Monday Maniac #35

by Gauldy 107

Machine Racing owner and avid dream killer John Nelson says I should change this column’s name to Monday “Whenever I want to do it” Maniac. I guess I could change it since it is my column and I can do it whenever I want. Haha! But I won’t and it will be done every Monday from here till 2013. I took the holiday yesterday to relax and recoup from the great weekend in Madoc for the 2nd annual MMRS national. It was my first time attending and I attended it as Ryan Gauld the motocross racer that just loves to race. No political view, no drama, no nut’n; just a semi fat dude that loves to race still and party with friends. Man it was worth it all around – lots of solid laughs and a few good memories to add to the long list from the past summer. Thanks to the MMRS crew and all its supporters for giving us moto heads something to do on the long weekend. Cheers!

Before I get right into the MMRS weekend I figure I better talk about Duroy Motovan Oakley KTM pilot Kaven Benoit and his trip down to Steel City. He was the lone Canadian that was able to take home the “MXP Leads the Way” money, which was $500 to help any rider get to the race. We originally planned to select three riders (we planned to send the three Canadian MX Des Nations riders) to help get down to the race, but nobody seemed interested in going. Then some riders tried but the AMA gave them a big “Hell no, you aren’t good enough” kind of answer, which sucked but it is the reality of trying to get to the big show. So Kaven Benoit was the man on the Canadian totem pole. We sat in the pits at MMRS Saturday and watched moto 1 live. Kaven rode strong to a 28th in the moto. Not exactly where he wanted to finish I’m sure but respectable to some degree. Moto 2 saw him gate better and finish better in 24th. So no points earned but a wealth of experience that you can’t buy anywhere. Thanks Kaven for giving it a shot.

The other Canadian down there was Cole Thompson who has been racing the entire series minus a few rounds. In my opinion I still think that it was not the best move going back to the Lites class, but I completely understand the decision the Thompsons made to go with the Star Valley team. It was a great opportunity to get on a team and to be a part of the complete US scene. Up to that point he was a privateer doing it all on his own. Taking this ride allowed him to rub shoulders and meet more people within the industry, and as we all know it’s not what you know in motocross it’s who you know these days. This weekend he rode to 17-16 moto scores for a 16^th overall. He now sits 24^th in the Lites standings, and still 23^rd in MX – a great start to the career for a young Canadian giving it his all. With one round remaining in the outdoor series and the 2013 season only a few short months away, the question  now is will this summer of dedication, hard work, and sacrifice pay off for Cole to get on a team for the entire 2013 season. Let’s hope so.

So the 2nd annual MMRS national took place in Madoc , Ontario this weekend. This race offers the largest pay out in Canada and maybe even North America for a single event. If you finished in the top five of any class right from 50s all the way to pro (Ladies pro, 250 pro and Open pro actually paid top 10) you brought home some cash flow green. Last year I was political not allowed to go, and I understood that. This year I said I’m going as me with no affiliation to anything. I mean I still get sponsored from my racing from Yamaha Canada, Machine Racing, Alias Gear, Oakley, Atlas Brace, Bondi Engines and more. These people support me to ride my bike and that’s what I went there to do. It was pretty cool not having to work and race at the same time. I still worked though throwing out some twits and taking some photos but it was minor and super enjoyable. Once again I had fun because of the company I had hanging around. Just like Walton, the crew in the pits helped make the weekend enjoyable to the fullest. Cheeseburger, Thur, Beavis, Oompa, Wil the thrill, KMac810, BT51, Jeffery’s, O’Farrell, Donk, Hammer and Ang. I am really starting to feel that racing is so much better when you have a good group with ya. Even when I sucked on the borrowed 250F I had, back in the pits it was all laughs and poking fun at each other, which just made the downer moto go away. I have to give a big thanks to the Grey family, the OTSFF Rockstar Motovan.com Yamaha team and Adam Robinson for lending me the bike. I hated every minute and am now fully retired from riding a Lites bike ever again. Hahaha But seriously thanks a ton guys. It was too much fun whipping that thing around while getting my ass handed to me. Regardless of that part it was a fun filled weekend. John and Gene Maguire are doing a good thing for all the people that are involved that want a way more relaxed atmosphere for racing at the track. Just like small events before them that have grown into something big, they will have their time. The entries were not huge, the classes were not full, but it’s just the start of their program at Madoc and it’s the 3rd year where they should start to see some serious growth. John came down before the final moto of the weekend (which was 250 pro) and informed us that this was a 5 year plan he had in place for this event. So good luck to them and let’s hope it grows so the smiles that I saw this year just continue each and every year ahead.

 

 

 

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Stay tuned this week to mxpmag.com for photo reports and video of the MMRS nat. Till then, I’m out Cheeeeeeeezzzz!!!

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