MXP: Hey Newf! So, the 2024 Orion.ca AMO AX Championships is now in the books. Overall, how did it go, and were you happy with the turnout?
RL: I think Ryan Gauld was pleased with how things went. It’s a big risk for him to travel across the country and be gone for three weeks to run an event, but I would say it went great. Everything from the rider entry, schools, track rentals, and spectators was up over last year. That’s a win for everyone. Kyle Beaton built two great tracks with a bit of everything for all skill levels, and the riders seemed to enjoy themselves. AMO runs a tight program, which took the BC people a day or so to get used to, but all in all, it went smoothly.
MXP: With the Pro-Am class title going down to the final main event, it sounds as though things got heated on and off the track. What did you see, and was it over the top or just good old-fashioned AX racing?
RL: The Pro racing was exciting from start to finish, to be honest. When Colin Jurin popped in, no one could touch him, but he was only here for two of the four nights. When he wasn’t here, three or four guys could win, which is always awesome to watch. As far as the last night of racing, I wouldn’t say it was over the top, but more of just guys who wanted to win, and the battle was close. Tyler Gibbs is aggressive out there, and it may rub people the wrong way, but what happened in the first corner was racing. If that same move had happened in the third or fourth corner, it would have been a dirty move, but with how the first corner shaped up, it was just one of those things. Of course, when you are on the receiving end of it, you don’t always look at it that way. I love watching guys wanting to win rather than guys looking to just collect money.
MXP: Earlier this week, the Honda Canada/GDR/Fox Racing Team finalized their roster for 2025. Dylan Wright is obviously back and locked in for several more years. Ryder McNabb is back and, right now, the most likely favorite to win the 250 Pro-Am class title. We thought the GDR Team might bring Tiger Wood back for another season, but they’ve opted to go with Noah Viney.
RL: Yes, the team is all finalized, which is a nice feeling, considering it still being early in the off-season. There are still some things that we are waiting on to see if Ryder will be on the 250 or 450, and that should be all figured out soon. We loved having Tiger last year, but it was never the plan for him to be here long team. He has big goals in the US, and I wish him all the best. Hopefully, we can all cross paths in the future. As far as Noah goes, we have a great history with him and his family. We do see a lot of potential with him, and this will be the first full season that he will be officially part of the team. Noah has a lot of potential, and we know he is capable of running up front every weekend. Also, with his presence in the USA, he does bring some things to the team, which allows us the budget to have three riders instead of two.
