Kyle Beaton Gives Us His 2015 MX2 East Preview

To get his expert opinion on which riders to watch out for in the east, we’ve again called upon former top pro rider Kyle Beaton to get his thoughts. With top Canadian riders like Kaven Benoit and Jeremy Medaglia going up against talented Americans Jimmy Decotis and Blake Savage, the battles are sure to be very intense. Let’s see who Kyle Beaton thinks will come out on top when the MX2 series concludes at the final round in Walton.

As the MX2 series heads East, Kaven Benoit is understandably very relaxed as he now gets to race on some of his favourite tracks. photo by James Lissimore

1. Kaven Benoit – Royal Distributing Fox KTM

I know many people felt as though Benoit would struggle a lot on his two-stroke during the western rounds of the series, however, I can’t tell you how impressed I was with his riding during the first four rounds. Over the years he’s learned how to deal with pressure very well, and with the help of his Team Manager JSR, I’m sure he’s figured out how to take each race as they come. Because of this experience as well as his knowledge of the eastern tracks, I believe Benoit will repeat as the MX2 Champion in 2015.

2. Jeremy Medaglia – Honda Canada GDR

Based on his performance so far in 2015, we can call Jeremy “Mr. Consistent” as he hasn’t finished off the podium yet in the first four rounds. As the series heads into round five at Gopher Dunes, Jeremy is only 13 points back and still in the hunt for the championship. In the past he’s been very strong in the east. With the team that he’s on this year, he will be even stronger. The only thing I can see hurting him is the fact that they’re all chasing Benoit and his powerful two-stroke. On a rough and sandy track, the two-strokes are deadly so it will be tough for Jeremy to gain some much needed points to win the title.

Can Jimmy Decotis dominate the upcoming sand tracks the same way he did at the opening round in Kamloops?. photo by James Lissimore

3. Jimmy Decotis – Canada’s Motorcycle FXR Yamaha

Jimmy is one of the fastest guys in the series and he really proved me wrong out west. I knew he would be good but definitely not this good. He dominated in Kamloops then again he won the overall in Regina. If it wasn’t for his DNF in Nanaimo, the MX2 points chase would be much closer at the top. I have him finishing third simply because as the series heads east the tracks get mechanically harder on the bikes. Jimmy rides them hard! Although I think he’ll be very fast on the sand tracks, durability might become an issue in the final twelve motos of the series. Jimmy is definitely a charger, though, and he’s brought a lot to the MX2 class up to this point. I really enjoyed watching him ride in the west.

4. Shawn Maffenbeier – Rockstar Energy OTSFF Yamaha

Due to an injury suffered prior to the start of the season, I know Shawn didn’t come into the series 100%. I think it’s pretty amazing that he’s done as well as he’s done so far. In the past Shawn finished very well in the east, in fact that is where his prior victories have come. Last year Shawn travelled east very early and stayed with Bobby Kiniry to train in the heat and humidity that traditionally exists. Hopefully he does the same this summer, because if he comes into round five completely prepared, I believe he will win some motos and maybe move up the standings to challenge for an overall podium finish.

Kyle Beaton hopes that Brad Nauditt will bring some swagger to the East rounds and battle himself into the top five in the MX2 class. photo by James Lissimore

5. Brad Nauditt- GA Checkpoint Yamaha

I’m going to keep Brad in the top five, even though his opening four rounds were somewhat disappointing. While his results didn’t show it, he’s dedicated more than ever this year to get the job done. Although he may be a stronger rider in the west, I think this is his year to succeed at the eastern tracks. In the MX2 class, the difference between a podium finish and sixth place finish isn’t very much. You need a good start, and more so, especially at the sand tracks in the east, you need very good fitness. Brad is one of the fittest riders at the track. If he can figure out how to get consistent starts then he will be a frontrunner.