Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
MXP: Hey Newf! The Great Outdoor season is kicking off this weekend at Fox Raceway in California. Who do you have winning this weekend in the 250 and 450 classes?
RL: I feel the hype is low for the start of this outdoor season. Lots of big names guys are out with injuries, and with guys doing WSX, it leaves the field a little weak compared to previous years. On the 450 side of things, Jett Lawrence will be the guy to beat, especially after we say what he did at MXON last year on the 450. However, you can’t count out Sexton, as he came close to winning this title last summer. The 250 class is a bit more of a crap shoot with Hunter Lawrence, Jeremy Martin, RJ Hampshire, and you would have to think that former World Champion Tom Vialle is going to be legit. Justin Cooper, Joe Shimoda, the list of fast riders in the 250 class is long. For this weekend, I will go with Jett Lawrence and Tom Vialle to win this weekend.
MXP: In Canada, the Triple Crown Series kicks off next weekend in Edmonton. We’re just a week away from all of the action, so that’s exciting. Round 1 has a slightly different program with three shorter moto’s and the first gate drop will be at 4 pm on Saturday. Do you like this schedule for Round 1, and does it open the door for perhaps an unlikely winner?
RL: I can’t believe Round 1 is here already! I can’t say if I like the format or not because we have never seen anything like this in Canada. Of course, this makes it interesting because we are all wondering how it will play out. The 4 pm moto start is going to be strange. It’s going to be a long day waiting around for this thing to get going, but what I will say is regardless if the night goes good or bad, I don’t think there will be a ton to take away from this as far as predicting what the rest of the series has in store. Short moto’s, and smooth hybrid track might not show how the off-season was for the top riders. These guys have been training for 30-minute motos since March, so for me, Kamloops will be the first big test for everyone.
MXP: This past week, the news dropped that Tyler Gibbs and the TLD/GASGAS/SSR Team parted ways. With a week to go before the opening round, this is not ideal for either party involved. What is your take on this unfortunate situation?
RL: Yes, it’s a huge bummer all around. Of course, there are two sides to every story, but with it being this close to Round 1, I’m not sure why a solution couldn’t be found to make this work, as parting was a week before screws both parties. I get it this stuff happens but what now for Gibbs? Privateer and maybe get a fill-in ride at some point. I have heard that he will ride a Kawasaki in the 450 class. I hope he does well this summer, and I hope he’s ready for 35-minute motos.. As for the TLD GASGAS Team, having Sam Gaynor jump in and race the 250 class makes sense for everyone right now.
