MXP Chatter With Dylan Kaelin

There are a number of top riders that will be entering the MX1 Class this summer to compete in the 2015 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals. One of these riders is Devils Lake Yamaha athlete Dylan Kaelin. After a great season last year, the Ontario native is training hard in California right now to ensure that he can continue to work towards his goal of being a podium rider in the premier MX1 class. New MXP reporter Cale Barnes recently caught up with DK to see how his winter training has been going.

MXP: Hey Dylan how are you? You’re in Cali right now, how are you making out down there?

Dylan Kaelin: Hey, things are good down in Cali. The weather has been hot the past couple weeks so it’s been awesome to soak up the heat and sunshine down here. I am staying on the north side of San Bernardino this year and it’s working out great. I spend a lot less time sitting in traffic; I find a lot of the better tracks are close by.

MXP: Nice, are you training and riding with anyone else?

DK: Most of my training off the bike I do by myself. Blake Savage, my new teammate, has jumped in on a fair amount of road bike and mountain bike rides this month. The odd time on the weekends I’ll meet up with some buddies to go for a road ride. All my gym work I do by myself. I have been riding with a lot of different people, but mostly Shawn Maffenbeier, Blake Savage and Kris Keefer. They’re all good, fast guys so it makes the motos and hours at the track a lot more enjoyable!

MXP: For sure. I know you are into mountain biking. Are you enjoying the sweet trails California has to offer?

DK: 100% I am! It’s awesome. There are endless amounts of climbs and single tracks within a half hour of me. I have some of my favourite spots that I go to like the Jedi trails, or Southridge where they hold US Cup mountain bike races. I like to travel around on my days off from the track and ride new areas.

MXP: That’s sweet, definitely makes the training more enjoyable. When you are out there do you ever jump on the Supercross tracks to try them out?

DK: All the SX tracks require an AMA Pro license. You can’t ride them unless you sign up at the gate and show your license. It would be a pretty quick way to get kicked out of the track if you went out there and attempted to ride it!

MXP: Okay, best play by the rules on that one. Do you take time to go free riding in the hills or the Glamis sand dunes?

DK: Nah, I’m not much for big jumps or that sort of thing. When I’m not putting in motos I just like to step away from the bike and relax, but I do plan on going trail riding up near Lake Arrowhead in the mountains before I leave. It’s beautiful up there. It’s a nice close escape from all the SoCal traffic, smog and people.

MXP: Describe to us the work you do in Alberta?

DK: In the off season I work in the oil patch. Usually pipeline work is where I end up, as I am part of the OE 955 Union. I usually do anything from labouring to operating heavy equipment to sleeping (laughs), it just depends where the work is. My father has started his own smaller company with some welding rig trucks, but I personally have zero interest in welding.

MXP: So you are back riding for the Devils Lake Yamaha Team this year?

DK: Yes, I am back with the Devils Lake team to compete in the MX1 class in 2015. I made a couple calls as the season finished, but, at the end of the day, I was happy with Trevor and the team. I had the time of my life racing with them last season. It brought back the fun in racing dirt bikes. Now it almost feels like family. We work through all the difficulties of racing professionally so we are a lot closer now. I feel it’s a great fit and we get along great. Trevor is an honest, no BS type of guy. Those are the type of people I like to work with. Trevor has been working his butt off this year to try to bring in enough sponsorship to have Blake and myself looked after in 2015.

MXP: That is awesome to have in a team, working together to make it enjoyable. Through your youth, you progressed very quickly through the amateur ranks and even got on big bikes at age 12, correct? That means you are still quite young now. You proved last year that you’re able to run in the top 10 in the MX1 class. Talk about your goals for the future and how much longer you see yourself racing professionally.

DK: Growing up I was always a bigger kid on the bikes. I bumped up through the age classes quickly. I was taller, and well…wider than the average kid! I did start racing a 250F full time at 12-years-old. I got my first 450 when I was 13 or 14. As far as my future in racing, I really see myself pushing my limits this season and breaking that top 5 podium barrier. It’s what I’ve been working towards for a long time now. I want to keep building on my success and work towards being a champion. That’s the ultimate goal.

At the end of the day, the numbers have to jive. We all know racing motocross isn’t cheap and it puts a lot of financial strain on everybody involved. I’m not getting younger and I personally feel outside of motocross I don’t have a lot to show for in life. Eventually racing will come to a head and I will have to pick the smarter route. Having great results brings in more money, as well as more sponsors. So I guess at the end of the season we will have to see where I am at!

MXP: That’s an honest answer Dylan. What is your favourite track or riding spot of all time?

DK: Damn, that’s a tough one. I have ridden a lot of amazing tracks over the years. Monster Mountain, Cody Golem’s private track, Sand Del Lee, Pala, and Baja Acres all rank pretty high on the list!

MXP: Thanks a lot Dylan for doing this, anyone you would like to thank?

DK: Of course, I would like to thank the entire Devils Lake crew, Yamaha Motor Canada, Riverside Motosports, Motovan, Lydell Group, Terra Pro, Dunlop, Pro-Action, Ride Industries, Dubach Racing Development, VP Fuels, Proven Moto, MotoSeat, JT Drivechain, HiFloFiltro, Stetson GM, Atlas Brace, Oakley, Forma, Dissent Labs, Muscle MLK, X-Trig, Renthal, RTK Oilfield Services,

Thank You,
DK#8