The 3 Q’s With Ryan Lockhart Presented By Matrix Concepts Canada- Big Weekend Ahead!
MXP: Let’s begin this week with a question regarding the possibility of some young and talented USA riders coming north this summer to race in the Triple Crown Series. With talk of Tiger Wood joining the GDR Honda Team and Drew Adams needing some support from the WLTN Kawasaki. What are some of the challenges of bringing riders like this into or alongside an existing program like a top Canadian pro team, especially when they may have a few of their own sponsors?
RL: There aren’t really a lot of challenges that come along with it, to be honest. The issue is that it’s pretty late in the game here, and teams have had their budgets done for months, so when these opportunities come about, it creates a lot of thought regarding cost. Adding a rider to the team equals more bikes, parts, a mechanic, flights, hotels, etc. Anything is possible and can be worked through, but it takes time. That’s one side of it, but when you have a different rider who already has contracts from different sponsors, that is a whole other bag of worms for the team to figure out. At the end of the day, I think it’s great that these kids want to come up and ride, but for it to make sense for a Canadian team to fund it, there needs to be some support coming along with the rider as well.
MXP: The 2024 Regional race season is about to commence this weekend in Ontario and BC. For all participants, including some of our pro riders, this will mark the first gate drop of the season. What specific approach did you adopt when you were utilizing these races as a strategic tune-up for the upcoming pro-national series?
RL: I always come in with the mindset of wanting to win and show that I did my homework over the winter. I have always been a believer that these races are good for confidence, gate drops, and training. They are also a good place to see if the program you are on is working or not. They are early enough that if there is work to be done, there is still time.
MXP: Okay, you said last week that you thought Jett Lawrence would come out swinging in Foxborough. You weren’t alone in that thinking, but Cooper Webb came out in the end and had his best race of the season. Heading into Nashville this weekend, young Jett will feel pressure he’s never felt before. Is the ball officially in Webb’s court, or does Jett still hold the upper hand, as he does have the most race wins in 2024?
RL: This series just keeps getting better and better. I still go with Jett, as he has the most speed and can win on any given night, but letting Cooper Webb get back into this late in the series has to be stressful for Jett and the Honda camp. I would argue Webb is the best this sport has ever seen when under pressure. I’m still sticking with Jett to pull this off, but my percentage of him winning the 450SX Championship is getting slightly lower.
