Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
The GoldenTyre brand of off-road motorcycle tires was established in Italy 30 years ago. Its cutting edge design and durability has gained visibility and traction rapidly. GoldenTyre has teamed up with the likes of world renowned and accomplished off-road riders like Graham Jarvis and Johnny Walker in efforts to develop the best products in the business. These riders have validated the efforts and achievements of this relatively new product with their top results and accomplishments. The GoldenTyre flag is currently being run on the Motocross GP circuit by top 2015 contenders Jake Nicholls and Stephen Frossard.
With GoldenTyre’s broadening global recognition and on-track success, Mike Nicholls saw fit to bring this great product to Canada five years ago. GoldenTyre in Canada is currently providing ‘The Midas Touch’ on the Motocross track to the likes of Todd Minnie, Jake Striechert, Michael Dasilva, Teagan Williams and Super Mini rider Tyler Gibbs. GoldenTyre has also teamed for 2015 with Team PR-MX.ca as well as GP Moto for their Enduro team.
GoldenTyre is always on the lookout to recruit new members to join their winning team across our great country. If you are interested in giving this highly successful product a try, drop Mike Nicholls a line or a resume at www.goldentyre.ca.
The Future West outdoor season is ready for it’s 2015 kick off. photo by James Lissimore
Once again friends, the time has come to fasten those seat belts as we get set to launch into another weekend of racing action in 2015. Although we are not racing yet here in Canada we are very close, I assure you. Being fortunate enough to be in a part of the country where winter’s impact is minimal compared to what some of you have endured, I have been actively putting the finishing touches on my racing schedule for the upcoming season. At this moment, I am in the middle of the calm before the storm as once the first gate drops in a couple of weeks I look forward to being all over the map…literally. Between my announcing at the local CMRC Future West events and plans to take my Canadian Moto Show on the road up north to the Peace Motocross association in Dawson Creek the third week of May, the Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals, the WCAN July 2-5th in Raymond, then back east for a couple of rounds and the Trans Can, yes the odometer on my wheels will be going up considerably.
On April 4th in Campbell River, BC, the outdoor season in Canada officially kicks off with round one of the CMRC’s Vancouver Island series. That same weekend on April 5th, the GKMA club and the Kamloops track will host ‘The Big Kahuna,’ which is an annual Enduro event that entails a complex technical circuit that includes an entire lap of the Motocross track. Unfortunately, the school that was scheduled to be hosted there by multi-time Canadian National number one in that discipline, Vernon Motorsports KTM rider Bobby Prochnau, has been cancelled due to Bobby’s arm injury last week. I spoke with Bobby today and he said during the Endurocross race in Salt Lake City last weekend he lost a chain in a transition area and went over the bars with the bike landing on him hard. He said the break was clean and it will hopefully not keep him out of action long. Get well quick buddy.
The next weekend on the 11th and 12th of April, Future West Moto begins the CMRC South series at Whispering Pines. The Kamloops track is in prime shape. I have been talking frequently to the club’s Willie Watchell who states they are very excited to get the season underway, and added that there will be in fact a new ‘Sand Section’ for this year’s national. The new layout has now had a couple of years of seasoning, and I have every reason to believe that it playing host to the first round of this year’s nationals will not disappoint anyone.
The tragic events from Texas last week have sparked a lot of chatter this week about what can be done to help make this sport safer.
On the race track this past week there were some devastating, tragic incidents and horrific crashes. It saddens me beyond words to know that a sport that can be so rewarding one moment can be so callus and cruel in less than a blink of an eye. My heartfelt condolences to the Hoeft family after the passing of their son, 14-year-old Tyler, as a result of his crash in Texas. Godspeed Tyler. Our sport has seen advancements in leaps and bounds since its inception and it seems that the number of incidents that no one likes to see, hear or even talk about is up. Or is it? I am not here to weigh in on the numbers or compare from then to now, or even give my advice on safety as I just don’t feel I am a great spokesperson for that for obvious reasons. What I can say from experience is that if I could do certain things again I would no doubt. I would like to add that throughout my racing career I always had a mentor in my father, James Worrall, who I looked up to and respected. I cannot ever remember my Dad trackside waving me on or jumping up and down like a madman with his wrist cocked encouraging me to twist the throttle. In fact, what I remember seeing most often was my Dad leaning out, pointing to his head in an effort to encourage me to use mine. Quite often at the end of the race day he would drag my tired torso back out to the track where we would walk it and go over sections that he would show me ways I could improve upon. I think this art of track analysis in walking to assess line choices is lost in this day and age. Thanks Dad, too bad you could not make the trek to Trans Can in 2011. (Insert smile and laughter here)
Yes, my current life after injury is pretty good and I do everything possible to make the best of it. I feel very blessed that I am still around to have a voice…period, and that I can still be involved with the sport I will always love, no matter what happens. Yes, these type of incidents, or even hearing of a brother or sister having to pay the ultimate price in pursuit of their passion, is devastating. I think the most important thing to remember is that after an accident, and I would like to think that as tragic and hard as these incidents are for those involved and affected by them, hopefully something can be learned from them. I do not have the answers, but I do have my history in the sport and my own experience to speak from. My experience of the moto community rallying around myself and my family in 2011 was like nothing I have ever felt nor probably will ever feel again. I truly believe that is the main reason I choose to remain involved with this great community. Yes, we are a community, we are together. I believe that as long as we choose to remember that, we can move forward together not only as a community but as a sport. If we choose working together over blaming and pointing fingers, goodness can prevail. Without that we are doomed. I have heard a lot of different things this past week from people who have experienced much of this first hand and have some good points as a starting place to get the ball rolling. I am not sure exactly when, how, or what that will mean, but some things will be looked at and hopefully ongoing efforts can be implemented to do whatever can be done to cut down on incidents.
Motocross is the greatest family sport on the planet and everyone involved must do whatever they can to make it as safe as possible. photo by Randy Wiebe
For myself looking back, I am not sure exactly what happened or whether there is just a part of me that has blocked it out as a defense mechanism; I guess I will never know. I do know, however, that when the gate dropped at the race I got hurt at, my mindset was this: I was going to get to the front no matter what it took and do what I could to win at any cost. Was it worth it? Absolutely NOT! Was anyone to blame? Absolutely NOT! If I could go back in time, would I do it differently? ABSOLUTELY! Motocross has provided me with so much in my life and it has molded who I am as individual. On that fateful day, unfortunately I gained a new respect for risk versus reward.
Motocross is the best sport on earth for so many reasons. I credit everything I am today to having a great upbringing and being able to live out my childhood and formative years and beyond at the motocross track. To this day, my best friends are friends I made at the motocross track 40 years ago. I look forward to continuing to evolve my relationship with this sport and those who it has chosen. Yes, I believe that it has chosen us, and once it has us in our grip we are lifers. For me there is nothing on earth that does for me what twisting the throttle on a dirt bike did and continues to do currently on days where I am trackside announcing, spectating, or interacting with other riders or race fans. I will continue to do my best to support, love and promote what I believe in, and do hope you will all continue to join me. Even though this is an individual sport, our efforts together will go a long way.
Do your best to stay safe, friends. Until next, week Brent ‘Airmail’ Worrall out…..
