Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
First off, let me state that I cannot believe that we’re into November already. Perhaps you feel the same way as I do, but where did September and October go? The Walton TransCan was three months ago and honestly, it feels like last week we were hanging out at the most famous raceway in Canada. Anyway, I guess it’s true…time flies when you’re having fun!
After seeing some of the awful winter weather that rolled through Alberta this weekend, I’m sure glad that the final round of the 2022 Triple Crown was last weekend. I can’t imagine having to drive to and from the arena in snow and -15 temperatures. That most certainly would’ve made our weekend in Calgary less enjoyable. Because of this blast of wintry weather this weekend, the organizers of the LRX Performance decided (wise move) to cancel their AX in Brooks, AB, and just go with their already scheduled race this coming weekend. The temperatures will still be cooler than normal, but at least the snow won’t be an issue and the sun will be out. This time of year the weather can sure change quickly, and we have to be prepared for it.
I know I spoke about the Triple Crown Series AX that was held in Calgary last week in this column, but now that I’ve had a week to think about it, I’m even more impressed with what I saw. The venue, the track, the racing, the city of Calgary, just about everything was great and this week I was told that this race will be on the schedule again in 2023. This is good news for not only the Triple Crown Series, but also for the riders and the sport in Western Canada. One of the highlights for me last weekend in Calgary, was seeing so many pro-riders and amateur riders in the paddock from Alberta and BC. This event allowed a plethora of western riders to showcase their indoor skills in this country’s premier series and they definitely did their fans proud. I spoke to a few riders last week who raced the Calgary AX, and not one of them had anything bad to say about that race or any of the Triple Crown Series indoor races. Each of the three venues (Gopher Dunes, Sarnia, Calgary) had a little different vibe to them and they were all entertaining. The only change I would liked to have seen, was the Gopher Dunes round to be two nights. I think a Friday race would’ve seen more amateur riders attend since there was an AMO race a 1/4 mile away that included some Saturday motos for the younger classes. Obviously, two-strokes being allowed to race in Sarnia would’ve improved the amateur entries (especially in the kids’ classes). However, I liked that it was two nights and the pro-racing was great. For me, the final rounds in Calgary took the best of both Gopher Dunes and Sarnia and brought them together for one big weekend.
One of the riders who was racing in Calgary and trying to make yet another comeback from injury was Jess Pettis. All weekend long Jess rode solid and although he couldn’t match the pace of Mitchell Harrison, he did win a main event on Friday night and also finished on the podium multiple times. Unfortunately, a hard crash in the final race of the weekend left Pettis battered and bruised. On the following Wednesday evening, Pettis boarded a plane to Stuttgart Germany for the opening round of the German SX Series. As I also mentioned last week, over the years the German SX Series has welcomed Canadian riders since the mid-1990s. Names like Roy, Dehann, Frenette, Lockhart, and yours truly (sorry if I missed someone) all have travelled over to Germany to race multiple rounds of this series. My first introduction to the series came in 1996 and a three-night grind fest in Leipzig, Germany. I don’t think I’ve ever raced three nights in a row, and to do it overseas when I was jet-lagged was definitely challenging. I think I slept for a week when I returned home. It’s always been a prestigious and intense series, so for Pettis to jump in with both feet this past weekend was going to be a challenge. Getting back on track after an injury is never an easy thing to do. Racing demands that you be at the top of your game at all times. For Pettis, who up until last weekend in Calgary, hadn’t raced since June. Before that, he’d only lined up behind a starting gate twice since the final round of the Triple Crown Series MXTour at Walton in 2021. At this point, he just needs some gate drops. On paper, racing Calgary and Stuttgart was a great idea as it allowed him to further his training and recovery with some racing. Unfortunately, like last weekend in Calgary, Pettis would suffer an ugly crash on the first night in Stuttgart when another rider jumped over on him and took his front wheel out on the fastest part of the track. The result was Pettis crashing and although nothing was broken, for the second week in a row he left the race sore as hell. Pettis and would sit out the second night of racing before returning home yesterday. It definitely has been a tough road for Pettis and as of right now he’s not sure if he’ll return to Germany or not for Round 3 and 4 in January. At some point soon, he’s going to head south to continue his training and his preparation for 2023. You won’t meet a more determined athlete than Jess Pettis as he does everything he can to be the best. Also, off the bike, he’s one of the most down-to-earth individuals in the paddock. I hope that whatever he does between now and next summer, he’s on the starting line at the opening round of the 2023 Triple Crown Series and is 100% ready to race. I feel like his best years are still to come. So once again Jess, lick your wounds, and let’s get ready for 2023!
This this past weekend was the World Vet Championships at the famous Glen Helen Raceway. This year a plethora of Canadian riders headed to California in search of Vet glory. After two days of racing, Canadian riders came away with multiple podium finishes, and second overall in the World Cup of Nations race on Sunday. It was most certainly a weekend our boys will never forget and congratulations to every rider who made the long trek to California. I’m sure Ryan Lockhart will fill us in on all of the juicy details later this week, when he sends in his answers for the Matrix Concepts 3 Q’s on Friday.
Well, that is it for me this week. I hope everyone has a great weekend. On November 11th please take a moment to think about the members of our Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting our freedom and way of life. Finally, this industry has lost some great men in the past few weeks with Reese Rendell passing away two weeks ago and Coy Gibbs passing away over the weekend. Reese was a great man as well as an amazing moto dad and he sure is going to be missed. At the races, Reese was always helpful and always great to just sit and chat with about moto, family, or anything really. I only met Coy Gibbs once and that was at a Pirelli hosted dinner in Las Vegas when my wife and I were fortunate enough to sit with him and his JGRMX Team in 2014. He seemed very kind and during dinner, we talked about everything from football, to motocross, to car racing. RIP Reese and Coy and thank you for all you did in this sport! Have a great week and thank you for reading.
