Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
This week’s Friday Flight is brought to you by Future West Moto. Future West Moto is a relatively new name in the West that has quickly gathered a large, fun, family oriented following. This weekend, round four of the Future West Moto Canadian Kawasaki CMRC South series goes in Williams Lake, B.C. The Williams Lake track is home to Canadian National regular and all around good guy Brock Hoyer. Brock will be lined up this weekend to get one last tune up in before the gate drops on the Rockstar Energy Drink Nationals presented by Motovan in Kamloops B.C. next Sunday. Brock will also be hosting a Yamaha Motor Canada, Spectra Power Sports, Future West Moto school at the Williams Lake track on Friday at 5:00 pm. The Williams Lake track is classic BC hard pack that accommodates all levels and ages of riders. The track is nestled in the forest just above the town and the grounds has a provincial park-like feel to it. The positive momentum this series has picked up looks to deliver to its growing following once again this weekend.
I will unfortunately miss round four of the Future West Moto Series as I am headed up to Dawson Creek, B.C. to visit my first ever Peace Motocross Association race. This great club has been around for many years and has nine different race tracks that host races in northern BC and Alberta. I really look forward to this opportunity to meet up with some of these riders that I have met and interviewed through my Canadian Moto Show platform. This group stepped up to support my show and have worked very hard to make this trip possible. I am looking forward to seeing racing action in a part of the country I have never been to, even if it meant having to get up at 2:00am this morning to begin the 16 hour trek. Canadian National number 35, Matt Davenport, from Fort St. John, BC is a Peace Motocross Association member and will be racing this weekend. I do plan to document this journey and pack as much of it as possible into an upcoming Motocross Performance Magazine feature article. Watch for it in an upcoming issue.
Whispering Pines Raceway will be the perfect setting next weekend for round one of the Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals presented by Motovan. photo by James Lissimore
I will land home next week just in time to clean up, pack up and head over to Kamloops for round one of the Nationals. This is it folks, it is almost go time, and all the prep, sacrifice, nerves, and emotions will come to a head on the weekend in Kamloops. I think Tyler Medaglia says it best when I quote him, “Enough already, let’s go now.” I am pretty sure there are many more racers and fans alike that feel the same way. As far as the riders and all that has been documented coupled with that, which has been kept secret, will all be on the grand stage soon enough. Who’s ready? Well, I guess if you want to talk basics in the form of 1-2-3, the rider that will wear that number for the Monster Energy Thor Kawasaki team, Brett Metcalfe, looks ready. Metcalfe’s performance on the weekend at round one of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross series in Hangtown looked as good and solid as ever, stamping a 7th overall with 7-9 Moto scores. Brett was the top Kawasaki finisher on the weekend and he will be behind the gate for round two this weekend at Glen Helen before heading up here. Canadian race fans, along with Jason Hughes and the Monster Energy Drink Thor Leading Edge Kawasaki team, are fortunate to have a rider of Brett’s calibre elevating the bar of our series. Brett is just one of a handful of top step contenders in this series, and each and every one of them knows a thing or two about winning. The morning line odds may be at this point strongly in Brett’s favour, but there are still 20 Motoss of racing to be run. This year’s MX1 series also has a handful of riders that have won titles on Canadian soil and know a thing or two about what it takes to win. Friends, do yourselves a favour and get out to a round. If you can, there is some great racing ahead.
I would like to touch on a couple of other notes for the opening round weekend in Kamloops that are every bit as important as what we will see on Sunday. Saturday has a full slate of racing scheduled on the national track as it will play host to round 5 of the Future West Moto Canadian Kawasaki South Series. I will be in the tower Saturday doing the ‘Live’ announcing and as always very much looking forward to it. Also, the same day round one of the Western Canadian Women’s National series kicks off and it too will have a very stacked deck. I am super pumped to know that Camille Bunko, who has dedicated a large portion of herself along with Denaye Giroux and Sierra Roth, will line up once again. Last season Camille became a mother and somehow has managed to juggle all of the variables presented to do an amazing job of getting back on the bike as well as keeping this amazing series moving forward. Nice work Camille! Yes, it is safe to say I am a huge fan, not only of you but all of you on and off the track making this series the huge success that it has become.
Watch out for this kid next weekend at the opening round of the KTM Canada Western CMRC Supermini Nationals.
Round one of the KTM Western Canadian Super Mini Nationals also kicks off at Whispering Pines on Saturday, which only makes for more excitement at this weekend’s opening round. I have recently teamed up with KTM Canada on the Canadian Moto Show and have started a weekly rider segment in the name of the ‘Race Ready’ company. This week, our profile was 13-year-old Max Day from Winfield, B.C. who is one of many fast, up and coming riders we will see on a full gate for this event Saturday.
Lastly, I want to speak on some news that broke officially yesterday. It seems that Kamloops boy, Old School Motocross die-hard and part time ‘Legend,’ my old friend Rob Crawford has put together a huge deal. The deal is to bring six kids through Big Brothers Big Sisters out to round one of the Nationals for a weekend-long experience. They will learn to ride motorcycles that will be provided by Yamaha Motor Canada, get to meet riders and experience the Pro National. This event has attracted up to 200 applicants in a short period of time. I was also told by Rob that a community member that wishes to remain anonymous has agreed to purchase one of the new motorcycles, which will be presented to one of the lucky kids on Sunday.
There is also word that the main television network in the area will broadcast this presentation on the 6:00pm news of the National race day. Wow, what a huge deal this is for getting these kids that have had to overcome different levels of adversity this opportunity and introduced to the great sport of Motocross. I am very stoked that the people at home that may know nothing about racing or the Kamloops National will see this happen on the mainstream media news channel.
There is also word from Rob that this is something that he hopes will spread its wings across the country to all 10 rounds of next year’s National Series.
Gopher Dunes will be the site of this weekends Parts Canada TransCan ANQ event in Ontario. photo by James Lissimore
Gopher Dunes will be the site of this weekend’s AMO ANQ, and I am sure Derek Schuster, Ryan Gauld and everyone else involved have all of their preverbal ducks celestially aligned to facilitate some great racing. On the note of AMO, it is to be noted that next weekend’s ANQ at RJ’s on May 31st has been moved to Moto Park. May 31st is also relevant as the early bird best rate for this year’s Parts Canada Walton Trans Can deadline is next Sunday. Get your registration in now folks, this year’s Trans Can is going to be the best yet. As I said, it is wide open right now right across the country so wherever you get to this weekend friends keep that Moto passion pinned and do your best to stay safe,
Until next Friday Flight, Airmail’ out………………….
