The 3 Q’s With Ryan Lockhart Presented By Matrix Concepts Canada

MXP: Hey Newf, the Future West Outdoor Series wrapped up last weekend in Kamloops. How was the race and overall how was the 2022 series?

RL: Overall the series was great. All the tracks we went to really did a great job with prep. Entries were up from previous years and injuries were low for the most part. We never had one mud race besides the one day at the WCAN. So all those things considered it was a win for the FW crew and the riders. I feel like we have some good momentum going for 2023 and hopefully we can get a few new tracks on board which is always a bonus.

MXP: With the outdoor series all done Future West announced more details on their 2022 AX Series. It sounds as though things are coming together nicely and you’re even going to have Tanner Ward out there to race in the pro class.

RL: It’s crazy how quickly AX has snuck up on us. Things are coming together a little easier this year as there are no more COVID restrictions and we can go back to the way we used to do things. We did learn from the way we ran things during COVID so we will also implement some of the things we learned to make things run smoother and better. The one thing that we have been missing the last few years is having a legit pro class with purse money. We are able to bring that back now that we can have spectators again. Tanner is confirmed and I know everyone is excited to get him back out here and hopefully we can get a few more guys coming from the east as it kind of lines up with Calgary. Also, with the border restrictions done away hopefully we get some Americans like we used to.

MXP: The newly formed FIM World SX Championships begin this weekend in Wales. What are your thoughts on this new series as well as the new SuperMotocross Series that was announced this week?

RL: Of course, as a fan of the sport I like it because it just gives all of us something else to watch and follow. It’s no question that not all of the industry is fully behind WSX, as we never really seem to accept a change that well. I really think that it’s great for the sport and it allows our riders to keep racing going year around. Now with saying that there are pros and cons but at the end of the day it’s giving riders jobs. The WSX goal I’m sure is to have the best of the best and I believe that is going to take some time but for right now it’s awesome for the rest of the riders to make some money. From what I have seen so far everything looks really professional and I cannot wait to watch it tomorrow.

SuperMotocross is a terrible name that’s for sure but once again it’s going to give riders a chance to make some more money. I guess you can chalk it up to this. It’s nice to see WSX, Feld, and MX Sports trying to improve things. For the longest time, it was MXGP, SX, and MX and it just seemed to go through the motions year after year so to have something new is exciting. Time will tell if it works or not!