Jason travels to the top tracks in Quebec to offer lessons and schools all season long. www.
WITH ANDY WHITE
Ah…my favourite time of the year, fall! You can hear the crickets chirping, all of the local tracks are a little quieter and the kids are back to school. With the dog-days of summer behind us, it also means the dirt is a little moist. I’m sure not a fan of hard pack and dust or my internal temperature gauge running hot. If the temperature is around 16°C-22°C, that has to be about the perfect weather for riding. Another reason I enjoy this time of the year is because all of the major motocross series are over and we all know what that means…it’s time to start working on the following year’s budgets and potential new riders.
If you follow American MX, this past AMA 450 outdoors series was pretty special. I have to admit it was one of the best series to date. When they said Ryan Dungey would make a comeback, I wasn’t sure where he would finish. He has been retired for five years already. That’s not easy to come back from retire ment to one of the most competitive series in the world. I would imagine Ryan has done his homework and figured he would be competitive or he would look kind of stupid rolling around in tenth. It was cool to see the nine-time World Champ Tony Cairoli lining up in the states as well. He might not have the speed as he is semi-retired but it was nice to see him mix it up with the kids. Every weekend the riders sure put on a great show.
The final round at Pala has to go down as one of the best races in history. There was exactly one point separating Tomac and Sexton.
I was pulling for Tomac—as it was probably his last outdoor season.
It was pretty impressive to see that the two riders were able to push so hard that they finished over a min ute in front of the third place rider.
The two riders were riding a little out of there comfort zone but that’s what it takes to be a champion right? It was all down to the last race of the year, moto two. I was a little nervous off the start when Tomac was way back after a bad start. I knew that Sexton had to put the ride of the century in or it was over. Well, he definitely cracked under the pressure. It was a shame to see him make so many mistakes after looking so good in the first
race. The beauty of it is though, Sexton will rebound, he is still young and has a great future ahead of him. If he comes out swinging in 2023 like he can, it’s going to be a boring season. Who honestly will be able to stay close to him? Hats off to both Tomac and Sexton. Thanks for putting on such a great show.
Next on the list is the Motocross of Nations held this year at RedBud, Michigan. This is going to be one heck of an event. Is this the year that team USA will finally win after how many years? Well if you ask Google it says 2011 was the last time team USA won with RV, Dungey and Baggett. The event was held in France, with the two big guns run ning up front but Baggett was the rider that had all the pressure on him. Poor Blake went 17-17 that day. Thank goodness the two Ryan’s dominated and Team France had a wheel failure or we would have to add another year to the losing streak. I think the USA team has to be the favourite team to win. The two 450 guys (Tomac and Sexton) should be upfront. Its Justin Cooper who I think will have all the pres sure on his Star 250. I sure hope he can pull it off. Just imagine for a moment, Team USA winning at
RedBud…what a spectacle that would be. Where will Team Canada finish? Team Canada consists of Dylan Wright, Tyler Medaglia and Ryder McNabb. Well we know Dylan has the speed to run up in the top ten. It’s the two other riders that need to be perfect all weekend. Tyler has represented Canada more than any other rider in this event, and that shows just how competi tive he is. He is coming off being sidelined from the ISDE in France due to an injury suffered at Walton TransCan so we hope he’s back healthy and doesn’t have any bad luck. Ryder McNabb has the speed to do well. I hope he can stay out of pile ups and focus on putting in two solid races. It’s not easy when you are on the line and you look over and you try to figure who is next to you. It’s difficult enough when everyone has different numbers and team gear on. I will be pulling for the Canadian team. Come on guys let’s have a safe race and please make us proud!
New to 2023 is the World SX series. This is great if you’re a su percross super fan. I can’t imagine anyone is going to complain that there are two more events on the schedule this year. It will be a little strange, brand new teams with riders riding different color bikes. The series was supposed to be 6-8 rounds but it looks like it’s down to 2-3 rounds for the 2023 season. I am ok with that. The series starts in the UK on October 8th and then heads to Australia two weeks later.
It will be interesting to see how this all works out. Will the interest be there to continue the series in to 2024? Only time will tell.
The final round at Pala has to godown as one of the best races in history. Therewas exactly onepoint separating Tomac and Sexton.”
