Well, today is a special Monday as the first Solar Eclipse in 44 years is taking place this afternoon. The last full Solar Eclipse was on February 26th, 1979, and strangely enough I remember being in Grade 1 and we weren’t allowed to go out for recess, we had to sit in our classroom with the blinds closed and wait for the event to be over. Today, our kids have been given a day off school to ensure that they remain safe. It’s so cool when rare events like this happen, as it certainly reinforces the fact that we are a very small part in our universe.
The 2024 SuperMotocross Series took a well-deserved weekend off. After an exciting Triple Crown round in St Louis I think everyone needed a chance to catch their breath. A few weeks ago, it appeared that Jett Lawrence had his first 450SX Championship all but locked up. However, after a couple of sub-par races, he has now allowed the relentless Cooper Webb to get within 8-points of him with 5 races to go. This a dangerous spot to be in for Jett, as it not only brings a good dose of internal pressure to the rookie Australian, but it also opens the door for Webb to start applying even more pressure to Jett. This isn’t Webb’s first rodeo (I love that phrase), and over the years no one has been better at playing head games with other riders better than Webb. If this was hockey, Cooper Webb would be the player you’d hate to play against, but you’d love to have on your team. He’s also proven to be the best closer in Supercross, as his final lap charges on challenging tracks have become legendary in recent years. With the weather in the Boston area calling for cool temps and a chance of showers, the track will no doubt be soft and rutted by the time the gate drops for the 450SX main event. This will be an entertaining final five rounds. In one corner you have the young, Uber talented kid from Australia who has the ability to make this sport look more like a ballet than a race, in the other corner, is the short and scrappy man from North Carolina, who doesn’t care how he gets the job done, he just gets it done. It’s the perfect contrast in styles and attitude, and that means that we are in for a treat. I’d give Jett the clear edge in speed, but what Webb lacks in raw speed he makes up for in grit and determination. Throw Eli Tomac, and Chase Sexton in as potential spoilers, and you have possibly the most exciting final five rounds we’ve ever seen in Supercross.
On Saturday, my family and I headed to Gopher Dunes for their early April open house event. The track and pro shop was buzzing, as everyone was there to ride the perfectly prepped track, and take advantage of some of the great deals the Gopher Dunes crew were offering. Also, Dylan Wright was on hand as he had just returned from training down in Florida at the Lawrence Brother Compound. When I visited Dylan at the Compound a month ago, he looked in great form as he was busy preparing for the 2024 Triple Crown Series. Dylan told me on Saturday that his plan was to head back home to Quebec this week, and continue his training there. Then, in two weeks he’ll return to Gopher Dunes for the opening AMO race on April 21st, as well as Round 2 of the AMO OPC Series at Auburn Hills on May 5th. With this new “King of Ontario” Series that AMO has recently put together, our Pro riders now have the opportunity to make a decent amount of money at selected rounds. As much as they still love to ride their dirt bikes, money is what makes the world go around for most of our pro riders, so good on AMO for finally offering some real money to these guys. Also in my conversation with Dylan on Saturday I was telling him how much money was offered to Ontario pro riders back in the late 1990s and early 2000s; on any given day, I could make $1000 from the purse, another $1000 from OEM contingency, and then more contingency at the end of the series. I was fortunate enough to win 8 Ontario Provincial Championships for 1995-2000 against some very tough and talented riders. I loved those races as they were a great test of raw speed and intensity. Four 20 minute motos as fast as you could go, from the drop of the gate to the checkered flag, and then you left the track for the short drive home with a wad of cash in your wallet. With riders like Wright, Tanner Ward, Quinn Amyotte, Jess Pettis, Wyatt Kerr, (just to name a few) all planning on racing the opening two rounds, and lots of cash available to be won, it sounds as though AMO is doing their best in 2024 to reward the pro class like it was 20-25 years ago.
Speaking of our Canadian pro contingent and the 2024 Triple Crown Series. Last week, my esteemed colleague Billy Rainford over at DMX posted an excerpt from the Series Pro Rider Package that for this season only 30 riders will qualify in the 450 class. This opened up a hornets nest of comments (as I’m sure Billy knew it would), as people voiced either their agreement or disagreement of this new rule. Brett Lee probably had the best response as he laid some facts to back up why this isn’t such a bad thing. I get it, on paper it looks and sounds like the Triple Crown Series is going to hurt the sport by reducing the 450 motos to just 30 riders, thus sending ten unfortunate riders home with nothing to show for their efforts. Honestly though, it was a rarity last season that there were even 40 riders trying to qualify for the 450 motos, and of those riders who finished outside of the top 30, the speed difference between them and the top five was so great that at some races they were getting lapped multiple times. They also weren’t in any shape to maintain their speed for 20 minutes, let alone 35 minutes, so honestly, I don’t think this new rule is bad idea at all. In fact, I believe it adds a bit of prestige to the 450 class, as now qualifying means a little more. Also, if you’re a rider who wants to ride a Pro National in Canada, but you know you’re going to be in that 25-35 range in qualifying, then you’re going to feel the need (hopefully) to prepare a little more knowing that it’s going to be a challenge just to make it to the motos. This will make those riders better, they will also be safer on the track, and it improves the overall product of the 450 class at our Nationals. The racing improves, it’s more exciting right through the field, more people will want to watch, hopefully that brings in more money, and at the end of the day, more riders reap some rewards from it. Right now, the 450 class in Canada is very top heavy as far as riders who are making any kind of money from this sport. If this rule change helps improve the level and excitement of racing in the Triple Crown Series, then I’m all for it. I was actually going to go back to last year and give you some exact numbers and stats on how many 450 riders signed up at each round, but the Triple Crown Series web site is currently offline, so that information will have to wait. Perhaps a future solution would be that the number of riders who can qualify in the 450 class could be based on the percentage that sign up. For instance, if 35 sign up, then 30 spots are available, however, if 45 or even 50 sign up (wouldn’t that be nice) then 35-40 spots open up for the motos. I don’t know, maybe that would get complicated. Anyway, this is not the end of the world in the Triple Crown Series 450 class so let’s not treat it as such.
Well, that is it for me this week. I hope everyone has a great week, and I hope you enjoy the Solar Eclipse. Apparently, the next one isn’t until 2044, so get your fancy glasses on and take a good look at this one. Finally, I don’t know him, but I want to send a big congratulations out to Adam Cianciarulo, who announced that the SLC SX will be his final professional race. Adam’s pro career has been a bit of an enigma, as he just wasn’t able to get any traction. Yes, he won a 250 SX Championship, and that was awesome. But, injuries took their toll and at 27 years old, his body and mind have simply had enough. Thankfully, Adam has a great outgoing personality, and he’s well respected in this industry, so the future is very bright for him. If the stars align in this final five rounds of SX, then Adam will be able to go out on his terms, and after a long career on two wheels, that is all any athlete can ask for. Thank you for reading and have a great week.
