Five Things to Look For in the East: MX1 Class

 

1. Brett Metcalfe Continuing his Winning Ways:

Even though Brett Metcalfe had some challenges from a few riders like Teddy Maier and Tyler Medaglia in the first four rounds, so far he has been the dominant rider in the MX1 class. After winning five of the first eight motos, Metcalfe comes into round five in Gopher Dunes as the odds on favourite to pick up right where he left off out west. 

It has become very obvious in watching Metcalfe race that one of his strongest attributes is picking lines. At round three in Calgary, he charged from outside the top ten in moto two on the toughest track of the season to date to win the moto. During this moto, it was his superior line choices that allowed him to make the passes that led him to the front.

With the remaining tracks in the 2013 Monster Energy MX Nationals all being rough and challenging, this may play into Metcalfe’s favour even more. If you’re a fan of smooth, methodical riding, make sure you grab a front row seat at one of the final five rounds and watch Brett Metcalfe.

2. The Battle Behind Metcalfe

We only called this ‘The Battle Behind Metcalfe’ because after all he is the points leader. For the final five rounds the battle between Teddy Maier, Bobby Kiniry, Tyler Medaglia and Jeremy Medaglia could be the best we’ve seen in a long time. These riders all excel on rough tracks and they don’t mind racing in the heat and humidity that comes with racing in Eastern Canada. Also, none of these riders know the meaning of the word ‘quit’, so look for them to try and make life difficult for Metcalfe.

Another aspect that is in these riders’ favour is that not only do they all know the eastern tracks, but they all have won on these tracks in previous years. Any one of these riders could step up and start consistently winning motos in the final five rounds. If they do then the points race will tighten up and the series will get even more interesting.

3. The Return of Two Big Names

 Next weekend at Gopher Dunes also marks the return of two riders that have been missing since 2012. The number three ranked rider Dusty Klatt will begin his comeback at Gopher Dunes from a serious knee injury he suffered last winter, and sand specialist Kyle Keast will also be using round five as his first National of the year.

 For Dusty Klatt, his comeback couldn’t come at a better time, not only him but for his injury riddled KTM Team. This team needs something good to happen in the east. So far they have had to rely on Tyler Medaglia’s MX1 results. Even though Tyler’s results have been very good, every team wants to be on top of the podium every weekend. How good will Klatt be in his return? This is a very good question and we think he will be very good. While Dusty may need a few rounds to get back in the groove, once he feels comfortable it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he was joining the battle to chase down Metcalfe for moto wins. Klatt’s return only adds to the already deep field in the MX1 class. This ultra talented rider will no doubt make things very interesting in the final five rounds.

 

The same can be said for Ontario folk hero Kyle Keast on his return to the series this weekend. It has been over a year since Keast has lined up at a Pro National. After breaking his leg last year in Kamloops, Keast basically took off the rest 2012. So far this year Keast has been dominating the local Ontario circuit on his Machine Racing Yamaha and he is really motivated to have a strong showing in the east. Although it’s extremely hard to just jump into a series at the halfway point, no one in Canada knows how to ride sand better than Kyle Keast, and since three of the remaining five rounds are on sand tracks we think he’ll be okay.

 4. Cole Thompson Returns Home.

 In talking about the riders who could challenge Brett Metcalfe in the east, we have to talk about Cole Thompson. To help ease the pain of losing Colton Facciotti for the season, KTM went out and aggressively pursued Cole Thompson to ride for them and finish out the 2013 season on a KTM. This was a great move for everyone.

 After a spectacular supercross season, Cole has been struggling in the hotly contested USA Outdoor Nationals. In a stacked 450 class, Cole has been riding well but unlike last year, he hasn’t been able to crack the top ten. In the USA, if you’re not in the top ten it doesn’t matter how well you’re riding. It’s really hard to get noticed.

 Cole enters a new chapter in his racing career, although this won’t be his first time racing a Canadian National, but it will be the first time racing for a factory team. Everyone knows how smooth and fit Thompson is, but just how fast he is remains a bit of a mystery. Will he be Metcalfe’s speed? Where will he fit in? These unknowns are what make Cole’s return to Canada so exciting and we can’t wait for Gopher Dunes to find out. With Tyler Medaglia, Dusty Klatt and now Cole Thompson, KTM has a very strong list of MX1 riders to finish out 2013.

 5. Let’s Go to the Beach

 For the first time ever in Canada, three of the final five rounds of the Nationals will be on sand tracks and it could make things very interesting. For one, some riders obviously like riding sand more than others and some are just plain better at for whatever reason. While all three sand tracks in the east are tough, the Gopher Dunes track certainly gets the roughest. Since the track is only a stone’s throw from Lake Erie, the sand is almost bottomless, meaning the bumps will just keep getting deeper and bigger.

 The tracks at Sand Del Lee and Deschambault have more sand on the surface but underneath the dirt is a little harder so these tracks will get a few more square edge bumps. All three tracks are no picnic and will be a challenge for all the riders. This will no doubt be the toughest final five rounds in the history of Canadian Motocross.