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Hello friends and a great big wide open welcome to this week’s version of the Friday Flight. We are back home after a great six week vacation and brought the series we were following with us. Well, not quite but it is beyond cool to have the Toronto Supercross on tap this weekend in our own backyard. There again with all of you reading from the homeland I am pretty much preaching to the choir when I say backyard is a relevant term! None the less, if you are anywhere in the GTA and have this sport in your blood, I know where you will be for the gate drop Saturday night. I once again find myself calling around to my friends who have paid the freight to have the U.S. feed brought into their homes. I still cannot get my head around the fact that it is a struggle to find the races on Canadian television. Anyways, short of beating on this dead horse any longer, it is onwards and upwards as I have found a spot to watch.
Dean Wilson is one rider who has had to deal with the risk of SX as he’s now out for the second time in a year with a knee injury. Photo by Frank Hoppen
While down in California this past six weeks the reality of how brutally unkind this sport can be at the top level was often on the front burner. Any of you that followed along with my weekly reports or are following the 2016 Supercross series know what I am taking about. It is pretty amazing to see the commitment of these riders and their extended support systems on a personal level. When you head into the Rogers Centre this weekend no matter who you are cheering for, do your part to show them you appreciate them, they have earned it. The inherent risk versus reward equation in the Supercross discipline of the sport is for the most part in the favour of the far left. As a race fan it is hard to see any rider struggle no matter what. For myself seeing a rider battle back through repeated adversity is something that I admire and have the utmost respect for. To see them set back time after time is nothing short of heart wrenching. This year alone to see the likes of James Stewart, Dean Wilson, Andrew Short, Kyle Chisholm, Adam Enticknap, Will Hahn, Justin Barcia, Brock Tickle, and most recently Davi Millsaps set back keeps this topic up front and center for me.
Okay, enough doom and gloom and on to those gladiators who have made the best of their current situations. This past weekend in Daytona I know the track took a lot of the heat but I sure enjoyed the racing. Track safety is something that has been talked about in recent weeks but was certainly not an issue in Daytona. Yes, the Daytona track was many things last week but no one could say that it was in any way shape or form unsafe. I am very much looking forward to the Toronto round as the layout looks pretty good. How will the soil be after the year off? I am assuming it will be good and on par with recent events. Thinking back to the brilliant performance by James Stewart the last time a Supercross gate was dropped in Toronto, that feat certainly will not be easily matched. Fast forward to today’s contenders in the Lites and the 450 class, this round promises to be a good one. Eli Tomac is coming in with some confidence off of his top step performance in Daytona and will look to keep the momentum going. I thought it was interesting to listen in on prognosticators Steve Matthes and Adam ‘The Seven Deuce Deuce’ Enticknap on Monday night’s Pulp-MX Show. The question was put to them by a call-in listener as to how many more races they both thought Eli would win. With eight rounds remaining, both concurred that Tomac would not likely win more than two of the remaining events! I was a little surprised at this as I believe that with the stranglehold Ryan Dungey has as the ‘Conch’ holder, he will not press as hard late as he did early. Who does that leave in the form of proven winners? Ken Roczen of course but unless he can regain the start savvy he had for a couple of races he could struggle. I know many have said, (myself included) that Eli and Kawasaki’s focus is beyond the 2016 Supercross series. Maybe so but Eli is a racer and I believe he will proudly carry that swagger that looked so good on him in Daytona into the Rogers Centre. I am not saying that there are not others capable of winning this weekend in the 450 class but if someone outside of these three does, I will be very surprised.
After a second place finish to Eli Tomac last weekend in Daytona, Ryan Dungey will no doubt be looking for a win in Toronto as he enters the home stretch of this 2016 series.
The Lites East battle is shaping up to be a series for the ages. The four rider battle down to the wire in Daytona, on a track that many criticized, was the best 250 battle so far. Yes, there was some good battling in the West with Cooper Webb, Joey Savatgy and Christian Craig but to my recollection there has not been a race with three corners left that any one of four riders could have won! Heading into Toronto, Martin Davalos looks to be much improved in the confidence department and holds the red plate. Jeremy Martin used his outdoor savvy and rut railing skills to perfection in Daytona and deserved to win. Malcom Stewart was probably the sentimental favourite after the fans of the brothers Stewart watched James succumb to another tough to see setback. He, however, could not withstand the constant pressure from Martin and made some mistakes. I do not think fitness was really as much as an issue as the pressure was. Malcom will contend to win in Toronto, count on it. The rider who I will only mention last because he is my pick to win this weekend is Justin Hill. Two weeks in a row Justin Hill was the fastest rider on the track at times in the main event. The performance in Daytona this past weekend was made even more impressive as I don’t believe it was on Justin’s best surface. I really think that if Hill gets a good start on a moderately hard packed surface in Toronto he will check out. Yes, that’s right, check out! I have been watching Justin like a hawk and I think he may be the best of the bunch right now. Whoever wins on the track, the race fans of Toronto are the real winners to have this event back on Saturday night.
Let’s get out and support the 2016 CMRC Women’s Nationals.
As we amp up towards outdoors in Canada I once again want to throw a plea pitch out to you all. The CMRC Canadian Women’s Nationals, both East and West, are in need of your support. Hopefully you have all had a chance to read Sierra Roth’s ‘Sliding Doors’ blog here on Tuesday. The Women’s Series, in both the East and West, is currently looking for support in the form of sponsorship. There are many things that can be done to help out, be creative. These girls are open to suggestions and ideas. I myself pledged a hundred dollars to the East and the West last week and challenge all of you, my Moto brothers and sisters, to do the same. You do not have to wear an industry hat to do this! If you are a race fan or an industry person who has experienced this series, you know how good it is. Let’s do our part to help insure they get something for their efforts. Remember that risk versus reward equation? You can make a difference, I promise. Hit them up at www.cdnwmx.com and Let’s Go Racing.
Until next ‘Friday Flight,’ Airmail out………………….
