Greetings! Welcome to another edition of the Monday Gate Drop Column, which is once again presented by Yamaha Motor Canada. This past week we got the opportunity to watch our 2025 Triple Crown Series 250 class Champion Preston Kilroy spin some laps at the famous Georgia Practice Facility (GPF). Preston had flown to Florida from his home in Utah to ride and do some testing with his MX101 Yamaha Team, so one day last week they decided to drive over to GPF. It was great to watch Preston and his young Intermediate teammate Jonathan Bergeron ride on the rough GPF track. Both riders looked smooth as always and it appeared like Preston has picked up exactly where he left off last summer. I love watching PK ride as he’s just so efficient on the motorcycle. Honestly, I believe that is the best word to describe his riding. His line choice is almost always perfect, he knows how to carry speed on a 250F, and he’s one of those riders who doesn’t look like he’s going fast, until you see his lap times. Anyway, it was a real treat spending the days with the MX101 Yamaha boys, and I cannot wait to see them race this summer.
My son and I have now been at GPF for two weeks, and I cannot sing the praises of this facility enough. It might not have the glam of say a ClubMX, or the notoriety of its neighbour MTF, but when it comes to the property and the track itself, it has been perfect so far. Located in an area of Southwest Georgia that is fairly flat, the GPF property actually has some elevation changes to it, both in the paddock as well as on the track. Also, unlike the MTF training facility right next door which is just an open field, GPF has an abundance of tall pine trees which are not only nice to look at, but also provide some shade on those hot Georgia days. Even if there wasn’t a track here, the GPF property would make an excellent camp ground. As for the tracks here, there are now three as the GPF crew built a brand new SX track last week. This track is obviously for pro riders only, but the other two-the main track and the SMX track are both great for riding and training on. I really love the main track as I believe it’s great training for our tracks in Canada. It has a harder clay base if you really dig down. However, on top it’s a great mixture of sand and loam. The layout is also fun as there are elevation changes, as well as a few well placed jumps. It also changes throughout the day, so riders have to remain aware of the varying conditions. The part I like most about the main track at GPF is that other than the big uphill step-up triple jump, there really aren’t any places to rest and I think that is a big reason why it’s such a good training track. I’ve always felt that even when I wasn’t in great shape I could sometimes find a flow on a full sand track and it gave me a false sense of how prepared I was for the season. On a sand track you can get away with using mostly your legs to control the bike and find that nice smooth flow. I mean, it’s still challenging, don’t get me wrong, but you end up not having to hold on that tight with your hands. On the GPF main track, you have to use your arms as well as your legs to control the bike and that obviously makes your body (and mind) work that much harder. You can see why a top rider like Colton Facciotti would travel to GPF to spend three months riding and training and then go home and be 100% ready for the Nationals. I know we’ve only been here two weeks, but so far I can’t find any negatives to the tracks or the facility.
So, other than what I just described, what are the true benefits for spending some time at a training facility? Compared to my days as a pro rider, where I would spend a month living in a cheap motel in Ocala, Florida travelling to one of about four local tracks each day to ride. Most pro riders these days pick one or two tracks and camp there from mid-February to mid-April. Take Kawasaki SSR Rider Sebastien Racine, who came down South in February and spent his first two weeks shaking the rust off at several tracks in Central Florida, before joining us for the past two weeks at GPF. From GPF, Sebastien will travel over to WW Ranch MX Park near Jacksonville to finish off his riding and training before returning home to race the opening round of the 2026 AMO OPC Series at Gopher Dunes. As I said, this type of program is common practice for pro riders these days as it allows them to maximize their time on the bike. For amateur riders, I personally don’t feel like you need as much time down South as our pro riders do, but it’s certainly beneficial to head somewhere warm to ride in March and get a head start on the riding season. Especially, if you plan on racing some Lorreta Lynn’s qualifiers, as they begin in late March and early April. But, for the average rider, who just wants to be ready to race at their local regions season opener, then at least two weeks riding down South in March should do the trick. I say two weeks simply because after not riding all winter, it takes a week to feel comfortable again and get your hands toughened up and then by the second week you begin to feel better on the bike, that is when you’re going to make some gains in your riding. With this program in mind, I do like the idea of picking one or two tracks and just focusing your time and effort there. For us at GPF, although my son isn’t part of their official training camp, he’s still up early and on the track by 9:30, either with a group or just a few other riders. If he wants to jump in and do motos with the main group, then the trainers here have been very accommodating as there are a few riders who are staying at GPF and trying to ride and train on their own. If you wanted to sign up for the training here as young Ontario 85cc rider Hart Quinlan has, this works too, all you have to do is follow the trainers directions. As I mentioned, I have always travelled to different tracks whenever I’ve come down South, even the past two years we’ve stayed in different spots and rode different tracks. But, I like what we’re doing this year, so far each day has been maximized with riding, training, and recovery.
Well, that is it for me this week. I hope everyone is enjoying March so far. This coming weekend, we officially welcome in the Spring of 2026, so hopefully you get to experience some real Spring weather to go along with it. Congratulations to Tanner Ward who went 22-11 for 15th OA at the opening round of the 2026 British Championships at the famous Hawkstone Park track. Finally, my pick for the Motovan Canada Rider of the Week is Tyler Medaglia, who took first overall at the ClubMX J Day Off-Road race this past weekend. Thank you for reading, and if you have any comments or questions please feel free to email me at editor@mxpmag.com.
