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The first time we saw Sebastien Racine ride was at his home Sand Del Lee track and at the time he was riding a KTM50cc. He was lightning fast and just by watching him, you knew he would most likely be a multi-time Canadian Amateur Champion. Well, fast forward to now and Racine is coming off an amazing 2021 Walton TransCan event last summer which saw him win two titles and dominate almost all of his motos. KTM Canada was so impressed with their longtime Orange Brigade rider that they rewarded him with a spot on their factory team and for the 2022 season Racing will be under the KTM tent alongside Jacob Piccolo and Jess Pettis. We caught up with this rookie pro rider as he was getting ready to head back down to ClubMX in South Carolina next week.
MXP: Hey Sebastien, how are things going?
SR: Hey Chris, everything is going well. I’ve just been training and trying to heal up my collarbone. Next week we’re heading back down to ClubMX to start riding again.
I heard from my son that you had some really bad luck the last time you went to South Carolina. Can you talk a little about what happened?
Sure. Back in February, we went down to ClubMX to start riding and training. Anyway, on the first day I was there I wasn’t planning on riding but there was rain in the forecast the next day so I decided to jump in with the group and just do some easy laps. During my first lap, I went into a corner and pushed the front end, and ended up high siding. I wasn’t going fast and it wasn’t a hard crash but I ended up landing just the right way on my shoulder and my collarbone broke.
That is some bad luck. I can’t believe it happened on your first lap. You must have been so bummed out. Did you end up having to get surgery?
Yes, I was pretty bummed as I wasn’t trying to go fast or anything. I was just riding around and warming up. I knew it was broken right away and thankfully the guys at ClubMX were really helpful and they recommended a surgeon that they knew well. I ended up getting my collarbone plated right away and then we headed home to heal up.
That is quite a story. Well, thankfully you were able to get it fixed quickly, and even though it’s not obviously how you wanted to begin 2022, you still have a lot of time to get ready for the Triple Crown Series. So you’ve been back home for a month healing up. What have you been doing to stay busy?
I’ve just been going to school, training, and really doing everything I can to heal up. We rented a Hyperbaric Chamber so I’ve been going in that for a few hours a day. My collarbone is feeling good and next week I’ll be able to ride again.
What do you do to pass the time when you’re in the Hyperbaric Chamber?
I don’t know it’s pretty boring. I usually just play on my phone as there isn’t much else to do.
Well, it’s good to hear that you’re healing up and almost ready to ride again. Let’s go back to last season for a moment. You had a great summer and not only were you able to win multiple Walton TransCan titles, but you were also able to ride a few pro nationals and get your feet wet in the Triple Crown Series. First, how did the TransCan go for you?
It was great and it was a good way to finish off my amateur career. I ended up winning two classes and I think if it wasn’t for one bad mud moto I could’ve won all three of my classes. But that is the way it goes and sometimes you have bad motos. Overall, I was happy with my riding and excited that I was able to win two TransCan titles.
Before the Walton TransCan you raced four MXTour rounds of the Triple Crown Series in 250MX class. How did those races go for you?
I was happy with how they went as those races provided me with some insight as to what I can expect this summer. It definitely wasn’t easy as the riders in the pro class are faster, fitter, and stronger. I thought my speed was good but the longer races were a tough adjustment for sure.
When thinking back to your pro races last summer what do you think was the biggest change from racing amateur?
The biggest change was definitely the track on pro day. When you’re racing amateur on Saturday the tracks get rough but it’s a different rough and it seems like they’re constantly doing work to the track to keep it safe. But on the pro day, it’s a completely different story and the tracks get rough. That was the biggest adjustment for me, just learning how to race on a more challenging track.
During your time in the Triple Crown Series, you had some good motos. You did well at your first pro race at Sand Del Lee going 5-5 for 5th overall. That was very impressive. You had consistent top-ten finishes in the remaining rounds. What result are you most proud of from last summer?
My finish at Sand Del Lee was good as it was my first pro race and also it was on my home track and in front of my family. Other than that, the second day at Deschambault when I went from dead last to 10th. That was a tough race and I was happy that I was able to get up and charge as hard as I did.
I remember that moto and it was fun to watch you come through the pack like that. Okay, so you had a great amateur career, and heading into this summer you’re now part of the KTM Canada factory team. You’ll be under the tent with Jess Pettis and Jacob Piccolo which is very cool. You must be excited?
Oh yes definitely! I’ve been working hard for this opportunity and now it’s finally here. I’ve been riding KTM’s for a long time and now to be entering my first full pro season as part of the factory team is exciting. They know that this summer will be another good learning year for me but I think after some good training down south I can go to the opening round in Kamloops and do well. I’m excited to go out west and race on some new tracks and then come back east and finish up the series on the tracks I know well.
It’s most certainly going to be exciting and successful for you at the same time. So the plan is to head back down south next week and then stay for a bit and get some training in?
Yes, that is the plan right now. We’ll be down there until sometime in May and then we’ll probably come home and race an AMO event at Sand Del Lee. After that, it will be time to head west for the opening round of the Triple Crown Series.
Well Sebastien, thank you for taking some time to speak with us. Safe travels down south and good luck with your training.
Thanks Chris! Thank you for calling and yeah I’m looking forward to getting back at it here soon.
