Honda Canada Racing Presents the Monday Gate Drop

Good day and welcome to the another edition of the Honda Canada Racing Monday Gate Drop. After months of anticipation, the gate has finally dropped on the 2017 Rockstar Energy Drink MX National Series. Honda Canada’s premier team the GDR Fox Team had a decent day in Kamloops and came away with some very solid points. Now the Red Rider team moves North to Prince George for round two with hopes of reaching the top step of the podium in both classes. We would like thank Honda Canada Racing for their continued support and we also wish both Dylan Wright and Colton Facciotti luck this weekend.

Well the weekend that we’ve all been waiting for finally came as the 2017 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals kick-off in beautiful Kamloops, BC. The weather in Kamloops this past weekend was absolute perfect for racing as the temperature hovered just around 25c with a slight breeze. Compared to last years scorching heat, the conditions at Whispering Pines Raceway were ideal. As it does at every round of the nationals, Saturday was for pro sign-up, socializing and of course, amateur racing. Saturday also saw the opening round of the CMRC West Women’s Series as a gate full of moto hungry women on the starting line. Having the amateur’s and the ultra talented Women’s class racing on Saturday is always a perfect way to kick-off a national weekend. Right from the drop of the gate, FXR KTM rider Shelby Turner rocketed off the gate and quickly into the lead. From there, the defending Champion never looked back and took the win in both motos over Husqvarna rider Lexi Pechout. Although there weren’t many battles on the track, the racing was entertaining as these talented ladies were giving it everything they had on the track. The West Women’s Series now moves north to Prince George for round two.

Coming into the 2017 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals there was obviously a lot more questions than there were answers. Even with a few new editions to both classes, there was also a few top riders like Davi Millsaps, Brett Metcalfe and Brad Nauditt, who would not be making the long trip to Canada this summer. And even with all of the preparations that our teams and their riders have been going through for the past five months, there are always a few items that are unknown until the gate drops. One of the things that makes this opening round very difficult to prepare for is that the Whispering Pines track is such a one off beast. With it’s high speeds and choppy, loose surface, setting a bike up for race day can be a nightmare. The conditions change very quickly in Kamloops and there were more than a few riders that were perplexed yesterday as to why their bikes weren’t handling well. Also, with the high speeds rider’s were forced to hold much tighter than normal so the common theme in the pits after the races was tightness and the dreaded arm pump. I’m sure the nerves and the stress of the opening round also played a big role with some of the riders as regardless of how well you prepare yourself for battle, you just never know until you get out on the race track with 39 other riders. Now, since I am severely jet lagged from flying home from Kamloops on the all nighter last night, I want to keep this short for today. For those of you who weren’t in Kamloops yesterday, here are your top five in both classes and how they finished there.

MX2

1) Shawn Maffenbeier (1-1)

Coming into Sunday’s opening round everyone know Maff would be very fast on his new MX101 FXR Yamaha. Not only did he win the opening round last year, but he also was fast all season long in 2016. Maff is a fan favourite and one of the most popular riders in the paddock, and other than in the heat of the moment sometimes, it’s hard to hear him say anything bad about anyone. Yesterday, Maff basically took control of both motos early and never looked back. Even in moto two when Cole Thompson got into second and looked like he might reel in Maff for the lead, Shawn put the hammer down and took off. He looked amazing in both motos, his Yamaha looked like it was on rails, it was basically a perfect performance by the whilly MX2 veteran.

2) Cole Thompson (4-2)

Even though Cole came into Kamloops with the red plate and his competition knowing that he was the rider to beat, he looked slightly off yesterday in Kamloops. His ride yesterday really reminded me of last year in Kamloops when he appeared to be off the pace of the leaders. I guess he did win a moto last in 2016 so he couldn’t have been that bad, but having watched Cole for a few years now, I can tell when he’s on and when he’s off. I’ve never really asked him if he likes the Whispering Pines track but I think it’s clear that it’s just not his best. Cole has always been a very methodical rider and when the track is do or die sketchy, he’s very good at surviving while still scoring maximum points. If 4-2 is a bad day for Cole, then I think he and his team will take it. Right from his arrival at the track late on Saturday afternoon, Cole was all business and looked liked he just wanted to get round one over with. Yes he was off the pace of Maffenbeier yesterday, I still liked the way Cole rode and I believe he’s still the rider to beat in the 2017 MX2 Series.

3) Josh Osby (3-3)

I personally love when these random young American riders travel to Canada to race our series. It always seems to add such a high level of entertainment to whatever class they ride. GP Bikes Redemption Racing rider Josh Osby is the latest fast kid to come to Canada in hopes of winning some races and making some money. In both MX2 motos Osby was fast and consistent while he battled our Canadian kids, on a track that he’d never seen before. Judging by his speed yesterday, Osby is capable of winning a moto in the next few weekends. Even if he doesn’t, he’s still a for sure top five rider in this highly competitive class.

4) Jess Pettis (2-5)

There was point during the opening laps of the first MX2 moto where I felt that MXP’s latest cover boy couldn’t won that moto, and possibly gone on to win both. For about 15 minutes in the first moto Pettis was the fastest rider on the track, however I think he then got a little tight and was forced to give way to his teammate. Once Pettis saw that he wasn’t able to match his teammates speed, I think it kind of deflated him and he wasn’t the same rider. A bad start in moto two sealed Pettis’s fate as the leaders took off early and he wasn’t able to catch up. I was impressed with Pettis’s raw speed and his aggression as he put more than one rider into the hay bales. Look for him improve and it wouldn’t surprise me to see Pettis go 1-1 this coming weekend in front of his hometown fans.

5) Jacob Hayes (6-4)

It was great to see Hayes back in Canada for 2017 and getting another chance to show us his outdoor skills. Last year Hayes didn’t make through turn one as he crashed and tore up his knee. Coming into this weekend I think Hayes just wanted to finish and leave Kamloops in one piece. At times he looked very fast and his second moto ride was pretty smooth. At the end of the day he told me that his bike wasn’t handling very well, but so did ten other riders. He will get better as the series goes on and I think he’ll be battling for moto wins by the time the series moves east.

MX1 Class:

1) Christophe Pourcel (3-1)

Obviously coming into the 2017 MX1 series all eyes were on Christophe Pourcel to see just how he would cope with racing in a new series. There are more than enough stories about Pourcel and him being hard to deal with and a little picky at times. I’m sure some are true and in the past he’s rub a few people the wrong way, but I’m also smart enough to know that in this sport people enjoy talking and spreading untruth’s quite easily. If this past weekend was any indication, Christophe is a very articulate, honest and polite person who knows how to ride a dirt bike quite well. In moto one, he appeared to be pacing himself to see just how much strength and fitness he had. In moto two, he showed us that he’s capable of digging deep as he battled with Matt Goerke and Colton Facciotti to take the moto win and the overall for the day. His line choice in moto two was unreal, as was his fluid riding style. Pourcel is a very smooth rider who is constantly thinking about how to maximize his speed while trying to remain as smooth as possible. With these skills, as well as his GP experience and travelling to different countries to race all of the time, I think Pourcel is going to be very good this summer. He didn’t win the second moto by much over Facciotti, but he did win and grabbed his first ever Canadian MX1 overall win.

2) Dillan Epstein (1-5)

I knew coming in that Dillan Epstein was going to be very fast and would probably win a moto! Actually, to be honest, I never thought that and nor did anyone else, besides maybe Epstein himself. After grabbing the pole position with a daring final lap in timed practice, Epstein grabbed the early lead in moto one and never looked back. His speed and fitness was on par with everyone in moto one, and in moto two he came from way back to finish in fifth and take second overall. This kid appears motivated and confident to do battle with the MX1 series top riders. Was this weekend just a fluke? I guess only time will tell. Epstein comes into 2017 with the reputation of being a fast and well respected kid who just can’t ever seem to catch a break. If his ride yesterday was any indication, Epstein has finally found a home and may now be in a place to realize true potential.

3) Tyler Medaglia (2-4)

What can you say about Tyler Medaglia that hasn’t already been said 100 times before. This Canadian hero certainly knows how to suffer better than any other rider in this great country and he proved that yesterday. Riding for a new team, and on a bike that he doesn’t have much time on, Tyler used his great starting skills and superior fitness to finish up in third overall. I’ve always felt like the Kamloops track fits Tyler skill set to a tee. He has always done well on miserable and high speed tracks, and yesterday was no different. Like I said, he got good starts in both motos and put himself in a position to do well. His 2-4 moto score perfectly summed up his day. In moto one, he took advantage of a great start and a few of the top riders not being too aggressive. In moto two, he battled hard on the ugly Whispering Pines track and hung tough to finish up in fourth. It was great to see Tyler and his new team on the podium at the opening round.

4) Colton Facciotti (5-2)

Riding the brand new 2017 Honda CRF450R, Colton is coming into this season in the best shape of his life. Over the years, Colton has always been the king at starting the series slow and then turning it on in the second half. A few years ago that strategy worked as most riders thought the same way. These days, the top riders put the hammer down early and Colton has to do the same. His 5-2 moto score yesterday really doesn’t represent just how good Colton rode yesterday. In moto one he tried a third gear start and it didn’t really work out and he started way back. In moto two, he got off to a much better start and chased Goerke and Pourcel for the entire moto. During the final laps, Colton made a big push for the lead, but he got held up by a few lappers and was forced to settle for second. Colton’s speed and confidence looks to be as good as anyone’s right now so look for him to start winning motos very soon. A summer full of Facciotti/ Pourcel battles, with both riders attacking the tracks in the same smooth manner, would definitely be epic to watch.

5) Matt Goerke (4-3)

I was on the same flight last night as Matt Goerke so I was able to speak to him a little about his day. He told me that for some reason he just felt weak and was unable to push hard for the entire moto. Even though our flights were hours after the final moto ended, Goerke was still very upset with his day. This guys wears his heart on his sleeve and no doubt he will go home this week and train even harder. Hopefully his will work and he can come back strong for round two. I think that Goerke will have to figure stuff out very quickly because if riders like Pourcel and Facciotti start lining up with a ton of confidence in their riding, the rest of the field, including Goerke will be in trouble. In the past I think Goerke has always struggle at the Kamloops track, so yesterday could’ve just been an off day. Heck, even in his off day he still was able to go 4-3 in his motos, not to bad at all.

Well that was it for round one in Kamloops. I can barely keep my eyes open so I’m going to sign off. I hope everyone has a great week and I cannot wait to arrive in Prince George this weekend and see just how great round two is going to be. I feel like this city has been waiting for an event like this for over a decade and now it’s finally here. I feel like this round is going to be one of the best of the series and it will no doubt be here to stay. Finally, I want send my best wishes out to Craig Fortune who had a big crash on Saturday at Kamloops. Craig ended up breaking his back in three places and is facing a long recovery. Get well soon Craig! We’re all thinking of you. Have a great week and please ride safe!!