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In the blink of an eye we are now through two rounds of the 2018 Rockstar Energy Triple Crown MXTour Series. Last weekend we were in Calgary, and this past weekend we attended one of the new tracks of the series, Popkum MX Park, located just east of Chilliwack, BC. The Popkum track is literally right off the main highway and it sits right at the base of one of the many nearby mountains. Because of this location, the surface of the Popkum track is very rocky with a very minimal amount of loamy soil on top. Under the proper weather conditions, like some rain or drizzle, this track would probably be very good as it does have a fun layout. When I first arrived at the track on Friday afternoon, I grabbed Dylan Wright again and we headed off for a quick track walk. My first impression was that I wanted to go and jump on a bike and go for a rip! However, it was also obvious that with the soil type and the forecasted sunshine for race day, keeping the Popkum track moist was definitely going to be a big challenge.
Prior to practice at Round 2 the Popkum track was one of the most beautiful tracks I have ever seen. Photo by James Lissimore
Looking back to the previous weekend in Calgary, the biggest concern was how long the schedule was and how late in the day the racing went. With a week to think about a solution, the Jetwerx crew did a great job making some minor adjustments to help shorten the day. The first thing they did was shave a few minutes off the practice sessions in each class, then they shortened the Women’s motos by a few minutes. The final change they made was to remove the long breaks between the 250 Pro/Am and 450 motos. The gate dropped on the first 250 moto at 1pm sharp, and then for the rest of the day, while each moto was wrapping up, the next moto was already in staging. I think this new and efficient schedule might have been a shock to some of the riders and teams as there just wasn’t much time between motos to do anything, besides scramble to recover and then prepare for the next moto. I bet a few mechanics didn’t even have time to eat all day. The program ran quickly all afternoon and I think it was great for the spectators as there was constant action and not much down time between races. If there hadn’t been an unfortunate red flag during the opening laps of the second 450 moto, the day would’ve been all done by 4:30pm. It certainly was a massive improvement over last weekend and a job well done by everyone.
We definitely saw some close racing at Round 2 as the riders had to be aggressive if they wanted to make passes. Photo by James Lissimore
Before I get into the great racing that we saw on Saturday, I do want to say something about some troubling things I witnessed on Saturday. The mechanics that we have on the MXTour circuit are incredible. They work long hours to keep their rider’s bikes running perfectly, they don’t get paid enough I’m sure for the amount of work they do, and they’re definitely some of the unsung heroes of our sport. However, as passionate and big hearted as they are, they can’t be getting involved in incidents that their riders have with other riders. To see a mechanic yelling at another rider or motioning to one in the mechanics area is just so unprofessional, in my mind. I coach a lot of hockey during the winter and I compare this to a coach yelling at an opposing player on the ice. I know it’s hard not to yell sometimes when you see an incident you don’t like, but you really have to bite your tongue. I can understand if a mechanic wants to yell at another mechanic, or even if a Team Manager has something to say to another rider, but mechanics getting involved with other riders is unacceptable. Yes, they have their own blood, sweat and tears invested in their own rider’s program, but they’re neither on the track nor in the heat of the battle. Let the riders sort their own issues out. If one rider does something completely out of line, the other riders all know about it and they will police themselves. I saw two incidents on Saturday that could’ve quickly escalated into a full-on altercation and that would not have been good.
So far in 2018 the 250 Pro/Am class has provided us with some incredible battles for the lead. Photo by James Lissimore
So, with that all said, Round 2 ended up producing the same overall winners as the opening round did. Both Jess Pettis and Colton Facciotti once again rode great on the slippery Popkum track to win the 250 Pro/Am and 450 classes. Although their competition got a little closer to them this weekend, Pettis and Facciotti were able to get the job done and extend their points lead in the process. It’s been very impressive to watch these two ride these dried out and beat up tracks during the past two weekends. To go fast on these types of tracks you obviously need to have a motorcycle that you’re happy with, but you also have just the right amount of precision, courage, and ability to mentally block out all of the distractions to get the job done. Right now, these two riders are doing all of the above better than everyone else and that is why the red plates are theirs.
It was great to see Maffenbeier and Pettis show such great respect for each other after their second moto battle. Photo by James Lissimore
This may change in the next few rounds as the others are starting to figure things out. In Moto 2 of the 250 Pro/Am class, Shawn Maffenbeier took the lead from Josh Osby and then refused to give it up. With Jess Pettis a mere one second behind him for 20 minutes, Maffenbeier knew that with the Popkum track offering limited visibility, being in front was a huge advantage. Maffenbeier’s stubbornness in Moto 2 was very admirable, and I’m sure that even though he didn’t get the overall win, he felt great about his day. Although Pettis has gone 1-1-1-2 in the first four motos of the summer, Maffenbeier’s 2-2-3-1 scores aren’t too shabby either. One of the interesting things about this class is that even though we’ve only seen two moto winners, they’re really are about 5-6 riders capable of winning. During both races on Saturday, the fans were treated to a four rider freight-train battling for the lead. These kids are fast, aggressive and they’re not afraid to run it in on each other to make a pass. It really has been entertaining racing to watch and this weekend in Prince George should be no different.
The red Colton Facciotti train just kept rolling at Round 2. Photo by James Lissimore
In the 450 class, the racing began to heat up a little at Round 2 as Matt Goerke and Cole Thompson came together during the final laps of Moto 2 and both went down. Moments after the race the two riders met near the finish line to discuss the incident, and while nothing serious came from their heated chat, it did demonstrate just how much is at stake in 2018. I didn’t see the two riders crash so I can’t say who was to blame, but it will be interesting to see these two race each other for the next 14 motos. There was also a new rider on the track at Round 2 as Jake Nichols came over from Great Britain to ride for the GDR Fox Honda Team. Nichols was fast all day and rode very smooth. When he started the final 450 moto in second place behind Facciotti, I’m sure he thought a moto win was in the near future. Well, that didn’t happen, and I’m also quite sure that Nichols was shocked when in just a few laps he could barely see Facciotti. On a very challenging track, Facciotti’s first five laps in Moto 2 were nothing short of brilliant as he quickly pulled away from the pack. It was Colton’s third moto win of the season; each one has come with him having a 25 second plus lead over the field. As every other rider has struggled thus far with being able to put two good motos together, Facciotti has had things mostly his way. But, Round 3 next weekend is a new race and anything can happen.
We’re off to yet another scenic BC track this weekend for Round 3. Photo by James Lissimore
As I mentioned above, this weekend the MXTour heads to Prince George, BC for Round 3 of the Rockstar Energy Triple Crown Series. Last year the racing was superb in PG as we all remember Christophe Pourcel’s final corner pass on Matt Goerke for the win. The Blackwater track also got a little lucky last year as the rain it received on the Saturday really helped the racing on Sunday. Hopefully we’ll see the same great race track on Saturday for Round 3. The PGMA is once again very excited to welcome the national series back to the Prince George area.
Well, that is it for me this week. I hope everyone has a great week and a safe week riding. June is a busy month for racing in Canada as we have big events from coast to coast. Summer is right around the corner and so is some very exciting racing in Canada. We will see everyone in Prince George this weekend for Round 3.
Have a great week and stay out of the roost. Photo by James Lissimore
