Northern Notes: Out and about … to hire?

By Danny Brault

Hey, everyone, and welcome to another edition of Northern Notes.

Geez, Louise, you’d think a guy who spent the better part of his life working on deadlines would be much better at actually meeting them. Not so. The goal is to have these ‘Notes’ up online before dinner time on Thursdays, but so far I’m running about 50/50 and that’s being generous.

Truth to be told, it hasn’t been as easy as I first thought, sliding in a few web and print articles on the side while managing my full-time marketing duties at WASPcam. I suppose it doesn’t need to be as difficult as I make it out to be, what with pushing things to last minute far too often no matter what it is I’m committed t0. That’s all right, they say the first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one. Step 1 down, 11 more to go!

Along with my online contributions, I’ve supplied a couple of feature stories and a column to the latest issue of MXP magazine and will be doing so regularly from now on. Compared to my prior life in moto-journalism when I got to participate in every little detail of putting together a printed magazine, this time around I was feeling a little ‘left out’. Since I can’t afford time away from my day job, I didn’t really have much of a hand in organizing layouts, design or the many small things that add up with a magazine.

That said, it was an interesting and exciting feeling opening up the new mag for the first time not knowing how my writing was laid out and which photos were ultimately selected. I’ve got to say, well done guys! The designers at MXP have been really cranking up the horsepower as far as the look and feel of the magazine goes and the latest print looks like a factory race weapon. I’m very happy with the final outcome, and I saw on mxforum that readers share similar opinions. It’s good to be back and I can’t wait to get going on editorial for the next issue. The deadline isn’t until April 23^rd so there’s no rush, eh?

Two pages that I suppose we could have done without or featured someone/something else would be the two-page spread featuring Rockstar Energy Drink OTSFF Yamaha’s Nico Izzi (and some girl he dragged home from the bar…easy Danny!). As many of you have probably heard by now, Izzi is dealing with visa issues and may not be coming to Canada this summer. That’s a bummer as Izzi would certainly be a wild card for some wins and many were/are curious to see where he would fit in with Canada’s best.

Who’s going to fill in for Izzi? I haven’t heard any names yet, but the news just came out so give it a week and I’m sure Andre Laurin and his OTSFF team will find another speedy candidate to fill the gap.

Remember the old wive’s tale of ‘cover curses?’ I got that frightening tingle this week when we learned that the latest MXP coverboy, Cole Thompson, injured his knee in Houston. We now know for a fact that the Rockstar Energy Drink KTM rider tore his ACL, has decided to undergo surgery and will be out for the remainder of 2014.

First off, best of luck to Cole in his surgery, healing and I hope this break puts a fire in his belly to come back stronger and faster than ever. Secondly, what is KTM Canada’s plan to replace Thompson with another title contender?

My spidey senses tell me that Tyler Medaglia will get the call seeing as how he just signed a deal to race MX1 on a Husqvarna and since KTM owns Husky, and Tyler rode for KTM last year; it only makes sense. I sent a quick message to KTM race manager, Andy White, last night asking if it’s still too early for any news and he said, “Yes”. I tossed out the wild idea of Matt Georke, who is riding a KTM and has a Canadian title under his belt, but White noted that Georke is a full-time BTO Sports rider so probably not. Once we get the official word, we’ll be sure to announce it right away on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Flickr, or wherever the heck you readers are hanging out these days.

On the topic of oranges, I caught up with KTM’s MX2 rider, Kaven Benoit, on Wednesday for a few words, which you can listen to right here. After taking a week off from training at GPF to spend time at his home in Quebec and recharge the batteries, Benoit and his trusty mechanic, Jerome Therrien, returned to Georgia this week armed with a KTM 250 SX-F. Having spent almost a month blowing smoke on a KTM 250 SX two-stroke, Benoit is now focusing on his four-stroke to determine which bike he’s faster on. Hard to believe as you have to think that KTM would have their factory rider aboard a four-stroke, but Benoit says he and the team are committed to do whatever is necessary to win the MX2 championship.

“It’s still too early to decide and a lot can happen from now until Nanaimo,” he says. “But KTM doesn’t keep their eyes closed; we want to win and we’ll see what is the best option for me.”

After listening to his interview, you’ll get the impression that there’s a good chance we could see Benoit switching it up between a 2 and 4-stroke throughout the series (most likely four-stroke in the West because of the hard pack, and two-stroke in the East because of the sand). This makes for good bench racing, me thinks, and I hope it pans out that we do see Benoit aboard a two-stroke or switching between both bikes. Imagine seeing Benoit on a two-stroke vs. Politelli and Jeremy Medaglia?! Oh me oh my, that will be cool! (Yes, I’m a moto nerd at times.)

While talking with Benoit, I must say I am really impressed with how well that kid speaks English. I suppose he has been racing all over Canada for a few years now, but he’s pretty smooth and never struggles to find the right word. Kudos Kaven because I have tried to learn French and it’s not easy learning/speaking another language. For those Anglophones reading this who are still in school and not yet in the ‘real world’, put a real effort into learning French because it’s rewarding, earns you more money and you know those French girls you’re always staring at? Well, if you can speak their language or at least try, you might actually get somewhere with them.

I came across this news story on racerxonline.com and really hope there is traction to it and not just a teaser. By sending an electrical current through four men’s spines, researchers (which, wildly enough, include scientists in Russia) have seen connections made between the brain and legs, which were thought to be completely removed. One of the men was a motocross racer who is paralyzed from the neck down from a riding accident in 2009, who stated that he feels like, for the first time since his injury, he’s moving forward instead of backwards. Read the full story here:

http://racerxonline.com/2014/04/08/usa-today-developments-on-paralysis

I’m not sure what things are like in your neck of the woods, seeing as how I never check the weather (one of those things we can’t change so why bother worrying about it?), but in my home of Peterborough, Ontario, the snow is THIS CLOSE to being completely gone. Last weekend was the big practice weekend at Gopher Dunes, which is more than ready for racing, and Moto Park up north in Owen Sound is now open for riding. I took a quick look over many parts of Canada and here are some opening race weekends:

Sunday Aril 13^th – Gopher Dunes, Ontario

Saturday/ Sunday April 19/20 – Ashcroft, BC (ANQ)

Saturday May 3rd – Riverglade, New Brunswick

Sunday May 4^th – Swift Current, Saskatchewan (ANQ)

Sunday May 10th – Temple Hill, Lethbridge, Southern Alberta

Saturday/ Sunday May 17/18th – Ste-Veronique, Quebec

Saturday/ Sunday May 17/18th – For McMurray, Northern Alberta (ANQ)

I should mention that it looks like the Springhill Arenacross is a go for next weekend on the East Coast. Weather hasn’t been too kind to the Maritimers but all systems are a go. Hopefully things continue to improve weather-wise and promoters see a good attendance of riders. For fans, the beer will be cold regardless.

Switching gears a little, here’s a quick edit I threw together with footage from 2014 Walton TransCan Schoolboy Champion, Nick Jones, racing at the Ricky Carmichael Daytona Amateur Supercross: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaFmjb8x3js

Jeremy Medaglia is going stir crazy having been off a dirt bike for a couple of weeks now. You’d think he’d enjoy some time off two wheels, but not Jeremy; for him, he can never ride too much and he never really gets tired or bored of wearing out rubber and bending frames. He says he’s going to receive his MotoConcepts Honda 250Fs next week and then it’s time to lay the hammer down. I’m expecting one mean, lean, fighting machine out of JM this summer, as if we’d be expecting anything less.

I didn’t catch Gauldy’s full podcast with the Allison brothers, but in speaking with Dean Thompson of BlackfootDirect last week, he told me that Yamaha Motor Canada didn’t have the support available to get the twins across Canada this summer. Instead, Jared and Parker will only be racing the Western Nationals. The pits will feel empty without the Allison family at the party as their family is always so kind, gracious and welcoming to everyone they bump into.

Thompson did add that BlackfootDirect is continuing to support Keylon Meston who is racing a YZ450F this summer and will contest all 10 rounds of the Nationals. At the moment, Meston is busy training and riding in Southern California. I don’t know much about Meston, but I did watch him in action at Kamloops last year and I can tell you he has a nice riding style, speed and should be a contestant for top 10 finishes in the MX1 class this year.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice!