Yamaha Motor Canada Presents The Monday Gate Drop

Good day and welcome to another edition of the Yamaha Motor Canada Monday Gate Drop. This coming weekend the 2019 Rockstar Triple Crown MXTour resumes at the most demanding track in Canada, Gopher Dunes. All of the Yamaha Blu Cru riders will be looking to start off the eastern rounds with a bang at this challenging circuit.

It was definitely a crazy scene this past weekend at Red Bud. Photo by Matt Wellumson

With a four-week break between Rounds 3 and 4 in the 2019 MXTour, it honestly feels like forever since we watched the riders battle through the mud in Manitoba. I can’t even remember a break this long between nationals, so like everyone I’m sure, I feel it is definitely time to go racing again. Over the years, the national round at Gopher Dunes has always featured so many side stories that it’s hard to keep up. First off, there are always a few extra riders on each gate, as it’s not only the opening east round but also a few riders from the neighbouring States in the USA make the trek to Tillsonburg, Ontario. This usually adds a little extra excitement as these riders who do show up are pretty good sand riders. Last year, Luke Renzland showed up, battled for a Top 10 finish in the 450 class, turned some heads and got himself a ride in Canada for 2019. As of right now the only confirmed name I hear that is coming on Saturday is Joey Crown, who will race the 250 class. Joey was at Moto Park two weekends ago for the MP Cup and kind of looked a little rusty. However, in a complete reversal, Joey showed up at Red Bud this past weekend and looked very fast, even running near the front in the opening moto. He eventually went on to score some points in Moto 2 with a Top 20 finish. You have to think that Joey gained a lot of confidence from his ride in Red Bud, and he could be a frontrunner this weekend at Gopher Dunes. I also believe that Joey will come into this weekend with a little chip on his shoulder after getting passed over for a few rides in Canada this year. Let’s not forget that he came up just a little short in winning the 2018 MXTour title in the 250 class.

Joey Crown rode well at Red Bud and is planning on racing this weekend at Gopher Dunes. Photo by Matt Wellumson

Other than some new faces in the paddock and on the starting line, it’s always exciting to see what Derek Schuster and his crew are going to do with the Gopher Dunes track for the national. Last year saw a massive makeover, which some riders liked and some hated. I thought it was cool for the spectators in 2018, but with so many jumps added I can see why some of the riders disliked the new design. Will we see something new this weekend? Well, I’m not sure if it’s possible to add in anymore jumps for Round 4. I’d like to see a few less big jumps and maybe have it opened back up a little to improve passing. Either way, we know the track is going to get crazy rough, and by the mid-way point of the second motos, all of the riders are going to be grumpy. Depending on what weather forecast you look at, this weekend looks like it’s going to be hot with a chance of rain on Saturday. There is going to be a little humidity which will make it feel like it’s in the upper 30’s, so it’s most certainly going to be a trying day for everyone. Actually, these next two weekends are going to be very tough on the riders as Gopher Dunes and Sand Del Lee are two of the toughest races of the year for these guys and girls. Every rider I’ve spoken to this week has their own Gopher Dunes preparation routine, so we’ll see which one works the best. Since some of these routines are based on past experiences at Gopher Dunes, having raced there before I think is small advantage. I say small because we’ve seen riders in the past come to Gopher Dunes for the first time and do well. Sometimes coming into a difficult race completely naive to just how tough it can be is a good thing and can work to your advantage. But those instances are few and far between, and I think that “Gopher Dunes experience” is a big bonus heading into Saturday.

Gopher Dunes even makes our most fittest riders sit down to catch their breath. Photo by James Lissimore

Other than knowing in advance just how rough the Gopher Dunes track can get, I think perhaps the biggest advantage to having some experience there is that you know when to push and when to conserve energy. With three races in a row after Round 4 at Gopher Dunes, you cannot completely empty the tank trying to finish well. I say completely because, let’s face it, everyone empties the tank at Gopher Dunes. I remember Brett Metcalfe telling me in 2013, which I think was the hottest Gopher Dunes ever, that it took him two weeks to fully recover from his come-from-behind win in Moto 2 that day. In 2016, Davi Millsaps had a tough day at Gopher and then an even worse day the following weekend in Ulverton. He was battling with sore ribs from a pre-Gopher Dunes practice crash, but he told me that Round 5 that year was a lot more difficult than he thought it was going to be. The following year, Christophe Pourcel said after the race that it was the worst track he’s ever ridden and that he hated Gopher Dunes. Something tells me that of the three riders I just mentioned, Pourcel was the weakest mentally. Anyway, this weekend I think you’ll see a delicate balance between riders going for it when they can but also trying to leave a little something in the tank.

Each year when it’s time to head to the national at Gopher Dunes I always think of past performances there by Ontario legend Kyle Keast. Photo by James Lissimore

Last year we saw Jess Pettis absolutely dominate both motos in the 250 class. It was an incredible day for Pettis as he made things look easy in both races. In the 450 class, Tyler Medaglia won the second moto as well as the overall in the 450 class. Having grown up not far from the Sand Del Lee track, Tyler knows his way around a sand track. With his superior endurance, strong legs, and ability to suffer, the conditions that Gopher presents the riders are right up Tyler’s alley. In 2019, Tyler is back in the 250 class racing against riders that are mostly younger. Will he be able use his sand skills and experience and take these kids to school on Saturday? I most certainly wouldn’t put it past him. The racing is going to be incredible this weekend at Gopher Dunes. It won’t be easy by any stretch of the imagination but it’s going to be entertaining, for sure.

Before I say good-bye for yet another week, I want to touch on the most dreaded subject in our sport, the death of one of our fellow riders. I didn’t know Desiree Adams at all, the closest I came to her was saying hello once on the starting line at a national. However, like most of us, I did notice her whenever she attended one of her finance’s (Ryan Derry) races. She was always smiling and busy doing whatever it took to help Ryan have a safe and successful day at the track. Last weekend at Moto Park I saw her a few times doing much of the same, but also having her own fun on the race track. To hear that she passed away while riding on Monday was truly tragic and one of those moments when you pause and say “No way.” My heartfelt condolences continue to go out to Desiree’s family, her young daughter Angel, as well as Ryan Derry and his family.

RIP Desiree Adams