As I write this article, I realize how fast time passes. I finally have some time to sit back and reflect on some events and storylines that have happened since the end of the race season. For a lot of people, the season ends or winds down after Walton, but for me (especially this year with the injury), this was not the case. I was still in full rehab mode on my body, as well as training my butt off to get ready for Motocross of Nations (MXoN). I then raced the MXoN, did some travelling, tested the new 2025 Honda CRF450R, and just finished negotiations for a new contract.
So, let’s rewind for a moment. While most racers wrapped up their season at Walton, it felt like mine was just beginning. It was awesome to come back after a nasty injury and lengthy recovery to win the final round of the series, but for me, it was just another important step in my rehabilitation process. I will not lie to you; there is nothing tougher for a competitive athlete than being sidelined with an injury during the active season, and having to sit back and watch your competitors line up and race. When I was getting my rehab done, and I knew the season was a bust, it was tough to stay motivated. The one event that I knew I could possibly be back for was Motocross of Nations. It was a driving force for me during the long hours in the gym.
I wanted to represent my country, but I needed to prove I could do it on the timeline we were working with. I was not the original choice for Team Canada this year but, winning the last round proved that, although I wasn’t at 100%, I could still perform at a high level. I was very grateful when Team Canada reconsidered and invited me to join the team as the MX3 rider. With this great news, I dove into full MXoN preparation mode. It was awesome because this year, more than any other, all three riders were training together, helping each other out. It was a very rare occasion for us to be teammates rather than rivals. It made for some fun times at the practice track, that’s for sure! While we were in the gym and on the track, our amazing sponsors made sure we had all our gear and everything else we needed. It’s truly amazing how the moto community comes together for this event!
Then it was time to head to the race! I won’t get into every little detail, but I will give you an overview of the event, seen through my eyes. Upon arrival in London, our crew of riders and significant others played tourists. It was a fun team bonding day that allowed us to settle in a little and adapt to the new time zone and climate. This was followed by a day of rest and photos. It was awesome to see all the positive comments from everyone back home. All the bikes and team gear looked amazing!
The next day was dedicated to practice , and the day honestly couldn’t have gone any better. The track was really fun. We got the mapping with the new fuel dialed in pretty quickly, and I felt really good on the bike. (No word of a lie; I felt amazing!) When you feel really good on the bike heading into a big event like this, it always gives you just that extra little bit of confidence!
The following day, we were finally headed to the Matterley Basin Grand Prix track to get all signed in, tech the bikes, get some start practice in, and participate in the opening ceremonies. This day blows by! After being in Europe a few times now and knowing so many riders and team personnel, it’s really nice to see them all and catch up! I took a quick look at the track; it looked like a lot of fun! This was until I walked the track a little later in the day. The dirt on top was really squishy. When the dirt is like this, you know it’s going to be really rutty. It was the type of conditions that meant that the soft top layer was going to just grab you and try to drag you down.
Upon arrival on Saturday, we were able to watch a few laps of practice. Wow, was the track soft and like glue. The conditions actually made me feel like a fish out of water! The landings of the jumps were so deep and rutty that I just decided to split the track into small sections and work on getting clean sections rather than full clean laps. This helped me feel a little bit more comfortable.
Then it was qualifying time! Watching Jess [Pettis] race his first moto and seeing how the track was shaping up, I knew that after another two full motos, it was going to be very challenging! Kaven [Benoit’s] crash in his moto made that even clearer, and I knew that I was going to have to pull through for the team in my race for us to advance! With a decent start, I put myself in an alright position. The problem was that I felt the pressure and I started to think about not crashing rather than focusing on the laps and the race. I remembered last years’ experience. I could hear the voices of the people urging me not to go “all Dylan Wright” out there by trying too hard and risking errors and potential crashes.
This is one of the first times this has happened to me in a very long time. My performance out there was no longer just about my own individual result; it would affect the whole team’s outcome. Not only that, but you know that you are not just trying to live up to the expectations of your team, but of all the Canadian fans. As pro racers, we work hard not only to be physically fit but, also mentally fit. MXoN challenges you on both levels. Could I have placed a little higher in the standings in that moto? Maybe. Did I hold back a little bit during my qualifier, tighten up a bit, and play it safe? Absolutely! But because I did, I got the job done and we were into the A main. That was a huge relief.
On Sunday, the weather and Lady Luck just wouldn’t cooperate. The drizzle kept coming down, and it was really screwing things up for me! It meant that I had to run roll-offs. So, when a rock flew up into my goggles on the first lap while I was battling inside the top ten, breaking my roll-off film, I was left having to toss my goggles. Not a good position to be in for another 35 minutes! I immediately pulled in for a new set of goggles as I couldn’t bear the roost to the face and the possibility of losing an eye! No race is worth that! Needless to say, I lost a ton of positions, and because of the cold temperatures and my body heat, my new set of goggles got foggy, severely impairing my vision. It eventually went away, but it was too little too late, and I would only get myself up to 23rd.
The second moto went better. I took a gamble and went with tear-offs! I got a decent start and worked my way through a few guys into 13th. I struggled to find some flow in the first 10 minutes of the race but found it later and made a few passes. The track was deceivingly challenging and downright scary to race, even for me. And for those of you who know me and how I like to ride a rough track, this should be saying something! While I’m disappointed that I and Team Canada didn’t get a top 10 finish, I stuck to the plan of riding smart and getting some decent results on the board. We live and learn, and next year, I know we’ll do better when this event is back in North America.
Speaking of next year, following my return from MXoN, I was very quick to head to the team headquarters at Gopher Dunes to get some seat time and some testing done on the new 2025 CRF450R. Honestly, I am very surprised with this bike! They have fixed a lot of the little bugs that I was correcting and having to adapt to on the old model. I rode this bike relatively stock so far and have really been liking it. I also did a few days of suspension testing with the GREAT Colton Facciotti to ensure we got it in a good place before heading south this winter. This little head start we got in the fall will help when I travel to a warmer climate to train, as there will be a lot less shipping back and forth from Dade City to Ontario!! All I can say is I’m very excited to get some more time on this bike and let you guys see what I can do with it next summer!
I have also been very busy negotiating a contract extension with the team. As a result, I’m very happy to announce that I will be with the Honda Canada/GDR/Fox Racing Team through to the 2028 season. It is almost unheard of in Canada to have a contract this long. This means that the team, Honda, and I have similar goals and mindsets for the future and want to remain long-term partners moving forward. I have been with this group of people for the last eight seasons, and at the end of this contract, I will have been with them for twelve years! Together, we are certainly looking forward to the future. Thank you for reading this, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!
