Monday Gate Drop

Welcome to Monday Gate Drop for the week of August 11, 2014. It’s hard to believe that we’re into the middle of August and with this time of year comes the largest race in Canada, the Parts Canada TransCan. It all begins today as hundreds of families are making their way to Walton, Ontario for this annual event. Sign-up begins tomorrow and practice starts on Wednesday so after a long wait, the race simply known as “Walton” is finally here. However, we can talk about that later as first I want to talk about what happened yesterday in Quebec.

Now I must start off by saying that I didn’t attend round nine of the 2014 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals in Ulverton yesterday (I had a family funeral to attend) so all of my information is second hand. Actually, speaking of second hand info, these days even though you aren’t at a certain event, with social media you never miss a thing. Great job yesterday to Direct Motocross, Guaranteed MX and Brent Worrall for keeping us all informed, especially with all the drama that went on.

As I said, I wasn’t there but it sure sounds like the pot boiled over yesterday in Ulverton. The whole Benoit/ Friese deal has been like a volcano waiting to erupt all summer. It started with some on track incidents, which then lead to some podium discussions and so on and so on. While the relationship between Friese and Benoit certainly does exemplify two riders going for a championship, it does appear that the line has been crossed. When you hear things like fans throwing rocks at riders and people getting taken out, it really doesn’t sound like a normal championship battle, instead it sounds as though things have gone too far! With one round left in the series, hopefully we’ve seen the last of the drama for 2014. However, it feels as though it’s not over as something is sure to still happen before the checkered flag falls on the season. We’ll see what happens on Sunday at Walton Raceway.

While all of this drama certainly makes for interesting conjecture, it really does take away from not only the fine performances put in by certain riders yesterday, but also all the great racing that has taken place all summer in both the MX2 and MX1 classes. Let’s take a look at some of the impressive riders yesterday.

Shawn Maffenbeier: First Overall- MX2

Maffenbeier has been quietly having a great season in 2014. At every round he’s been a podium threat. Although it took nine rounds, he finally got a win. Since the eastern rounds began Shawn has been staying at Bobby Kiniry’s house in NY and it certainly has been paying off. With two motos to go in the MX2 series, Shawn still has an outside shot at the championship, however he’s only two points out of second. Pretty impressive for the kid from Saskatchewan.

Kyle Chisholm: First Overall- MX1

Last week it was jubilation under the MotoConcepts tent as both their riders were victorious. This week all the accolades go to the Rockstar Energy Drink OTSFF Yamaha Team as Kyle Chisholm capped off their perfect day by winning the MX1 class. At times this summer Chisholm has been very fast, only to struggle a little at the next round. Through all the ups and downs, Chisholm has remained confident that he could win an overall. Well, that moment came yesterday as he capitalized on Facciotti’s mistake and grabbed the win. To make his win even more impressive, he did it after racing the Unadilla National the day before and driving to Quebec to race on Sunday. Well done team 732.

Tyler Medaglia: Third Overall and the second MX1 moto winner.

Just when it appeared like Tyler Medaglia had lost his grip on third overall in the MX1 points standings to Josh Hill, he decided to put in one of the best motos of his career. On a track that has produced many great performances during its long history, Tyler added another fine chapter to the Ulverton story as he rode strong and smart to win the final moto of the day. Heading into the final round he sits eight points ahead of Josh Hill in the battle for third. I sat on Tyler’s bike at the KTM shop on Thursday so maybe I brought it a little good luck.

Nathan Bles: Sixth overall and fourth in the first MX1 moto

Since joining the series at Gopher Dunes, Nathan Bles has been nothing short of impressive. Each week he’s put in great rides that have left people wondering what might have been had he rode the entire series. In the first moto yesterday, Nathan ran in third, and if it wasn’t for a late pass by Kyle Chisholm, Bles would’ve finished on the podium. However, he held on to fourth in that moto and backed it up with an eighth in moto two. This gave him a very impressive sixth overall. Having grown up just down the road from the Walton track, it will be interesting to see how he does this coming weekend.

The Ulverton Track:

After a twelve year absence from the series, yesterday the Ulverton track proved to be one of the best of the season. With its long uphills and downhills, great dirt and beautiful scenery, the track is a welcomed addition to the series. The riders loved it, the spectators certainly loved and it once again it showed that racing in Quebec is different than anywhere else in Canada. The 2014 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals has been one of the best series to date in Canada and it’s hard to believe that there’s only one round left. It feels as though there is an appetite for a few more rounds!!

So with nine rounds over we now prepare for the big finale at Walton Raceway. The Pomeroy Family is heading over there tomorrow as Ayrton and I are racing all week. Although the weather forecast doesn’t look great for tomorrow and Wednesday, hopefully the rain bypasses Walton Raceway. Whatever happens, we’re very excited to be a part of this awesome event this week. I hope everyone has a very safe and successful week at the 2014 Parts Canada TransCan. Between the racing during the week, the events at night, the concert Friday night, the pro racing on Sunday, or just hanging out with all of your motocross friends, Walton is the place where memories are made. We’ll see everyone tomorrow! Make sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates and cool stuff all week. Also, we’ll be doing updates and videos all week on mxpmag.com so if you can’t make it to Walton, we’ll keep you updated on everything going on.