Two-time Canadian MX2 champion debuts on the podium in MX1
Round 1 of the Makita Tools Canadian Triple Crown Motocross Championship was hosted at the Wild Rose Motocross track in Calgary, Alberta. Located less than 5km from the downtown core of the city, it boasts stunning skyline views with the MX track in the foreground making it one of the most unique circuits in the world.
The highly anticipated MX1 rookie season debut for two-time MX2 champion Ryder McNabb was a media buzz heading into this race. The pressure and high expectations weighed heavy on the twenty year old rookie, but a gritty performance landed him on the overall podium in his premiere class debut.
Moto 1 adversity
“The first moto of the day was hard work after I went down in the second corner. I had to put my head down and grind through the pack from last place just to salvage as many points as possible. I ended up finishing 5th place by the end of the moto, but used more energy than I wanted to start the day. The rain storm that rolled through before our moto made the track lines more difficult and was an early test of my race craft on the big bike.”
Moto 2 delivered
“A good start in the second moto made the race much easier on me. I came around the first lap in third place and was able to settle in and ride my own pace with consistent laps. The race leader had a big gap on me so it would have been too risky to put on any charges trying to close the gap knowing a third place was enough to secure an overall podium finish, so i’m happy with how the day turned around for me.”
Podium finish
“I’m really happy leaving the first round with a podium and sitting third overall in points behind a couple of veterans, it’s a monkey off my back, but there’s still seven more of these to go, so i’m just taking it one race at a time and still trying to focus on just having fun without setting a results expectation.”
Looking ahead to round two in his home province of Manitoba and a familiar race circuit, Ryder is hoping to continue building momentum as the underdog against the heavy competition of MX1 class veterans.
Round 1 Overall Results:
1st – Dylan Wright (1-1)
2nd – Harri Kullas (3-2)
3rd – Ryder McNabb (5-3)
All Photos Supplied By: James Lissimore
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Special thank you to Ryder’s personal sponsors for the 2026 season:
To enquire about sponsorship opportunities, please email Contact@McNabbRacing.com
