Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
Well, after a busy summer of racing and travelling, we finally tracked down Ryan Lockhart to ask him some more important and entertaining questions. As most of you know, Ryan has been in this industry for over twenty years and during that time he’s been a rider, a mechanic, a riding coach, and most recently the Brand Manager over at Matrix Concepts Canada. Ryan knows a lot about a lot of things and he’s always a great guy to talk to. Here are this week’s 3 Q’s with Ryan Lockhart presented by Matrix Concepts Canada.
MXP: Hey Newf! What are your thoughts on Dylan Wright’s 9-10 moto this past weekend in Italy and can he do even better this weekend?
RL: It was definitely a great round for Dylan. I had a feeling and a lot of hope that his first three rounds of MXGP were going to go this way. It’s been a steep learning curve for him but he is stepping up like we all know he would that’s for sure. I like how he got his moto finishes also. In the opening moto, he get a good start and stayed there, and then in the second moto, he had to come from behind to finish tenth. I think with six days off from racing he will be recharged and he’ll be ab;e to come out swinging in the final four moto’s. I think with a great start Dylan will be able to finish as high as 6th in one or two or maybe even more of these final motos. I can’t wait to see what he can do now that he’s full of confidence.
MXP: Let’s hypothesize for a moment and assume that Dylan receives a decent offer to race the MXGP’s next year. The GDR Honda Team then would have to release him from his contract and then we may not see him in Canada for a few years. He’s the centerpiece of that team and his absence would leave a huge void. If you’re Derek Schuster and Dylan Wright does go to Europe for 2022 what would you do and who would you get to ride a 450 next year?
First of all, I think we are all very excited about the opportunities that Dylan just opened up for himself on the world stage and what the future may hold. With saying that, I know he has been super loyal and respectful to the GDR crew as the team is like family to him. They’ve stuck with him through years when most teams would have tossed him to the curb. Also, let’s face it Derek Schuster went above and beyond to help make this MXGP dream come true for Dylan. Now with saying that, I know that Derek isn’t the type of person to hold Dylan back from making it at an elite level on the world stage. It’s no secret that he has one year left on his GDR contract but at the same time, I think there is no question with the speed Dylan has shown in Europe there are going to be offers from GP teams. It’s going to be interesting that’s for sure. If I’m Dylan and I’m able to work out my contract negotiations the time to go is now, he can always come back here years down the road and be successful like JSR did. As far as filling the shoes at GDR? Well, maybe you move Tanner Ward up a year early? GDR is loyal to Canadians so that seems like a fit to me. Of course, this answer is based on me looking into a crystal ball (laughs).
MXP: Okay, onto your adventure this weekend. You’re heading to one of the most famous tracks in the world for the 2021 World Vet Championship. Are you excited about racing at Glen Helen Raceway and how did you get talked into doing this race (laughs)?
I’m looking forward to it as it’s a race I have wanted to do for a long time. I didn’t really plan on doing it this year but an opportunity came up with Steve Matthes from PulpMX so I thought why not. I’m just going for fun as the riding prep is at an all-time low, but it will be still fun to hang with a bunch of buddies that I don’t get to see often. I’m riding two classes as well as on Team Canada 3 for the Vet MXON on Sunday. I will also be co-hosting the PulpMX Show on Monday and that’s always a good time.
