Greetings! Welcome to this early December edition of the Yamaha Motor Canada Monday Gate Drop column. Yes, the final month of the year has arrived, and with it comes celebration, reflection, and for most of us, the early stages of winter. We received our first dusting of snow this past weekend, and there is more in the forecast this week. After a very dry and pleasant fall I feel like this winter is going to come in like a lion.
Out in BC, the final two rounds of the 2024 Orion AMO AX Championships took place. Tyler Gibbs, who came into the weekend with the red plates in the Pro/AM class was looking to wrap up his first-ever pro title. It’s been a challenging few years for Gibbs as he’s bounced around from team-to-team searching for the program that will bring out the best in him. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to find any solid footing with any of the main teams in Canada, and also his time with the Creo KTM Team in the USA was limited to just one season. However, despite these inconsistent results, Tyler has become a popular rider in Canada as fans seem drawn to his aggressive and unpredictable style of riding. On the other side, his fellow riders have mixed feelings about how Gibbs rides, and this past weekend things got a little heated. I spoke to Tyler last night and he gave me his side of what went on this past weekend, and after listening to him I can honestly say that I see both sides of it. I understand Tyler’s thought process and why he rode with such aggression. After all, he had a title to win, as well as a decent amount of money. But, I can also understand why it didn’t go over well with some of his fellow riders (and their parents), and sometimes in the heat of the moment, emotions run high. Honestly though, when I got off the phone and was reflecting on what Tyler had told about the final night of racing in Chilliwack, it sounded like a typical night of AX racing anywhere on the planet. In short races on tight tracks, when a riders adrenaline is pumping, there is always going to be very aggressive riding, and sometimes you’re the nail, and sometimes you’re the hammer. In the end, it sounded like an exciting evening of racing in Chilliwack and the fans that were there loved it! From an entertainment stand point, this series was a winner and congratulations to everyone involved, including the new Pro-AM Champion Tyler Gibbs! Also, despite having to go to the hospital to get his hand attended to, Blake Davies was able to make his flight back to Georgia to continue his preparation for the 2025 Monster Energy Supercross Series. Blake is such a good kid and has such a bright future. Like everyone, I’ve enjoyed watching him progress, and ride with the maturity of a rider much older. I’m sure the lessons he learned during the past two weekends will serve him well in January when he takes on the best 250SX riders on the planet. Finally, great job to last year’s champ Quinn Amyotte, who fought right down to the final main event on Saturday to try and keep the #1 plate on his WLTN Kawasaki.
So with the Canadian race season officially over now, we look ahead to this week in the Middle East and the final round of the 2024 WSX Championships. The final round in Abu Dhabi actually takes place this Wednesday, and the Jetwerx built track should be another exciting one. Cole Thompson, who is fresh off a very successful weekend in Australia, where he finished second overall at the final round of the Australian SX Championships. This solid finish on Saturday evening also vaulted Cole back into second overall in the SX2 series, just behind his teammate Shane McElrath. This was another incredible series for our Canadian SX hero, and now Cole has one more overseas race before heading home to prepare for the 2025 Monster Energy Supercross Series. This will also be Eli Tomac’s first visit to Abu Dhabi, a city in which I honestly thought we’d never see him visit. Tomac is on the verge of wrapping up his first WSX Championship, and then like Thompson, he will head home to finish getting ready for Anaheim 1 on January 11th, 2025. The final round from Abu Dhabi will be shown on the DAZN App for free for residents of Canada.
In other Canadian racing news, the Honda Canada/GDR/Fox Racing Team has now finalized their roster for 2025. Dylan Wright, who signed a three year extension with the team last week, will once again lead the way as he attempts to retake the 450 class #1 plate from Jess Pettis. As I mentioned last week, Ryder McNabb is back with the GDR Honda Team after a short but successful stint with KTM. As we sit right now, McNabb has to be the favourite to win the 2025 250 Pro/AM class Triple Crown Series title as he will no doubt bring a lot of speed and confidence with him. Finally, Noah Viney will round out the trio of fast red riders for 2025. Viney is currently racing for the MCR Honda Team in the WSX Championships, and should be a podium threat next summer in the 250 Pro/AM class. As always, GDR Honda will field a very strong team in 2025, and are currently well positioned to challenge for both titles next summer.
Down in sunny Florida, the 2024 Thor Mini O’s took place last week and the Canadian rider of the week had to be young Mason Murdy. This kid has been riding well this year, and after finishing second to John Everett Pastureau at the Walton TransCan this summer, Murdy got his revenge last week by winning the 65 7-11 class at Gatorback Cycle Park. Congratulations to Mason, Milt Reimer, who grabbed third in the 55+ class, and to all of the Canadian riders who competed at this prestigious event.
Well, that is it for me this week. I hope everyone has a great first week of December. In the coming days, I will be posting a Holiday Buyer’s Guide complete with some great gift ideas. Have a great week and thank you for reading.
