Greetings from beautiful Calgary, Alberta. We have been in this incredible part of the country since Wednesday last week, and we plan to stay for another week. This past weekend we attended the opening round of the 2024 Triple Crown Series at Wild Rose MX Park, and this week we’re heading south to Lethbridge for the 2024 WCAN. The weather looks great, and from what I’ve heard the Temple Hill Raceway crew are working hard on the track and facility to ensure this event will be great. Of course, I will have updates from the track everyday beginning Wednesday.
Well, the moment we were waiting for finally took place this past weekend at Wild Rose MX Park in Calgary. With a loud ‘clang’ made by the metal starting gate hitting the concrete pad, the gate dropped on the opening moto of the 2024 Triple Crown Series. The day started off with several exciting FXR Pre-Mix and Thor WMX motos, which saw Brock Hoyer and American Viviana Contreras taking the overall wins. Hoyer dominated both Pre-Mix motos over Dexter Seitz, and Joey Parkes. In the Thor WMX motos, Contreras and Brodeur traded moto wins to begin what is no doubt going to be an exciting west series. Just as the second WMX moto was wrapping up the skies darken and a 20 minute rain shower moved through the area. This rain left the track extremely greasy as the opening 250 Pro/Am moto were getting ready on the gate. As you can imagine, the anticipation was high as the gate dropped and the 250 riders left the gate. To no one’s surprise, the first holeshot of 2024 went to KTM Canada rider Kaven Benoit, who rocketed out of the gate to lead the field around on lap one. From there, Benoit took off and never looked back, winning the opening moto by twenty seconds. Behind Benoit on the opening lap was GDR Honda rider Tyler Medaglia, and USA Team Green sensation Drew Adams. Unfortunately, Medaglia slide out in the Shaw Valley section right in front of Adams, who ended up hitting T-Dag’s in the head. The impact pretty much destroyed Medaglia’s helmet, leaving him with a concussion, and out for the remainder of the day. Adam’s also went down and was forced to charge from behind. It was a scary crash, and I’m so glad that it didn’t end up worse for Tyler. In the end, Benoit used a 1-2 moto score to beat out Adam’s, who went 4-1, for the overall win in the 250 Pro/AM class. It was a great day of racing, the weather ended up being absolutely perfect for racing, and also, a pretty solid crowd showed up to watch our best riders battle at the opening round. Let’s now take a quick look at the top ten from both classes yesterday.
250 Pro/AM
1. Kaven Benoit- KTM (1-2)
Benoit rode solid in both motos and leaving no doubt that he is one of the title favourites this summer. In moto two, he was unable to match the early speed of Drew Adam’s so he backed it down, and rode to a quiet second place. He told me after the race that he knew the overall win was his if he remained in second place.
2. Drew Adams- Kawasaki (4-1)
Coming into the opening round I think everyone knew that this kid had some good speed. What we didn’t know was that he has some incredible speed, and if he chooses to race the entire Triple Crown Series, he could be difficult to beat. In moto two, he got around Benoit early and quickly checked out. Drew is also a bigger kid, so strength is not an issue. This teenager is the real deal and he’s going to be fun to watch while he’s here.
3. Gage Linville- Kawasaki (2-3)
Linville rode solid all day long, and when he was pressured, he stood firm and would not allow anyone to pass him. The second moto battle between him and Quinn Amyotte was very entertaining, and had Quinn not collided with a lapper and went down, these two no doubt would’ve gone at it until the end of the moto. Linville is a great addition to the series, and third overall was a great way to kick things off.
4. Sebastien Racine-Yamaha (5-4)
It was a fairly quiet opening round for the young Yamaha rider and he was pretty happy to finish fourth. Seb was not a big fan of the track conditions, and since he didn’t get a great start in either moto, he was forced to come from behind. I thought he showed some solid speed on Sunday, and since he turned his best lap time in one of the motos on his final lap, his fitness is obviously there. Hopefully, some better starts are on the horizon so he can see and taste the pace at the front of the pack. That, in my opinion is the next step of Racine’s progression this summer.
5. Evan Stice- Honda (7-5)
Coming into this weekend I honestly knew nothing about Evan Stice. Also, if you told me yesterday morning that he was going to be the top finishing Honda, I don’t think I would’ve believed it. However, this kid rode solid in both motos and brought home a well-earned 5th overall.
6. Blake Davies- Husqvarna (6-6)
Yesterday was a great day for this young and very tall rider from BC. Blake wasn’t flashy in either moto, but he rode hard and showed some good consistency. Hopefully Blake can show this type of mature riding all summer long, and continue to get these types of results. I didn’t get a chance to speak to Blake after the motos, but I’m sure he was excited with his day at the opening round.
7. Tiger Wood- Honda (10-8)
Like Drew Adams, this young kid from Australia was also racing in his first-ever pro race yesterday, so I’m sure there were a lot of nerves before the opening gate drop. Not to mention, that Tiger was riding injured yesterday as he popped a back rib out during the morning practice sessions. This made breathing, and pretty much everything challenging during the motos. However, he rode solid in both motos and salvaged what he could. After the races, he was happy with his results and looking forward to Round 2.
8. Zach Ufimzeff- Yamaha (8-10)
After getting off to two solid starts yesterday, Zach had to be a little unhappy with his end results. In the opening moto, he got off to a great start and then slowly fell back to 8th. In moto two, he was once again near the front on lap one, but a crash pushed him back, and damaged his bike. But, he didn’t give up and considering it was the opening round, I’m sure he’ll take a top ten overall finish.
9. Wyatt Kerr- KTM (12-7)
Considering his almost career ending crash a year ago at this very track, Wyatt gets my vote for the ride of the day at the opening round. In moto one, he went down on the opening lap and had to charge from dead last. In moto two, he got a better start and rode solid to finish up in 7th. I’m sure there was a lot of extra mental baggage weighing Wyatt down yesterday, so look for him to battle for top five beginning this weekend in Lethbridge.
10. Tanner Scott- Husqvarna (11-9)
Tanner’s day was pretty low key in my opinion. In moto one, he didn’t get off to a very good start and had to play catch on a very slippery race track. In moto two, he started better and rode a race. Starts mean so much in this class, so if Tanner, or any rider, wants to battle inside or near the top five, then they had better start there.
450 Class
1. Jess Pettis- KTM (2-1)
It’s been three seasons since Jess has stood on the top step of the podium, and quite honestly yesterday was exactly what our sport and the Triple Crown Series needed to kick things off. Not that it isn’t awesome to watch Dylan Wright dominate almost every moto for the past several years, but we need multiple winners as well as an entertaining championship battle if we want to get as many eyes on this sport as possible. Jess rode great yesterday, and he also looked more comfortable riding this speed then he has in years. The 450 class has some solid depth this year so look for more great racing in the coming rounds.
2. Dylan Wright- Honda (1-2)
I’m not sure which emotion is stronger with Dylan these days, the love of winning, or the hatred of not winning. Either way, he got to experience both at the opening round. In the opening moto, he reeled in Pettis, made an aggressive pass, and then pulled away for the win. Halfway through moto one, he started to experience some severe stomach cramps, so that made the closing laps very uncomfortable. In moto two, Dylan took a while to get around Mitchell Harrison for second and by the time he did, Pettis had a decent lead. A few laps later, Dylan developed some issues with his rear shock that slowed him down slightly. That allowed Pettis to pull away and take the win. As I mentioned above, it’s been a while since Dylan has lost an overall win and after the race he was not happy about it. My bet is that DW1 comes into Round 2 with a little extra motivation to try and dominate both 450 motos.
3. Mitchell Harrison- Kawasaki (4-3)
In case you were wondering how Harrison would fair outdoors on a big 450? Well, if yesterday was any indication, he’s going to be fast all summer long. In moto one, Harrison recovered from an early race crash to charge back to 4th. In moto two, he held off Tanner Ward for most of the race, and in the closing laps he was getting close to Wright for second place. Harrison is fit, fast, and motivated to win motos. Look for him to perhaps do just that in the coming rounds.
4. Josiah Natzke- KTM (3-6)
This likeable Kiwi started off the day at Wild Rose MX Park quietly in qualifying. However, in the opening moto he began to show some serious speed as he charged up to third. At one point, Josiah was closing in on his teammate for second, but once the pair got into lappers, he lost some time. In moto two, a first lap crash pushed Josiah back to dead last and he was forced to charge from behind. I know 6th might not look great on paper, but it really was a solid moto for Natzke as he made up a lot of ground. There are definitely better days to come for this talented KTM rider.
5. Tanner Ward- Kawasaki (7-4)
Unfortunately, Tanner got off to a bad start in the opening 450 moto, and from there he got stuck behind some riders and had to settle for 7th. This was not where he wanted to be, so in moto two he got a better start and had perhaps his best 450 moto to date. The pace inside the top seven yesterday was very fast, so for Tanner to battle for a 4th place finish in moto two, was very impressive. At one point in moto two, Tanner and Harrison were within a few seconds of Wright, who was running in second. However, with the track conditions worsening, Tanner did the smart thing and took home a solid fourth.
6. Preston Kilroy- Yamaha (5-5)
The newest addition to the MX101 Yamaha Team, Kilroy was fast all day long in Calgary. His consistent 5-5 moto finishes really doesn’t show just how fast he was on the challenging Wild Rose MX track. Kilroy rides very smooth and precise which suits a 450 perfectly. I can’t wait to see what he does in the coming rounds as his comfort level rises.
7. Aaron Tanti- Kawasaki (6-7)
At times yesterday, Tanti was very fast and aggressive. In moto one, he traded a little paint with Dylan Wright as they battled for position on the opening lap. This former Australian MX1 National Champion has some good raw speed, and isn’t afraid of anyone. As Tanti gets more comfortable, and in better shape (he’s coming off multiple injuries) he’s going to be a real contender in the 450 class. Overall, his first round was solid, and he’s a great addition to the Triple Crown Series.
8. Gavin Brough- Honda (10-8)
There was so much action yesterday at the front of the pack that I didn’t see a lot of Gavin’s races. As the 450 motos went on, there became large gaps between a lot of riders, and it was difficult to keep track of where everyone was. If I was Gavin, I would be happy with my results, and I’d be looking forward to Round 2.
9. Keylon Meston- Yamaha (8-11)
Considering how well Meston has done at this track in the past, I’m sure he wasn’t happy with his results yesterday. I believe he got off to a decent start in the opening moto, that would explain his 8th place finish. However, moto two didn’t go as well and he struggled to finish inside the top ten. Look for a better result this coming weekend from the popular Alberta rider.
10. Parker Eales- KTM (11-9)
Parker and Meston pretty much traded moto finishes yesterday as they battled for a top ten overall finish. In the next few rounds, the battle between Eales, Meston, Brough, Benek, and Elmore for the top ten is going to be fun to watch. Overall, it was a solid day for Parker as he rode well on the challenging track.
Well, that was the opening round in a nutshell. Overall, it was a great weekend of racing in Calgary, and everyone appeared to enjoy themselves. The Team Canada Mixer on Friday evening was fun as a lot of industry people were in attendance. The Parts Canada Amateur Open races on Saturday were entertaining to watch as our younger riders are preparing for this week’s WCAN in Raymond, Alberta. Now, the Triple Crown Series moves south for Round 2 and to a track we haven’t been to for over twenty years. I’ve raced there twice, once in 1998, and again in 2000, each time the track was challenging, but also enjoyable to race on. Also, look for the first of several new initiatives from the GDR Honda Team this weekend at Round 2. The GDR Honda Team is trying to make our sport more inclusive and this weekend will feature the first step. Look for more details to be released tomorrow from the boys in red.
Finally, congratulations to our off-road hero Trystan Hart who finished second overall this past weekend at the Red Bull Erzberg Rodeo in Austria. Hart was the top finishing North American rider this year, which is pretty special. That is it for me this week. Thank you for reading and please have a great first week of June. If you have any questions or comments, please email me at editor@mxpmag.com.
