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Once again friends a great big mid-winter welcome aboard another edition of the ‘Friday Flight.’ This weekend marks the last one that will see me sequestered to my abode longing to wheel in the warmth of the great outdoors. When I returned from this past year’s final national at Walton Raceway, I told my wife that if we planned to get away for the upcoming winter we best book it now. With my ‘Spidey’ senses in overdrive I kind of had a feeling we would see our Canadian dollar where it now sits today. We hit the road this upcoming week and have an amazing trip planned that will see us on the road for six and a half weeks. When I check in here next week I will be settled into the Aria on the Las Vegas strip as we are scheduled to sit in on the Pulp MX Show on the Monday night after the Oakland Supercross. We are all aware of Steve’s accomplishments and talents as one of the sport’s most renowned Moto journalists; this opportunity is nothing short of a ‘Bucket List’ moment.
Brent can’t wait to watch Cooper Webb’s aggressive style in person when he travels to Arizona for round 5 of the 2016 Monster Energy Supercross Series.
The really cool thing about this opportunity is that it came out of a couple of guys’ passion to help raise some funds for our team’s MX of Nations efforts. In 2014, Steve put up an all-inclusive package to be auctioned off, which included a trip to Vegas with a sit in on his Pulp MX Show. I followed all the progress of this as did most race fans who had our team’s best financial interest at heart. In fact, now looking back, it was pretty amazing to see our country rally around our team’s efforts. I will still remember the day for many years to come when the team’s manager approached me at an Arenacross event and gave me the collared team shirt as a keepsake. I was also very proud to have the Canadian Moto Show logo on that shirt as a result of my listeners support to the tune of about $1,400 for the team. I never really thought anymore of this whole deal afterwards until last May.
In May I had agreed to head up to the Peace Motocross Association’s Dawson Creek event and do the announcing for the weekend. Around mid-day, a fellow that I have come to know through our Future West Moto Arenacross series, Lonnie Shevkenek, came up to the tower. We started chatting about this, that and the other thing, and the MX of Nations came up. He looked at my wife and I and talked about the fact he was the winning bid on the Pulp MX auction sit in trip. I was stoked for him as that would be a dream-come-true trip as Steve is the man when it comes to Moto Talk Radio. Right after that, Lonnie looked at me and said, ‘Brent, I am way too busy to go down, I want to give the trip to you and your wife.’ Lonnie my friend, you not only helped the team out in a big way but have given me something I will likely remember for the rest of my life. Thanks again my friend, I am still incredibly overwhelmed at your kindness.
After four days in Las Vegas, the Moto Show bus will head to Glendale, Arizona for Round 5 of the Monster Energy Supercross Series. I cannot wait to see this race track in person as it looks to be one of the best tracks yet as we get into the Football Stadium portion of the series. The start stretch is a full-on drag strip and should see riders well sorted by the first turn. Maybe not. The track also goes underneath a section of the bleachers under the south end of the stadium. It should make for an interesting, newly added dynamic. From Arizona I will head to San Diego where I will take in the second Petco Park Supercross of the season. I have been to six different Supercross venues in recent years (not including Arizona this year) and in my opinion San Diego tops all. Many factors are considered when I make this my choice, but it is without a doubt my favourite. Over and above the action we will encounter at the race track, San Diego is a great, clean and vibrant waterfront city, and is one of the nicest and cleanest wheelchair friendly cities I have ever experienced. We will be based in a condo that is literally in the outfield of Petco Park on the 8th floor with a wraparound balcony that looks into the stadium. I am very excited as I have worked my tail off the whole year to make this trip possible. My wife has reminded me that our condo rental total exceeds our mortgage payments for a whole calendar year. As for my kids, about that inheritance you are hoping for, don’t hold your breath. I am not really that worried as the glass half full guy in me points to the fact that interest borrowing rates are at an all-time low.
Tyler Bruvold is another young Canadian rider who will compete in this weekends KJSC race at Angel Stadium.
In all seriousness, we cannot discount the impact that the dollar and our current economical state will have when it comes to our sport. I am not saying we have immediate reason to sound off any alarms as our sport and appetite for it is alive and well. I do, however, think that riders who have grown accustomed to spending time in the southern sun preparing for the upcoming season may have to be more creative. Maybe a little more cost cutting privateer type mode will be in order for some to make it possible. I did catch wind this week that the Devil’s Lake Team will take a year off the circuit as a lot of their financial backing is energy industry related. At the end of the day I think many of those riders that are driven and willing to take the risks for their passion will press on in 2016. For this race fan, as cool and exciting as it is to roll up to the big rigs and drool, I always respect, support and pull for the guys doing it on their own dime. Maybe in 2016 we will see more riders team up like Michael Dasilva and Hayden Halstead to come west in 2015. Guys like those are as solid as they come and I know that they could write a good book about what they encountered together. One of my most memorable moments of 2016 was having and ecstatic Hayden Halstead come bombing up to Frank Schuster at day’s end at Gopher Dunes. Hayden was very deservedly pumped on his 8th place finish there. You had every right to be pumped Hayden and I was honoured that you were pumped to share it with me. I know it takes many resources to make each and every one of these racing seasons possible, but come on, you are a Motocrosser. – So Let’s All Go Racing in 2016 friends.
We hope to see Hayden Halstead make his way out west for the opening rounds of the 2016 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals.
Before we lift of and depart into the weekend, I want to wish all Canadians competing in Anaheim this weekend good luck. It has been fun to watch Cole Thompson’s progress through the opening two rounds from the homeland. I have a feeling this weekend we will see his best result yet. This weekend we will have two more Canadians to cheer for. That’s right, two more! On Saturday night in the KJSC, two B.C. riders have received the call: 7-year-olds Tyler Bruvold from Langley, B.C. along with Mission’s Blake Davies. Davies won a Parts Canada Walton Trans Can title this past summer at first asking. Bruvold has been working with Maple Ridge Motorsports’ Ryan Lockhart and is very pumped for the whole deal. Tyler told me on Wednesday night that one of the things he was excited about was being able to rock the new-look Atlas Brace that Ryan helped him out with. Good luck to all my Canadian friends on the race track and in the stands cheering our riders on. I know a few of you are heading to Anaheim this weekend, so have fun and I can’t wait for my turn!.
Until next Friday from Las Vegas, Nevada, ‘Airmail Out’
Until next ‘Friday Flight,‘ Airmail’ out………………….
