Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
This weeks 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 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 an amazingly entertaining product for it’s 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 and Lets Go Racing.
Well friends once again friends it is time to fasten those seat belts as we get set to lift off into another weekend of high octane racing action. With two rounds now in the books, I look forward to hitting the road here momentarily to making the trek over the Rocky Mountains to the pristine, scenic, iconic and setting of the Wild Rose Clubs race track. I am not sure exactly what it is officially called these days and I do apologize to the club and all its hard working members if that is not correct. I can not believe that I have been making the trek to the same location since Elvis died. Yes, I raced a National on a small bike at that race track in the summer of 1977. I remember vividly that there were some revolutionary changes to our riding attire, or at least mine that year. It was the first year I was actually wear riding pants that were not leather! True story!. Okay, onto this weeks news.
Before we get too carried away, lets go back to Vancouver Island and the site of last weekend’s second round of the 2015 Rockstar Energy Drink Nationals presented by Motovan. First shout out for an admirable performance on the “live’ audio broadcast goes to the the Campbell River Crusher, Dusty Klatt, nice work boys, you and Brian Koster did a great job. Most who are not involved in the sport of motocross upon the mention of Vancouver Island have visions of Salmon fishing, sailing, surfing, tall timber, capital buildings, Butchart Gardens scenic drives and ferry rides. When it comes to the riders who have been to the Wastelands before, their main goal is to be as prepared as possible for everything and anything. Yes, the track in Nanaimo is a great mixture of the good, the bad, the ugly. Nanaimo has it all when it comes to the type of adversity we have seen riders have to deal with there over the years. Was this year any different?
Well on a positive note it was not a mudder and the temperatures that had there were for the record books. The track was classic BC hard pack, something us West Coast riders have witnesses many times. If I showed up to my first ever motocross race there knowing absolutely nothing about the sport and was expected to form an opinion in broad or in general terms on what it takes to be a Pro Motocrosser living the dream; what would my take be? Well fortunately, I do not have to make that assessment as I am a Motocrosser and have lined up in every condition imaginable over the years, and when a schedule is written you plan accordingly. Plan, I love that word, and yes it is a four letter word for good reason. When it comes to the Nanaimo round, I think the riders improvising, coping mechanisms, sheer survival fortitude and only the strongest mental focus are what it takes to get the job done. With the searing temperatures, and the track crew on the Island’s best efforts to keep the moisture in the ground, it would prove to be a long day for everyone involved. To all that did their part to live in the solution and tried to make round two as good as possible, hats off. To all who soldiered through, lined up and finished in one piece. Mission accomplished! A huge congratulations to Royal Distributing Fox KTM riders Kaven Benoit and Cole Thompson on winning both overalls and doing every single one of their connections proud.
The Calgary round of the nationals is this weekend and once again does time ever fly by. Vividly as if it were yesterday I can recount so much of what happened last year on one of the circuits best tracks in Calgary. Yes, just a year ago it was Vince Friese on the Smart Top Moto Concepts bike edging out Kaven Benoit to win the overall in the MX2 class. His teammate Mike Alessi would also win the days race in the MX1 class on his Smart Top Moto Concepts 450. I spoke with Mike again this week and he and Vince; who will both line up in the big bike are very much looking forward to their return to Canada. The entertainment value could be impressive this weekend given all that went down last year with these two riders, good and bad.
We are now well on or way into what is shaping up in both classes to be a titanic fight for the championships in our country. The field is as deep as it has ever been and with as many movers and shakers in the mix, things can changed quickly. We have 16 Moto’s to go and under the new points scoring structure a DNF is a double dose of ouch. Will everyone have a bad Moto, I guess if I was a betting man I would have to say yes. Champions however are those that rise to occasion through thick and thin and can minimize damage on their worst days. I guarantee you last years winner Kaven Benoit will point to the last lap of timed qualifying at Gopher Dunes for him. How will it unfold this year? Jimmy Decotis who was untouchable and pretty much in his own world in Kamloops had his number come up in Nanaimo. How will it hurt his title chances remains to be seen, but I can almost assure you as much as it hurt on Sunday, the focus is now the first Moto in Calgary. It is cliche’ for sure but the mentality and strength of todays pro motocrosser who can win a championship is incredibly strong. Just when you think they have been thrown the most un-hittable curve ball physically, the sack up mentally and hit it out of the park.
I have learned never to sell the determination and fortitude of a pro motocrosser short as every time I do I end up eating crow. If the Wastelands did anything at all to enhance this series, probably the best thing of note was the way it managed to throw a noose around the MX1 title chase. Eleven points are separating the top 4, and Tyler Medaglia who is a Calgary assassin, is not far out of the hunt with 91 points in 5th. I qualify that by what I saw there last year, there was an infield 180 degree right hander that Tyler railed smoother and faster than any all day, that couple with a brazen pass he stamped on Josh Hill at the top of the Shaw Valley in Moto 2 to edge out Josh Hill for 3rd overall. Yes Tyler will be ready to go in Calgary for sure. So what about Brett Metcalffe, Matt Georke, Cole Thompson and Colton Facciotti (who ended up playing second fiddle at this round last year to Mike Alessi). Time will tell, race fans that are fortunate enough to be in Calgary will be privy to some greatest racing action this country has seen. All of the above mentioned have the speed and skills to get the job done and to see anyone of them win in Calgary would not be a shocker. Our current champ Colton Faciotti, you can bet he is going to break out the type of effort we all know he is capable of real soon.
The MX2 points battle plot is not quite as thick outside the top two, Kaven Benoit has 4 points on the Honda Canada GDR rider Jeremy Medaglia. Yes Jer Ber looks good on the Honda and I have to think that like his teammate, his best effort of the series could unleash it’s fury this weekend. Will it be enough for Kaven, who did an unbelievable job of turning horsepower into traction on the slippery Nanaimo surface. Benoit was very fast in Calgary in 2014 and I’d expect the same on Sunday.
For Jimmy Decotis and Canada’s Motorcycle FXR MX1010 Yamaha Team, are they as concerned about the DNF in Nanaimo as pundits and key board crunchers? This race fan sure does not think so. How about Dylan Wright? Wow buddy that was a scary one in Nanaimo and I am happy to report that you are okay. I spoke with Dylan on Tuesday as he was back home in the Ottawa area finishing up his final year of school exams. Dylan said he was very sore and would be good to go in Calgary on a track that he looked very good on in his rookie season as hr got a great result of 5th overall. Dylan’s dad Billy told me that Dylan’s immediate future would entail spinning some laps in the yard, on the families lawnmower. Thanks for that Bill even though it made me laugh I know you are serious.
Friends that is one of the things about this beautiful sport of Motocross. We are all just people at the end of the day that enjoy and share our common bond of the love for the sport of motocross. We are not mortals, far from it? Motocross is our thing and like myself and some of my questions here, I’m sure you have a question or two of your own? If at all possible try get out to one of these scheduled rounds, there are eight left. Make an effort to connect with your favourite rider, they are some of the classiest humans I have ever met or known. Trust me they would love to meet you, tell them what you know about them, most riders go over and above for their fans. I am very proud as a result of my many Moto media duties to be able to call a lot of them friends and I would like to thank each and everyone of them for their time. They do not have to pick up the phone or return texts but most do and do so promptly. Their teams, their truck drivers, their spouses, their friends, their sponsors, each and everyone of them in their support system sacrifices something more often than most realize or talk about. Thank you all for what you do. Life is good friends, lets all do what we can to keep pushing this great sport forward.
Hi Ho Hi Ho its off to Calgary I go. Lets Go Racing! Until next ‘Friday Flight‘Airmail’ out………………….
