Honda Canada Racing Presents MXP Chatter With Derek Schuster

Derek Schuster is a man who loves having a ton of stuff on the go, whether it’s with his race team or his Gopher Dunes track. He also enjoys coming up with new ideas and tying to improve not only the items close to him, but also the sport in general. This year he helped guide his Honda Racing GDR Fox Team to multiple championships, including Dylan Wright’s first ever pro title, and Colton Facciotti’s sixth. It was a great year for the Red Rider Team and now they hope to do it again in 2020 with Dylan Wright moving up to the 450 class, and Tanner Ward coming onto the team as their main 250 guy. There is always a lot going on in Derek Schuster’s world and his life moves pretty quick. Thankfully we were able grab him for ten minutes for this week’s Honda Canada Racing MXP Chatter.

MXP: Wow Derek, no one can accuse you of letting the dust settle. Your number one rider retires and within a few months, your team has one rider moving up to the 450 class and you sign two new guys. Well done!

DS:Thanks Chris, no time to let the dust settle these days! I know we call this time of year the off-season for riders but it definitely doesn’t mean the work stops. Obviously, with Colton retiring we had a massive void to fill and I don’t think it’s really fair to say it was our goal to fill that void; how do you replace a 6-time champion? There are currently no active Canadian riders with one 450 championship, so we felt now was the time to move Dylan up to 450 and bring in some fresh faces to fill our 250 spots.

Dylan Wright moving to the 450 class was inevitable at some point given his success, but why now? I guess the golden question is, do you think he’s ready to beat the established riders in the big bike class?

We spent some time evaluating whether we should keep Dylan in 250 to defend his titles or move him up. At the end of the day both Dylan and the team felt it was more important to get him into the 450 class to start gaining experience there rather than spending another season in the small bike class. I totally think he’s ready for 450 or we wouldn’t be doing this yet. I do, however, understand that there is an adjustment period to moving up to 450; the bikes are more powerful, the competition is tougher, the motos are longer, and there is probably a sense of added pressure. All of that takes time to adjust to so we will be patient with him, which is why we signed him to a contract extension at the end of the season that takes him to the end of 2022. He knows we are committed to him long term.

Well, regardless of how Dylan does in 2020, it’s sure going to be entertaining to watch. As Dylan’s boss and friend, how proud are you to see his development during the past few seasons? As fast as he was when you signed him, he did have some holes in his game.

Dylan definitely showed signs of speed and talent when he came on board three years ago, but he was young and had some learning to do. Honestly, I think I’m just as proud of the man he has become off the track as the rider he has become on the track. I noticed a big change in maturity and time management during last year’s off-season, and I believe that was a factor in his results this year.

Moving on to Tanner Ward. Not that my opinion matters much, although your dad still loves to pick my brain about stuff, I think this is a great signing for your team as Tanner not only looked like he needed a change of scenery, but he’s also a local Ontario boy and a great person in general. 

Tanner is a great kid. I’ve known him since he was ripping around our peewee track on 50s, and I think he is just what we needed to take Dylan’s spot in 250. Again, he probably feels like he has big shoes to fill but I look at him now somewhat similar to how I viewed Dylan when he first arrived at GDR. Even though I believe they have different riding styles, we will be patient and spend time developing.

I think everyone will agree that Tanner is capable of winning races in 2020, but he’ll have to find that certain something, whatever that is, to consistently run up front in the 250 class. What do you think he needs to do to reach his full potential?

I don’t want to give away all of the secrets (hahaha), but seriously, I don’t think it’s one thing in particular that he needs to change. We have been taking some time to evaluate him and his program and will make small tweaks and adjustments. One area we will look to address is helping him clean up some mid-moto mistakes while in a good position that haunted him at times this past season. This is something that Dylan has to work hard at as well.

The final signing you made for next year was perhaps the most surprising. How did the Ryder McNabb deal come about and what are your plans with him in 2020?

Ryder is someone who I have had my eye on for quite some time. I have gotten to know him in the past couple of years because they usually spend a few days riding at the Dunes in the summer prior to Trans Can. We began discussions about him joining the team at this year’s TransCan, and with his previous deal expiring we were able to put together an offer for him. The plan for Ryder is to race a couple of the Canadian Amateur Nationals as an Intermediate and all of the Pro Outdoor Nationals in the 250 class.

You and I have spoken a few times about Ryder and just what a cool kid he is. Racing and life have not come easy for Ryder and his family, they’ve had to face some serious adversity to get to where they are now. This kid appears to have all of the tools needed to be a future champion both here and in the USA. What is it that you like the most about Ryder McNabb?

Ryder is an unbelievable kid. You sometimes forget that he just turned 14-years-old by the maturity that he shows. The whole family is great, they have a massive amount of dedication towards Ryder and his racing. I also commend them for their dedication to getting Ryder out to races like Trans Can every summer, and I think you could say it was that dedication that has helped earn Ryder his first Pro contract. Ryder has an abundance of talent on a motorcycle, and I think that he may have some challenges ahead in the near future racing the Nationals as a 14-year-old. However, I do believe that if he’s committed and works hard, the sky is the limit for him in racing. 

I cannot do an interview with you without asking you about Colton. He went out this past year exactly how he wanted to, as a champion. If you look back to a year ago and everything that happened at the final round of the Triple Crown Series, many thought he was done then. We’ve spoken about his physical and mental strength many times. Did you honestly think that he would come back this summer and win one more title? 

I can 100% tell you that I knew when Colton told me he’s coming back for one more season that he would do everything it took to win that championship come hell or high water. The mental fortitude that he possesses is off the charts, more than anyone I have met. He was on the team for six years and still did things that amazed me right up until his final race.

Without putting words into his mouth, what is next for Colton? What will his role be next year with the team and with Gopher Dunes? We know he hates winter so will he be taking the boys down to GPF to train this winter?

Yes, Colt will continue working with the team. We will have him involved in the shop with us, and he will be doing some work with the riders, so he will be at all of the races. We also have some plans for some rider training so stay tuned!

Speaking of the Gopher Dunes facility, how was your season this year?

It was a solid year for us at the Dunes. We had a wet spring but our events were strong, and we had a few camps that went really well. Our Red Rider training is a very important part of our program because it allows us to introduce new people to the sport, and we had great numbers for it this year!

Thanks for your time and congratulations on all of your success. You’ve had a great year and 2020 looks extremely bright as well for the Honda Racing Fox GDR Team.

Thanks for the interview Chris. I just want to thank our team sponsors, they crushed it for us this year! Also, our crew busted their butts all year keeping things rolling so I want to thank Kerri, Justin, Matt, Kyle, Randy, and Ryan for their efforts!