Over the years we’ve seen a plethora of passionate individuals come into this sport and make a big difference. One of the latest gentlemen to do so is Alex Parker who is a born and breed east coaster. Alex grew up riding around Nova Scotia and these days he’s not only a big part of the Cobequid Mountain Sports Dealership, but he’s also the Team Manager of one of the newest team’s in the paddock, the Thor GASGAS Race Team. This year was a successful one for the Thor GASGAS Race Team as not only did their 450 rider Tyler Medaglia finish second overall in the Triple Crown Series, but Mitchell Harrison won the 250 class Triple Crown Series title and Eve Brodeur was the champion once again in the WMX class. Now, as we approach a new season this team has just announced their new deal with Parts Canada to have them be their official title sponsor. This is very exciting for everyone involved and we caught up with Alex to get his thoughts.
MXP: Hey Alex, this is a great day for your team, you must be excited.
AP: For sure! Anytime you can partner with a company like Parts Canada you have to be happy about it. We’re beyond excited for the future and I think our three riders are going to look great on the track next summer.
Parts Canada has been around for a long time and they’re such a valued partner of our sport. I’m assuming this deal didn’t happen overnight. Have you been working on this for a long time?
You’re correct Palms, deals like this take a while and over the past few months there’s been a lot of back and forth. But we love the agreement that we’ve been able to bring forward and I think it’s not only great for our team but great for the sport as well.
Your team has sure enjoyed some accelerated growth over the past two seasons. Has the growth and overall success even surprised you?
Well, yes and no! I mean we have grown fast and heading into next year we’re taking the growth to new levels, but honestly with Mitch [Cooke] and Tyler [Medaglia] helping to guide things along our success has not been surprising at all. We have a great team and a great group of people around us so our success is most certainly well-earned.
Talk to me about Tyler for a minute. How impressive is this guy? I mean, he just keeps going and going and this past year I think we can all agree that he was riding perhaps better than he ever has.
Tyler is amazing and you’re right, he just keeps going and going. He’s in a really good place right now and I think it shows on the race track. This past year he came into the Triple Crown Series healthy and ready to go and right from the opening round in Kamloops he was really good. As we head into 2023 I don’t see that changing as Tyler is using the off-season to train and be ready for another great season.
Tyler is definitely a legend. The other two riders on the team for not only next year but for two more years are Mitchell Harrison and Eve Brodeur. Mitchell was new to the Triple Crown Series this past year but he sure adapted quickly to how things work in Canada.
Yes, Mitchell was tremendous this year and we couldn’t ask for any more from him. Before we signed him we had a long list of potential riders from the USA who wanted to come here and it was Tyler who kept saying that we need to choose very wisely. There have been times in the past when USA riders have come up here and things just didn’t work out. But from the moment he arrived Mitchell was awesome and he really bought into our program as well as our way of life in Nova Scotia. He likes to help out and he just goes about his program with no drama or anything. After his success this year as well as his overall contribution to the team signing him for two more years made perfect sense.
Yes, Mitchell was great to deal with all year and you could really tell that he enjoyed his first season in Canada. Finally, you have also signed Eve Brodeur for two more years. Like both Tyler and Mitchell, Eve is not only successful on the track but off the track she is a great ambassador for the sport and a real role model.
Eve is amazing and we’re extremely lucky to have her as part of our team. Over the years she’s always had good support but it’s just been her and her dad travelling to races. I think having the extra support of a team behind her really brought out the best in Eve and I cannot wait to see her race in 2023.
Some of Eve’s battles this summer with Jamie [Astudillo] were epic and very entertaining to watch.
For sure! Some weekends those were the best battles on the track as Eve and Jamie were never too far apart. We have a great team and all three riders are capable of winning titles in 2023.
Well, since we’re only a few weeks away from 2023 you must be very excited Alex to turn the calendar to next year. So, the team will be wearing Thor MX Gear as well as Alpinestars boots and helmets?
Yes, that is correct. All of the riders will also be wearing Oakley goggles so we are definitely looked after heading into next season. Also, we have secured a new truck and trailer for 2023 so the Thor GASGAS Race Team is going to have a larger presence in the paddock moving forward.
That is great! Hearing all of this news makes me excited for next summer and the 2023 Triple Crown Series. Okay, talk to us about Cobequid Mountain Sports and what it means to have this dealership so involved with this team.
Yes, the dealership is doing very well, and since we also are a Parts Canada dealer this new deal made perfect sense to us. We’re coming off two years of exceptional growth because of Covid-19 and now it’s going to be interesting to see what the next two years look like. It’s been a unique few years for everyone and while dealers right across Canada have sold a lot of products I hope we never have to go through something like this again. We just need some balance and economic certainty moving forward.
It definitely has been an interesting past two years and I think we should all be truly thankful that for the most part, our sport has continued to grow despite the devastating pandemic. Alex, congratulations on this new deal with Parts Canada and I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season. All the best and thank you for doing this interview.
You as well Palms! I hope you and your family have a safe and wonderful holiday season. Thank you for calling!