Good day and welcome to another edition of the Yamaha Motor Canada Monday Gate Drop. We hope you had a great final weekend of the summer of 2019. Everyone at Yamaha Motor Canada and its network of dealers hope you had an amazing summer too, and now we look forward to our cherished fall riding season.
Well, there goes another incredible summer of riding, racing and hanging out with my motocross fraternity. As always, this summer went by incredibly fast, and quite honestly, I wish our winters would go by just as fast. The Labour Day long weekend is always bitter sweet as it gives everyone not only an extra day off but it also gives us a chance to reminisce about how much fun we had during the past two months. I don’t know about you but I always end up wanting more summer!
Not only was the racing on the track exciting at the 2019 Baja Brawl, but so was the action in the pits.
My long weekend was spent at the beautiful Baja Acres Motocross track in Millington, Michigan. I consider Baja Acres to be one of the best tracks that I have ever ridden. It is a sand track but it really has a little bit everything, including big jumps, multiple elevation changes and long lap times. I’m quite sure if Red Bud wasn’t in the same State then Baja Acres would be hosting a US Pro National, it’s that good. Since 2003, Baja Acres has played host to what has become a Labour Day weekend classic, the Baja Brawl. With over 900 entries and three full days of intense racing, the Baja Brawl is one event that every rider should try at least once. This event is massive, with families that travel there from all over the USA to compete on this epic track. Like any big event, even when the sun goes down there’s plenty to do. Friday night was the Whip Contest, Saturday night was the Pit Bike Race, and Sunday evening was another party centred around a Belly Flop contest. It’s definitely not a cheap event but it’s most certainly a fun event. Even the infamous Ronnie Mac made another appearance this past weekend.
One of the many highlights at the Brawl is always the Pro class, which only runs on Sunday and Monday. Once again, the racing was great as Marshal Weltin, Joey Crown, and Lance Kobusch all battled it out for the win. The racing was great and the speed at the front of the pack was very fast. One rider that I hope can find some support next year in Canada is Joey Crown. After coming up just shy of winning the 2018 MXTour 250 Championship, Joey has had an awful time since. Injuries and bad luck have kept Joey in recovery all season long, but now he’s healthy and training very hard. At Baja he had a little speed on Weltin and Kobusch, and we know how fast they are. I think with some good support Crown could once again be a title contender in Canada next year. With Dylan Wright most likely moving up to the 450 class in 2020, the 250 class will be looking for a new champion. I was also chatting with Weltin at Baja and he was telling me how much he loved Canada and that he hopes to be back next year. Sounds like everyone wants to come to Canada in 2020.
Both Weltin and Crown will not be competing in the upcoming SXTour Series, which begins in Montreal in a few weeks. Montreal has always been a fine host for Supercross over the years and 2019 should be no different. With Justin Brayton, Malcolm Stewart and Dean Wilson all confirmed this year, as well as our Canadian series regulars, the fans should get quite the show. With the promoter trying to build on last year’s event, the 2019 Montreal SX looks as though its going to be very exciting. ATV racing is back, Autocross is back, there’s amateur racing, and God knows what else this year. It’s like a throwback to 1994 when there was something for everyone inside Olympic Stadium. Anyway, the opening round of the 2019 Rockstar Energy Triple Crown SXTour should be a good one.
Before I go, I want to apologize for this column being a little late. With the racing at Baja going until this afternoon, I still had to make the four-hour drive home, make sure my son was ready for school, and then post this. Also, I hope all of our motocross kids have a great first week at school. Remember, trying to be a good student is just as important as trying to be a good dirt bike rider. Finally, I want to send a big congratulations out to two of my closet friends who tied the knot this weekend in Abbotsford, BC. – James Lissimore and Claudie Lapointe met and fell in love two years ago at the track. Now they’re husband and wife and starting a new life together. I’m sure you all will join me in wishing them a lifetime of peace and happiness together. Please have a great and safe week! Thanks for reading.
