Matrix Concepts Canada Presents 3 Q’s With Ryan Lockhart

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 Ryan, I hope your week is going well. Overall, how did the opening weekend of the 2021 Future West AX Championships go?

RL: It went great, to be honest. We were stressed coming in with all the Covid-19 restrictions they dropped on us a few weeks ago, but the riders and families worked with us and made it a great weekend. We also had a great turnout with about 700 entries over the two days. Unfortunately, we had a few injuries which is always a concern for us, but our medical crew dealt with them and overall it was a successful weekend of racing. The riders also were able to race on a great track that was built by Norm Svensson from PCE Construction. There is always room for improvement as far as some of the small items but overall I think it was a win for sure. The racing was tight in all the classes and the Pro Class was entertaining.

MXP: Tanner Ward came out from Ontario to race as well as help you teach some riding schools. How was it to have Tanner out in Chilliwack?

RL: Our riding schools were sold out and it was great to work with Tanner. He is such a great kid! This past weekend was the most time I have spent with Tanner and honestly, he’s great, and also he was good with the kids. Tanner was always asking how he could help and he was very respectful and humble. He was the right pick for the schools and I look forward to him coming back in November. It’s also awesome that he can keep racing in the off-season as I’m a big believer in that program. I have to say thanks to Kourtney Lloyd at Cycle North for making it happen along with Derek Schuster from the GDR Honda Team.

MXP: Dylan Wright is back in Italy ready to compete in the final five rounds of the MXGP Series. How do you see Dylan finishing in the MXGP class?

RL: Exciting has to be the word for all of us here in Canada. I almost feel this is a bigger move than Canadians lining up for SX in the USA. I’m not sure how I feel about this first track for him as I feel it’s very unique in the sense that it’s on the side of a mountain and hard-packed. However, regardless of the results this weekend at least he has five rounds (ten motos) to show what’s he’s capable of. I have said it many times, the MXGP class is so deep so I think any result around 10-12 is very respectable and by the final round we’ll see some top-ten finishes. I cannot wait to watch the racing from Italy this weekend.