Once again, the Walton TransCan was an incredible event in 2024, as riders and families travelled to the small hamlet of Walton, Ontario from all over Canada and the USA. The weather was great, the track conditions were excellent all week long, and the high level of competition reflected that. However, like always, the Walton TransCan comes and goes so quickly, and now all we have are some incredible memories from a glorious week at Walton Raceway. As we get ready to welcome in September, we reached out to Brett Lee to get his thoughts on this event, as well as his WLTN Kawasaki Team and the Triple Crown Series.
MXP: Hey Brett! After such a busy summer, have the past couple of weeks been fairly quiet around Walton Raceway?
Brett: Yes and no. It’s been a pretty steady couple of weeks after the TransCan to clean up the place, put things away, and fix some of the stuff that gets damaged. Then, this past weekend, we had Ontario Off Road here hosting an XC event. That said, it is much quieter than TransCan week. People ask us if it feels weird to have no bikes here. I always say no, it is the opposite.
MXP: You mentioned the Walton TransCan. Overall, it looked like another great event, with many entries and riders from all over Canada and the USA represented. Were you happy with how things went?
Brett: It was great. We always talk about the “good old days” or “the way it used to be,” but to be honest, these are really great times for Canadian moto. We had great representation from across the country and internationally in Amateur, great crowds, and a lot of industry on hand to take in the race. It had a great vibe, and most importantly, people left happy.
Well, that is all you can ask for at the end of the day. It’s hard to believe that this was the 32nd Walton TransCan. Do you feel putting on this event gets easier or harder as the years go by?
Melody and I have a good team who is really experienced, so they make it easier. From sanitation to the track, special events, and the gate, the people looking after each area really know what they are doing. So for sure, that is easier. I think the pressure to produce a good event that feels new to people and dealing with the landmines like weather still makes an event like this grinding. But we still enjoy it as much as ever, but the grind takes a little longer to recover from than it used to.
From a track perspective, this year was a little different as Barry took a little step back. We know he was there and overseeing everything, but were there some adjustments to be made?
Mitch Laidlaw and Griffin St Onge have been here for a long time, and yeah, Barry was around too. So it was very much the same core guys. Josh Woods, who has been a friend of mine for a long time, helped this year, as did Jamie Keast. Both guys are friends, have a lot of experience, and have worked on this track before.
I thought they did a good job. It is a hard week on people and hard on equipment to do this event. 5:00 am til midnight for the week., working fast, under pressure to meet times and deal with expectations. It is a lot, and they crushed it.
The level of skill and determination in the Amateur classes improves each year. We know you were on the podium for some of the races. How impressed were you with the high level of competition this year?
I am most impressed with the way these riders are prepared. If anyone landed in the top three, they put in time training and prepared themselves to get there. Like all aspects of our sport, the details of training and preparation are evolving. Kids are in shape, have some race craft, and want to perform on a big stage. It is cool to see riders step up in pressure situations. That is exciting for the future of our sport.
You’ve been around a long time and have seen the sport from many different angles. You just mentioned the word “prepared.” Specifically, what would your advice be for a rider and their family who want to go from, say, a top-ten finish this year at the Walton TransCan to possibly a podium in 2025? Should they head to the USA for a winter of training, or should they spend only a few weeks riding in the USA prior to the season starting here?
I think going south helps, but most riders need a plan that takes them from now until next summer and the 2025 Walton TransCan. Training, budgets, bikes, races, and diet are some of those little things riders need to think about. Having milestones allows them to check off and keep track of their progress. To me, riding down south for a couple of weeks is fun and helps shake the rust off, but 90% of what needs to be done can be done at home. A written plan is something that can be referenced and checked off. That is something riders can do anywhere and anytime.
That is great advice! So, overall, you were happy with the 2024 Walton TransCan, and you’ve already spoken to Mother Nature and secured great weather again next year?
Booked. We’ve been really fortunate, like most events on the national tour the past few seasons, with great conditions.
Like a lot of us in the industry, you wear multiple hats. Your WLTN Kawasaki Team had a solid summer in the Triple Crown Series. Are you happy with how Tanner Ward and Quinn Amyotte did in 2024?
First and foremost, they are awesome people. I know they both are putting in effort, so as a team, that is an important box to check.
I would be lying if I said 5th and 6th were the overall finishes we hoped for, but both guys showed they are in that upper echelon of good riders. And both had great rides this season. It was a year when competition was pretty steep, so I think they both rode well and worked hard. We just hit some tough competition. We took some massive steps as a team, and again, I feel that Tanner and Quinn both improved as athletes.
The Triple Crown Series appears to be in a solid place right now, as this summer has been proof of that. Obviously, having the Series begin at Wild Rose MX Park and then conclude at Walton Raceway works really well. Are there any changes you’d like to see for 2025? A nine-round Series, perhaps?
I think that everyone involved really did a great job. We don’t have the giant budgets you see in the US, but the teams and Series really extract all they can from the budgets we have. To be clear, our sponsors stretch their budgets to get us what they want. Everyone works to make racing happen.
Sure, nine rounds or 10 would be great. However, we need to make sure that the venues coming onboard are meeting the quality needed for a national, that they are national venues that can host the team and riders and improve the brand of Canadian Pro Motocross.
There needs to be a quality over quantity mentality and to add on; we need to be sustainable. Adding another round means more parts, travel budgets, wages, and bonuses. Not only does the Series need more budget to expand and maintain its level of production, but privateers, riders, families, and teams do as well. Give me sustainable growth for everyone at great venues, and I am all in on series expansion.
Final question: This is about the final round of the Triple Crown Series held a few weeks ago. It was an amazing day of racing as we crowned two champions, Kaven Benoit and Jess Pettis, and said goodbye to another multi-time champion, Eve Brodeur. On days like this, do you ever have to stop and pinch yourself to realize that these memorable moments are taking place at your family farm?
100%. Melody and I often say we feel we have imposter syndrome. As I said before, most of the time, there isn’t anyone here; it’s just us hanging out on the farm. And then people start talking about TransCan, then they show up, and the gate drops, and it just becomes this thing.
Personally, watching Eve do a farewell lap at Walton this year and handing Kaven and Jess the number one plate is very surreal. I am a fan and respect them so much that I always feel in awe.
We love the Nationals and really love TransCan, where it all comes together. We are always proud to be part of this.
