Yamaha Motor Canada Presents The Monday Gate Drop

Good day and welcome to another edition of the Yamaha Motor Canada Monday Gate Drop. We’re finally through the long and depressing month of January, in Ontario at least, and it’s supposed to be an early spring according to our trusty rodent Wiarton Willie. Yesterday, Willie didn’t see his shadow, so as the age-old legend states, if he doesn’t see his shadow then we only have six more weeks of winter. I’m not sure how accurate Willie is but I sure hope he’s correct. If he’s wrong, there’s only a month remaining in winter.

Hopefully everyone was able to watch the Oakland SX this past weekend as the racing in both classes was pretty exciting. Feld moved up the start time of the event up two hours to try to accommodate the multitude of eastern viewers who shy away from staying up late to watch the main events. Other sports do this with their broadcasts and I think it’s a great idea. Like everyone in the eastern time zone, I love watching SX but these western rounds usually don’t conclude until 1am. Anyway, good job by the series because I’m sure more eastern viewers than normal tuned in to watch Oakland.

Because of the shape of the Stadium floor in Oakland, the track is always a lot different than almost every other SX. In the past this has made for great racing as the design of the track seems to always adds to the parity of the racing. Saturday evening was no different as in both classes we watched some entertaining battles. In the 250SX West class, Austin Forkner grabbed the early lead and appeared to be pulling away for his second win in as many weeks. However, as the race went on and Forkner started to get into lapped riders, Dylan Ferrandis reeled him and went for yet another aggressive pass. This time Ferrandis’ pass was definitely less aggressive than his pass on Christian Craig a few weeks ago, but he still made a little contact with Forkner, which caused the Kawasaki rider to go off the track. I didn’t think there was anything about the pass that should’ve got Ferrandis into any more trouble with the AMA, but I have a feeling that one of these weeks Ferrandis is going to receive some serious payback from one of his fellow riders. Anyway, from there Ferrandis took the lead and Forkner wasn’t able to make up lost ground. The win gave Ferrandis the points lead in the 250SX West class as his teammate Justin Cooper could only charge up to third after a mediocre start in the main event. With just one more western round this weekend in San Diego before the series takes a six-week break, it will be interesting to see which riders will go for the final win before their break. So far, we’ve seen Ferrandis and Forkner with the most amount of raw speed, and Cooper has demonstrated the most consistency. I’m curious to see which approach will be the best this coming weekend in San Diego.

Dean Wilson had his best race of series in Oakland and ended up 7th overall.

In the 450 class, the speed up front was very impressive this weekend as Eli Tomac, Ken Roczen and Cooper Webb all battled for the Top 3 positions. Tomac was extremely fast in Oakland because the unique and soft track seemed to suit him. Roczen was also fast as he led the early part of the main event, but for the first time this season he looked a little off and not quite as comfortable with Tomac’s raw speed. Roczen battled with Tomac a little and even took the lead back from the Kawasaki rider at one point, but it was clear he didn’t have to pace to win. And then out of nowhere in the closing laps, Cooper Webb reeled Roczen in and made a last corner pass to finish in second. After what we’ve seen from Roczen since the opening round in Anaheim, this race had to be a tough one for him as now he has officially opened the door for Tomac and now even Webb. Confidence can come and go quickly in this sport. Heading into San Diego, you have to think that both Tomac and Webb now have a slight advantage over Roczen. When we’ve seen this happen in the past Roczen has had the tendency to get a little impatient and make some big mistakes as he tries to regain the lost momentum. I would like to think that Roczen has learned his lesson and will not take any unnecessary chances in the coming weeks. His starts have been spot-on each week, so at least he knows that he will more than likely start up front and Tomac and Webb will be forced to chase him down. We’ll see what happens this weekend as the track in San Diego is always tight and technical.

Chad Reed didn’t race in Oakland but he did a great job in the broadcast booth during the 450SX main event. Photo by James Lissimore

In some other news from Oakland, Chad Reed decided not to ride because he was still sore from his first turn crash last weekend in Glendale. So far, Reed’s 2020 farewell tour has been less than stellar as his body and mind don’t appear to be responding well to racing SX at 37-years-old. He’s made every main event that he has entered so that is very positive, but when it counts, he cannot seem to buy a start. Sadly, he just doesn’t look competitive. With Round 6 being this weekend in his favourite city, I would expect Reed to be there and to be racing. Over the years, he’s had so many great memories in San Diego so this stop will most likely be one of the most emotional for Reed and his family. This season has to be difficult, mentally, for the two-time Supercross Champion as I’m sure a big part of his off-the-bike thinking is to try to not get hurt. It’s no different than most Vet riders, just on a larger scale. That mental baggage is so difficult to take into each and every race that it sometimes ends up completely taking the enjoyment out of racing. Hopefully Reed can get healthy again and then feel comfortable enough in the coming weeks to really challenge for a decent finish. It’s going to be difficult, though, as even compared to last year, his speed isn’t on par with the top riders. On a positive note, though, I thought Reed was great when he helped commentate with RC and Ralph during the 450SX main event. His analysis was spot on and he articulated his thoughts brilliantly. I think he has a job waiting for him in the booth next year if he wants it.

Gopher Dunes is looking good today! Not bad riding conditions in Ontario for February 3rd.

Moving on from Supercross and heading back up north to Chilliwack, BC and the 2020 Future West Canadian AX Championships, Cycle North Kawasaki rider Colin Jurin was once again the dominant rider as he took home 3 of the 4 main events over the weekend. In the other main event, it was great to see Casey Keast take the win. There have never been any doubts surrounding Keast’s speed and talent on a motorcycle, but for whatever reason he hasn’t been able to finish where he should when it matters the most. Whether it’s a lack of confidence when he lines up for big races or a lack of preparation, I honestly have no idea. All I know is, Keast is super talented and it’s good to see his name at the top of the leader board on Saturday night. The final two rounds of the series take place this coming weekend in Chilliwack, so we’re looking forward to all of the champions being crowned!

Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs!

Did everyone watch the Superbowl last night from Miami? I cannot believe how much Canadians get into this event. When I went to the store yesterday to purchase some snacks, the shelves were empty. I thought last night’s game was superb, and like most I figured the 49er’s had it in the bag in the fourth quarter. However, Kansas City pulled it out in the end and won for the first time in 50 years. Also, I thought Shakira completely out-danced J-Lo in the almost pornographic halftime dance off. I know the game is on later than usual but isn’t it still supposed to be family show? As always, this event is very entertaining, and it gives people lots to talk about. I hope everyone has a great week. In closing, can you believe that Gopher Dunes is open today for riding? I live two hours northwest of Gopher Dunes and there’s a foot of snow on the ground and certainly not good for riding a dirt bike. Maybe this groundhog is on to something and spring is right around the corner? Have a great week everyone.