Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
Canadian motocross riders are used to having a long, and extended off-season from riding and racing. Due to Mother Nature showering us with winter in almost all parts of our country, it’s not possible to ride outdoors for all twelve months of the year. So, whether you’re a pro rider or an amateur rider, time-off is just a normal part of our yearly routine. However, because of our cold winters I feel like it gives us an appreciation for riding. When spring arrives and we hit the track for the first time that year, it always feels special. That was the feeling I had yesterday when my son and I arrived at Gopher Dunes for their official first day of open practice. The smell and sounds of the bikes, and of course seeing all the kids that are 4-6 inches taller than they were the last time I saw them are always highlights of the day. Yes, riding season in Southern Ontario has finally begun and considering there were about 250 riders at Gopher Dunes yesterday, I’d say everyone was excited about it.
We had a great day at Gopher Dunes yesterday and as I said it was great to see so many happy riders enjoying the rough track and abundance of March sunshine. I’m sure there are a few sore riders this morning as for some, the first few rides of the season are always a shock to the system. It was also great to catch up with Gopher Dunes track owner Derek Schuster and get his take on opening day, as well as the upcoming 2023 Triple Crown Series. Derek currently has his two riders (Dylan Wright and Jacob Piccolo) training down in Florida at the Lawrence Brother’s compound. Derek told me that both riders are doing well and everything is going as planned as far as training and testing. To his credit, Dylan has been posting content on Social Media almost daily, so it’s easy to follow his progression. Jacob doesn’t post as much, but I’m sure he’s enjoying the GDR Honda Florida boot camp. It’s beginning to get hot in Florida and the Lawrence Brothers are getting ready to switch to outdoor training, so I’m sure there are some fast laps being put in by everyone there. We’ve all witnessed how good Dylan Wright has been in recent years in the 450 class. Now imagine how complete a rider he’s going to be this summer after spending a few months riding with Jett and Hunter Lawrence, two of the most technically sound riders the sport has even seen. Not to mention if their trainer and mentor Johnny O’Mara is there to weigh in on Dylan’s progress. Throw in Dylan’s now healthy knees, I think we’re going to see an even better Dylan Wright this summer.
Also, speaking of taking time off and being excited to ride again. I spoke to Tanner Ward briefly on Friday afternoon as he was on I-75 crossing into the great state of Tennessee. Tanner was on his way to the GPF Training facility in Cairo, GA to begin riding for the first time since he injured his knee back in November. Tanner’s recovery has been nothing short of amazing. He’s about a month ahead of schedule from when he was scheduled to return to riding. I could hear the excitement in his voice as with every mile he put in, the temperature outside was increasing and he was getting closer to his destination. What an exciting time for the newly signed WLTN/Kawasaki/Seven Race Team rider as he begins his comeback from an off-season knee surgery. It was also cool to see some Social Media content of Tanner’s new teammate (Justin Bogle) out riding his new Kawasaki in California last week. Bogle looks good on green and seeing him ride just gets you excited for the opening round of the Triple Crown Series in June.
Moving onto the Monster Energy Supercross Series, did the Seattle area ever get lucky with the weather on Saturday! It was supposed to rain all day and remain cold throughout the evening, but thankfully those poor conditions never materialized and the track was about as good as it gets for March in the Pacific Northwest. On the track, the action was once again action packed as our own Cole Thompson came from behind to finish tenth in the 250SX West main event. It was a great ride by CT16 and now he sits in 9th place in the points standings with a few rounds remaining. A top ten overall finish for Cole would be amazing and it would most certainly cap-off an amazing past seven months of racing for him. Julien Benek and Parker Eales were also racing in Seattle. Benek had a good day going until a crash in the night show resulted in a broken thumb. As for Eales, he rode good as well and finished 16th in the 450SX LCQ. The 250SX West main event was dominated by Jett Lawrence who appears to be on another level right now. I cannot wait to see him in the 450SX class next year as he’s just that good!
In the 450SX class, Eli Tomac showed us why he’s still the rider to beat. He fought his way to the front in the main event and then was able to maintain a two-second gap over Cooper Webb. It was a fast pace at the front of the pack and to see the speed and determination of both Tomac and Webb was outstanding. Even Justin Barcia, who came from behind and with a few more laps might have passed Webb for second was impressive. Barcia is going to win a main event soon, if he can just somehow get a great start. Last weekend in Detroit he was near the front early, but for whatever reason faded back a little. Maybe he likes being the guy who charges from behind and doesn’t like dealing with the extra pressure of being up front early in the main event. As for Tomac, his ride was unbelievable in Seattle as I don’t think he made any big mistakes while leading. He knew it was a must-win as Webb has been the better rider since the Daytona SX. This win moved Tomac into a tie for the points lead with Webb and it also allowed him to tie James Stewart for second all-time in 450SX main event wins. This is an amazing feat and congratulations to Tomac, his family, and his Star Racing Yamaha Team. Both Stewart and Tomac have 50 wins and now Eli just needs 22 more to tie “The King” Jeremy McGrath. With Tomac possibly racing his final season, I feel like McGrath’s remarkable record is fairly safe. It was great to see Tomac bounce back in Seattle as now the series takes its first break of the season. As a rider and championship contender you always want to win the race before taking a weekend off. I think this gives Tomac the mental advantage heading into Glendale in two weeks, as Webb admittedly did everything he could to catch and pass Tomac but was unable to. I’m happy that these riders have a weekend off but, it now begs the question of what are we all going to do on Saturday night?
Well, that is it for me this week. I hope everyone has a great final few days in March and I know when I speak for everyone when I say that April cannot come soon enough. Don’t forget, Gopher Dunes will be opened tomorrow from 11am-7pm. Thank you for reading and if you have any questions or comments, please email me at chris@mxpmag.com.
