MXP: Hey Newf! We’re getting closer to a very exciting few weeks in the Vancouver area. First, is the only Canadian round of the 2025 WSX Championships, then a week later, the West Coast AX Championship begins in Chilliwack. This must feel like the calm before the storm for you and Kyle Beaton. When do things get really serious with the track build and set up inside the arena?
RL: I think we are in a really good spot at the moment. Everything has been going smooth, and everything is in place. The track build will start the morning of Monday November 17th, along with fencing, start gates etc. We are so lucky that we don’t have to truck any dirt in, not only is that a huge expense but also a huge time saver. Kyle can have a full track built in about 14 -16 hours. We have a great team working with us and are excited to get this thing going.
MXP: The Pro rider line-up is shaping up nicely for the West Coast AX Championship with riders like Tyler Gibbs, Julien Benek, Blake Davies, Quinn Amyotte, and Dylan Rempel. The opening round will also be the debut of Amyotte and Rempel on their new rides. As it looks right now, which rider is the favourite to take the win on opening night?
RL: We have a very solid Pro line up with the guys you mentioned along with some other BC guys and hopefully pull a few guys from Washington state. It’s very hard to bet against our BC guys as they have the experience in there and are very good at AX and SX. Quinn is going to be tough as well as this will be his third year coming and knows the program. Either way, I think we are in for some good racing. If I had to pick a guy, I would love to see Benek at the front as he is coming off a bit of a break from racing but has been working hard and is hungry to get back to winning.
MXP: We want to ask you an industry question now. Would you agree that we are currently living in unprecedented times in our industry in Canada? For instance, the economy isn’t great right now, the Triple Crown Series is doing its absolute best to produce a great series, but still has no big series sponsor to help carry the load. However, the OEMs and teams are still spending money, signing riders, and doing everything they can to win championships. I mean, great for them and we hope they keep doing it, but it has to be really challenging. What are you seeing in our industry right now?
RL: My best way to describe the Powersports industry right now is weird. You’re right, the economy is not in the best place, but I can tell you there is a lot of people riding and racing dirt bikes and where the weird comes into play is that dealers and distributors like us are not overly busy which doesn’t make sense with the amount of people who are riding. I really think people are just hanging onto what they have, riding older bikes and maybe not buying the latest and greatest. Same goes for the nationals, it’s not normal for Canada to have a schedule out so soon, team spending and signing riders early in the fall. I like this as it gives our pro riders some comfort knowing what they have to work towards. Like I said it’s a weird time, it’s not terrible but not awesome either as far a business goes, so all we can do is ride the wave and keep plugging away.
