Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
When you look back at this past year in Canadian motocross there are many great stories and many great performances. In both the amateur and pro classes, we all witnessed riders push their limit on the racetrack while battling for moto wins and championships. As I’ve done for the past five seasons, this is the time of year that I sit down to compose my annual Golden Elbow Awards that celebrate the memorable moments from the past year. Whether it was Dylan Wright’s title runs in the 250 AXTour and MXTour Series or Phil Nicoletti’s Triple Crown Championship, there were multiple moments that will leave people talking for years to come. For this year’s Golden Elbow Awards, let’s now look at the winners of the 10 categories.
Ryder McNabb is your 2019 Amateur Rider of the Year. Photo by James Lissimore
Like all of these awards, picking the Top Amateur Rider was extremely difficult because we are lucky enough to posses so many talented young riders. These fast kids entertained us all season long both on the national level as well as regionally. At the WCAN, the ECAN as well as at the Walton TransCan, our Amateur riders competed so very hard in some very tough conditions. However, if we had to pick one rider who stood out, that rider would be Ryder McNabb. Ryder not only won two Walton TrasnCan titles, but he also had a strong showing at the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National in Tennessee. We will say that Jacob Piccolo was a very close second in my voting for this award. Piccolo had a great comeback year from his 2018 injury, winning two TransCan titles as well as a couple of WCAN titles. But there is a sense of urgency to McNabb’s riding that sets him apart in this very competitive category. If Piccolo can find that same intensity as he enters the pro class next year then he could be a podium rider in the 250 class; he’s that good. McNabb, on the other hand, already has it and that is why he’s our pick as the Top Amateur Rider of 2019.
