The 3 Q’s With Ryan Lockhart Presented By Matrix Concepts Canada- The Gate Has Dropped!



MXP: Hey Newf! Let’s begin with the opening round of the Future West MX Series, which took place this past weekend at Whispering Pines Raceway. How did it go, and were you happy with the number of entries?
RL: The weekend exceeded everyone’s expectations. We had 555 entries, a future West record minus the two WCANS. The weekend went pretty smoothly for the most part, but we ran into some issues on Saturday with the wind. We had to move six motos to Sunday as it got so windy we couldn’t put any water on the track, and it got super dusty. It’s so dry right now in the interior of BC; it’s scary. Sunday ran well and I think everyone was happy at the end of the day. There were tons of new racers, which is always encouraging to see, and a strong showing from Alberta made the race feel special and just had a different vibe than a regular local race.

MXP: Last weekend, the Nashville SX unfortunately turned into the Smashville SX, and several top riders crashed and suffered injuries. Was it the track that caused problems, or just bad luck?
RL: To be honest, I really think it was just bad luck. The track was very basic, and I actually didn’t mind it since it wasn’t rut city out there for once. It’s a bummer to see, but for Kenny and Chase, those were weirdo bike failures, and the Kitchen, Macaddo deal was just racing. I mean, just when you think anything could get wilder in this 2024 SX series, it does. There are three rounds to go, and I’m still excited to watch.

MXP: We won’t mention any names, but say you’re a young pro rider who wants to have a great summer in the Triple Crown Series. If you were one of those riders, what would you be doing in the next five weeks to make sure you’re ready to battle the established stars of the series?
RL: It’s simple! Race as many races as you can. If you are one of those kids, you need to line up and see where you are at. It’s easy to think you’re prepared when you’re riding at the practice track in your comfort zone, but until you get some gate drops in, you really don’t know where you stand. If you wait until Calgary for the first gate drop, it’s too late.
