Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
Even with so much going on this past weekend in our everyday lives I hope you had some time to either tune in to the live broadcast, or at least see the highlights from Ironman Raceway on Saturday. This ongoing battle for the 450 Championship is one of, if not the best we’ve ever seen. Eli Tomac will now take a one point lead into the final round this weekend at Fox Raceway in California. Yes, I said that correctly, just one little point separates these two riders with just two motos remaining in the Lucas Oil MX Championships. I had some time on Saturday afternoon to watch the final 450 moto of the day and I came away with two conclusions; first, Ironman Raceway has to be one the best tracks of the series at it has just about everything you could want from a national track. Back in 2017 I believe, I was fortunate enough to attend a KTM media test day there and I can tell you that the dirt is perfect and the elevation changes are steep. Like the track in Millville, television doesn’t do justice to how steep some of the hills are. In moto two, in what was a must win situation for Sexton, he grabbed the early lead and never looked back. Tomac, who started around 5th got within two seconds of the Honda rider but ended up cross rutting a corner and lost some time. Usually in these long motos we see the riders sprint at the beginning as everyone is charging in the opening laps. Then they settle into a pace and if they need to, they put a little charge in at the end. However, right now with Tomac and Sexton we’re witnessing all out assault on the racetrack for 35 minutes. Throw in the heat, the challenging track conditions, and the fact that neither rider wants to give an inch and you have two supremely conditioned athletes that are putting on quite a show.
As I mentioned, now after splitting moto wins on Saturday Tomac and Sexton head into the final round with just one point between them. Never in the 50 years of outdoor motocross in the USA have we witnessed a championship this close heading into a final round. So with all of this in mind, who do you have as the rider who will come out on top this weekend? Keep in mind that if the series ends up in a tie then Tomac wins the tie-breaker as the rider with the most wins in 2022. There is definitely a case to be made for either rider to win this weekend as there isn’t much between them right now. For Sexton, he dominated the opening round of the series at Fox Raceway so he heads into Saturday with some pretty good vibes. With the potential for hot and dry conditions this weekend in Southern California a harder packed track might give the advantage to Sexton as Tomac seems to do better when there is an abundance of traction. Sexton has also been the faster of the two in recent weeks so when you look at speed vs speed I’d give the edge right now to Sexton. However, we have seen at times this year that Sexton can make unforced errors at critical times in motos. Think back to the second moto at Lakewood when he just fell over on the final lap and handed the win to his teammate Roczen. Wouldn’t those points be nice to have back right now. In the past, history has shown us that in these crucial high pressure moments an athlete that comes out on top is usually the one with the most experience. Look at Tom Brady for instance. When his team is down late in a game and he has the football, would you ever think to bet against him? Heck no! You want him to have the ball and most importantly he wants the ball. Athletes like Brady, Tiger Woods, and I believe Eli Tomac, want the ball and thrive to be in situations like this. They all have experience to draw upon and they’re able to keep their emotions in check and channel them in the proper direction. So we go with the young phenom who right now seems to be pissing excellence? Or do we go with the old dog who has years of experience and knows that this is his final chance at one more outdoor title? Whatever happens this Saturday, it’s going to be so much fun to watch.
Speaking of this Saturday, this is also when the gate drops on the opening round of the 2022 Triple Crown Series SX Tour at Gopher Dunes. With the AMO Racing Provincial also taking place this weekend at Gopher Dunes (on the back Factory Track) this should be one great moto weekend in Ontario. There are seven amateur classes planned for the SX event so riders of all ages and skill levels will get a chance to ride SX if they want. For the kids, they’ll be able to ride practice and do qualifying for SX on Saturday morning before heading over to the outdoor track for their AMO Racing motos. Then, once those are completed they can come back for their main events, which will be part of the night program at SX. As I said, it’s going to be a great weekend of racing at Gopher Dunes and hopefully every single person from the AMO paddock comes over to watch the SX on Saturday night. From my understanding there will be $10 charge to come and watch, but to me that seems more than reasonable to watch pro level SX entertainment. With top SX riders like Cole Thompson, Tyler Gibbs, and Mitchel Harrison all set to compete on Saturday, the racing should be excellent. I cannot wait to watch some SX this coming weekend so we’ll see you there! In other SX news, Future West just released their 2022 AX Schedule and it kicks off in October.
This past weekend the Red Bull Outliers took place with Day 1 being in Olympic Plaza in downtown Calgary and then Day 2 out in the Badlands of Alberta. This was also the first year that that this event has been part of the FIM World Hard Enduro Series so there were multiple big names on hand in the Expert class. Unfortunately, Saturday’s event in Calgary came to an early end as the massive thunderstorm rolled through the area. However, when the riders woke up Sunday morning in God’s Country there were blue skies and perfect temperatures for racing. The Badlands of Alberta is something that has to be seen to be believed as the landscape and terrain is just so extreme. There is 300 foot near vertical ascents and descents that test the riders skills and nerves. There short ascents that makes riders have to scale rocks and cliff edges that until you see one of the Expert riders traverse the section, you don’t think it’s possible to make it through. Of course, many don’t get through successfully and you end up witnessing some spectacular crashes throughout the day. In the end, the best Hard Enduro rider on the planet Manuel Lettenbichler took the win by just a few feet over Canadian off-road legend Trystan Hart. It was a photo finish and both riders were exhausted after the 2.5 hour race. In the Amateur class it was talented WMX rider Lexi Pechout who came across the finish in third after a grueling race. It was another great event put on by Red Bull Canada next year should be even better. Congratulations to all of the riders who finished and survived this intense race.
Well, that is it for me this week. I hope everyone enjoys their final few days of August and has a great upcoming long weekend. Finally, I would like to send my best wishes out to an old Ontario legend who suffered a big crash a couple of weeks ago. Former Ontario champion Dave Marcella from the glorious early 1980s era of Canadian motocross suffered multiple injuries in a crash and from my understanding he’s still recovering in a London hospital. I’ve raced now as a kid, as a pro, and also as a vet rider and I can tell you that being a vet rider is the hardest thing I’ve done. Trying to balance everyday life with riding is not easy so my hats go off to every vet rider out who still chooses to throw their leg over a dirt bike. I don’t know the extent of Dave’s injuries but hopefully he’ll be able to make a full recovery and be back on the bike at some point next year. I know, like many of us he just loves to ride! Heal up Dave! Thank you for reading and have a great week.
