Greetings! Welcome to this snowy edition of the Monday Gate Drop, which is once again brought to you by the incredible crew at Yamaha Motor Canada. Yes, I said snow, as most of Ontario suffered through their first snowfall of the season on Sunday. I’m sure it’s not here to stay as it’s still pretty early in the season, but with the sun setting early now, and several inches of fresh white stuff on the ground, it certainly looks and feels like winter outside.
One place that didn’t look cold this weekend was down in Argentina at the opening round of the 2025 WSX Championships. Buenos Aires seemed like an odd place to kick off this prestigious Global series as it’s so out of the way, however, from what I’m hearing, the fans and the city absolutely embraced the WSX coming to their part of the world. Even after the racing was all done, the fans hung around the paddock collecting all of the memorabilia they could get their hands on. With some of the riders going through multiple clutches, the teams ended up with a lot of burnt out clutch plates at the end of the evening; so once the all the jersey’s, goggles, and plastics were given away, fans were even taking individual clutch plates as souvenirs. This was great to hear, as a media person watching the race on television, it wasn’t quite what we’re used to seeing as far as the presentation, and the make shift stadium they used, but the track looked good. To hear that the fans were going crazy for the riders and for the racing, is certainly great for the sport of SX, and for the series as it moves into Round 2 this weekend in Vancouver. Let’s take a look at how several of the big names did on Saturday evening in Buenos Aires.
Ken Roczen: SX1 Class Winner
Heading into the opening round I felt that Ken Roczen and Justin Cooper were the obvious favourites to win the SX1 class. With the WSX format consisting of three short main events and Roczen being one of the best sprinters in this sport, he is going to be tough to beat anytime he lines up. In the end, Roczen dominated the racing in Argentina and looked great doing it. His throttle control and precision were perfectly suited to the slippery track conditions. As for Justin Cooper, he also rode great, but was just a hair off of Roczen’s pace in the main events. Also, Cooper struggled a little with his starts, while Kenny was a holeshot machine. These two are certainly the favourites again heading into Vancouver, along with a new KTM rider named Eli Tomac.
Cole Thompson: 4th Overall (SX2 class)
At the opening round this past weekend Cole Thompson basically did what Cole always does. He rode fast and smooth, and did what he could to finish inside the Top 5. At times, Cole did appear to have podium speed on Saturday evening but, if he wants to break into the Top 3, he’s going to have to get some better starts. Either way, I thought he looked great on his Venum Bud Racing Kawasaki, and racing this coming weekend in front of his hometown fans should give him an extra boost.
Noah Viney: 13th Overall (SX2 class)
The highlight of Noah Viney’s evening had to be holeshotting the opening main event in the SX2 class. For several laps, Viney ran near the front of the pack looking very comfortable on his Moto Concepts Honda. From there, Viney would go backwards, and at the end of the night, he finished way back in 13th overall. So while I don’t see Viney finishing inside the Top 5 in this series, I can see him being a consistent 6-10 rider in the SX2 main events. Noah is a great SX rider, and I’m quite sure he’ll get things sorted out for this coming weekend in Vancouver.
Haiden Deegan- 3rd Overall (SX1 class)
Obviously, with this being Deegan’s first-ever race on a 450, there was a lot of hype surrounding him down in Argentina. A few weeks back Deegan announced he would be racing both the opening round, as well as Round 3 down in Australia on a 450; so naturally everyone tuned in to see how the young phenom would make out on the heavier and more powerful machine. Well, if we look beyond the hype and the hardcore Deegan fans that just want to see him battle Jett Lawrence as soon as possible, and just focus on how he rides the 450; I would give him a 5/10 as far as technique and his ability to contain and maneuver a 450 around a SX track. Deegan did look fast at times, and his speed through the whoops was solid, but his corner speed was lacking compared to Roczen, Cooper, and even Jason Anderson. If this was Anaheim 1, then Deegan would have been battling for a Top 10 finish in my opinion. The way I see it, what makes Deegan so fast and fun to watch on a 250, is going to cause him major issues on a 450 in high intensity race conditions. He reminds me a lot of James Stewart when he was making the transition from a 125 to a 250. Like Deegan, James was fast and super aggressive, and regardless of the conditions, he could always find a way to outride his competition. When JS7 moved up to a 250, he found out quickly that he just couldn’t ride like that. One could argue that while Stewart did change his riding style a little later in his career and won multiple championships, his sometimes overly aggressive riding style led to a shorter career then it should have. Deegan could be headed down the same path as Stewart if he doesn’t rein in his aggressive, over-reving riding style. On Saturday in Argentina, he was fast while on his way to third overall in the SX1, but he did burn through a few clutches when he probably didn’t need to.
Well, that was the opening round of the 2025 WSX Championships, and now the series moves to Vancouver for Round 2. As I mentioned, I’m headed out to BC this weekend for the big race, and then I will remain on the West Coast all week, before heading to Chilliwack for the opening weekend of the West Coast AX Series. I’m actually staying with Ryan Lockhart all week, so I’m sure he will be putting me to work as he and Kyle Beaton prepare for their opening weekend of AX racing in Chilliwack. I’m really excited to head out west. It’s been seven years since I’ve spent any time in the Vancouver area, and twelve years since I’ve attended the Chilliwack AX. Hopefully, the weather is nice for my stay, and also stay tuned for a full dealer profile on the Maple Ridge Motorsports Dealership. I will be spending some time there next week visiting Troy and Sandra Smith as they transition the store into the winter season. It should be a great week in BC, and I cannot wait! Finally, it’s going to be very cool to see Eli Tomac make his racing debut on his new Red Bull KTM this Saturday in Vancouver. Here is the link for all you need to know for Chilliwack AX: All You Need To Know- 2025 GA Checkpoint Yamaha Motor Canada West Coast AX – Motocross Performance Magazine
Last week, the WLTN Kawasaki Team announced that they have signed Sebastien Racine to race in the 450 class next summer. This is a great deal for both sides, not only does Kawasaki get a rider who will no doubt battle for podiums and even race wins in the 450 class, but Racine gets to be the only 450 rider under the tent of a factory race team. Something that he very badly wanted for 2026. Racine is coming off a solid summer in the Triple Crown Series, where he won motos aboard his MX101 Yamaha YZ250; however, for the past two off-seasons he spent most of the time training on a 450, so he knows how to ride the bigger and more powerful bike. Also, last month he did battle Pettis very hard at a local money race in West Virginia. I think Racine is more than ready to move up to the 450 class, and it couldn’t come at a better time as I think this class needs some new blood. Here is a excerpt from the official WLTN Kawasaki Team press release.
WLTN Kawasaki is proud to announce the extension of its partnership with Canadian Kawasaki Motors as the team enters its fourth year together. After a standout 2025 season that delivered wins and the 450 Pro Canadian Championship, both sides are committed to building on the momentum and further growing the program in 2026.
?The relationship between WLTN Kawasaki, Walton Raceway, and supporting partners has become a strong platform for racing success, rider development, and community impact, all built on a shared vision.
“Canadian Kawasaki Motors is very proud of the partnership we have with WLTN Kawasaki,” said Jacob Black of Canadian Kawasaki Motors. “The entire organization represents our spirit of competition, and helps us spread the Good Times with school tours, kids camps, events, and more. This is so much more than just a race team, and we are excited for what’s to come. Bring on 2026!”
Well, that is it for me this week. I hope everyone has a great week, and please don’t forget to take a moment tomorrow and honour all of the men and women of our Armed Forces. We wouldn’t be enjoying our current way of life if it weren’t for these brave souls. November 11th is Remembrance Day, and we should never ever forget! Finally, this week I’m doing something a little different for the Motovan Canada Rider of the Week. Instead of a rider, I’m going to honour a young hockey player who unfortunately, lost his life this past weekend while playing the game he loved in my local area. Tyler Gagne was a talented 17 year old hockey player who not only was successful on the ice, but was also loved and adored off of the ice by friends, family, teammates, and just about everyone who knew him. So, if you have a moment today, please think of Tyler and his family, and give your own loved ones, an extra big hug. Thank you for reading, and if you have any questions or comments, please email them to me at editor@mxpmag.com.
