Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
This week’s Friday Flight is brought to you by Future West Moto. Future West Moto is a relatively new name in the West that has quickly gathered a large, fun, family oriented following. Round 6 of the CMRC Canadian Kawasaki Future West Moto South Series goes June 27th & 28th at the Popkum Motor Park. There will also be a Future West Moto Motocross school at the Park on Friday June 26th at 5:00 PM hosted by Ryan Lockhart. The school is $75 and can be pre-booked by contacting Lisa at fwmlisa@hotmail.com. There was also some huge breaking news in the Future West Moto camp this week with the release of the upcoming Fall Future West Moto Canadian Arenacross Series. This series has built a ton of momentum throughout the years and this year once again promises to deliver. The Pro purses are huge and the scheduled venues are very diverse and provide their own individual elements of technicality. This series has sponsorship packages available and would love to have you as a partner. Future West Moto has always gone above and beyond to provide a first class entertaining product for its riders their families and its partners. Everyone loves a winner and this series is just that. If you would like to join our winning team contact fwmstu@hotmail.com now.
Hello race fans, once again I have the privilege of helping you launch into the weekend via the ‘Friday Flight’. The common bond that unites us, our love of Moto and the chase of all its glory has us all pretty much wide open right now. Things are happening very quickly and as the next few weeks move forward there will be no letting off that throttle. As I look out over the southeast portion of my deck, the sun is cascading down on the North Okanagan hillside and I am momentarily jealous at the calmness and carefree demeanour of the neighbouring farm animals. All right I am over it, now back on to pursuing my passion of everything that is currently happening in our great sport in Canada. After this weekend I will hit the road and continue to log my share of frequent flyer points. It is a crazy travel schedule that will see me head to the Popkum Motor Park’s Future West Moto Canadian Kawasaki South Series RD-6 next week, then off to WCAN in Raymond the following Wednesday. A few short days after that I will fly out to Gopher Dunes to the best sand Motocross race on the planet. You want to argue that? Come on out and see it for yourself, you will not be disappointed. In my opinion this event which will mark RD-5 of the series truly separates the men from the boys and with this year’s list of contenders it should make for a great day of racing.
We just completed the third round of the Rockstar Energy Drink Nationals presented by Motovan in Calgary this past weekend where it was anything but warm. I will get to a few of those details as I saw them momentarily. First off though I would like to speak on some of the racing action in the developmental classes and at the amateur level. KTM Canada this year stepped up and put a KTM 85cc SX and a parts budget on the line, along with a few other goodies as the top step prize for the Western Super Mini Challenge. This event was also supported for the top three finishers overall by Ryno Power Sports Supplements. Congratulations to Maple Ridge Motorsports Jacob Piccolo on his great performance and winning of the top award. This was an entertaining series and it was a lot of fun to be a part of on the microphone helping out the series announcer Brian Koster. I would also like to congratulate Vancouver Islands Joey Parkes on finishing 2nd and Ryno Power’s own Tallon Unger who achieved third. Nice work by all involved and I cannot tell you enough how cool it was to witness our sports future get some of the spotlight on Pro racing weekend. This Series continues in the East and I am very much looking forward to experiencing round one first hand and seeing some of the fast Super Mini riders from the East.
The WCAN in Raymond Alberta kicks off on July 2nd and I have been in close contact with all of those making this year’s event happen. I am very much looking forward to being there on behalf of Ryno Power Sports Supplements and Pro Action Suspension. If you are planning on going, from what I have heard and seen, you will not be disappointed. There are a great group of individuals behind the scenes this year and there have been some track changes on the already great natural terrain layout. I have spoken often with Pro rider Rylan Pozdnekoff who was in action this past weekend in Calgary as well as this year’s WCAN front man Scott Lowry. As I said I look forward to being there and will do my utmost to Tweet and Instagram races results and action as it happens. It should be noted for this year’s event there is no official practice day on Wednesday and the event will run Thursday, Friday Saturday. Also friends if you have not done so already, the Parts Canada Walton Trans Can is creeping up so get signed up for that one too as soon as you can. Do not forget people this year’s Trans Can will have a ‘Live’ audio visual broadcast on championship Saturday of every Moto and champion crowned hosted by myself and my MXP Colleague Chris Pomeroy.
The Pro Women’s West Nationals concluded on Saturday and saw Cycle North Honda’s Sara King achieve top step honours ahead of Rachel Springman and Brittany Danyluk. The top five was rounded out in fourth by injured Kennedy Lutz who had a setback a few days prior to Calgary and Dominique Daffe’. Dominique should be commended for soldiering through the adversity of having here race bike stolen the week before the series kicked off. Dominique had many good people rally around her and made sure that her pursuit of achieving her best season yet at the top level would not slip away. I would also like to commend Camille Bunko and Denaye Arnett for their efforts on making this series the highly competitive and entertaining classic that it has become. This event was on life support when they took over and they did an amazing job of elevating the bar to a level that has yet to be seen in Canadian Pro Women’s Motocross. Great work girls and all the best to you both moving forward with life, love and the pursuit of happiness in your personal endeavours. I am sure we will see you at the races again very soon. I spoke with the Champ Sara King on the Canadian Moto Show this past Wednesday and there are a few high profile names being tossed around and I believe this series will continue to build momentum and grow. If you want to help out let me know I will put you in touch.
Before I leave you I want to speak a few words on Round 3 of the Nationals in Calgary, yes I was there and doing what makes me happier than anything else on earth. Watching racing and interacting with my extended Moto family. It was cold that’s for sure but the weather apart from determining the depth of the pre Pro race track prep was not that much of a factor. You never know what you are going to get in Calgary weather wise and this year was no exception. I guess had they gone any deeper with the tilling and it rained it could have possibly been ugly like last year’s Regina. Let’s not go there. All in all the racing was great in both classes and the race track kept riders on their toes in quest of traction. I also heard quite a few them scorn that the roost produced was brutal and some had the wounds and welts to prove it. At the end of the day what I saw as a race fan and from that perspective only it was a good entertaining day of racing action. I was not alone as there were many in attendance and it had some saying it was the best crowd they had ever seen at a Calgary National. As far as the racing goes once again Kaven Benoit on the Royal Distributing FOX KTM was on point and did another masterful job of making traction and forward progress out of his 250 2-Stroke. Jimmy Decotis on the MX-101 Canada’s Motorcycle FXR Yamaha was very quick and full value for his second overall via the 1-2 Moto Scores. Benoit went 2-1 for his second straight overall victory of the series; once again proving pundits wrong that say hard pack and two strokes do not mix. Honda Canada GDR’s Jeremy Medaglia was a solid 3rd overall followed by a hard charging MX-101 Canada’s Motorcycle FXR Yamaha rider Dylan Wright who would score his first career professional podium in Moto one and get 4th overall.
The big bike brigade battling was as good as it has been all year and Monster Energy Leading Edge’s Brett Metcalfe looked to be on his way to victory in Moto one. Brett however suffered a setback and would have to wait until Moto two before pocketing another 30 points towards his title chase total. Vince Friese on the Smart Top Moto Concepts bike would show up with his teammate Mike Alessi and take the overall victory via his 1-4 Moto Scores on his Honda. Cole Thompson was fast and got great starts on his Royal Distributing FOX KTM and was awarded the second step on the day via his 3-3 Moto scores. GDR Honda Canada’s Colton Facciotti looked as good as he has so far in 2015 and I can tell you his 5-2 Moto scores do not validate how good the Champ looked. I don’t know maybe I wear rose coloured glasses but I believe Colton and his connections are happy with where they are at headed toward the Eastern portion of the series and saw what I did in Calgary. I guess the same could be said for Matt Goerke and the Rockstar OTSFF Yamaha team as they quietly went about their business with 2-6 efforts in Calgary for a solid 4th overall. The point totals allow Goerke to wear the highly coveted ‘Conch’ in the form of the Red Plate as we head to Regina. He is followed only four points back by Facciotti who has Thompson only a point behind him. Yes Metcalfe lost some ground but at day’s end I spoke with him at the hotel and he cited the fact that there were still 14 Moto’s to go and the best racing is yet to come.
This top level action is great friends and so will the action be at all of our Amateur Nationals and races across the country. Wherever you twist it this weekend friends do your best to stay safe and lets go racing.
Until next ‘Friday Flight‘Airmail’ out………………….
