GOPHER DUNES RACING 4385 Hwy 59 Courtland, ON, N0J1E0 519-842-1041 derek.schuster@gmail.com
GDR Rider Tyler Medaglia Takes 5th Courtland, Ontario- In a rain soaked and mud-filled weekend that will not soon be forgot, the opening round of the Monster Energy Motocross Nationals, which marked the debut of the all new GDR CRF 450R, is in the books. GDR Troy Lee Designs Powersports Canada rider Tyler Medaglia got off to a difficult start when a miscue at the starting gate in Moto 1 left him in last place. Medaglia in typical fashion displayed the sheer determination and tenacity of a champion as he systematically picked his way through the field to end up an amazing 7th place in Moto 1. “I felt real solid in the morning practice and qualifier but made a rookie mistake at the line and had to put my head down and charge hard to get through the field” said Medaglia. Ken Thiessen, lead mechanic added “It definitely was not the start we were looking for, but to watch Tyler regroup and charge through the pack the way he did was simply amazing.” Leading Edge rider Matt Goerke went on to have an exciting battle with team KTM’s Colton Facciotti and congratulations are in order to Goerke who held off the charge from the defending MX1 champion to take the moto win. It was a mad scramble back to the pits for all teams to regroup after the all out mudder that Moto 1 provided, pressure washers were working over time and the nations best mechanics were put to the test. Mother Nature continued to show no mercy unleashing a downpour on an already rain-soaked track in beautiful Nanaimo and at that time it was decided Moto 2 would be reduced to a 15+2 sprint to the final. In a cruel twist of fate, the skys opened up and the sun graced The Wastelands MX facility but the damage was done and we had another exciting mud race in the works. GDR Troy Lee Designs Powersports Canada rider, Tyler Medaglia, certainly improved upon his start in Moto 1, but still didn’t jump out of the gate as he had hoped and was en route to a solid 5th place finish and a 5th overall for the weekend. Again, Matt Goerke, hot off his 2012 AMA Supercross season, led the charge en route to another win and in the process securing the overall win for the weekend. Team Coordinator Matthew Bannon said “It was a great weekend, the conditions really tested us as a team and we will be that much stronger as a result of it at round 2 next weekend”. “Tylers display of sheer grit and determination in Moto 1 is the very reason myself and all the other team members show up each weekend willing to give it our all, we are very proud of him and as always want to thank all the supporting sponsors who got us here” he added. Round 2 of the Monster Energy Motocross Nationals moves to Kamloops, BC where the CMRC will have its first of two Saturday races for the year. “I’m really looking forward to racing on Saturday, its something different, its something fresh and I think it will be a nice change of pace for the series” said Medaglia. “ Trying to keep things fresh is always a good thing in my books. With the addition of the media crawl and press conference in Nanaimo and now the upcoming Saturday race in Kamloops, I think they are all awesome changes that are only going to improve our series”. As always be sure to follow Team GDR Troy Lee Designs Powersports Canada team members on twitter @GopherDunes @T_Medaglia @GDR_ Thiessen & @GDR_Bannon. Also this week Tyler Medaglia will be appearing at RTR Performance in Kamloops, BC for a RedBull event and dealer signing on Thursday June 7th. Honda Powersports Canada, Troy Lee Designs, Red Bull, SSS, Label it!, Brass Knuckle Therapy, Dunlop, Leo Vince, Forma, PRC, Wiseco, DT1 Filters, Cycra, Works Connection, Lime Nine, Moto Tassinari, Chary Produce, Leatt, Klotz Fuel, D.I.D., Renthal, EBC, Mishimoto, Matrix Concepts, 1.7 Cleaning Solutions, PRC, Snap-On, Raptor Titanium, Magnum Distributing, Dyco Tool, Macnab Transit, Oakley, Hinson Clutch Components, Motion Pro, Pro Wheel, GET, Ogio, SDG USA, Ogio, CRF Stuff, Xtrig