Over the years, we’ve been lucky to have had multiple American riders travel north to race our national series. Some have been veteran riders at the tail end of their careers, while others have been young American riders looking to gain valuable experience in the pro class. One of these young riders is Georgia native Nate Mason, who came to Canada for the first time last summer to race a few rounds of the Triple Crown Series. Well, Nate enjoyed himself so much that he’s back again this year and is racing for Team CCR/MP1/Yamaha. We caught up with him as he was getting ready to test his new 2023 YZ450F race bike for this weekend’s opening Ontario race at Gopher Dunes.
MXP: Hey Nate! It’s nice to get you on the phone finally. How are things, and what are you up to?
NM: Yeah man! Thank you for calling. I’m just in London, Ontario, getting ready for the race at Gopher Dunes this weekend. The weather doesn’t look great for Sunday, but I’m still excited to race at this famous track finally.
You make a good point when you say that Gopher Dunes is one of our famous tracks in Canada. It does have a reputation for being one of the most challenging tracks on the planet. Hopefully, it won’t be too rough this weekend.
I hope it’s rough so I can tell people back home that I rode Gopher Dunes when it was tough. Either way, I’m excited to go and see what all the hype is about.
You mentioned that you’re in London and getting ready to go testing. How much time do you have on the new 2023 YZ450F?
Actually, this week will be my first time riding it. Up until now, I’ve been riding the older model.
Oh wow! So this week is an exciting time for you. Every rider loves to throw their leg over a new bike. Especially one which we believe almost every test rider has liked so far.
I’ve heard nothing but great things about the new Yamaha 450, which is strange because usually with a brand new bike, some people like it and others don’t.
So basically, you will be testing and racing a bike you’ve never ridden before this week?
Yes! Mike at MP1 Suspension has the bike all setup, so we’re going to try and get as much riding in this week, and then it’s race time on Sunday.
Where do you call home Nate?
I’m from a town in Georgia called Canton; it’s located just north of Atlanta. I’ve spent my entire life in that area so I know it well and I really like it.
That is a great area of Georgia, as it’s very scenic. Obviously, the soil is mostly clay in Georgia so have you ridden much sand in your career?
I’ve ridden some sand tracks, and I really like riding in the sand. That is one reason I’m excited to head to Gopher Dunes this weekend. I’ve always ridden well in the sand, so hopefully, I can go there and have a good result. I hear a few good pro riders are coming on Sunday, so the racing should be good.
This weekend should give you a good indication of how Gopher Dunes will be in July when the Triple Crown Series heads there.
For sure! Not only is this weekend a race, but it’s also a big test session for us. It should be fun!
Is the plan to race the entire Triple Crown Series with Team CCR/MP1/Yamaha in 2023?
No, we won’t do the three west rounds this summer, just the eastern rounds. We’ll see how this year goes, and maybe in 2024, we’ll do the entire series. So the first round for us will be at Gopher Dunes in July.
That’s exciting Nate! You came up to Canada last summer for the first time. How did you find out about the Triple Crown Series?
It was actually Kyle Snelgrove from OG Gear that told me about it. I’ve been an OG rider for a few years and was the first USA rider to wear OG gear. Kyle suggested I come up to Walton last year and try it out.
Kyle is a good guy, and he’s doing great with his OG brand. Overall, have you enjoyed your time in Canada?
Yes! I love it up here. It’s pretty laid-back, and everyone is nice. The racing is great, and the riders are pretty talented. Also, you guys have some pretty good tracks to race and practice on here. I’m really looking forward to spending the whole summer up here.
Well, we’re excited to have you back for another summer, and good luck to you and your team in 2023. Also, enjoy your first-ever Gopher Dunes race; I hope it goes well.
Thanks Chris! As I said, I’m excited to be here again, and I want to thank Scott Vandeborne and Mike Parliament for making sure I have what I need to be successful in 2023.