Greetings! Welcome to this early July edition of the Monday Gate Drop Column, which once again is presented by Yamaha Motor Canada. Later this month, Yamaha will release their all-new 2027 YZ250F, and the week after the Walton TransCan, we will be travelling to ClubMX, in South Carolina to test ride this exciting new bike. There are a lot of changes for 2027, including a new chassis, multiple engine modifications, as well as a hydraulic clutch. Stay tuned for more details, as well as our initial thoughts on the bike after we spend two days riding it at ClubMX.
Well, that was certainly a weekend at Gopher Dunes! It was a challenging track, there was great racing, good people, and of course a plethora of tired riders at the end of the day. Other than the extreme heat and humidity that Mother Nature gives us sometimes at the Dunes, it was another memorable Pro National weekend at Canada’s roughest track. All of our Triple Crown Series tracks deserve a ton of credit for how hard they work each year to put on a National event each year. We were at Gopher Dunes to ride on Tuesday and Derek Schuster and his crew were hard at work as they prepared for the weekend. When we arrived back at the track on Saturday morning, the track and the entire facility looked amazing. Multiple bleachers were set up so fans could sit and watch the racing from various spots around the track. There were multiple food vendors set up, including an ice cream truck, there was new fencing up, and let’s not forget a new track layout for the riders and fans to enjoy. Just like the opening three rounds of the 2026 Triple Crown Series, the Gopher Dunes property was in immaculate condition, and as always it was great to be able to spend the first weekend of July there.
So, what exactly goes into a weekend at a Triple Crown Series race for a member of the Canadian motocross media fraternity? I must admit, this year attending each round of the series had become a tad more nerve wracking for me as my son is competing in his rookie season in the 250 Pro/Am class. Now, thankfully he is a member of the awesome AVL Husqvarna Team so it’s not like I have to worry about his bike being ready or any tasks associated with that. It’s just the fact that he’s racing now on Sunday’s which obviously adds to my nerves. One of my tasks at each round of the series is to provide live updates on X during the motos. So, it’s taken a little adjustment and practice to keep one eye on the action up front and the other eye on how my son is doing. Thankfully, in moto two yesterday he was able to get a 4th place start so that made it much easier to keep track of him as well as report on the riders at the front of the pack. Anyway, here is what this past weekend looked like at the Gopher Dunes National.
With Gopher Dunes only being two hours from my home, my family and I didn’t leave until Saturday morning. That put us there around noon which gave everyone plenty of time to hang and get everything ready for Sunday. I had some interviews to conduct on Saturday afternoon, and that time also provides a great opportunity to catch up with everyone. It’s always fun to hear about what everyone did that week, and also if there is any news or any gossip. With Sunday’s being so busy, the time to chat is always on Saturday afternoon. After that, we waited until Ayrton’s bike has made it through tech inspection, and then it’s time to head to the hotel. This weekend we were staying at the Howard Johnson in Tillsonburg so it was only a ten minute drive from the track. We always stay at this hotel for the Gopher Dunes National as it’s close, clean, and over the years they’ve always treated us well. The only downside is that since Covid, it like all hotels, has become terribly expensive. Anyway, after checking into the hotel we made our way to Kelsey’s for one of our favourite dinner stops of the summer. Once dinner was over, it was off to get some more ice and water for Sunday, then it was time to retire for the evening and start thinking about the following day.
Even though I’m not a pro rider anymore, waking up early on the Sunday morning of a Triple Crown Series round still brings out a certain set of emotions for me. There are always some nerves (even more now as I mentioned above), some excitement, and really just a feeling of anticipation of the day ahead. Yesterday was no different as I made my way out of the hotel at 6:15 and into the overcast and muggy morning. The first order of business for me was to track down some coffee and breakfast while my wife and new Triple Crown Series rider got ready back at the hotel. Obviously, being a rookie pro rider is challenging as there are so many different things you have to learn and experience during the series. However, I think there are a few rounds that might encompass a few extra nerves and stress. The opening round is certainly one race that has to carry more weight than the others, and I would think that the Gopher Dunes round is another. As a young rider, racing the Gopher Dunes National for the first time and all of the unknowns that it brings, has to be a challenging endeavour. For years, our kids have no doubt heard and seen all of the horror stories that come with racing two 30 minute motos in the deep sand. So, to go and do it themselves for the first time is always something that brings with it, a little extra attention.
Once we got fuelled with coffee and food, it was off to the track for the usual Triple Crown Series activities. The first thing that almost every rider does is take a quick look at the track before heading to riders meeting. For the 250 riders, some get dressed prior to riders meeting as their opening qualifying session is immediately after. After taking in riders meeting, it’s time to find a good vantage point to take in qualifying. The 250 Pro/Am is first, then it’s the WMX class, and finally the 450 riders get their turn. The first sessions are always exciting to watch as the riders have to quickly learn the track and then try and put in at least one fast lap. Gopher Dunes is one of the only rounds of the series where the riders fastest lap time comes in from their first session when the track is obviously at its smoothest. After qualifying, it was time to check in with my son to see how he’s feeling and share with him, some of the things I might have seen during practice. Then, it was time to walk around the paddock and talk to various riders and crew members to see how qualifying went for them. After that, it was time for a quick bite and before I knew it, the opening WMX moto was on the gate and ready to go.
The mornings always seem to fly by at the Triple Crown Series rounds and yesterday was no different. Actually, once the day gets rolling time does by quickly. The opening motos lead into the intermission and then it’s time for the second set of races. In the moments leading up to both 250 and 450 motos, you can always find me down by the starting line taking in the staging process. This is honestly one of my favourite times of the day as you can always feel the nerves and the energy that the riders are feeling. As a racer, it’s a special time as they make their final preparations for battle, and as I mentioned above, Gopher Dunes always brings out a different type of energy, simply because of the anticipation of the challenges ahead. Other than the sound of the mechanics and a few of the riders making small talk, staging for a pro national is a quiet affair and usually you can almost hear a pin drop. As the staging nears an end and the riders pack their gates, the nervous energy increases to a fever pitch until the Assistant Referee Daryl Murphy yells out “Start em up”, and then the nerves instantly turn to absolute razor sharp focus as the gate drops and the riders head out on their sight lap. As I mentioned, this is one of my favourite parts of each national day, and it makes me very proud as a Father that my son is now experiencing it also.
Once the gate drops for each moto, I always make my way to a chosen spot that gives me a good vantage point over the track, as well as hopefully good cell phone service. At Gopher Dunes, my favourite spot is up on top of the first turn berm as I can see most of the track, and for whatever reason I get good service there. In between races, it was time to head back to the paddock to hydrate, eat some snacks, and have a quick word with my son. Yesterday was also a great opportunity to see some old friends who only make it out to the Ontario rounds. One of those gems was my former boss from Machine Racing Honda, John Nelson. It’s been several years since John made his way to a Triple Crown Series round, so it was great to see him and catch up. John, as many of you know, is an entertaining individual, so when he speaks, you either feel like laughing or crying. Thankfully, yesterday was all about the laughs. After the motos it was time to return to the pits and get ready to do as many rider interviews as possible. With it not being too hot yesterday, most of the riders were in good spirits and had some energy left to chat. This is always a good time, there’s not much better than talking to the stars of our sport about how their day went. The interviews went well, and it was great to hear what each rider had to say about the track and their results. Dylan Wright’s was especially interesting as just like last week in Quebec, he was enjoying some post-moto dessert. After all of that, it was time to pack up and start our trek home. Thankfully, this weekend was a short drive home, as things not the case for next few rounds. So, that was my weekend at Gopher Dunes, and this coming weekend we get to do it all over again on the East Coast.
Well, I hope everyone had a great Canada Day last week, and if you’re from the USA, Happy 250th birthday! It was a great weekend and I hope everyone enjoyed it. The Motovan Canada Rider of the Week is Harri Kullas, who was able to get his first-ever Triple Crown Series win this weekend. Thank you for reading, and if you have any comments or questions, please email me ateditor@mxpmag.com.
