Good day and welcome to the final Honda Canada Racing sponsored Monday Gate Drop for the month of April. This will also mark four months into 2017, and aren’t we just rolling along this year? I spoke to Honda Canada Racing’s top rider, Colton Facciotti, last week about a few different things, first of which was wishing him a very happy 29th birthday! I know what you’re thinking, when did Colton Facciotti grow up and become 29 years of age? It feels like yesterday that he was 18 and still learning the ropes of being a professional motocross rider. I also spoke to Colton about his 2017 preparation that has been taking place, mostly at GPF in Georgia. Riding the all-new 2017 CRF450R, Colton said that he feels great and that all of the testing that the GDR Fox Racing Team has been doing is really paying off. Other than making a trip home to Ontario to see his family, his plans are to stay down south until the middle of May. I personally can’t wait to see Colton and his team line up in Kamloops on June 4th.
Well, as I’m sure most of you watched on Saturday night, the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross Series returned to the track in Salt Lake City after their only weekend off. As the gate dropped on the 450SX main event, Ryan Dungey and Eli Tomac left the starting gate in SLC tied in the points standings, and after weeks of playing second fiddle to Tomac, on the opening lap Dungey finally got what he wanted. With Tomac situated well outside the top ten, Dungey was out front with nothing between he and the victory but 20 minutes of racing. However, Eli Tomac had other ideas. Just past the halfway point, he had not only muscled his way to second place, but he had also found his way right to the rear tire of his KTM mounted nemesis. For a few laps the two battled with the entire SLC crowd on its feet. Every time Tomac would try a pass, Dungey found a way to ward him off. Even on television it was obvious to see just how much faster Tomac was in the challenging whoop section. During his charge from behind, this section was where Tomac had made almost every pass. After a few laps of chasing Dungey, it appeared to be just a matter of time before Tomac would make the pass. A few minutes later Tomac set up Dungey in the whoop section, and then in the following corner, Tomac pulled the trigger and made the pass. Within a few more laps Tomac pulled away, and then a few moments later Tomac took the checkered flag and the sole points lead. With just two rounds remaining in the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross Series, Tomac will now take a three point lead into this weekend’s New Jersey round.
Tomac’s relentless charge to the front of the pack on Saturday night was definitely something to marvel at. His speed and aggression were far beyond that of everyone else on the track, something that we’ve been seeing for the past two months. Tomac simply wouldn’t be denied in SLC, and if he can continue this level of riding for just two more weeks, he will be your 2017 Supercross Champion. As we’ve witnessed time and time again in this sport, champions come and go and the level of riding is forever evolving. As consistent and fast as Ryan Dungey has been for the past five seasons, his time at the top appears to be up. Yes, there still is a chance that he wins this 2017 SX title, but even if he does he will not be remembered as the dominant rider this year. First, Dungey played second fiddle to the kid from Germany in the first two rounds of this series, then when Ken Roczen was injured, Dungey enjoyed only a few Saturday nights on top before Eli Tomac took over. If Tomac hadn’t floundered around for the first few weeks of the season, his current points lead would be much larger than it is today. However, whatever happens from this point on Ryan Dungey will go down as one of this sport’s more celebrated and classy champions. He is and most likely always will be a person that we want our kids to emulate, both on the track as well as off the track. Even on Saturday evening, with his lead and perhaps his number one plate slipping away, Dungey could’ve gotten dirty with Tomac during their three lap battle. I mean, who would’ve blamed Dungey if he’d put Tomac into the tuff blocks in desperation? But, he didn’t and in hind sight it was probably for the best. It simply appears to be Tomac’s time in this sport. He has worked hard and he has paid his dues. With all roads pointing to Dungey’s retirement at the end of this season, and Roczen’s return from injury a big maybe, Tomac is the sole rider to beat. Stay tune for the next few weeks of excitement as this 2017 SX series wraps up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2Sb1QCUiBM
Moving from supercross to arenacross for a moment and this past weekend in Denver, we watched Rockstar Energy OTSFF Yamaha rider Chris Blose take his third win of the season. Blose has really come on strong in recent weeks, and with just two weekends remaining in the 2017 Amsoil AX Series, Blose and his team are just a few points behind in the title chase. If Blose is able to pull this championship off, it would not only be a huge accomplishment for him but also for his OTSFF Yamaha Team. The indoor drama that is set to unfold here in the next few weeks is going to be incredible.
In other racing news that involves a few of our favourite riders, down under in Australia, former Canadian MX1 Champion Brett Metcalfe finished a strong fourth overall at Round 2 of the Australian MX Series that took place in Appin. Racing a Husqvarna, Metty has been riding well, and with a little more testing in the coming weeks, he should find himself on the podium. I will keep you updated on his season as it progresses.
On Canadian soil, our riders are in full preparation mode as the 2017 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals are set to begin in just over a month. This past week we saw social media posts from riders like Keylan Meston, who is looking very good with his new #8. Our national #3 rider, Kaven Benoit, has been back riding for a few weeks down at ClubMX, and late last week his Thor Racing Team conducted their team photoshoot with Benoit and Cole Thompson. Honda Canada Racing GDR Fox Racing rider Dylan Wright is now back from his winter in California and he was up at Moto Park yesterday burning some gas. It is definitely crunch time for our riders as they prepare for Kamloops in June. Their machines and their fitness all have to be in perfect condition for our demanding national outdoor series.
Finally, this past weekend at Gopher Dunes, the CMRC kicked off their 2017 Southwestern Ontario racing season. The CMRC has been holding motocross races in Ontario longer than anyone else and under blue skies and mild temperatures, it was great to see the gate drop on their 28th season of regional motocross.
I hope everyone has a great final week of April and I hope you all have a safe week of riding. As I mentioned before, the 2017 SX series moves East to New Jersey this weekend for Round 16. Will Eli Tomac have another strong ride and widen his points gap over Ryan Dungey? Or will Dungey bounced back and regain the red plate? It will all happen on Saturday afternoon with the Big Apple in the background.