Good day and welcome to another edition of the Yamaha Motor Canada Monday Gate Drop. Before I get into the news of the week, let’s congratulate the 2019 Yamaha Motor Canada Factory Award winners with a few official words from the Blu Cru Headquarters:
“November 8, 2019 (Toronto, ON) – Yamaha Motor Canada is pleased to announce the winners of its 2019 bLU cRU Factory Ride Award program in the disciplines of motocross, road racing and flat track.
Created as a means of supporting and encouraging young racers and their families, the bLU cRU Factory Ride Award gives amateur racers something to work toward against similarly ambitious young Yamaha competitors. Each of the 2019 winners below will receive complimentary use of a Yamaha motorcycle for the 2020 race season, a $2,500 credit toward genuine Yamaha parts and accessories, and a custom graphics kit.
MOTOCROSS
Three awards were offered in MX, presented to the Yamaha rider with the most cumulative points at each of the three amateur national championships held across Canada in 2019. The first person to stake his claim was 15-year-old Julian Benek (Mission, BC), who claimed the award at the Western Canadian Amateur National (WCAN) on his YZ250F with the overall win in the Schooboy class and a second in both 250 Intermediate and Open Intermediate. 17-year-old Jamie Powell (Carleton Place, ON) won at the Eastern Canadian Amateur National (ECAN) after a pair of overall wins in Intermediate MX2 and MX3. Lastly, 16-year-old Jeremy McKie (Beloeil, QC) won the award for a second consecutive year at the Walton Canadian Amateur Grand National Championship (TransCan) thanks to a sweep of the 450 Intermediate class and a third overall in Open Intermediate.”
This past season was quite a year for the Blu Cru with titles at almost every level, including the pro class with Luke Renzland taking home the 250 SXTour title and Phil Nicoletti winning the 2019 Rockstar Energy Triple Crown Series Championship. This past weekend in Paris, Yamaha also had a great weekend as Justin Barcia was crowned the “King of Paris” as he took the overall win. Since the 1980’s the Paris SX has been the crown jewel of the off-season supercross schedule as it’s attracted almost every top rider over the years. Although the event has changed venues a few times, the Paris SX has never lost its hype. This weekend the Paris SX once again saw another great group of top riders including Malcolm Stewart, Vince Friese, Joey Savatgy, Jeremy Martin, Justin Hill, Dylan Ferrandis, and Chad Reed. It was a great two nights of racing and it was nice to see these guys going for it on the technical Paris track.
Chad Reed was in Paris aboard his mostly stock Mountain Motorsports Honda CRF450. Reed has been training very hard in the gym over the past few months, but he has had very limited seat time on his new Honda. Judging by the videos from Paris, Reed looked a little rusty on Saturday night, even complaining that he got a very rare case of arm pump. He said that he felt better yesterday, but sadly a crash ended his day prematurely. Now he’s taking a 20 hour flight to New Zealand for the Auckland Supercross this coming weekend, before finishing his World tour in Australia at the end of the month in the Aus-X Open Supercross. Reed has had an incredible career and still receives big money to attend these races, most likely over $200,000 US just for these three races. Even at his age he’s still competitive, and I hope that he’s able to put something together for 2020. I think you’ll see him on the track for the entire 2020 Monster Energy Supercross Series racing his new Mountain Motorsports Honda. The sport and the series needs Reed for at least one more year before he rides off into the sunset for good.
There were a couple of other overseas races this past weekend in Germany and Finland. There were no Canadians racing in either event, however there were familiar names like Cade Clason, Mike Alessi and Matt Goerke competing. I’m not sure why more Canadian riders don’t head overseas this time of year to race in some of these cool races. Not only does it give you a chance to race on someone else’s dollar, but it also gives you a chance to see some of the world and take in some new culture. In the past every top Canadian rider travelled overseas during the winter to compete in a SX or two, it was just how things worked. During those trips our riders were able to experience a lot of things other than racing in small and smokey old arenas, as well as building long lasting memories. For instance, when JSR and I went to Hanover, Germany in 1996 for a SX, I can’t remember every detail about the two nights of racing but I remember like it was yesterday that we stayed at a really nice hotel where the food was super expensive. We basically ate chicken noodle soup and fresh bread for four days because it was the cheapest thing on the menu and we didn’t want to spend too much money. It obviously wasn’t the ideal race weekend diet, but it did the job in those days. Anyway, Dylan Wright is heading over to the Geneva SX in December to race, and this week we have the talented Canadian team to cheer for at the annual ISDE in Portugal.
Last week I spoke a little about next year and the 2020 Triple Crown Series schedule. There are a few milestones coming up next year including the Sand Del Lee track celebrating its 50th Anniversary. I can’t believe it’s been 50 years of racing at this awesome track located just outside of our Nation’s Capital. With the history of our sport being so important in this country I cannot wait to see what Kevin Tyler and his MX101 crew have in store in 2020 to celebrate this momentous occasion.
Finally, before I go I’d like to take a moment to honour our soldiers and veterans on this Remembrance Day. The freedom we enjoy each and every day is because of them so let us all take a minute to remember and to say thank-you. I will leave you this week with the famous poem Flanders Fields by John McCrae. Have a great week and thanks for reading.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.