This has been a great year for Sebastien Racine aboard his MX101 Yamaha. He achieved some moto wins, overall wins, and just recently he took a trip to Ironman Raceway to represent Canada at the MXON. Oh, and let’s not forget this past weekend when he travelled to WV to race at Tomahawk Raceway. Sebastien would take the overall win in the Open Class and some serious cash in the process. However, with no deal yet for 2026, Sebastien has set his sights on doing everything he can to be ready, and he’s made it clear that he wants to move up to the 450 class next summer. We caught up with Sebastien as he was back at home relaxing after a long drive home from WV.
MXP: Hey Sebastien! What is going on today?
SR: Not too much at the moment. I’m just hanging and trying to decide if I’m going to head down to Chandler Powell’s house to ride some SX.
That’s right, he mentioned that they were building a small SX track to practice on. Well, I think rain is headed your way so you better decide quickly (laughs). Let’s talk about your weekend in West Virginia. You and your MX101 Yamaha teammate Jess Pettis headed down to race the Tyler Condon Pro Challenge at Tomahawk Raceway. Had you been planning this trip for a while, or was it a last minute decision?
It was about as last minute as it gets to be honest. I was at my girlfriends place on Thursday afternoon and Austin [Jones] sent me a photo of the purse they were offering in WV. At the time, they were paying like $4000 per moto win in the Open Class, and $2000 for a win in the 250 class, so I thought about it for a bit, and then decided to go and see how much money I could make. I left at 5pm that day, drove to the MX101 race shop to pick up some bikes and load up. With practice being from 10-4 on Friday, and a nine hour drive ahead of me, I left Thursday evening and drove until the middle of the night, pulled over to sleep at a Flying J truck stop, and then finished the drive on Friday morning.
So, you made it on time for Friday practice at Tomahawk Raceway?
Yes, I made it and was able to get a few laps in. Thankfully, the track didn’t have any really big jumps, so it was easy to figure out. On Friday night, we got a hotel and then we raced on Saturday and Sunday.
With so much money on the line, both classes were pretty stacked with familiar privateer names. Considering you haven’t raced a 450 much this year, were you a little nervous before the opening moto?
I wasn’t really nervous because I knew my speed was good. I had some good lap times in practice, so I really just focused on my start as I knew that was going to be everything.
How long were the motos?
Well, on Saturday the Open class moto was 20 minutes plus one lap, and then just before the second moto on Sunday the track owner asked all of us on the starting line if we thought the first moto was too long, or too short. Some riders felt like it was too long, while I was like make it longer. With that amount of money on the line, at least make the races 25 or 30 minutes. Anyway, the second Open Class moto was only 18 minutes plus a lap, which in the end didn’t matter as both Jess and I got great starts.
You dominated the opening 450 moto and took the win, and the cash. Then in moto two, you had the lead for a few laps until Jess passed you. However, for the remainder of the race you kept him close, finished second, and that gave you the overall class win. You and Jess trained all winter together so you know his practice pace, how did his race pace feel compared to yours on a 450?
I was anxious to see how I stacked up to his speed on a 450. I mean, Jess was the faster rider this past summer in the 450 class, so he’s the one you want to race to see how your speed is. In the opening moto, Jess didn’t get a great start, so by the time he got into third I was already out front. In moto two, I was out front early, but Jess made a good pass on me. After that, I picked up on a few good lines he had and was able to keep him pretty close. Overall, it was a great experience, and it was good to race with Jess and see some of the things he does at race pace. Considering this trip was last minute, I’d say it worked out pretty good for both of us as we made some really good money.
I hope you thanked Austin for sending you the photo of the purse. Let’s go back a few weeks and talk about the MXON at Ironman Raceway. This was your first time as a member of Team Canada at this event. Results aside, was the experience what you expected it would be?
I think for the most part it was what I expected it to be. If there was one surprise, it was with just how busy we were each day. All three days were really busy with both on-track and off-track things. It was good, and it certainly didn’t affect my riding, but it was just busy.
Now that you’ve had a few weeks to process the weekend, is there anything you’d change as far your preparation or riding?
I mean, I wish we would’ve done better, that’s for sure. I thought we had the speed to make the A-Final and finish well, but it just didn’t work out. Looking back, I wished I would’ve practiced more starts on a grate. We did some starts here, but with it being so different, I think I could’ve done better in that area. Other than that, I think it’s just experience and learning how to deal with the weekend. As you said, this was my first time as part of Team Canada, and while I wish we could’ve done better, it was an unforgettable experience.
Well, at the end of the day the result didn’t come from a lack of effort, and even though it was your first time racing at the MXON, you rode well and should be proud.
Thanks Palms! Hopefully I get another opportunity to be chosen for Team Canada down the road.
So, the weather is changing quite rapidly and there isn’t much racing on the horizon. What is the plan for the next few months?
I’ve been fighting a cold since the MXON, so I think I’m going to take a few weeks and try and get better. After that, I’ll get back into the gym and start training for 2026. As of right now, I don’t have a deal for next year, but hopefully that will sort itself out here soon. I’d like to race a 450 in 2026 as I feel like it’s time to move up.
Well, you’ve certainly proven to everyone that you know how to ride a 450, so now sounds like a great time to move up to that class. Also, you’re coming off a solid season in the Triple Crown Series where you won races in the 250 Pro/AM class.
Yes, I felt like I took some big steps this summer, and I was really happy with how the second half of the 250 series went. I learned a lot and hopefully I can get to another level in 2026.
Well Sebastien, thank you for taking the time to chat this morning. Enjoy the rest of your day, and have fun riding SX.
Thank you for calling Palms!
