Greetings! Welcome to one of the final Monday Gate Drops of 2024. Yes, we only have three Monday’s remaining before we turn the page to a new year, and with it, new opportunities to look for success. For all riders, welcoming in a new year can either be a chance to reset, or carry on with what they accomplished this past season. So, whether you’ve had a good year, or a bad year, I hope you enjoy these final few weeks of 2024, and I also hope that the new year brings you peace and happiness.
With racing all done for the year, and everyone winding things down for the Christmas holidays, there isn’t a lot going on right now in Canadian moto. Several of our riders and their families are either down south, or getting ready to spend the next few weeks in warmer climates riding and training. My family had thought about heading to Florida for a week to ride, but with a busy hockey schedule, and some quiet time needed, we decided to stay put and try and enjoy all that winter has to offer in Canada. Also, as much as I’d love to spend the holidays wearing shorts and t-shirts every day, I really dislike coming back home in early January, and then having two months of real winter remaining. However, for those who are heading south for the holidays, enjoy it and please bring home some sunshine for the rest of us.
On the schedule side of things, there are a couple of big ones to be released this week. The 2025 Ontario MX race schedule (AMO Racing) is slated to be released on Wednesday, so everyone can begin planning for that. I haven’t heard of any new tracks for AMO Racing in 2025, so I’m assuming the new schedule will look similar to the one this year. The AMO Racing schedule works well for everyone involved, so why change a good thing. Finally, the long anticipated 2025 Triple Crown Series schedule is also coming out this week as the MRC crew is just putting the finishing touches on it. I believe the opening round will be back in Calgary again in early June, then it’s onto Cold Lake, AB for Round 2, and then to a track on the Alberta/Saskatchewan border for Round 3, before heading east for the usual five races. As far as the WCAN is concerned, it could be in conjunction with the opening round at Wild Rose MX, which would be interesting to say the least. As I said, we will know more this week and then we can all begin to get excited for 2025.
Onto the riders of the 2025 Triple Crown Series. In the 450 class, we know that the two top dogs will be Jess Pettis and Dylan Wright. I think you can also throw Tanner Ward into that mix, as well as Ryder McNabb, who could also race the 450 class in 2025. I honestly like McNabb racing a 450 if that is what he chooses to do. With the way he rides, I think McNabb’s style is suited quite well to a 450, and I think he’d be a podium threat each weekend. One of the top 450 riders who won’t be back next summer is the likeable Kiwi Josiah Natzke. This past weekend Natzke announced via Social Media that he had signed a deal with New Zealand Honda to race there over the summer (remember summer is just beginning in NZ now). I reached out to him to see if the Honda deal was just for the next few months, and would he be back in Canada for the Triple Crown Series? Natzke told me that he won’t be coming back to Canada in 2025, which is really sad news if you ask me. Natzke has been a fixture in the Triple Crown Series for the past few seasons, and he’s been a lot of fun to watch. He’s also been great to deal with off of the track and I will certainly miss getting his perspective on racing. Hopefully, this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Josiah Natzke as I’d love to see him come back to Canada one day and battle with our best riders. With that said, I don’t know what the KTM Canada Race Team is going to do now for a 450 rider. With only Dylan Rempel signed right now, and Kaven Benoit retiring from full time racing, the KTM Team currently has no one to race in the 450 class. Also, it’s not easy to just go out and find not only a 450 rider, but a 450 rider who can challenge for a championship. However, the one thing that the KTM Group has shown us is their ability to find riders who can win. The fact that they have been very quiet in recent weeks, tells me that they’re working on something big. All we can do is wait and see!
Finally, I leave this piece of news until the end of this column, simply because it deserves to be highlighted. This past summer at the final round of the Triple Crown Series at Walton Raceway, multi-time WMX and TransCan Champion Eve Brodeur announced that she would not be returning to the track in 2025. At the time, everyone was sad as it marked the end of Eve’s incredible racing career. However, I kind of thought that after having a few months to reflect and recharge, Eve might decide to keep going and race at least one more season. But, with today’s ‘Merci Eve’ video from Eve’s KTM Canada family, it is now official news that Eve has decided to retire from full time competition. I have mixed feelings about Eve retiring as I watched and cheered her on for many years. On one hand, it saddens me because I generally don’t like change, and in this case I’d love to see Eve race forever. But, on the other hand, I’m happy for Eve and her family as the success she’s enjoyed has given them a lifetime of memories.
Whenever a sport loses an athlete like Eve to retirement, it always creates a large void both on and off of the track. Eve’s results obviously speak for themselves, multiple WMX Championships, a plethora of moto wins and great battles over the years, she is a true motocross legend in this Country. On the podium, she was always quick to congratulate her competition, whether she won or lost. That is the sign of a true professional in my books. But even with all of that, it’s how Eve was off of the track that impressed me the most. Whether it was in the paddock, at KTM Canada function, or even at a hotel or airport, Eve always was nice and had time to talk and, she was like that with everyone, not just media people like myself. This is what made her such a great ambassador for motocross in Canada. Finally, as a fellow race Dad, it’s been a pleasure to watch Eve and her Dad Sylvain’s relationship evolve over the years. I’ve always said that motocross is the best family sport on the planet, Eve and her Mom and Dad are certainly a great example of how a family should be at the track. Eve, it’s been a pleasure to watch you grow up and find so much success on the race track. As you transition into the next phase of your life, I wish you success and happiness. Thank you for all you’ve done for motocross in Canada, you certainly leave the sport in a better place than when you started. Merci Eve!
Well, that it is for me this week. I hope everyone has a great week and thank you for reading this week’s Monday Gate Drop. If you have any comments or questions, please email me at editor@mxpmag.com.
