Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
MXP: Hey Newf! Overall, how was your weekend in Calgary?
RL: It was a really good weekend. We had a lot of fun, and it was great to see everyone in Calgary celebrating the final round of this successful series. I enjoyed just being there and hanging out with my family as I only wore my ‘dad’ hat, which isn’t normal. I was stoked for my son Meston to make the Open 65cc main event, which was a big confidence booster for him. I guess the only bummer of the weekend was you bailing on me Friday evening and not coming out for a drink (lol).
MXP: There were some great battles in Calgary, and Julien Benek’s final lap pass for the win on Mitchell Harrison was special. One of the top riders who wasn’t in Calgary was GDR Honda rider Jacob Piccolo. Do you have any updates on Jacob’s health and what his plans are for this winter?
RL: Yes, the racing between Harrison and Julian was awesome, and it doesn’t get much better when we see a last-lap pass for the lead in the season’s last race. As far as Jake goes, there is little to report. He has been to the doctor and had some tests completed, but so far, everything has come back normal for the most part. As of right now, the plan is to continue to get more tests done and have them sent to a specialist to ensure we are not missing something. We need him to race the four rounds of AMO AX at the end of the month, then start to get plans together for him to head back down to Florida in the new year. This year has been a disaster for Jake, and we all need him to rebound big time for 2024.
MXP: There was a lot of racing last weekend, both in North America and overseas. We want to get your thoughts on two subjects. First, what did you think of Vince Friese’s riding over in Abu Dhabi? It sounds as though a few riders wanted to kill him. Also, it was announced this week that Jorge Prado will ride the 2024 Monster Energy SX Series opening rounds.
RL: I was okay with Vince’s aggressive passes and take-outs as I respect his desire to win and make money to a certain point, but it was a complete joke with the cross-jumping/ brake checking and the cutting track. Like Vince, that’s not racing. He is becoming more of a hazard out there the older he gets, and he’s really going to hurt someone. The Prado thing is interesting, and when I see him lining up at A1, I will really believe it. If you are the KTM Group, why would you let him ride three SX races before the MXGP Series when he’s the defending champion? How will he train for SX and be ready for Round 1 of MXGP, which starts in February? It all just seems odd to me, but if it’s all true, then awesome. I would love to see it, but I’m not sold on it until I see him on track come A1.
