14 07 MXP Magazine - Photo Annual

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A YEAR IN RACING

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CONGRATULATIONS

COLTON FACCIOTTI

2014 CANADIAN NATIONAL MOTOCROSS MX1 CHAMPION

Congratulations to the entire Honda Gopher Dunes Racing Team!

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TRUST A CHAMP We make our bikes with performance in mind.

Colton chose his bike with winning in mind. Isn’t it great when a good plan comes together?

Find yours at honda.ca 2014 Honda CRF450R

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2015 FACTORY RIDE EDITION

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2015

32 2014 TEAM MANAGER REPORT Derek Schuster

APRIL 2015 . $4.95

42 2014 TEAM MANAGER REPORT

A YEAR IN RACING

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58 2014 GOLDEN ELBOW AWARDS Palms Give Us His Picks COLUMNS:

16 FAMOUS LAST WORDS BY CHRIS POMEROY What A Year It’s Been

18 JAMES LISSIMORE SPEAKS The Year That Was

20 UPSHIFT BY BRIAN KOSTER Is It Summer Yet?

110 A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE WITH BRENT WORRALL Looking Back

114 BEHIND THE SCENE BY MIKE CHAN MXP Designer Mike Chan Talks About the Process

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PHOTO BY JAMES LISSIMORE

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MXP MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Mike McGill, Brent Worrall, James Lissimore, Craig Stevenson, Drew Robertson, Brian Koster, Bobby Kiniry, Virgil Knapp, Leticia Cline CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Virgil Knapp, Kyle Sheppard, Randy Wiebe, David Pinkman, Clayton Racicot, James Lissimore, Marc Landry, Steve Dutcheshen, John Basher, Marc Travers, Frank Hoppen, Bill Petro, Matt Wellumson, Jean Guy Rollin COVER PHOTO: James Lissimore

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FAMOUS LAST WORDS

WH AT A Y E A R I T’S B E E N

hen I think back to the year that was in not just Canadian motocross, but my life as a whole, it’s almost impossible to pinpoint one moment or even multiple moments that stand out. This is not to suggest that there weren’t that many, the problem is that there were far too many for a one page column. If I look back over the last 365 days and break it down month by month, I must say that right from the beginning of 2014 things were pretty interesting both on a personal level and a professional one.

While I won’t bore you with too many of my personal details, I will say that to sit back and watch my son Ayrton slowly learn the subtleties of this sport was very gratifying as a father. These days kids seem to learn things very quickly, so quickly in fact that many get bored very fast and want to move onto the next cool thing. In my opinion, riding a dirt bike and racing motocross forces kids to lengthen their attention spans and really spend some valuable time learning something. With this sport you get out it what you put into it, nothing more or nothing less. This past year I’ve watched my son learn not how to just catch some cool air off a jump, but how focus on a single task and try to be the best he can be at it.

On a professional level I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed covering our talented Canadian riders while they competed in 2014. In the pro ranks it was riders like Colton Facciotti and Kaven Benoit who withstood the relentless pursuits of their American rivals to bring home the MX1 and MX2 Championships. Both riders impressed me in so many different ways last season. I’m a huge fan of smart an smooth riding, it’s not easy to race a dirt bike at high speed and still take the time to make the correct cerebral decisions on the track. Colton and Kaven were the poster boys for intelligent riding in 2014 and I hope we all get to see the same from these two fine champions in 2015.

In the amateur classes I’m not sure if there’s

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“ IN MY OPINION, RIDING A DIRT BIKE AND RACING MOTOCROSS FORCES KIDS TO LENGTHEN THEIR ATTENTION SPANS AND REALLY SPEND SOME VALUABLE TIME LEARNING SOMETHING.”

WITH CHRIS POMEROY PHOTO BY JAMES LISSIMORE been a time in the history of this sport in Canada when we’ve had such a talented group of young and fast riders. Whether it’s Casey Keast, Preston Masciangelo, Jake Tricco or Ryder McNabb just to name a few, it was very entertaining standing on the side of track cheering on these future superstars.

Obviously the next few years are going to be key for these kids, the path to success is a narrow and bumpy one and not a road for the weak. If they can keep their focus lazor sharpe as they transition from amateur to pro, than we might just be tuning into to watch them race one day soon in the Monster Energy Supercross Series.

This brings me to my final topic for this piece and it comes from one of the years great events. We will see the Toronto Supercross again at the Roger’s Centre? My feeling is not likely, however I’ve been wrong many times since my birth in 1973. I hope this event returns as over the last few years it’s become more than just a Supercross for Canadian fans. It’s become a pilgrimage to a city to see old friends and make new ones. Fans fly into Toronto from as far away as BC to hang out and see everyone. There are parties, dinners, and oh yes, a race for all of us to watch as well. Let’s hope we haven’t seen the last of the Toronto Supercross.

So there you have it, my 2014 in a nutshell. I can only hope that this year is even more successful for myself and all of you. Before we know it spring will be here and we’ll all be back at our local tracks.

Soon after that it will be time to travel to Kamloops for round one of the 2015 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals. A series that could go down in history as the greatest ever in Canadian motocross.

As I mentioned before, 2014 will be a tough act to follow, however with the return of Brett Metcalfe and Matt Goerke, as well as a very confident Colton Facciotti, the possibilities are endless. So thank you everyone for a great year and I look forward to experiencing another one with all of my cherished motocross family.

16 M O T O C R O S S P E R F O R M A N C E · M X P M A G . C O M

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FROM THE PHOTO STUDIO

W I T H J A MWITH E S L JAMES I S S I MLISSIMORE ORE RTHE EF LYEA E C TR I THAT O N S WAS P H O T O B Y PHOTO J A M EBYS JAMES L I S S I LISSIMORE MORE t’s hard to believe I’m sitting here, combing through images for another Photo Annual.

When I look back through the mountain ombing through foritthis Photo Anof photos that photos was 2014, feels like time gave me plenty ofI was timehigh to reflect on not flew by. It nual felt like only yesterday above Angel only this the past year but my love ofthat photogStadium, shooting opening ceremonies kicked off thein 2014 season, andthe yet,better last Saturday, in the raphy general.

After part of aI was decade same spot again documenting the start 2015. chasing the motocross nationals, I stilloflove getting Working the a Photo is one of my favourite that tingleon when reallyAnnual exciting image comes things I my get computer to do each screen. year. It forces me to sit down and across That moment, perfectly look back at all the thousands images I’ve shot.that Each frozen in time, brings back a of flood of emotion holding a memory of anywhere places, people, Iphoto still have trouble finding else,emotions, which and moments timemuch frozen for eternity. reminds me reminds me ofofhow I truly love myItjob. of being onmay the change road, time spent with driving, Things from year to friends, year, from my flying, airports, hotel rooms, crisscrossing the continent first manual focus film camera to autofocus to digiwhile trying to tell the story of motocross. While it can tal, but at the end of the day the fundamentals never become a grind, the weeks on the road, the 4am trips to change – composition, light, action and emotion the airport, the constant need to deliver content in this coming together to hopefully make something that digital world we now live in; I still love it as I enter my stands the of time. For me, a camera has always 10th year intest the trenches. been a passport – ayear waytotoshoot see the world and meet 2014 was a good motocross in Canada. people I’dhad otherwise never have the chance toitmeet.

We finally a healthy Colton Facciotti battling out Iwith lookMike at the images anda don’t seesometimes just the racing acAlessi in MX1, wild and surreal tion, the passes andinthe wins.

I see the airports, the championship battle MX2 between Kaven Benoit and gas stops, the morning coffees, the great people that make up our sport and complete our little travelling community that criss-crosses the country each summer. Looking at the images, all those moments come flooding back.

Photography has given me a voice. I’m an extremely shy person by nature but I found out early on I could speak with my images. They say a

I

C

“THIS SEASON IS “I NEVER COULD SHAPING HAVE IMAGINED UP TOJOURNEY BE A BARNI THE BURNER WITH WAS STARTING ALL THE AT TALENT DOWN THE SHOWING TIME BUTUP. I STILL FEEL THEBET SAME YOU CAN ENJOYMENT THERE WILL SOME WHENBATTLES I GRAB MY GREAT AT CAMERAS AND THE FRONT OF HEAD TO THE THE PACK.”

Vince Friese, the return of the incredible Ulverton track, Cole Thompson getting an opportunity to ride for a top US team in Supercross, Canadian Amateurs, Casey Keast picture is worth a thousand and Preston Masciangelo doingwords well atand thepicking Monsterup a camera allowed to Arenacross share my passions, both Energy Cup, and ame great series in BC thisinfall. the and my favourite sport ofitmotocross.

Withoutdoors so much happening in the past year, was hard to down taking my choices to the final few thatto would go Iwhittle remember my film camera down Mission to print. on Tuesday nights and trying to replicate Raceway I can’t believe 2015 willfavourite make it a magazines. decade that I’ve the photos I saw in my I never been covering the Canadian Nationals.

When I look back could have imagined the journey I was starting at photos from 2005 it Ifeels lifetime ago.

Riders, down at the time but still like feelathe same enjoyment teams and tracks have come and gone.

Camera technolwhen I grab my cameras and head to the track.

I ogy has The track which I honed still findchanged it crazy,drastically. though, when I seeinmy photos in mymagazine moto photography craft, Raceway, gone a in Australia or Mission England, or whenisI’m for 2015. The only constant is change. The one thing standing at Chad Reed’s house in Florida, shooting that doesn’t change is how excited I get when an image him ripping around his Go Kart track. I still have to finally comes together. There are days where things just pinch myself sometimes. don’t seem to be working; it could be the weather, track I shoot, on average, about 50,000 photos in a conditions, access, or just something you can’t put your year. them aren’t veryone good, butthat they all fingerPlenty on, butof finally you get that image makes contribute toworthwhile. the timeline, theare badthe ones, the that good the whole day Those images ones, theexcited so-soyear ones.

Theyear photos thethis following keep me after and Ion hope Photo pages some ofthat. my Ifavourite of the Annual are represents can’t waitout to see what“good excitepile” the summer. mentfrom I can find in 2015. Some of what I hope are the best from my summer driving across the most incredible country in the world, from my home on the West Coast to the Atlantic and back again, covering the National series, trying to capture a little slice of the emotion that makes this sport so special.

Hopefully, you’ll look at these images and get a feel for what made the year so great and maybe trigger a few memories of your own.

TRACK.”

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IS IT S UM M E R Y E T?

014 was a big year in Canadian Pro Motocross. Rockstar Energy Drink joined the series as title sponsor after a seven year run with Monster Energy came to an end. I was of two minds to this change as many friendships had been forged with the Monster staff after seven years of working together. But as they say, sometimes change is good. This in no way reflected the great racing on the track, and the great people and teams that come together each summer to wage war. It’s mostly a friendly war but in some cases things get taken a little too far. We can look no further than the whole Kaven Benoit and Vince Friese drama to illustrate that fact. For me there were many highlights to the 2014 series but here is a brief look at what stands out in my mind from last season.

Having Colton Facciotti back, healthy and on a new team was a good start to the year. And having Honda back with a full commitment was also a beautiful thing (take note Suzuki) with the Gopher Dunes squad. Seeing Colton back on form and able to not only finish the season healthy but end up with the crown was great for him and his legion of Canadian fans. It was well deserved after two dismal years of being knocked out at the second round. Colton turned pro at the tender age of 14 and has overcome adversity time and time again over the span of his career to nail down his third MX1 Championship.

Colton made Canada very proud throughout the season and is a class act.

The number 800 of Mike Alessi was a welcome addition to the series. Love him or hate him, there is no denying his commitment to this great sport. After his performance and how graciously he embraced Canada and its fans, there is no denying he swayed a lot of haters to lovers. There were a few times when things went totally sideways for Mike, but he remained positive in his interviews and kept a good attitude with the fans when many would have been pouting or sulking within the private confines of the trailer. Let’s hope he comes back for the 2015 series, because he and his team exude a level of professionalism and experience that is good for Canadian upstart teams and riders to emulate.

Josh Hill was another welcomed American to race up north in Canada for the entire 2014 series. Here is a guy with tons of talent on the motorcycle, but

2

“ JOSH HILL WAS ANOTHER WELCOMED AMERICAN TO RACE UP NORTH IN CANADA FOR THE ENTIRE 2014 SERIES. HERE IS A GUY WITH TONS OF TALENT ON THE MOTORCYCLE, BUT EVEN MORE SO, HE HAS AN AMAZING ATTITUDE.”

WITH BRIAN KOSTER PHOTO BY JAMES LISSIMORE

even more so, he has an amazing attitude. I was lucky enough to interview him back in 2007 when he was first signed to Yamaha USA; the trials and tribulations of his storied career has been a roller coaster. To see him fight back through injuries that, for many, would be career ending, and then to podium a Supercross last year was incredible. Josh came up here and seemed just pumped to be racing and competing outdoors in Canada. He earned himself the respect and admiration of many new fans. His positive outlook and unusually clean riding habits had him a fan favourite at pretty much every round.

If you ever have the chance to say hi to Josh you will be met with an easy smile, and you will see what a fun loving, good dude he really is. He was also one of the fasted riders at Ulverton but got tangled up on his charge to a possible victory there.

Speaking of Ulverton, what an amazing track it is. It was awesome to be back there after such a long hiatus, and to see the huge hills set beside a beautiful river was a sight to behold. The promoters worked seamlessly with not only the CMRC crew but with the television production crew as well. The racing was epic and the knowledgeable crowd was out in full force supporting the event. About all I can say further is I can’t wait to go back there this summer to see what unfolds.

As I write this it’s close to minus 20 Celsius with the wind chill factor, and last season seems a distant memory. Of course there were many outstanding highlights from each and every round from 2014. I could talk about the breakout year for Dylan Kaelin and Nathan Bles, or the moto win for a true grit Canadian hero, Tyler Medaglia. I could talk about the amazing talent and tight racing in the MX2 class. I could mention Bobby Kiniry’s wins and the steady improvement of his teammate Kyle Chisholm, or the strength and talent of their Rockstar teammate, Shawn Maffenbeier. It’s also hard to forget how fast young Jess Pettis was after his early season injury and how Jeremy Medaglia is always a highlight when he suits up to do battle. What sucks is I know I am leaving out a lot of great friends and great talent here, but it’s safe to say, every moto was a huge highlight for me. To be part of such a great series and to work with so many great people, it only fuels my passion and my fire for 2015!

20 M O T O C R O S S P E R F O R M A N C E · M X P M A G . C O M

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PHOTO ANNUAL MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE

This is the photo I laughed the hardest at in 2014. Derek Schuster gets a nice surprise from his team after clinching their first Canadian Championship.

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PHOTO ANNUAL MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE

While in Montreal, I had a chance to shoot the legendary Jean Sebastien Roy.

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PHOTO ANNUAL MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE

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PHOTO ANNUAL MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE

I like to incorporate the crowd into my shots whenever I can. The Ulverton fans watch the MX2 class round the first turn.

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PHOTO ANNUAL MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE

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PHOTO ANNUAL MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE

People can call him washed up, but there’s one person who will never doubt him. Tate Reed shows his dad his finishing position at Anaheim 2.

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PHOTO ANNUAL MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE

I’m always happy when I get to use flashes to shoot MX. Kaven Benoit smashes a berm at the KTM team shoot at Sand Del Lee.

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was asked by MXP to write an article for the upcoming photo annual about GDR and our 2014 season. With social media outlets, such as Instagram and Twitter, now giving the world access to our daily lives, and media outlets such as MXP covering the series with such detail, it would be all too easy to regurgitate stories and details you’ve all heard before.

The fans on race day see a clean rig in the pits, race bikes that they dream of one day throwing a leg over, fresh TLD gear, and our mechanics Justin and Kyle going over every last detail in meticulous fashion. But what got us here? How does it all come together? Race day is the focus of the outside world, it is when the cameras turn on and the “Twitterverse” explodes with photos and interviews, but in all honesty that’s the easy day for us. The real story that defines our team is unfolding behind the scenes each and every day when the spotlight is gathering dust in the corner. At the end of the day we are human, we make mistakes, we argue, we bounce back, we make it happen…we are GDR. Enjoy.

Regardless of the track conditions in 2014, Colton Facciotti powered his Honda through it all en route to the MX1 title.

SEEING RED IN 2014

BY DEREK SCHUSTER

PHOTOS BY JAMES LISSIMORE

THE HONDA DEAL

I’ve discussed in the past how the whole Honda deal came together, but as I sat there watching the ink dry on that contract, I had one of those “oh damn” moments that will stick with me throughout my life. We’ve all had them; it’s that mixture of excitement, a feeling of accomplishment and pride, but with a big serving of anxiety and fear just to bring you back down to earth. It is one thing to put all these great ideas and promises down on paper, but it’s quite another to assemble the right team and deliver on them. Let’s face it, the 2013 season was a tough one for GDR. We had the basic framework of a team but myself and my go-to people behind the scenes knew it was not nearly enough. The right mix of riders, team members, sponsors and support staff was simply not quite right.

MAPLE SYRUP, BACON, TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS & CANADIAN RACERS…

These are a few of my favourite things. I’ve mentioned this in the past but our contract and working relationship with Honda Canada is one in which any team north or south of the border would be envious. I’m not talking about dollars and cents here, rather it’s that mutual trust and understanding we have with one another that is so critical. It’s that unwavering confidence in one another that each knows they are going to do what

While other riders were making costly mistakes, Colton kept himself clean and out of trouble in 2014.

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they say 100% of the time, which forms the balanced foundation of our team. When it came down to riders there were no stipulations or restrictions limiting GDR as to who could or could not be on the team. We tossed around names of riders from the USA and beyond, but at the end of the day myself and the staff at Honda Canada had a certain vision of what we wanted. We kept coming back to the wealth of local Canadian talent, so it went without saying that this was the direction both parties wanted to pursue.

The signing of Colton Facciotti, “The Champ,” “Yotes,” “Colt45,” whatever you want to call him, I knew, no questions asked, he was one of those big pieces to the puzzle we were putting together here at GDR and I wanted to call him “our rider.” Let’s face it, I have been down this path before, mixing business and friendship. Tyler Medaglia, one of my best friends to this day and a premier Canadian racer, joined the team in 2011-2012 during what I will always look back at as the most defining year of our race program. It’s no secret how that ended, Tyler unexpectedly left the team a couple months before the start of his second season with us and it left a major void in the program. They say you learn more about yourself and business when your back is up against the wall and adversity is staring you square in the eye. You have that self-pity feeling as though everyone is trying to hold you down….well, it’s true. As a result of this, I approached Colton in August of 2013, armed with more knowledge, more understanding, and more confidence, but perhaps most importantly, more respect for how big of a decision it would be for a premier rider such as Colt. I also learned that if you want to get to the top you have to be prepared to accept some constructive criticism and be prepared to answer the tough questions. Colton and I have known each other for many years, both at the track and away from it. Naturally the concern was always our friendship, plus memories of 2012 with TM11 were circling through my head. You’ve heard me talk about this on various podcasts and how it all ends up to be a Cinderella story, but like many other teams and individuals out there we tend to want to make everything sound simplistic and straight forward. Let’s face it, Colt had concerns. How could he not?? Does

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this new and improved GDR Honda program have adequate funding and resources to follow through on the promises made in his proposed contract? How are we going to secure a high calibre mechanic to be his right hand man? Colt had spoken to past members of the team that told him all the crappy things that go along with working with and for me. I’m not perfect, and Colt would not be doing his job or his family justice if he didn’t probe for this info. Could GDR come together after a tough 2013 season to put together a team with the capability of winning a National title? I have trusted members of GDR behind the scenes that really have no direct expertise or involvement in the motocross world. Each help me to look at a different

way of doing things and not accept that everything has to be done the way successful teams of years past have done it. Some of these ideas and thoughts were a major departure out of Colt’s comfort zone. It may come as a surprise to many of you but I had concerns about Colt as well, and they were not injury related like most of you would assume. Those questions needed to be dealt with as well. As difficult as it was at times to go through this process, answer the tough questions and turn around to ask the tough questions back, I used this experience to learn and understand Colt on a level I had not known of him before. On December 16th, 2014, as you all know, Honda Canada GDR announced the signing of Colton Facciotti.

“ ONE THING YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT COLTON IS HE IS INCREDIBLY HANDY. HE IS A PROBLEM SOLVER, HE IS A JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES, AND HE IS A PERFECTIONIST ON AND OFF THE TRACK. SO NATURALLY IT IS A BIT OF A DAUNTING TASK PAIRING HIM WITH THE RIGHT MECHANIC.”

The smiles say it all. These two friends came together to put Honda back on top in Canadian motocross.

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CHANGING OF THE GUARD: YOU CAN’T DO IT THAT WAY! YES WE CAN!

Many of the stories that other teams dare not tell are the ones I feel keep a certain disconnect between them and their fans. Race day is a showcase of big rigs, over the top dirt bikes, and rehearsed speeches thanking valued supporters and sponsors, and then we (GDR included) disappear into the abyss of the workweek and reappear at the following race weekend. Here are some of the stories you wouldn’t normally hear that shaped our team: As crazy as this may sound to many of you readers, one of my biggest concerns heading into the 2014 season was a term that has been affectionately coined “The Blackfoot Days.” I have nothing but the utmost respect for everyone involved in the Blackfoot racing program of the past. It was the epitome of professionalism and success, and certainly a dynasty program in CMRC racing. It was a different era then, whether it be bikes, riders, the state of the motorcycle industry, or most importantly, budget. The industry has changed, the race scene has evolved; so with that, teams have to evolve as well rather than try

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to operate in the same manner. Our biggest, initial hurdle was two-fold. 1. Colton is a creature of habit and it’s what makes him so successful. If you look around the pits, his program has been surrounded by the same key players for so many years. It has been a certain level of comfort for him and a recipe for success for this world-class champion, so why would we dare mess with it? Why break the cycle? Answer: There is a bigger picture. The 2014 CRF450R in stock form is a hell of a bike and Facciotti is one of the best, but to stay out front you need that extra edge in the form of a well built and well-tuned race bike. Upon announcing the deal with Honda Canada, many people in the industry falsely assumed money was falling from the heavens and “The Blackfoot Days” were back. Honda Canada GDR is not Blackfoot Racing, plain and simple, nor do we want to be. We want to carve our own unique identity. Andrew McClean of PRC is a premier engine builder and had been building engines and world-class race bikes throughout much of Colton’s career. There was a certain level of trust, respect, and obviously a huge level of comfort and stability on Colton’s part. We had a meeting with Andrew in December ’13 at the Gopher Dunes facility and treated it as part job interview/part open discussion forum. Similar to

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the talks I had with Colt, both sides aired out any dirty laundry, asked the tough questions, gave the tough answers, and talked more about personalities, dynamics, strategies, and personal and team goals than we did about motocross and engine development. At the end of the day, and what most struggled to understand, is GDR was/is prepared to make sacrifices and make tough decisions to ensure the team being formed was one that had a common vision and goal, as opposed to assembling one with impressive resumes or individual agendas. As scary as it was for Colt, it was a mindset we had to work on getting him on board with. It is no secret, we parted ways with Andrew and PRC shortly after this meeting, which marked the first major shake up to Colt’s program of days past, his comfort level and security.

Was it a scary decision to make? Heck ya. If we battled motor problems all year would we have ever heard the end of it? Nope. Although the decision was difficult, the reasons were really quite simple. We had a diff erent set of goals, a diff erent method to our madness, a diff erent understanding of Canadian racing. We wanted to do things a diff erent way, and at the end of the day the fi t simply was not there. It was time for GDR to boldly venture in a new direction.

COLT AND THE MECHANICS.

One thing you may or may not know about Colton is he is incredibly handy. He is a problem solver, he is a jack-of-all-trades, and he is a perfectionist on and off the track. So naturally it is a bit of a daunting task pairing him with the right mechanic. With the hype surrounding the team between our agreement with Honda Canada and the signing of Colton, there was really no shortage of resumes flooding into our mailbox. After hiring Matt Jory, formally of Lucas Oil Troy Lee Designs Honda and now Proven Moto, I was fully committed to carrying out the plan and instilling the mindset that we have been working on achieving for the team. Each member of GDR is equally as important as the next, but to me what is more important is how we all come together as a group, how we interact, how we respect each other, how we work together, how we enjoy down time and how we deal with diversity. It’s easy to hire someone based on experience and skill, it’s quite another to hire based on personality and character, trusting it will pay off in the end…enter, Justin Petker. By now many of you are likely familiar with Justin’s name. You may not necessarily remember seeing him at races or hearing about him in the press, but that’s because he quietly and methodically goes about his job. You barely know he is there except when he knows it’s his time to step up. Justin is a mechanic by trade, he has helped GDR behind the scenes for a few years, wrenched for Blake Savage for a few races during the 2012 season and for Nathan Bles in 2013. Colt really knew nothing of Justin. He was an unproven liability in his eyes, and to be perfectly honest, things didn’t get off to the start that I was hoping for. The first trial run for the two working together was at GPF during Colton’s offseason training. Long story short, Colt was texting me asking if I had alternatives for a mechanic. Justin

returned from GPF saying it was not a good fi t and suggested moving over to wrench for our yet to be named MX2 rider. At this point it was another one of those tough decisions facing the team. Despite how convinced I was of how the direction the team had to go, it was never easy to push back at a multi-time National Champion, especially with someone so critical as a mechanic. I would like to say it was my superior management skills and vision leading to this decision, but a deciding factor was that it was getting late in the preparation for ’14. I already had Justin preparing Colt’s race bikes and there was no turning back. Kudos to both Colton and Justin for accepting the decision and getting down to work to make it happen, despite that initial small bump in the road. I’ve learned that not everything always happens according to plan, and this is a perfect example. Watching the two of them interact throughout their championship-winning season was something really special to see, and it really helped me understand how important that bond and trust is between rider and mechanic.

After two years of injuries, Colton came into 2014 focused and ready to win.

THE NEXT BIG NAME: WESTEN WROZYNA

Westen has always been on my radar, even as far back as the inception of GDR. For those that don’t know Westen personally, you could not meet a nicer, more respectful kid. His desire to succeed is always evident and I’ve since come to learn it is, at times, to his detriment. The announcement of Westen’s signing gave the team another boost into the spotlight.

It was Colton the mentor and Westen, perhaps the next one to fill the Champs’ boots. There was a lot of publicity and questions about Westen throughout the year. It is no secret that he struggled tremendously in his rookie campaign. Being a high profile, upcoming rider, he likely felt the wrath of that more so than the average racer. I remember hearing for the first time rumours circulating that Westen’s ride on the GDR Honda was in jeopardy and that we were going to make a change mid-season. I can remember even more Westen’s reaction to hearing those very same rumblings. The rumour mill is a double edged sword: Entertaining to the fans but a potential dagger into the spirits of those involved in the gossip. Throughout MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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not only in team and bike but in philosophy as well. I believe folks will see a renewed Jeremy Medaglia in 2015 both on and off the track.

MORE CANADIAN CONTENT? YUP! Even though it’s only one rider that goes on top of the podium, it takes a massive effort behind the scenes to bring home a championship.

After a long and stressful summer, GDR Honda Team owner Derek Schuster was all smiles after the fi nal moto at Walton Raceway.

the season I think the combination of turning pro, the internal desire to prove himself, and some of the rumours circulating were too much for him. He was never in the right frame of mind to do what he does best. At the end of the season, as I reflect back, I look at Westen the rookie who has an abundance of skill on a bike but is still a young kid. He wasn’t mentally prepared yet to make his next leap in progression, on and off the track. Likewise, I look at myself in what I will call my rookie season in the “big leagues” of operating a team, and understand that it was a learning experience to be a mentor and to get the most out of Westen during his struggles. No diff erently than any of my previous years operating GDR, I take all my experiences from the year previous and use them to come back bigger, better, badder the next year. I have no doubt Westen will do the same.

OFF-SEASON CHAOS & MX2 TITLE DREAMS

I use the term “off-season” very loosely because those involved in the sport know the span of time between the wrap up at Walton and Round 1 are perhaps some of the most chaotic and trying times. We’ve had some major product launches for the 2015 Honda CRF line so we’ve been attending events and getting the riders, the bikes and the team in front of the marketplace, something both GDR and Honda Canada feel is critical to both our success.

We are sifting through and analyzing data collected throughout the 2014 race season and working with our engine builder, Matt Jory from Proven Moto, on our all-new 2015 CRF450R power-plant. Then there is getting sponsors on board, building bikes, planning training regiments, talking to other riders, etc., etc.

The main piece to our off-season puzzle was getting a MX2 rider that can go out and win a title. It’s public knowledge now and it’s with great excitement that we welcome Jeremy Medaglia to the GDR camp. Yes, I’m well aware of the gossip, with people saying that Jeremy will be a problem, some question his commitment, the loyalty isn’t there because he jumps from bike to bike and team to team…in fact there was rumbling that he and father Derek were assembling their own MX bike because they had exhausted all the other brands! (I’m kidding). Jeremy and I spoke extensively leading up to the signing of this deal about all of this stuff. I know he is excited for the change, 36

Further capitalizing on momentum from ’14, I am very excited to announce that we are again ramping things up and adding a new sector to our team. The “Red Rider” Support program will see Westen Wrozyna returning to the team, plus we are excited to announce the addition of veteran Kyle Keast into the mix, riding in the MX1 class. I felt that putting Kyle and Westen together was a good fi t, because it will allow Westen to learn from Kyle’s hard work ethic.

There are many similarities between the two of them.

One that stands out to me is that Kyle was not an immediate success when first turning pro. For Kyle, he will be on the best prepped race bike he’s ever had, he’s got a winter training program in place and he is preparing to make a full return to the circuit. For Westen, the addition of Jeremy and Kyle will help him feel like the spotlight isn’t shining directly on him, which will let him get back to truly enjoying the sport, and going out and riding like we all know he can.

THE TEAM:

One thing you may or may not have noticed about our team is we are not the loudest, we aren’t the life of the party, and we are rarely seen scrambling around under the pits with last minute preparation…some may consider us boring. One thing I am the most proud of is we have a tight-knit team of truly remarkable people, each with a very specific and clearly defined duty that are left to do what they are best at without interference. No one person demands or wants the spotlight, each member of the team understands they are a critical part of a bigger vision and goal. I could not be more fortunate to have such great people as part of the team.

I want to thank those who make it all happen: Joe Skidd, who takes cares of our suspension development, and Matt Jory, our engine builder, are true professionals at their job and a huge reason why our bikes were so good this past year. Derek Farthing from Troy Lee Designs goes way above and beyond what any gear sponsor needs to do. Roger Berkel at Dyco Tool, who I relied on to make us up or fabricate several parts, which many times I asked him to do last minute, Matt Bannon has my back no matter what I do and is always available to bounce off whatever crazy idea I come up with, Denise Payne, Derek Verheyen and Jeff Stralak at Honda Canada have been amazing to work with, and my wife Kerri, who does more behind the scenes than most know, helping with budget stuff, travel arrangements, assisting with hospitality, and being a good person to vent to at the end of some days. I also want to thank our team sponsors; Honda Canada, Pro Honda Oils and Lubricants, Troy Lee Designs, Yoshimura, Dunlop, Atlas Brace, Adidas, Oakley, Proven Moto, SSS, Wiseco, Matrix, Works Connection, Xtrig rental, DT1, Dyco Tool, Limenine, Hinson, EBC, Toronto Digital Imaging, Snap On, Hammerhead Designs, Procrf, Motoseat, Dubya, CMT, Race Tech Titanium, Steahly, and New Era.

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Kyle Chisholm gives the Gopher fans a little champagne shower.

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The opening salvos of a battle that would last all summer long.

Colton Facciotti and Mike Alessi battle for the win at Nanaimo.

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SEEING ORANGE IN 2014

BY ANDY WHITE

PHOTOS BY JAMES LISSIMORE

he road to victory in 2014” started only a few days after the final round in 2013.

Kaven calls me and says “Let’s test the 250SX two-stroke! I thought about it for about two seconds before I replied, “Sounds good to me.” The day after, we pulled out two 2014 KTM 250SXs from our inventory. Joe Skid from SSS built the suspension and Kaven’s mechanic started on framing the two-strokes. This was going to be fun. The CMRC rules state that you can use either a 250 fourstroke or a 250 two-stroke in the MX2 class.

A few days later, Kaven was out pounding laps on his favourite MX track.

The report I was getting from his mechanic sounded like Kaven was having fun chasing down 450s on the sand track. All reports showed that this might be the secret weapon for the 2014 series. We really needed to be sure that this was the right direction before investing too much money into the two-stroke project.

The next few days of testing would be crucial.

Time to head south to do some testing; we will focus on whether or not we race a two or four-stroke for the upcoming series. How do we do that? Easy, with lots and lots of laps on many different tracks! First we need two brand new, fully built race bikes to test head to head. This means we need to invest in testing with the best equipment to get the answer.

Right from the first day, Kaven said the two-stroke is so light and nimble but hard to be super consistent on each lap. On the other hand, the fourstroke is the opposite; it felt heavy but it is way more consistent on each lap on the hard packed track. Lap times proved the four-stroke is the better choice. Okay, so now let’s try the same test at the sand track. Just as we thought, the two-stroke is a little faster on the sand. Kaven said the twostroke is easier to flick around in the whooped out sand track. Jerome and Kaven did the Pepsi Challenge for the balance of the month at just about every track east of the Mississippi and south of the winter snow. One month later we had our answers to the question - do we go two or four-stroke? “Let’s use both!” Kaven shouts out.

Leading up to round one of the series, we needed to make sure we didn’t have any second thoughts on which of the 250 bike we were going to use on the west coast’s hard pack tracks. The decision was made; we loaded the four-stroke and left the two-stroke back at the race shop for the six eastern rounds. Was

Above: Throughout the 2014 MX2 series, KTM mounted Kaven Benoit and Vince Friese were this close.

Below: Kaven’s best ride of the season came in front of his hometown fans at Deschambault.

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this the right move? Has anyone ever done this before? Time will tell.

Round one of the series kicks off at The Wastelands in Nanaimo, BC. The weather in June in BC is usually pretty wet so fingers crossed for some good weather to start off the series. Our goal was to get as many points as possible. You can’t win the series the first weekend but you can lose the championship if you don’t ride smart on the rocky track. Kaven road smart and checked out and won both motos, leaving Nanaimo with 50 points and the leader plate.

Round two’s track is based in the interior of BC. Kamloops is a fun, rough track with lots of ruts. You better have your bike dialled-in or your weekend is going to be a long one. Kaven has ridden Kamloops a few times in the past so he knew it wasn’t an easy track to ride. The best part of the weekend was Kaven got to run with the red and white number plates as he was leading the MX2 series.

This is the round where Kaven meets Vince Friese. This dude has a rap sheet as long as his arm when it comes to taking out his competition. We knew this going into the series so we told Kaven to keep his distance and stay clear of him. Not that easy as from the minute

the gate drops Vince likes to get into your head. As a team manager for a rider that’s leading the series, this is not what you want to happen. Kaven’s 4-3 for a 2nd overall was good enough to keep the lead in the series.

Round three moved to Calgary, a track that is not an easy one to ride.

Kaven’s main competition started up with his usual antics in practice. Thirty feet out of the gate, Vince bumps Kaven directly towards the pond. Kaven had a GO PRO camera on at the time, so when he returned after practice we had the evidence in HD. Kaven is not a rider that likes to play head games, his only focus is to win the championship. The main goal was to get as many points as possible in the west, as we know Kaven will be very strong in the east.

This weekend Kaven was able to finish 2nd overall again with a 2-3 for the day, which is good enough to keep the red number plates moving forward.

Round four in Regina is a weekend I think all the teams and riders would like to forget. It’s too bad Mother Nature had to spoil a good weekend of racing.

The volunteers at Regina did a great job preparing for the weekend. I don’t think anyone expected that much rain in 48 hours. After getting towed in for the weekend, Kaven had the fastest lap times in practice. I was pleased to see that Kaven had really impressive lap times; these types of races can go either way for a rider, plus I was hoping for lots of points. Well, the gate dropped and Kaven was sitting around 14th on lap one and he was on the move. There was only one major line around the track. If you tried making a pass you better be sure or you were going to be on the tow list at the end of the moto. Kaven tried an inside move on the off-camber section before the finish line when the KTM stopped dead, fell over and was upside down on the hill.

Kaven couldn’t pick it up as he had slid to the bottom of the hill. That was it for Kaven. No points. The only good news from the weekend was his competition failed to gain any real points. Good news, Kaven keeps the lead going into the east.

Round five - finally back in the east coast. Gopher Dunes is one of the toughest tracks on the circuit; Kaven has had some really good motos here in the past. This weekend is going to be special as we wheeled out the 250SX two-stroke from the factory race truck. The rumours were right; Kaven is going to race an old-school 249cc two-stroke against fire breathing four-strokes. First practice went really well with Kaven putting down the fastest lap times. Practice two started well until Kaven lost his footing on the face of a step up. Kaven ended up

doing a full-on Superman and landed on his back beside the KTM. The information I received was that Kaven was walking back to the semi really slowly. This is not the plan, now we have to regroup and figure out a new strategy. Kaven said he can ride but it’s not going to be easy. All we needed was some solid points to keep the lead in the series. Kaven dug deep and put in some solid laps resulting in a 2-2 finish for a 2nd overall.

Round six, another sand track. Sand Del Lee has been on the schedule for a long time. Kaven knows this track real well. This has to be our weekend; it’s time to win an overall. Kaven was feeling much better after his superman crash the previous week. Jerome had the 250SX all dialled in for the weekend with a Dunlop MX11 paddle tire. Practice went well, trading fastest lap times with the local hero, Jeremy Medaglia. Inside gate is the ticket at the sand track for holeshots.

Moto one, Kaven had an intense battle with Politelli, the two riders gapped themselves from the rest of the field.

Moto two, Kaven pulled the holeshot and checked out. Vince was close but Kaven knew when to step it up to keep his gap.

Above: After an intense ten round battle in the MX2 class, Benoit proved that he deserved the #1 plate for 2014.

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The checkered flag came out and Kaven finally showed the Canadian fans that a two-stroke could win.

Round seven in La Belle Province; Deschambault is a unique track with lots of sand. The #24 rider has put in a million laps at this track over the years. This weekend the pressure was on. We knew if we could win this event we would be sitting in a good position to win the series.

Sunday morning, we woke up after a full night of rain showers. The track is now flooded with puddles and little rivers of water everywhere. Not what we were looking for, but it’s the same for all the riders today. Kaven’s mechanic, Jerome, prepared the KTM for a very wet day of racing. These wet events are more of a survival race than anything.

Holeshots are mandatory today. Kaven knew that getting a start meant the difference of winning or losing. His fine-tuned two-stroke rocketed out of the gate. Before we knew it, Kaven had a good 10 second lead on the field.

I yelled out in the head set “Lappers are going to be a major problem. Tell KB to be careful as the lappers love to race with the leaders.” If you get the blue flag, it means there is a race going on and you’re not in it! Kaven had it under control both motos. No one came close to challenging Kaven all day. Our lead on the series looked even better with a 1-1 result for the day.

Round eight, welcome to the real east coast. Moncton, NB has been on the circuit since I was racing. Come to

“ THEN THE GATE DROPPED FOR THE LAST MOTO OF THE YEAR, KAVEN WAS GONE. HE GOT THE HOLESHOT AND NEVER LOOKED BACK. THAT’S THE WAY A REAL CHAMPION FINISHES THE YEAR OFF. WELL DONE KAVEN BENOIT AND THE TEAM.”

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Team Manager Andy White did a great job keeping the mood light all season long under the KTM tent.

think of it, the lay out is pretty well the same. The track was prepared pretty well but I did tell Larry and his guys to please tear it up deeper. Two-strokes like loamy terrain … ha ha! I don’t think Larry got the memo because the track was pretty hard packed and dry by the second moto. That’s okay, Kaven won the first moto with no real issues, but moto two was going to be a diff erent story. Right from the start of the moto Vince parked himself right next to the point’s leader. I knew right away this was going to go bad. Kaven looked me and said “F@#K!!” As the gate dropped Vince focused on pushing Kaven into the trees in corner one, then as they entered the whoops Vince drove right in the side of Kaven and knocked him right off the track into the deep mud. Thanks Vince…buddy. That didn’t stop Kaven from putting his head down and charging through the pack. Once the dust settled Kaven had worked his way up to 4th. That gave him a 2nd overall for the day. This is where the real fireworks all started between Vince and Kaven.

I can’t really repeat what Vince said as kids might be reading this story.

Round nine, the event at Ulverton, Quebec will be remembered for years to come. Kaven knew that the Quebec fans would be looking out for their guy. I knew the Quebec fans had passion, but this weekend was much more than that.

Practice started with fireworks, and Vince wanted to get in Kaven’s head right away on lap two of practice. Not only did Kaven see what Vince was up to, so did all the fans. I don’t think it’s too smart to screw with a rider that lives 100km away from the track. The local fans were thinking the same thing. While sitting in the gate for Moto 1, things started to get out of hand between mechanics and riders. Once the gate dropped, the real race was on. Kaven was turning 3 seconds a lap faster than everyone. He had gapped the field by a mile.

The fans were going crazy, I thought to myself “Wow, I could get used to this.” On the last lap, Karel Benoit somehow tangled up with Vince; they both went down pretty hard. Was this planned? Well, not by my team or rider. It was something that Karel did on his own. Moto 2 started and Kaven started back in 5th. It didn’t take him long to smoke by the leaders by lap 4. Vince was not having this; he took it into his own hands to pay the Benoit family back. It was one take out move that should be on the highlight reels for a long time. Kaven hit the ground pretty hard; his KTM was all bent up from the impact.

Kaven shook it off and focused on points. With a 1-5, this gave Kaven a 2nd overall for the day.

Round Ten - the final round of the series is based in Walton, Ontario. It has been a long summer of racing. The plan is to ride smart and win the 2014 MX2 Championship. We had a team meeting prior to the weekend to discuss our strategy. I felt we needed another meeting to remind the team that we are here to win and then have some fun afterwards. Kaven had a 44 point lead on Vince for the championship. Moto 1, gate drops

After years of trying, the proud KTM Team brought home their fi rst Canadian MX2 title since 2008.

This is the view that Benoit’s competition had to witness all season long.

and Vince gets a great start and pulls away. Kaven was riding tight back in 5th. The track was pretty muddy from all the rain. There was only one main line out there. The pit board instructed KB to ride smart for the championship.

Kaven started to find new lines, moved up to 3rd and kept it there until the end. That’s all we needed to capture the championship. We were so happy for Kaven, the team and the sponsors whose support made the win possible.

What a relief, it’s finally over and we can relax. We had one more moto left to do for the season. I could tell Kaven had the weight of the series off his shoulders. Then the gate dropped for the last moto of the year, Kaven was gone. He got the holeshot and never looked back. That’s the way a real champion finishes the year off. Well done Kaven Benoit and the team.

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Tyler Medaglia showed me a photo of him hitting this jump on a minicycle so it was cool to try to capture a similar shot again in 2014.

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Sometimes getting out of control makes for the best photos.

Shawn Maffenbeier swaps hard and saves it at Gopher Dunes.

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The sky, the colour of the water, the lone rider on the track – this image makes me want to go ride.

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Dylan Kaelin styles it out for the Quebec fans during practice at Ulverton.

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The sun rises over the trees at Moncton as Davey Fraser prepares to head out for his local national.

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RIDER OF THE YEAR

SECON

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Welcome to the 2nd Annual Golden Elbow Awards. These awards look at everything from the pass of the year to the nicest city of 2014. All of these recipients are very well deserving; congratulations to each winner. With a great 2014 now behind us, we can all look forward to a new year and what could be the best season ever in Canadian motocross. Here are your 2014 Golden Elbow Awards:

This award was obviously a two horse race with both Colton Facciotti and Kaven Benoit winning their respective titles in 2014.

However, after careful consideration and the utmost respect to both riders’ performances, I have to give this award to GDR Honda Canada rider Colton Facciotti.

After two injury plagued seasons, Colton came into 2014 on a new bike and a new team behind him. What Colton did this summer was simply amazing. It was not only the fact that he won the MX1 title, it was also how he did it. In Colton’s previous championship winning years he was the fastest rider right from the start of the season, sometimes dominating motos by over 30 seconds.

During the 2014 series, Colton wasn’t always the fastest rider as Mike Alessi usually took home the fastest lap time honours at each round. But Colton did what every champion does - he let all the other riders around him make the mistakes, even the comparable Alessi. Round by round and moto by moto, Colton took what each track gave him and not an inch more. When it mattered most and when he felt completely comfortable, Colton would put the hammer down and ride away to victory. However, when the situation wasn’t quite kosher, Colton backed it down and settled for second or even third place points.

Colton’s relentless pursuit of the red plate this summer was something to marvel at; it was definitely the fairy tale comeback story that all of his fans were looking for. For all of these reasons and more, Colton Facciotti is my pick for the 2014 Rider of the Year.

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EVENT OF THE YEAR For the event of 2014 I have to go with an event that may not happen again, which is the Toronto Supercross at the Rogers Centre. Over the last few years, the Monster Energy Supercross’ only Canadian stop has become more than just an awesome race, it has become a pilgrimage of such for a large number of this sport’s Canadian fans and industry people.

It usually kicks off on Friday with the DMX party, then ends some time on Sunday morning, depending on when you decide to call it a night. It was one of those events where you run into people that you hardly ever see. I even know people who buy tickets who aren’t even into the sport like most of us, they just know the sport’s best are coming to town and they want to see them live.

On the track we’ve witnessed some great races over the years in Toronto. I remember Dean Wilson winning the Lites main in front of his hometown fans, and of course there was the 450 main event in 2014 when we saw James Stewart come from behind to win. Hopefully the race will be back on the Supercross schedule in 2016, however I won’t be holding my breath.

PASS OF THE YEAR To be more accurate for the winner of this category I think we need to change it from pass of the year to passes of the year. The hands down winner comes from the second MX1 moto in Calgary thanks to all the passes Mike Alessi made on route to the win. After getting stuck in the gate and starting the first lap in 20th place, Mike Alessi went on a five lap tear that involved some of the bravest passes we’ve ever seen. In that race Alessi used every inch of the track and took more chances in 15 minutes than most riders took all season. For the fans in attendance and the riders on the track, we all witnessed what all the Mike Alessi hype was about as he went on to win the moto and the overall that day.

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TOP CANADIAN RIDER All summer we watched top Canadian riders like Colton Facciotti, Tyler Medaglia and Dylan Kaelin battle the visiting American contingent. Considering we gave Colton the Rider of the Year Award, we wanted to recognize the other Canadian rider that had an unbelievable 2014 season. The Canadian that stood out, and perhaps had to put up with more drama than any other rider in history, was our 2014 MX2 Champion Kaven Benoit.

Usually a title contender only has to deal with the track and the pressure they put on themselves to succeed. For Kaven, though, his 2014 title chase was a balancing act between trying to win races and dealing with the bullying tactics of one Vincent Friese. After a 19 moto battle, the cream eventually rose to the top and Benoit took home the 2014 MX2 Championship, even winning the final moto of the year by 20 seconds. Kaven Benoit did Canada proud in 2014 by not only winning a championship but by sticking true to his roots and character. Well done Kaven and congratulations on being the Top Canadian Rider of 2014.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR The winner of this award goes to MX101 Yamaha rider Dylan Wright who faced the adversity of being a 16-year-old rookie in 2014. Dylan came into the season with a lot of hype and a lot of speed to back it up. However, for the first time in his career, Dylan was racing against men who make a living at this sport. The feet he had to manoeuvre during his amateur career quickly turned to inches when the gate dropped in Nanaimo, and it definitely took a while for Dylan to adapt.

As it is with every rookie, the learning curve was steep for Dylan last season. But, he handled it very well, and even though we’re sure he wanted to finish a little higher in the standings, his ninth overall in the MX2 class was a very respectable finish. Look for Dylan to be faster, smarter and near the front of the pack in 2015.

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HOLESHOT ARTIST OF THE YEAR Although there were some serious challengers in this category, we have to go with Mr. Holeshot, Mike Alessi as he was first to the holeshot line for most of 2014. Alessi’s starting ability was unmatched last summer as was his first half of the moto sprint speed. Alessi is one of the best starters this sport has ever seen, and he was fun to watch in 2014.

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MOST STYLISH RIDER After careful consideration of a few riders in this category, I have to go with Josh Hill.

All summer, Josh showed tremendous style and speed, and he battled for podium finishes at each round. However, it was his scrubs and his cool line choices that did it for me. Even on the roughest tracks of the series, Josh’s awesome supercross skills were put on display, and all the fans from coast to coast loved it. It was very cool having a rider like Josh Hill participate in our series in 2014.

TEAM MANAGER OF THE YEAR Since the GDR Troy Lee Designs Honda Team won the Team of the Year, I have to give their Team Manager, Derek Schuster, this award. Derek pulled all the right strings in 2014, and together with his top rider Colton Facciotti, they battled hard to give Honda their first MX1 title in almost ten years.

MEDIA PERSON OF THE YEAR I don’t think there’s a country out there that has their races covered any better than here in Canada. Between MXP, DMX, GMX and IMX, nothing flies under the radar. For this award we wanted to recognize an individual who has certainly had to battle through a lot of adversity in his lifetime.

After his devastating injuries in 2011, no one would’ve blamed Brent Worrall if he just disappeared from this sport forever. Well, he didn’t, and after taking some time to heal, Brent launched the very popular and entertaining Canadian Moto Show, which goes live on the internet every Wednesday night. Even though this sport has taken a lot from him, you have to love and respect just how much Brent has decided to give back.

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FEMALE RIDER OF THE YEAR For the second time in two years, we have to give this to Hailey Larsen for her dominating performance during the 2014 CMRC Western Canadian Women’s Nationals. Hailey won all of her motos on her way to her third consecutive championship. As she did last year, once the series moved east Hailey tried her hand at qualifying for the men’s MX2 class.

Congratulations to Hailey on another great year in Canada.

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TOUGHEST NATIONAL OF THE YEAR This category was definitely no contest as the Regina National takes home this award. With thick and sticky mud that was almost three feet deep, the riders and their machines had their hands full at round four. After one long moto in each class, the conditions were deemed to be too difficult to continue. Bikes were seen smoking, riders were exhausted and most of the mechanics were in tears with the thought of how much work lay ahead. Last year it was the heat and humidity at Gopher Dunes, this year it was most certainly the mud in Regina. Well done to all the riders who braved those awful conditions.

TEAM OF THE YEAR The 2014 Team of the Year goes to the GDR Troy Lee Designs Honda Team for their incredible championship season in the MX1 class. It’s never easy taking on a top rider like Colton Facciotti, however the GDR Team crossed every T and dotted every I. When the final flag flew at Walton Raceway, the GDR Team and their rider, Colton Facciotti, stood on top of the podium.

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HARDEST CHARGER OF 2014 This was another tough category as there were many riders that spent the summer charging through each moto. However, one rider that I thought stood out was Tyler Medaglia as he battled hard all summer to finish third in the MX1 class. Each year when the list of title favourites is announced Tyler’s name is always missing, but this kid never gives up. In 2014, he proved that he is one of the elite series riders.

After battling with his bike’s suspension for the first half of the season, Tyler made a slight change as the series headed east. By the time he reached Ulverton, Tyler was completely comfortable, and to prove it, he rode off with a very popular second moto victory. For all he battled through in 2014 and for how professional Tyler is both on and off the track, he is my pick for Hardest Charger of 2014.

MOTO OF THE YEAR This was probably the hardest category to pick a winner, so hard in fact that I’m going to make it a tie. The first winner is the 450 main event from the 2014 Toronto SX when we saw James Stewart start the race in 15th place and then slowly work his way to the front. That night, James was doing things on the track that no one else was, and he really was on a different level under the roof of the Rogers Centre. With James Stewart now facing a lengthy ban from the sport, and the uncertainty surrounding the return of supercross to Toronto. Perhaps the Toronto fans got to witness history in the making on the March evening in Toronto.

The second winner in this category is the second MX1 moto from Deschambault when our eventual MX1 Champion, Colton Facciotti, recovered from a bad start to win the moto. In the early stages of the moto, Mike Alessi and Colton Facciotti were close together and battling with each other to get to the front. As Colton took the lead, Alessi was right behind him, then something happened. Colton pulled a cool line out of his hat in the tough rhythm section that no one else was doing and within a few laps Alessi could barely see Colton’s red Honda. That moto stopped a three-race streak in which Alessi was a little faster than Colton, and I feel that winning the way Colton did, he really cemented himself as the rider in charge of the MX1 title chase.

NICEST CITY OF THE SERIES On the Friday before round six at Sand Del Lee, my family and I ventured into downtown Ottawa for a visit. I had never been there before so it was very cool to see the Parliament buildings and all that the city had to offer. To stand at the back of the Parliament buildings and look out over the river to Hull, QC was pretty cool.

After a nice dinner at an outdoor café, we walked around some more before heading back to our hotel, which was located only 20 minutes from downtown. Even though the 2014 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals takes place on motocross tracks across the country, it’s always nice to take time to see the sights of the nearby cites. With the series’ tracks located close to scenic cities like Nanaimo, Calgary, Moncton and Quebec City, it gives everyone a chance to explore each city’s unique qualities.

For 2014, I’m going to give the nod to Ottawa as the Nicest City of the Series.

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Josh Cox gives Kyle Chisholm’s YZ450F a little love at Walton.

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I love a good panned shot but they can be so hard to pull off.

This shot of Adam Enticknap pulling a wheelie during Opening Ceremonies at Chilliwack really stood out.

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You need the sand scoop if you’re going to put the power down at Sand Del Lee.

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Eli Tomac gets over the front end as he blasts off a table at Seattle.

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J ACKSONSTRONG//METALMULISHA .COM

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There’s whips and then there’s the upside down styling that Jarryd McNeill threw at the Monster Energy Cup on the way to his Best Whip win.

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It’s good to see some different entertainment at the Nationals. Ben Milot and friends take to the sky between motos at Deschambault.

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Even on a new bike, Justin Barcia has his whips dialed in. The new JGR Yamaha rider throws down during press day at the Monster Energy Cup in Las Vegas.

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Anytime there’s great racing you’re going to get good photos.

Kaven Benoit, Shawn Maffenbeier and Vince Friese battle for the lead at Ulverton.

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Motocross is about the good times and the bad, and the friends that are there for you no matter what.

Summer Knowles and Rachel Springman after a wet, muddy moto at the TransCan.

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I’m fortunate to get some pretty cool opportunities in my job.

Getting a chance to shoot the sport’s best, Ryan Villopoto and his heir-apparent, Adam Cianciarulo, battling it out in prep for the Daytona Supercross at Villopoto’s track in Florida, ranks up near the top.

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Photography is about moments. I love how this genuine moment between Kyle Thompson and his daughter, at Walton, is frozen in time.

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Josh Hill throws a whip during the Monster Energy Kawasaki team shoot at Milestone MX Park in Riverside, California.

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As Ralph Shaheen would say, Teddy Maier “lights the candles” at Chilliwack.

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Shooting Kaven Benoit at the KTM Canada headquarters in Montreal this spring.

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I love the reverse angle and all the colour in this image of Casey Keast at the TransCan.

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The finish line jump at Moncton during morning practice is one of my favourite spots to shoot at the Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals.

Josh Hill gets flat at Riverglade.

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The early morning light illuminates Bobby Kiniry’s Rockstar OTSFF Yamaha at Moncton.

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Morgan Burger gets flat at Ulverton.

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Another chance to experiment shooting race action with flashes.

Shawn Maffenbeier and Ross Johnson in action at Chilliwack.

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I love photos with multiple riders in them.

Tyler Medaglia leads the way with Colton Facciotti and Mike Alessi giving chase.

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Nathan Bles puts the power down on a berm at Ulverton.

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Ross Johnson, Chilliwack AX: Arenacross can be hard to shoot. The light is bad, the angles are tight but it gives me a chance to experiment with lighting so I can get some unique shots I wouldn’t get anywhere else.

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A D I FFERENT PERSPECT IVE

A LOOK BACK AT 2014 WITH GOOD REASON TO LOOK AHEAD

BRETT WORR ALL PHOTO BY JAMES LISSIMORE

season, and the points it would take to earn their top es, it is hard to believe the ink that was 100 numbers, made fans of Canadian moto the real freshly penned in the history books of winners. Was I the only one sitting stage side at the the 2014 racing season is now dry and final round wishing the season was not over? I know I anxiously awaits the next chapter. All was not alone taking solace knowing the real icing on right, if there is no longer such thing in this digital, the cake for 2014 was seeing our own Colton Facciotti tech, cyber world we now live in, please keep it to and Kaven Benoit standing on the loftiest perch of the yourself. I don’t know about you but I still enjoy podium while being crowned champs. Will this give picking up a good book or mag to get all the goods. those who look to dethrone them more fuel and desire Well, I guess I am in luck as Motocross Performance to come back and come out swinging in 2015? Will Magazine still shows up at my door regularly and I get it motivate Colton and Kaven to throw down an even all the current, retro and any other moto goods from more impressive repeat performance? Is there an a great team in which I am proud to be a part of. That up and coming Canadian rider, or citizen of any other is as good a starting point as any, looking back and country for that matter, ready to step up, turn some thanking all my co-workers for their efforts the past heads and make a mark? Yes, this race fan will take a twelve months, delivering a top notch product that super-sized portion of all three please. keeps getting better. Keep up the good work!

Coming off a great season, I have every reason When the gate dropped on the 2014 season I might to believe 2015 will not disappoint. Yes, we still as well have been blindfolded as I had no idea which have the better part of four or so months of the silly direction things would take when it came to the pursuit season before the gate hits the ground at round one. of my Canadian Moto Show endeavour and beyond.

I believe in 2015 there is a lot more at stake than I did know, however, that I was committed to doing meets the eye. Every single manufacturer, product, everything and anything possible to promote and service, you name it that is behind the scenes in the grow the sport of motocross, which has remained the way of sponsorship, making it all possible for riders primary reason I roll through life smiling. Giving all and fans, are plotting and planning to get the most racers, riders and enthusiasts, big and small, young and bang for their buck. Yes, I believe that all the effort old, a platform to showcase and expose themselves going into 2015 by all involved makes all of us fans has completed a circle in my moto life, which I had no of Canadian moto the real winners, and if you are like idea was incomplete. As we head full speed into 2015, me you are counting down the days to round one.

I am thankful that motocross is the axis which the I’m in, hope to see you there. happiness and completeness of my being hinges.

Brent ‘Airmail’ Worrall The past calendar year brought change, and I for one, being a human creature of European patent #03792104.6 US patent #7,481,729 B2 habit, can resist with the best of them but I believe we made a lot of positive steps forward this past season. Looking back we saw many changes in the Canadian motocross “GIVES YOU LONGER SYSTEM LIFE, WITHOUT landscape and scene, most of COMPROMISING WEIGHT” which was well received, and a must The ultimate weight reduction aluminum core, combined needed step towards ensuring our with hard steel teeth, giving you maximum durability and common goals. The year kicked off extended chain life in the west with the crowning of the Exclusively from Supersprox, Lifetime first of three calendar year Future guarantee with KIT purchase. conditions apply, see website West Moto Canadian Arenacross champions in what was two great series of racing for fans and riders.

Nice work Jeremy Medaglia, Ross Johnson and Teddy Maier, there was some serious battling out there.

The outdoor season saw an Available with , KTM. Yamaha increase in numbers on and off the Taddy Blazusiak Marc Coma, KTM, RK or DID Chains. g. cin Ra Factory track, yes an increase in not only 14. Mike Alessi Dakar winner 20 quantity but quality. Six months prior to gate drop at round one in Nanaimo, the quality of riders rumoured to come had many doubt and say, “Yeah right! No way!” or “Why?” The fact of the matter is that each and every rider that lined up to compete for everything from moto wins to Also Distributed by the championship titles this past

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“ I KNOW I WAS NOT ALONE TAKING SOLACE KNOWING THE REAL ICING ON THE CAKE FOR 2014 WAS SEEING OUR OWN COLTON FACCIOTTI AND KAVEN BENOIT STANDING ON THE LOFTIEST PERCH OF THE PODIUM WHILE BEING CROWNED CHAMPS.”

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A basic frame design that functions well for riding. The CTi

• There no rigid components in the knee upper medial aspect.

This captures keeps the riderthe streamlined isare the only ligament brace that tibia,to the bike andlocking enables them to use their thighs to on betterthe grip the tank without or digging in. down securely tibial crest.pinching The rigid upper

andbelower combine thecup hinges, androcks and • CTi can ordered arms with a patella cup. Thiswith protective keeps thecondyle patella safepads from flying to properly align the knee joint and provide an otherstraps debris common to riding environments. accurately-tracking exoskeletal support.

• CTi has no rigid components across the posterior (back) side of the brace, so you won’t experience or cramping in deep flexion (squatting) whoopsmedial or tight corners.

• pinching There are nowhen rigid components inthrough the upper aspect.

• CTi’sThis low-profile design allows it to tuck into the top of MXtoboots. worksenables in conjuction with the keeps the rider streamlined theIt actually bike and bootthem to help provide better overallthighs protection.to better grip the tank without to use their

pinching or digging in. longer, thicker or thinner based upon your height and weight.

• CTi can be manufactured to be shorter, •

CTi can be ordered with a patella cup. This protective cup keeps the patella safe from flying rocks and other debris common to riding environments.

NEW FULL COVERAGE PATELLA CUP MX KITS AVAILABLE NOW •

CTi has no rigid components across the posterior (back) side of the brace, so you won’t experience pinching or cramping when in deep flexion (squatting) through whoops or tight corners .

•

CTi’s low-profile design allows it to tuck into the top of MX boots. It actually works in conjuction with the boot to help provide better overall protection.

•

CTi can be manufactured to be shorter, longer, thicker or thinner upon your height and weight.

LIMITEDbased TIME INTRODUCTORY PRICE $95.00 - CALL TO ORDER NOW

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND HOW TO ORDER, CALL 905.773.6742 / 1.866.550.1764 800.233.6263 OR VISIT OSSUR.COM/CTI ORTHOFLEX@SYMPATICO.CA

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PHOTO ANNUAL MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE

Running out of fuel while leading has got to be one of the worst feelings in racing. Mike Alessi experiences the agony at Gopher Dunes.

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PHOTO ANNUAL MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE

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IN J U RY, I D E NTI TY A ND I NS PI R ATI ON ne of my biggest fears is getting an assignment and not being able to come up with a compelling design. Sometimes the only thing I get is a text document and some photos. On one hand it’s an amazing opportunity to do essentially anything I want, but on the other hand, with such freedom, the pressure to come up with something great each issue can be terrifying.

If you take last issue’s Buyer’s Guide, as an example, I was essentially given an excel document and a bunch of product shots. My job as the Art Director is to choose what fonts to use, the colour pallet, how the products will be situated on the page, and most importantly, I need to do all of that in way so that readers are interested enough to stop and check out the products rather than simply flipping the page!

Back in school, there was stigma attached to plagiarism. It almost seems like a no brainer; come up with your own ideas and don’t take from anyone else. That fear, in my opinion, prevented a lot of students from exploring what people had done in the past in the pursuit of a completely “new” design.

However, it isn’t until you have learned from the past that you can go forward and do something new.

Without exploring what already exists, it’s likely you’ll end up designing a solution that’s already been done a thousand times already. The great thing is, your project can still be successful even though it shares similarities with other designs.

Let’s say I find a layout in GQ and I like the way they handle their title graphic. I’ll experiment by taking the title that I’m working on with MXP and roughly make it look the same. I’ll take a look and then realize there are more words in my title than in GQ, so I’ll make mine three lines instead of two. Also, the main focus of my lead-in photo is on the left so unlike the GQ layout, I’m going to have to put my title in the bottom right. “Hmm, it also looks like they chose to make the title blue to match Chris Hemsworth’s suit, but in my layout, Kaven Benoit is wearing red and black so I’ll have to adjust the colours so that it doesn’t clash.

After taking a look at it a bit longer, I don’t like the way they’ve used a script font, I think I’m going to use a sans serif font instead.” By the time I’ve made all the

O

“THE OLD, ABANDONED FACTORIES TURNED INTO RESTAURANTS AND BARS I SAW IN BUSHWICK PROMPTED ME TO LOOK AT RETRO SIGNAGE DESIGN, BECAUSE I KNEW IT WOULD BE A GOOD FIT FOR MXP.”

WITH MIKE CHAN PHOTO BY JORDAN LENSSEN

adjustments to keep the essence of the GQ layout, but to adjust it for MXP, they no longer look anything alike and I’ve got something completely original.

A few months ago I had elective arthroscopic surgery on my dominant shoulder. I had initially dislocated it snowboarding while competing in a handrail contest out west. Ever since it seemed to pop out at inconvenient times. My doctor said that I needed to take a week off and he wanted me to take it easy. So instead of wasting an opportunity by staying at home and sitting on my couch, I went to New York City and sat on a few barstools.

Inspiration doesn’t always come directly from other magazines. While I was traveling the city, I took in everything and tried to find a way to bring it back and apply it to MXP. The magnitude of the skyscrapers in Manhattan gave me ideas of how I could play with perspective and typography.

The graffiti in a dive bar I went to late one night influenced me to look at some hand drawn fonts. The old, abandoned factories turned into restaurants and bars I saw in Bushwick prompted me to look at retro signage design, because I knew it would be a good fit for MXP. The trick was being able to recognize what would be good for the MXP identity, and what would be irrelevant. Doing a tour of the New York Times office to speak with their art department surely would not be as beneficial as hanging out with other designers from Brooklyn.

I’m constantly pleased with finding out how much I DON’T know, and how much I HAVEN’T experienced yet. As with snowboarding, I feel some of the same principles are relevant with design. If I am having trouble landing a new trick that none of my friends know how to land, I’ll go find someone new who can teach me! If I’m struggling with a design that none of my colleagues can help me with, I’ll go to the newsstand, talk to other designers, or go online for inspiration. It’s only a matter of time before I can learn how a problem is solved so I can make it my own. So the next time you feel like you’re in a rut, go do something new. You aren’t going to find your way out by continuing to sit there on your butt!

114 M O T O C R O S S P E R F O R M A N C E · M X P M A G . C O M

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NEW

SFF-Air TAC (Triple Air Chamber) Same design as AMA factory racers

Oversized Petal Disc Brakes

THE NEW 20l5 KX®450F n

LAUNCH CONTROL MODE

n

4-POSITION HANDLEBARS

n

3 PLUG-AND-PLAY DFI SETTINGS

n

2-POSITION FOOTPEGS

Kawasaki strives to give you the closest experience to a factory ride. Proven champion and a potent track weapon in the hands of any serious rider, the KX450F’s powerful performance pushes riders to the front of the pack. The proof? It’s on the podium.

KX250F

kawasaki.ca/15KX450F

KX100

©2015 Canadian Kawasaki Motors Inc. Always wear a helmet, eye protection

and proper riding apparel. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Adhere to the maintenance schedule in your owner’s manual.

THE BIKE THAT BUILDS CHAMPIONS. KX85

KX65