Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
Words by Ryan Lockhart
Photos by James Lissimore
In the months leading up to the 2017 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals presented by Motovan, fans and media alike were very excited at the thought of the MX1 class this summer. With riders like Colton Facciotti, Dillan Epstein, Matt Goerke and new addition Christophe Pourcel on the starting line at Round 1, there were at least six riders capable of winning. From Kamloops to Regina, these MX1 riders were tested as they never have been before in the opening four rounds.
Unfortunately, the MX1 series lost one of its title favourites, Kaven Benoit, just after Round 1 with an ankle injury. Benoit hopes to be back for the eastern rounds where he will be very fast on these difficult tracks. With riders like Benoit, Facciotti, Alessi and Epstein all playing catch up in the points standings, up front Matt Goerke and Christophe Pourcel have been waging an allout war during the first four rounds of the MX1 class. As the series now moves to the softer and more challenging tracks of the east, it will be interesting to see if Goerke and Pourcel can maintain their dominance. If they can, this will be one of the greatest battles we’ve seen in some time between two completely different riders. Also, when you add in some of the other names we’ve mentioned, these final six rounds are going to be very exciting. Here are Ryan Lockhart’s picks for the riders that might be your final top five overall in the MX1 class.
Throughout the opening four rounds of the MX1 Series, Matt Goerke and Christophe Pourcel were never that far apart and now they come into the east tied in points.
1. Matt Goerke – Rockstar Energy OTSFF Yamaha
Coming into 2017 I had no idea how Matt Goerke would stack up against the other top MX1 riders. Obviously with his past results, I knew that he would be very fast but I didn’t think he would be as good as he’s been up to this point. Even on tracks like Calgary and Regina, where in the past he’s struggled, this year he won 3 out of the 4 motos and almost took both overall victories. Now we’re on to the eastern tracks where Goerke has had some of his best rides. His main competition appears to be Christophe Pourcel as they had more than a few battles out west. These two riders have completely different approaches to riding, so their upcoming battles on the sandy east tracks are going to be very interesting to watch. If the first four rounds have taught me anything, it’s been to never count out Matt Goerke again. This guy is a beast and I’m picking him to win the 2017 MX1 title by only a few points over Pourcel.
2. Christophe Pourcel – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna
During the first four rounds of this series, Christophe Pourcel has done nothing but impress me with his riding and with his obvious enjoyment of being in Canada. I knew that he would be very fast on our national tracks, but I had no idea that he would stay in Canada between rounds and take in the sights and hospitality in which this country is so famous. However, he proved me wrong and I really think he is enjoying this new experience racing our nationals. On the track Pourcel has been brilliant, and watching him ride is pretty darn cool. He always seems to be in a gear higher and taking a different line than every other MX1 rider on the track. I do think, however, that he’s been surprised at the speed and courage of Matt Goerke as they’ve had some incredible battles in the first eight motos. I’ve heard that he’s a great sand rider so he should have no trouble in the east. I have him finishing a very close second in this series, only because Matt Goerke has raced on almost all of these upcoming tracks before, so he may know them just a little better. I do think that this battle will go down to the final round in Barrie, ON.
After a solid west coast adventure, Colton Facciotti needs a moto win asap to both boost him in the points standings, as well as boost his confidence.
3. Colton Facciotti – Honda Canada GDR Fox Racing
I can’t believe we’ve been watching Colton Facciotti win motos in the MX1 class for a decade now. During these past ten years, Colton’s speed and style has remained constant as he’s always been a frontrunner. Coming into this summer, I was very curious to see whether or not he would be able to win motos and establish himself as the rider to beat. While there were a few motos out west where Colton was the fastest rider on the track, he still has yet to start up front and win a race yet. At Round 4 in Regina, Colton was very sick and could barely finish both motos. This has put him in a deep hole in the points race and I don’t think he’ll be able to climb all the way out of it. However, if he can win a moto or two at Gopher Dunes and then build momentum from there, I can see him moving up and challenging for this title. Until he does that, though, I have him finishing 2017 in a distant third overall in the MX1 class.
4. Tyler Medaglia – Royal Distributing Motovan Piller’s Racing Team
What can you say about Tyler Medaglia that hasn’t already been said one hundred times before. This guy is an absolute beast on a race track, and like Goerke, he can never be counted out. I believe he will win a moto before this series is over, and when he does, the Canadian fans are going to go crazy. So far in 2017, he looks very comfortable on his new Honda and together they were fast out west. Tyler is capable of just about anything and I think that’s one reason why everyone loves him. Another reason is that he doesn’t seem to have a problem riding outside of his comfort zone. He is a very strong individual and he’s not afraid to rise to the occasion and do whatever it takes to win. If he could find just a little more consistency, then I believe he could challenge for a podium finish this summer in the MX1 class. For now, though, I think he’s a safe fourth overall, which is two spots better than he was in 2016.
With two moto wins in the west, Dillan Epstein has most definitely been one of the biggest surprises in the MX1 class. This kid is always smiling and he should be good in the east.
5. Dillan Epstein – Nut Up Shift Racing Kawasaki
What a great addition Dillan Epstein has been to the MX1 class this summer. This California kid has not only been fast, he’s also been great to deal with off the track and he always seems to be smiling. Maybe he’s smiling because he’s already won two motos and he knows he can win more. The reason I have him finishing in fifth is simply because I feel like he may struggle a little on the eastern tracks. I’m not sure how much sand experience Dillan has had in his career, but I’m assuming that it isn’t as much as his competition. If he can get through the deep sand of Gopher Dunes in one piece and learn the rest of the eastern tracks quickly, then he may be able to win more motos and finish higher than fifth. Regardless, he will no doubt be back in 2018 as every team is going to want this rider under their tent. As I said above, Dylan is a great addition to the 2017 series and I wish him the best during the final six rounds.
