Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
Congratulations to Eve Brodeur on being the 2018 Female Rider of the Year. Photo by Bernadette Pomeroy
Female Rider of the Year- Eve Brodeur
This was another difficult category to choose a winner as both Kennedy Lutz and Eve Brodeur dominated their respective class in the Rockstar Energy Triple Crown Series. In the west series, Lutz almost went undefeated, only losing one overall to American speedster Tarah Gieger at Round 2 in Popkum. After winning the west series, Kennedy announced that she was stepping away from racing to focus on her studies and to just be a normal girl for a while. Good luck to her and thank-you for all of the awesome racing memories.
In the east series, it was definitely the Eve Brodeur show as she not only won the championship but she also won 7 out of 8 motos in the four round series. The east riders also had to deal with the heat and humidity in the Ontario rounds, as well as the deep sand at Gopher Dunes. Eve handled all of the difficult conditions with ease as she put her KTM up front. It’s great to see these girls race as part of our national series each weekend. Their heart and dedication is evident both on and off the track. Also, I love that most still have their family at the track to help them and to cheer them on. Our female riders take this sport very seriously, and with more and more girls wanting to get into our sport each year, top female riders like Eve and Kennedy serve as great role models for the next generation. Congratulations to Eve Brodeur on being my 2018 Female Rider of the Year.
For his second moto comeback in Quebec, as well as his first moto charge at Walton, Dylan Wright wins the Golden Elbow Award for the Pass of the Year. Photo by James Lissimore
Pass of the Year: Dylan Wright
While it’s hard to nail down just one of Dylan Wright’s passes during this past summer’s Triple Crown MXTour, there were a few motos where the Honda rider had to throw caution to the wind and go for it. Not known yet as a consistent starter yet, Dylan had to come from behind on numerous occasions in 2018 and each time appeared to be more entertaining than the last. Two motos that really stood out were from Deschambault and Walton where he came from way back in the pack and into the Top 5.
Even though both of those rides were spectacular to watch, Dylan won this award because of the first 250 Pro/Am moto at Walton Raceway. After getting caught up in a first turn pile up, Dylan was almost dead last as the riders made their way around the tight and rutted Walton track on the opening lap. During the early laps, Dylan was picking off the back markers with ease and it appeared like he would most likely be able to reach the Top 5 by the end of the moto. After all, a week earlier he had done the exact same thing in the second moto at Deschambault. When Dylan came around on just the fourth lap, he was already up to an amazing sixth place and his lap times were almost two seconds faster than anyone else on the race track. From there he kept picking off riders one by one until he got to second place with just a few laps remaining. At one point in the moto, Dylan was twenty seconds behind race leader Jess Pettis. By the end of the moto he was just five seconds behind and he could see the Yamaha rider. To top off the day, Dylan came back in Moto 2 to take the dominating win. It was an amazing display of riding and how to pass riders, and the fact that he did it on a track that is known for being difficult to pass on, it made Dylan’s first moto even more impressive. Based on that I’m giving Dylan Wright the 2018 Pass of the Year award for not just one pass but many.
For the Event of the Year, my choice is the entire Rockstar Energy Triple Crown MXTour and its amazing tracks. Photo by James Lissimore
Event of the Year- The 2018 Rockstar Energy Triple Crown MXTour Series
When looking back at all of the exciting events from 2018, there were definitely many to choose from. We are so blessed in this country that we have so many hard-working local clubs that take so much pride in their tracks and their events. With each track featuring different terrain, different soil, and different local flavour, whenever we visit each facility, we look forward to something that only that track brings.
For instance, everyone of the national tour loves going to Calgary as the track is exciting and the hotel is within walking distance from the front gates. How many outdoor tracks in the world can say that? Round 2 in Popkum featured breathtaking scenery that only Lower Mainland BC can offer. When you weren’t watching the racing on the track you could look around at the surrounding mountains. Next on the schedule this past summer was Prince George and Manitoba. Both tracks had passionate people behind them, and from the moment you drove through the front gates, you instantly felt that pride.
When the MXTour Series moved east, the folks at Sand Del Lee, Gopher Dunes and Riverglade welcomed everyone with open arms. This trio of long-standing tracks are usually where the championships are either won or lost as each track always plays a pivotal role in the series. From there, the series went to Quebec where the people from Deschambault hosted one of the best events of the series. Whether it’s the track or the wild Quebec fans, something exciting always happens at this race. With one race remaining, the series travelled to Walton Raceway, the place where champions were crowned in all classes. In recent years, the battles on the track have matched the battle with Mother Nature as she just can’t seem to find peace with this event. However, a little rain never hurt anyone and the muddy days always seems to bring us racers closer together. It’s fitting that Walton Raceway has been around since the ‘70s, the era where the famous motocross phrase “Through the mud, the blood and the beer” was coined. Each year the Walton TransCan seems to have a little of all three. This year my Event of the Year Award goes to all of the tracks that made up the 2018 Rockstar Energy Triple Crown MXTour. Each one deserves a pat on the back and a big thank-you!
