Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
As we saw at Round 2 of the Rockstar Energy Triple Crown MXTour Series in Popkum, BC, our pro riders sometimes are not able to get along and they allow their tempers to get the best of them. Back in the 1980’s and the 1990’s, this would happen more frequently as each rider’s only source of income was purse money. Well, I should say that in the early to mid-1980’s a few riders had a guaranteed salary, but they still raced very rough as most just didn’t like each other. During the 1990’s, I can personally attest to the fact that the better we finished in each race, the more money we made. Because of this, it never was a bad idea to get a little extra aggressive in the closing laps of a race to make a pass. After all, it usually meant that you had a few more bucks to spend as you travelled to the next event. Since we spent so much time racing in Quebec in the 1990’s, we used to joke that a late pass was the difference between eating at McDonald’s or at St. Hubert’s. If you happened to be on the bad end of an aggressive pass in those days, you were usually more mad at yourself for leaving the door open. Super aggressive racing and sometimes take-outs were simply part of the pro scene back then. Fast forward to now and the times have certainly changed for the better. Yes, there still are a lot of riders racing for just purse money, but there are also a group who are getting paid a salary. This is very important, but it’s also not everything as once the gate drops, no rider is thinking about money.
So far in the 250 Pro/Am class the leaders have raced each other hard, but clean. Photo by James Lissimore
I think the way riders think and the way they respect each other has evolved so much over the past two decades. Instead of every rider in the Canadian series travelling to the races with just a parent, girlfriend or mechanic, some riders are part of large teams that force them to think about more than just themselves on race day. This ‘team’ dynamic has created some unity between riders and definitely more respect. Another reason we’re seeing a little more civility on the track is that today’s bikes are heavier and faster. When you are racing the bikes of today, you have to be more careful and you have to think your way around the race track, especially in the 450 class when our top riders might be racing at speeds over 100 km/hr. Any type of contact with another rider could make these bikes unstable and could send both of you crashing to the ground. So, while we still get to witness racing that is still both aggressive and entertaining, gone are the constant take-outs of decades past. Or so we thought before the final lap this past weekend.
Looking back to Saturday at Popkum, those in attendance got to witness a little throwback racing as during the final laps of the second 450 moto, Cole Thompson and Matt Goerke came together and both hit the ground. By all accounts, the contact on the final lap was initiated by Goerke as he attempted one final aggressive move with just a few corners to go. We know that Goerke meant to pass Thompson, but without knowing what was going on in Goerke’s head, no one knows if he was trying to either take Cole out, or just make the pass without really caring what happened. Matt Goerke is an aggressive rider, but he’s not a dirty rider, so let’s just assume that he was going for the pass and it just didn’t work the way he thought it would. What we do know is that for 30 minutes Thompson ate roost off Goerke’s rear Pirelli tire and he couldn’t have been in a good mood. On the other side of things, Goerke had held fourth position for the same amount of time on the dry and dusty circuit, so he obviously felt some sort of ownership for a Top 4 finish. So while one rider was thinking offence and the other defence. The one emotion that both probably shared was the utter discontent that at the end of the day this was a battle for fourth place and not the lead. Coming into this MXTour series I’m sure both Thompson and Goerke thought that their race craft was good enough to win overalls, not engaging in a last lap battle for fourth place. Their frustration level had to be at an all-time high and that is perhaps why they got so old school aggressive in the closing stages of Moto 2.
After their second moto battle, Cole Thompson and Matt Goerke stopped for a brief chat about who had more tear-offs left. Photo by James Lissimore
What happened after the two riders picked themselves up and crossed the finish line was just par for the course. I can’t think of any two riders who wouldn’t stop and take the opportunity to have a chat in that situation. I mean, as much as you have an obligation, act professional in that situation and just return to your pit to calm down; stopping and voicing your immediate displeasure is hard to resist. Although some tear-offs were pulled and some words were exchanged, no punches were thrown and nothing happened that would might cause any supplementary discipline. Will this nasty battle resume this weekend in Prince George the moment these two are racing close together again? I did see Cole head into the OTSFF Yamaha truck an hour after the race to have more civil discussion on the incident. Considering that he was on the receiving end of the aggressive pass, it was good of Cole to go over to Goerke and seek a resolution. With this being just Round 2, there is a lot of racing remaining and it’s too early in the series to be carrying a grudge. As I said, both riders have to be frustrated that so far an overall win has escaped them. Goerke did win the opening moto at Round 2, but it appeared to be anything but routine. Personally, I thought the racing between these two riders on Saturday was excellent. Yes, it would’ve been nice if no one had hit the ground, but these are professional racers trying to make a living doing something very dangerous. Whether they make a salary or they’re racing for just purse and sponsors’ bonuses, sometimes they have to be aggressive and show how bad they want it! Bring on Round 3 and some more great racing.
