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M O T O C R O S S P E R F O R M A N C E // V O L U M E 1 5 , I S S U E 4

MX P C O N T E N T S

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M AT T G O E R K E C OV E R S T O RY Throughout the entire ten round 2015 MX1 Nationals, Matt Goerke had the battle of his life. When all was said and done he took home the title by a mere six points.

F E AT U R E S

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T H E H U S Q VA R N A S TO RY In this feature, our historian, Mike McGill, looks back at Husqvarna’s rich history in Canada and how they got to where they are today.

S U M M E R S H OW D OW N For five days in August, Canada’s top amateur riders gathered in Walton, ON to showcase their skills and battle for Canadian supremacy.

SCHMOKE SHOW For years riders have be travelling across Canada competing in our National series with very little support. In 2015, one of these riders was Dylan Schmoke, an American who loves coming to Canada.

JUSTIN THOMPSON INTERVIEW Beginning September 25th in London, ON, Justin Thompson will bring his very successful National Arenacross Tour to Canada.

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COLUMNS 26

FA M O U S L A S T W O R D S

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GUEST COLUMN W I T H B O B BY K I N I R Y

One Magic Summer

Reluctant Relaxation

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UPSHIFT

BY B R I A N KO S T E R

End of Summer

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INSIDE LINE W I T H A N DY W H I T E

It’s a Wrap

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E V O LV E D N U T R I T I O N

BY D R E W R O B E R T S O N

Back to School

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FROM THE DESK OF M A R K S TA L LY B R A S S

A Great Team

SPECIALS 14

EXPOSED

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Brent Worrall looks at the 2015 MX1 Class. From Kamloops to Walton, the battle in the MX1 class was the best we’ve ever seen. Here is the story of the epic 20 moto series.

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FIRST IMPRESSIONS For 2016, Kawasaki has released a brand new 450F motorcycle that is sure to take the track by storm. Find out what our test rider, Brian Koster, thought about this new machine.

NITRO CIRCUS R ETU R NS TO C A N A DA On October 14 th, Nitro Circus brings their entertaining, extreme sports show to Toronto to begin their fivestop Canadian tour.

2 015 L O R E T TA LY N N ’ S A M AT E U R N AT I O N A L This past July, a group of Canadians headed south to race against the best amateur riders in North America. This is their story.

T H E 2 015 C H E V Y COLOR ADO This past summer, MXP was invited to BC to test drive the all-new 2015 Chevy Colorado. This truck represents GM’s re-entry into the mid-size truck market.

PHOTOS BY JAMES LISSIMORE

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CMRC MOTOCROSS PRO NATIONAL series Congrats to all our fxr mx athletes for a great season of racing that’s a wrap 2015

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MX101

2ND OVERALL MX2 CLASS

JIMMY DECOTIS 6TH OVERALL MX2 CLASS DYLAN WRIGHT

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RAISE YOUR HANDS Photo by James Lissimore

EXPOSED 16-year-old Michigan rider Joey Crown shows his excitement as he wins his first ever Pro moto at Walton Raceway.

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RUSH HOUR Photo by James Lissimore

EXPOSED There definitely isn’t too much room at the front of the MX1 pack as all of the riders fight for space.

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THE

CANADIAN MOTO SHOW

STARRING

Brent Worrall

MXPMAG.COM

V O L U M E

the chair on the air Wednesday Nights, 6pm www.canadianmotoshow.com

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I S S U E

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MXP has the exclusive rights to the CMRC’s mailing list of racing license holders. Every CMRC license holder from coast to coast receives and reads each issue of MXP. In addition to this exclusive list of readers, we are partnered with several motocross and off-road enthusiast organizations across the country.

MXP MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Mike McGill, Brent Worrall, James Lissimore, Craig Stevenson, Drew Robertson, Brian Koster, Bobby Kiniry, Danny Brault, Virgil Knapp, Leticia Cline, Andy White CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Virgil Knapp, Randy Wiebe, David Pinkman, Clayton Racicot, James Lissimore, Steve Dutcheshen, Frank Hoppen, Bill Petro, Matt Wellumson, Dan Stenning, Tyler Spikman COVER PHOTO: James Lissimore

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Left: A proud Father/ Son moment on the Walton podium.

Right: Blake Savage goes retro on the East Coast.

Left: One of the men behind the Parts Canada TransCan, Brett Lee, looks relaxed after the long week Right: Colton seals his victory with a big kiss from Mrs. Facciotti.

Left: Metty’s win at SDL was definitely worthy of a tune.

Right: Ernie surveys the situation prior to the start at SDL.

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Above: Former pro rider Matt Crown has a big hug for his son after his second MX2 moto win at Walton.

Above Right: Jimmy D gets rid of some FXR swag after a long season of racing.

WE WANT YOUR PHOTOS!

Above: With the Eastern races close to home, JSR brought his family out to watch him work.

Below: Jerome celebrates with some bubbly after his rider’s second MX2 title in Ulverton.

Left: Jeremy goes for a swim after a long, hot day at SDL.

Bottom Right: Little Miss Dubé loves hanging at the races with her celebrity dad.

Bottom Left: Yamaha Canada’s Peter Swanton can’t bare the news that the Machine Racing doors are closing for good.

CAUGHT ON CAMERA

P HO T O S BY JA ME S L IS S IMOR E A ND M X P S TA F F

Send your pictures via Facebook or hashtag your photos on Twitter or Instagram with #MXPCaughtonCamera and you could see your photos in an upcoming issue!

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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Above: The Monster Energy Thor Kawasaki riders need their boots dry.

Above: Without Kourtney there, Rosco was under a lot of pressure to get the sponsor list correct.

Above Right: River Glade MX Park protects their most cherished body of water.

Left: Maffenbeier got some face painting done at the Moncton circus.

WE WANT YOUR PHOTOS!

Below: Tyler gets pumped up before the hot, final moto at SDL. Bottom Right: The top three came up with a secret handshake after their ten round battle.

Bottom Left: Tyler Medaglia meets and greets one of his super fans at Deschambault.

CAUGHT ON CAMERA

P HO T O S BY JA ME S L IS S IMOR E A ND M X P S TA F F

Send your pictures via Facebook or hashtag your photos on Twitter or Instagram with #MXPCaughtonCamera and you could see your photos in an upcoming issue!

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MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE 路 MXPMAG.COM

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A V A I L A B L E

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FA M O US L A S T WO R DS W I T H C H R I S P O M EROY

ONE MAGIC SUMMER “From coast to coast, riders of all ages and abilities put on a show, which helped to make this one magic summer.” hen my plane landed in Kamloops for the opening round of the 2015 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals presented by Motovan back in late May, like everyone else, I had no idea what to expect with the upcoming, ten round series. Oh sure, I knew who the main players might be in both the MX1 and MX2 classes, and I obviously knew where all the rounds were going to take place, however, I had no idea how high the bar was about to be raised in Canadian motocross. At the time I was unaware that this was going to be one magic summer.

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I’m always amazed at just how far the Canadian Nationals have come since I attended my very first round in 1984 in Copetown, Ontario. I was only 11 at the time but I remember vividly how fast Rudi Zasko was that day on his Honda. Rudi won some motos, and Mike Harnden took home his one and only Canadian Championship (500cc Expert). The pits back then were a scattering of small box vans and pick-up trucks. It was very crude by today’s standards but for the next ten years or so that was pretty much the norm.

Fast forward six years and I was fortunate enough to graduate to the Pro class, and in 1990 I lined up for my very first Pro National at RJ’s in Barrie, Ontario. On that day the main players were Al Dyck, Carl Vaillancourt, and of course Ross Pederson.

As different as these three riders were on and off the track, the common denominator between them was that they all wanted to win very badly, and they didn’t really like each other. Racing the Pro class in those days was very cut-throat as there wasn’t a lot of money to go around.

Because of that, a lot of riders did anything and everything they could to get their hands on some cash. Basically, whether it was a local race, an arenacross or a national, you had to race with one eye on the track in front of you and one eye looking over your shoulder.

With the racing on the track somewhat volatile at times, so was the action off the track. As the story has been told on more than one occasion, Canadian motocross in the early 1990s was in a

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huge transitional stage. The country’s sanctioning body, CMA, was on its way out and the upstart CMRC was the new association on the block. After a few seasons of gaining traction, it became clear that CMRC was here to stay and a strong feeling of stability was introduced to riders, fans and sponsors. In the past two decades their series has grown into what we witnessed this past summer at the Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals.

Right from the first gate drop back in Kamloops to the final moto at Walton Raceway, fans saw top riders like Kaven Benoit, Jimmy Decotis, Matt Goerke and Colton Facciotti (just to name a few) battle for their motocross lives on Canadian soil.

All summer the racing was incredible, and every rider who competed at the Nationals should be very proud of the show they put on for all of us.

This summer also saw our Canadian riders make big strides on the amateur side of things. With Jacob Piccolo and Tanner Ward taking home championships at CMRC’s inaugural KTM Super Mini Nationals, and Marco Cannella winning a

Loretta Lynn’s title in July, the future is very bright for our sport in Canada. At the 2015 Parts Canada TransCan, we saw Joey Crown do the unthinkable when he spent all week at Walton Raceway winning multiple amateur titles, then step up to win a Pro moto on Sunday. While Joey isn’t exactly Canadian, he’s the first to admit that the past five years that he’s spent racing at the TransCan has helped shape him into the rider he is today. It was a remarkable achievement for the 16-year-old, and one that, without question, gave hope to every other amateur rider in attendance that day.

For this issue we went with Yamaha rider and 2015 MX1 Champion Matt Goerke for the cover. This incredible James Lissimore shot of Matt doing a Jeremy McGrath-inspired Nac-Nac represents not just his own championship celebration, but it is also in recognition for every rider that treated us to their skills this past summer on Canadian soil.

From coast to coast, riders of all ages and abilities put on a show, which helped to make this one magic summer!

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

Editor Column - Palms_15.04_v1.indd 1

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G U E S T C O L U M N W I T H B O B BY K I N I RY

RELUCTANT RELAXATION “I’ve always found that it’s great to hear of new riders that are coming next year. I find it gives me a little extra bit of motivation to train even harder than before.” he off-season is always an odd time of the year for a professional motocross racer. I don’t think people really realize how difficult this time of year can be financially, mentally and schedule-wise for a rider. You go from being wide-open on a daily basis, traveling two days a week, living in a hotel for three to four days per week, and training and riding every single day, to sitting around watching the grass grow.

Sometimes you’re bike-less and incapable of even having the option to ride or practice. For most of us it is nice to have a bit of a break, but at the same time something is missing from your routine and it seems boring not having a race to go to on the weekend.

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It’s nice that the Canadian motocross scene is growing and that there are now these arenacross series popping up to keep everyone on the track racing. Whether you are a Beginner, Junior, Intermediate or Pro, there is something going on while the weather starts to turn on us. As a professional, racing is your source of income, so trying to find big races is always your first priority during the off-season. Many of us will travel over to Europe to continue our racing; this is always a nice way to see the world outside of your little racing window, but at the same time it can be very stressful. Racing Supercross in a foreign country is fun but a bit scary due to the fact that injuries are a fairly common occurrence in Supercross.

If something goes wrong you’re a long way from home and a long way from people that speak your language. However, at the end of the day, the reward outweighs the risks so every winter there is always a group of us that head across the Atlantic to compete overseas.

The other part of the off-season that is stressful is not always knowing if you have a job for the following year. It’s no secret that the motocross industry is very cutthroat and results in blackand-white on paper are a must when pleading your case to a factory team, who will in return provide you with the tools necessary to be successful at this career path for the upcoming year. Things such as holeshots and podiums are a big plus on

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your side as it shows that you’re able to get their motorcycle in photos and on television. This is what sponsors want to see to justify the money that they’re investing in you. It is also fun to hear the new things that are in store throughout the off-season for the series the following year.

Sometimes it’s a new title sponsor, sometimes a new TV package, or maybe it’s just a few brand new names that are coming to the series. I’ve always found that it’s great to hear of new riders that are coming next year. I find it gives me an little extra bit of motivation to train even harder than before.

Of course with the talk of new riders comes the talk about predictions of who will do what. This chatter can sometimes be entertaining, and honestly, most of the riders get a real kick out of it. Most times these predictions are only slightly accurate as once the gate drops anything can

happen. Prior to this summer, few people gave my Rockstar OTSFF Yamaha teammate, Matt Goerke, a chance of winning the MX1 title. I guess this was warranted as he was going up against a list of strong riders, but in the end he persevered and gave our team their very first championship. This was definitely deserving as the team has worked very hard for a long time.

Yes, the off-season can be a very interesting time, for sure. Over the years I’ve learned how to balance both recovering from the previous season to training for a new one. Professional athletes are constantly in motion, that’s what makes us so good at what we do. Over the years my off-season has become shorter and shorter as I just don’t like sitting around. This year it will be shorter than ever as I will be on the move a lot preparing for 2016.

I hope everyone enjoys reading this and I hope to see you at a race real soon.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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KTM Group Partner

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U P S H I F T W I T H B R I A N KO S T ER

END OF SUMMER his past summer’s Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals were without a doubt one of the most exiting in many, many years. Sure, every year is pretty darn good but to have the fiercest battles on the track being for the lead, things get pretty intense. Every weekend was a crap shoot as to who would win, and throughout the season there was not one rider who clearly dominated - there were three.

Another stat I find interesting is that our top three riders only swept one round each. I kind of feel for the guys fighting around the top ten as those are usually the go-to battles when it’s a runaway up front, but this year all eyes seemed to stay focused on the lead guys. There is a lot of talent in the MX1 class, but the riders that finished out the year with the top four National numbers really stood out to me. With respect to the guys who ended up outside the top four, here are my thoughts on what those top four guys accomplished in 2015.

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#1 M AT T G O E R K E Matt came into the season fresh off a broken collarbone but was still strong fitness-wise. I never heard him complain about being sore or tender after his motos. He won the Canadian title back in 2012 on a Kawasaki so he knew most of the tracks he would race this year. The year the Floridian won, or perhaps I should say dominated the series, it was nine rounds and he won 16 of 18 motos if ya can believe that. The Goerkman had been riding Yamahas down south so he was familiar with the Rockstar Yamaha bike and was for sure a viable contender for the Championship this year. Matt is a fairly quiet guy that is easy on bikes and gets along well with his team staff. I find Matt easy to talk to and I love his post moto interviews. He is super honest and forthright, and comes across with an effortless, humble charm.

On the track he is an absolute animal, relentless in his pursuit of the position ahead of him, and a phenomenal sand rider, taking the clean sweep at Gopher Dunes, the only round he won both motos.

Consistent and fast, Matt worked hard all year, overcame some adversity and last place starts and did what he needed to do to narrowly win his second Canadian title. He won 6 motos, made the podium for all but 4 motos, and never finished worse than 6th. # 2 C O LT O N FA C C I O T T I Our defending Champion and the fan favourite for the title leading into the series was involved in a practice crash a few weeks before the series started that left him with a cracked pelvis.

Understandably, the Gopher Dunes Honda team downplayed it and the injury was reported as only

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a bruised pelvis, so that is what we believed. But it did not take long for the pundits to question the seriousness of his injury as he did not seem his usual aggressive self on track and lacked his usual corner speed during the western rounds. It was not until Gopher Dunes that Colton started to feel healed and confide to me that his hip was actually cracked, but from there his results improved. Colton is a fan favourite for being a Canadian and a multi time Champion, but also for his friendly nature and easy smile with the fans.

But we can’t forget about his sweet, smooth style on the bike and his outright speed. Colton has done us proud when he rides down in the States and is fast becoming a Canadian icon of the sport.

Colton is a great guy and has proven to be a great Champion. He is always riding spot on in the meat of the powerband and is not hard on bikes either.

Arguably, Colt could have won this thing had he entered the series healthy and not get his first moto win until Round 6 at Sand Del Lee. From there, “Yotes” killed it taking six wins of a possible ten remaining motos. He swept one of the series’ gnarliest tracks, taking both moto victories at Ulverton and did it with a ballsy, late pass on Goerke in the second moto. He was on the podium for all but five motos and his worst moto finish was a 6th at Gopher Dunes after a hard crash. Colton is loved by his many fans and loves to pay them back with great results. # 3 B R E T T M AT C A L F E What can ya say about this global icon of the sport and previous Champion in Canada? The Monster Thor Leading Edge Kawasaki rider won in 2013 on the same team so he was familiar with the people around him and all but one of the tracks on the schedule. Metty has to be one of the most serious and prepared riders I have ever had the pleasure of working with over my fifteen years on the series.

This Australian dude is focused and leaves no stone unturned in both his mental, physical and dietary preparation. Brett is a true professional and an inspiration to anyone who has ever thrown a leg over a motocross bike; his pedigree in our sport speaks volumes on its own. The first time I met him I was immediately impressed but upon getting to know him a little better I was even more impressed. His riding ability never ceases to amaze, and his control over his motorcycle defies not only gravity but pretty much all logic and laws of physics. Bottom line, he is fast and is always a threat to win on any given day. Some would venture to say that had it not been for a DNF in the first moto in Calgary and again in the first moto in Moncton he may have taken this title. This we will never know, but even with suffering those two heart breaks, Metty always remained professional with the media and towed the company line with a

brave face. What really hit home with me was the number of series mechanics who name Metcalfe as one of their favourite and most respected riders, and who get nervous around him… sometimes when I interview him he makes me nervous too (lol). Brett swept the first two motos of the year, but that was his only clean sweep as he finished the season to tie both Goerke and Facciotti with six moto wins apiece. #4 COLE THOMPSON For Southwestern Ontario riders, Cole Thompson’s name is a familiar one. His older brothers were fast Pros and the then young Cole was the apple of the family’s eye. It was with good reason considering his uncanny, natural ability to ride a dirt bike fast and smooth right from the start. I believe Cole has more Walton titles than any other rider, and back in 2013 realized a dream and won the sword as King of Walton. It’s a story that could give even the hardest of asses goose pimples, as the nice kid, who won just out of diapers, ended up winning in the premier class at only nineteen years of age.

Cole “Tommy Gun” Thompson went on to create a fan frenzy up here in Canada as he rode the US Supercross series in the Lites class to regular top ten and even top five finishes. With very few serious injuries in his career it was a blown knee that took him out of action for about an entire year. Cole is a cool customer who keeps to himself and his inner circle of family and friends; on race day this formula seems to work well for him. It’s hard not to like this charismatic rider whose speed often defies how he looks on the track. He seems so effortless and relaxed on the bike, but make no mistake, he is hauling Ass! Fast forward to 2015 and the Fox KTM MX1 star is back in full force.

He won the first moto in Nanaimo, scored 2nd in the second moto to take the overall, ended up on the podium eleven times and suffered one DNF at Gopher Dunes. At the second moto in Moncton, Cole had a nice lead towards the end but stalled it by the mechanics area allowing Facciotti the get by. Now at 21 years of age “The Gun” has a bright future ahead of him. To put it more into perspective, he is over ten years younger than Brett Metcalfe. Cole also raises some of the loudest and longest podium cheers, so he has a legion of Canadian fans who love him as well.

Only time will tell what 2016 has in store for us but with Goerke already re-signed, Facciotti already preparing for 2016 and Metcalfe not ruling it out, we could be in for another barn burner of a year! There are also rumours of more US teams and players eyeing our series so that could prove interesting as well. Add in Tyler Medaglia and Cole Thompson, I will need to pack oxygen to survive the excitement!

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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BY CHRIS POMEROY PHOTOS BY JAMES LISSIMORE rom his humble beginnings down in Florida to the top step of the podium this summer in Canada, it’s been a long and unassuming journey for Matt Goerke. Even with natural talent to spare, Goerke has had to earn everything he has; perhaps that’s what makes the taste of victory so sweet. Although the two-time CMRC MX1 Champion glided through his first title back in 2012, this past summer Goerke had to fight tooth and nail with the likes of Colton Facciotti and Brett Metcalfe to secure his series title. In the end, Goerke won the 2015 MX1 title by just six scant points, which all came down to the final moto of the year. However, as much as this kind of pressure seems enormous to most onlookers, for Goerke it was just another day at the office as he’s been working for moments like this his entire life.

Before the 2015 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals presented

by Motovan even began on May 31st in Kamloops, BC, Goerke found himself swimming against the current. After a successful winter of racing in the highly competitive Amsoil Arenacross Series, during the final round in Las Vegas, Goerke suff ered a broken collarbone. Normally this injury would take at least two months to fully heal, but with just four weeks until the opening round in Kamloops, Goerke didn’t have that much time. In the days after his Vegas crash, Goerke went under the knife and had his collarbone surgically repaired. Although this decision would largely speed up his recovery time, it would still only leave him with a few days of seat time before the gate dropped on his 2015 Canadian summer adventure.

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“ALTHOUGH THIS DECISION WOULD LARGELY SPEED UP HIS RECOVERY TIME, IT WOULD STILL ONLY LEAVE HIM WITH A FEW DAYS OF SEAT TIME BEFORE THE GATE DROPPED ON HIS 2015 CANADIAN SUMMER ADVENTURE.”

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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Leading up to that opening round, media people like myself were speculating wildly about who would be the rider to beat in the hotly contested MX1 class. While Matt Goerke’s name did come up numerous times as one of the riders who might be able to contend for the title, few, if any, thought he would be able to pull it off. With experienced riders like Brett Metcalfe and reigning champion Colton Facciotti, most figured Goerke would be good but just not good enough.

I must admit that I was also one of those prognosticators who thought Goerke would be fast all summer long, especially on sandy tracks like Gopher Dunes and Sand Del Lee, however in no way did I think the Floridian journeyman would be able to beat Metcalfe in an all-out, 20 moto battle.

Even as the first round concluded on a hot and dry day in Kamloops, while Metcalfe stood barely sweating on the top step of the podium, Goerke, who finished that day with a very admirable second overall, could hardly stand up. Once on the podium and with a microphone in his face, he would freely admit that he was absolutely exhausted and that he had given everything he had on the rough Whispering Pines track. To stand there and see the contrasting body language between Metcalfe and Goerke, I still figured that beating Metcalfe would prove to be too tall a task for Goerke, or any rider for that matter.

Throughout the next few rounds in Western Canada, Metcalfe was extremely fast but suffered some bad luck in Calgary with a DNF, and Facciotti was also trying to rebuild his endurance after a pre-season injury. Goerke did what good riders do; he hung in there, grabbed a moto win at Round 2 in Nanaimo and logged a few more second place finishes when it mattered most. Then at the beginning of the second moto at Round 4 in Regina, Goerke holeshotted, and for almost the entire 35 minute moto, he

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held Metcalfe at bay and in the process did not make one mistake. After that moto, as the riders and teams packed up to head east for the final four rounds, there was a sense that perhaps the tide was changing. With the next round taking place at arguably Goerke’s favourite track of the series (Gopher Dunes), things were just beginning to get interesting.

When the gate fell for the MX1 riders on the new and fantastic Gopher Dunes start, right away everyone in attendance knew they were in for something special.

During both motos, Goerke used his long and powerful legs to navigate his Rockstar Energy OTSFF Yamaha around the bomb hole laden Gopher Dunes track. While almost every other rider on the track was battling to put in two consistent laps in a row, Goerke was a gear higher on his YZF450, floating around the circuit as if the bumps weren’t even there. For the fourth weekend in a row, not only did Goerke not lose any points to Metcalfe and company, but he still carried the red plate and actually extended his points lead.

“RACE AFTER RACE AND LAP AFTER LAP THESE RIDERS WAGED ABSOLUTE WAR AS THEY BATTLED EACH OTHER, HOWEVER, AT THE END OF EACH WEEKEND, THE SMOOTH AND CONSISTENT GOERKE WAS STILL LEADING THE POINTS BATTLE.”

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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For the next few rounds, Goerke did everything that was expected of him, and the red plate was still his. Each and every time the MX1 riders hit the track, the battle for the lead was epic. Facciotti was now back up to speed, Metcalfe was sensing the title slipping away and he began to race with a certain level of desperation, and the racing was extremely exciting. I’ve been around Canadian motocross for a long time and I can’t remember the pace being as fast as it was this summer in the MX1 class. Race after race and lap after lap these riders waged absolute war as they battled each other, however, at the end of each weekend, the smooth and consistent Goerke was still leading the points battle.

Although our paths obviously crossed a few time during the series, it wasn’t until we were sitting in the Quebec City airport waiting for our flight to Toronto that I really got a chance to speak with Matt.

He had just concluded yet another two moto, bar banging (literally) battle with Metcalfe and Facciotti, and once again he looked completely exhausted. As we spoke and I told him how impressed I was with his riding this summer, he gathered enough energy to talk about the MX1 series thus far.

“I can’t believe what a battle it’s been. Every moto it seems we’re going at it for the entire race. I know it must be fun to watch, but it’s been really, really tough.” After making the observation at how tired he looked after some of the races, Matt let out a sigh and replied, “That’s because I am. To win these motos against Metty, Facciotti and even Thompson sometimes, I’ve had to give it everything I have. If I’m able to hold on and win this thing, I’ll know I’ve definitely earned it.”

Well, as we now know, Matt Goerke did hold on and won the 2015 MX1 title in dramatic

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fashion. After his second DNF of the season in Moncton, Metcalfe fell out of the points race, while Facciotti found his confidence and made a run at Goerke during the last few rounds. In the end, as every championship should, the MX1 battle all came down to the final moto of the year at Walton Raceway. Like a scene out of a Hollywood movie, Goerke and Facciotti crashed together on the opening lap of the second moto and were forced to try to make a mad scramble to the front. Lap after lap with one eye on the track and the other on each other, these two warriors battled through the pack, both chasing their dream to win the 2015 title. When the chequered flag came out signifying the end of the war, Goerke had once again given it everything he had, but this time it was for all of the marbles. For the second time in three years, Matt Goerke is your MX1 Champion!

It was an incredible season for Matt Goerke, during which he proved time and time again that he’s one of the toughest riders in the world. After beginning the season on the mend from injury, he battled through those opening rounds, took the red plate after round three and never looked. With his trusted mechanic, Steve Simms, by his side, Goerke did exactly what he needed to do throughout the ten round series. This 2015 MX1 title also marked the first National Championship for his Rockstar Energy OTSFF Yamaha Team, who have competed in the series for over ten years. For these reasons, Matt Goerke is the perfect candidate to be this month’s Cover Boy. Congratulations to Matt and his team on their epic 2015 season.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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2015 MX MX1 CHAMPION

MATT GOERKE I TEAM ROCKSTAR/OTSFF/YAMAHA YAMAHA YZ450F

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THE 700 MINUTE BATTLE

BY BRENT WORRALL

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PHOTOS BY JAMES LISSIMORE

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ith the 2014 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals MX1 battle, which we dubbed the 665 minutes to the title, etched in history and now yesterday’s news, 2015 would see a great sequel chapter written. This year’s MX1 battle would be an all-out, 700 minute, full-fledged war waged by some of the sport’s finest to line up in Canada, on the way to hoisting the top prize in the elite class. All combatants and their accompanying support systems would point their wagons west to ascend on the well prepared Whispering Pines Raceway, just outside of Kamloops, BC, for round one.

The 2015 season would mark changes for some as well as an opportunity for Canadian race fans to get reacquainted with some of the series’ former top names and faces. The 2015 script would write with arguably one of the thickest MX1 plots in our sport in this country’s history. Coming into round one, we had fi ve riders on the line that had won Canadian Pro National titles, which included the return of heavyweight contenders Brett Metcalfe and Matt Goerke. Matt Goerke, the 2012 Champ, would saddle up for the series’ title sponsor team on a Rockstar OTSFF Yamaha, and the 2013 Champ, Brett Metcalfe, would contest 2015 on his familiar Monster Energy, Thor, Kawasaki. Tyler Medaglia, on a Parts Canada Husqvarna, and Cole Thompson, on a Royal Distributing KTM, would also have their names high on the list of riders who all had their site set on what Gopher Dunes Honda Canada’s Colton Facciotti had possession of, the number one plate.

Before the gate dropped at Round one in Kamloops, there were many questions surrounding two of the series’ top contenders. Last year’s champ, Colton Facciotti, had a serious get off at the Georgia Practice Facility and would line up with very little seat time in the weeks before the first gate drop. Colton, always doing his best to be the consummate professional that he is, went into the opening round with the number one plate on his bike knowing that no one would take it from him that day. Matt Goerke, who had surgery on his broken collarbone just three weeks before the opening round from a crash at the final Amsoil Arenacross race of the season, was also on the mend. Before the gate would drop on 2015, the pervading feeling was that both of these riders would be in damage control mode early, or would they? As the season got underway, what began to unfold was, what I truly believe from my experiences, one of the best MX1 battles this country has ever seen. As the season wore on, every race fan that had wished for this epic battle to come right down to the wire at the final moto in Walton, had their dream come true. This race fan was there and this is a chronological look at the 700 minutes of the 2015 MX1 title chase.

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would be overtaken on lap three by a hard charging Matt Goerke, who was to the surprise of some very much on it at Round 1, and showing that even though wounded he was in it to win it. I guess I should not have been surprised as Matt was the 2012 Canadian MX1 Champion, a proven winner hired to do just that. His lead was short lived as he went down in an innocent-looking section of the race track that seemed to collect a few in its wake that day. Colton Facciotti, who started 6th and would be the benefactor of a couple of other riders’ mishaps early in the moto, improved his position to 3rd and would hit the box for his opening moto eff ort of 2015. Brett Metcalfe would soldier on to the front of the pack after an untimely get off caused by some water collected in a bad spot and claim the first battle of what would turn out to be a very long war.

By the time Moto 2 came around, the hotter than average temperatures coupled with the very rough race track would provide a true yardstick for where these riders’ early season conditioning was currently at. Brett Metcalfe would lead early and have Colton Facciotti a few seconds adrift in his rear view mirror for the early portion of Moto 2. Facciotti would, however, give up that second place point total to Tyler Medaglia, and Matt Goerke would finish 3rd. Last year’s Champ Facciotti left Kamloops 12 points down to series leader and Red Plate holder Metcalfe, who had perfect point totals on the day going one-one. Matt Goerke would set sail for Round 2 to Vancouver Island, 8 points shy of the top total. He and Facciotti knew their best days of 2015 were still yet to come.

ROUND 2 THE WASTEL ANDS, NANAIMO, BC 140 MINUTES TO THE TITLE.

The Wastelands, on scenic Vancouver Island that had typically been the opening round of the series in recent years, would provide this year’s battlefield for Round 2. The scheduling seemed to work in the sense that if it was a Nanaimo mudder that was hoped to be avoided then you could say the mission was accomplished. What we did see on race day in Nanaimo was the expected hard packed race

ROUND 1 WHISPERING PINES R ACEWAY, K AMLOOPS, BC 70 MINUTES TO THE TITLE.

When the gate dropped on the first moto of the season on the free flowing, sand based Kamloops race track, it was Tyler Medaglia who would bust out the first Royal Distributing Holeshot of 2015. He would lead the moto in full command of his new-look Husky, clad in his familiar #3. Tyler, however,

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surface that, due to the extreme heat there this year, was even harder than usual. All the top contenders in the MX1 class, with the exception of KTM’s Cole Thompson, had been there before and pretty much knew what type of conditions to expect. Colton Facciotti, growing up on the West Coast and a master of The Wastelands, was expected by many to see his results improve from Round 1 in Kamloops. Colton did lead the first half of Moto 1 and would look to be on his way to victory, but had a minor setback and would take a solid 2nd for the moto. Cole Thompson’s preparation for the Nationals on the West Coast in California paid dividends as he would take Moto 1 for his first Pro National Moto win on this circuit in two seasons. Matt Goerke would take fourth in Moto 1, and for a rider who would seemingly hit his best stride once the series hit the sand, he was in a good spot. Moto 2 would see the riders hit the concrete launch pad under extremely warm west coast temperatures, and by this point it was evident that the race track was more difficult than usual for reasons beyond control, but all riders had to face the same conditions. When the gate dropped it would be Cole Thompson with the lead for the first half of the moto. Matt Goerke, the so called sand specialist, who also resides in Southern California, apparently did not get that memo as he would overtake Thompson and cruise to his first moto win of the season in Moto 2. Colton Facciotti would run 3rd for the moto and take the final position on the podium for his day’s work. Cole Thompson would get the overall and Matt Goerke would go 4-1 for 2nd overall. Brett Metcalfe would have his day low-lighted by a second moto, turn two spill that would see him fight from well behind to finish 4th for his efforts. Metcalfe would, however, maintain a slim margin of control on the series with the Red Plate and 108 points. Matt Goerke’s totals of 105 would see him second followed by Colton Facciotti with 100 as we headed off to Alberta.

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ROUND 3 WILD ROSE MX PARK, CALGARY, AB 210 MINUTES TO THE TITLE.

For Round 3 of this 2015 chase, we were off to the panoramic skyline view of downtown Calgary’s Wild Rose Motocross Park facility. This race track is typically both rider and spectator friendly, and never usually gets very much negative feedback from anyone, if any. The weather on the other hand? Well, let’s just say you never know what you are going to get in Calgary. Even though it did not rain this year, it was quite cold.

I showed up in Calgary on Friday afternoon and it was a measly 5 degrees at noon. I thought for sure we would be sentenced to endure the first round of the 2015 series that would be remembered for all the wrong reasons. On Sunday, riders meeting saw many clad in toques and winter jackets, but the sun did eventually come out and as always the playing field was the same for all.

The MX1 class on this day would see the addition of Canadian National #2 from 2014, Mike Alessi, and Vince Friese who finished second in last year’s MX2 battle. Mike Alessi would prove to be a non-factor as he entered Calgary with a broken sternum, which would see him finish 29th in the first moto and a DNS for Moto 2. Vince Friese, however, would pilot his Smartop Moto Concepts bike to the first moto victory after points leader Brett Metcalfe, who had the lead, succumbed to a mechanical issue. Matt Goerke, on the 60th anniversarylook, retro yellow Yamaha, would take second in Moto 1 ahead of Cole Thompson, and Colton Facciotti would finish 5th.

Moto 2 would see Metcalfe pilot his KX450 to the front and get the Moto 2 win on a Calgary race track that was a little more compact than usual. The conditions can be attributed to the uncertainty in the weather and some of the pre-race preparation that was involved that day. Colton Facciotti had a very strong Moto 2 and stamped a couple of statement-like moves on a few riders on his way to 2nd for his Moto 2 efforts, giving him 3rd overall. Vince Friese would get the overall win after a 4th place Moto 2 score, which was highlighted by a bold and brazen pass just before the underpass on Cade Clason.

Cole Thompson would take 2nd overall. Before we moved on to Regina for the last round of the West, a quick look at the point totals told a very tight tale. Even though Matt Goerke was 2-6 on the day and not that happy with how things went in Calgary, he would take solace in knowing that he was the new Red Plate holder with 152 points to his credit. Colton Facciotti would sit second with 148 and Cole Thompson third with 147.The DNF would see Brett Metcalfe slip from the series lead to 4th with 138 points and seven rounds remaining.

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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ROUND 4 MOTO VALLEY R ACEWAY, REGINA, SK 280 MINUTES TO THE TITLE.

Regina, Saskatchewan, home to the previous year’s race shortened event, would thankfully not see a repeat in those conditions this year. Even though riders and race fans awoke to a very ominous impending cloud of most certain downpour doom, it never really materialized. At least not to the point where it thwarted the forward progress of the momentum that was building round by round in the intense MX1 title chase. The Regina track favoured speed, and the frontrunners in this battle did not disappoint those who made the trek to spectate in Regina. There were some pretty amazing, high speed battles, and there was not a lot of separation at times between no less than five riders on this day. Brett Metcalfe would atone for the setback he suffered in Calgary and go 1-2 for the overall win. Matt Goerke fought for all he was worth and then some to hold Brett Metcalfe off for almost the entire second moto on his way to a Moto 2 victory. Goerke’s 3-1 score would better Colton Facciotti’s 2-3 for 2nd overall on the day.

Focussing our attention back to the big picture in the form of the quest for the 2015 title, Matt Goerke would remain the Red Plate holder with 207 points followed by Facciotti with 200 and Metcalfe with 195. Cole Thompson was not far off those totals with 193 as this series concluded its Western swing. With the bulk of the series and six rounds remaining in the East, the two current frontrunners, Goerke and Facciotti, would leave the West happy with where they sat.

ROUND 5 GOPHER DUNES, COURTL AND, ON 350 MINUTES TO THE TITLE.

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good as I have ever seen him on that circuit and led the first six laps with Matt Goerke in tow.

Metcalfe would follow right behind. Goerke put a pass on Facciotti and showed why he is the most comfortable and at his best in the sand. Goerke’s riding ability while using many alternate lines and at times hanging off the motorcycle in almost rag doll, break-dance fashion looked to be riding in a comfort zone all of his own. Six would turn out to be the number of the beast for Facciotti in this moto as six laps after Goerke would get by him, so would Brett Metcalfe. A lap later while running third, Colton would be unceremoniously pitched off the motorcycle on a long, sweeping corner on the backside of the race track. Colton rode gingerly, to say the least, for a couple of laps, and it is to be noted that his wheels were barely leaving the ground on some of the jumps. After a quick Pit Stop, some new goggles and a pat on the back from his mechanic, Justin Petker, Colton would suck it up in a big way and take a sixth place finish for the moto. Goerke took the win and Metcalfe was a solid second. The big news for Moto 2 was that Facciotti was indeed on the line. Whatever physical aftermath he was feeling from the huge Moto 1 get-off, he would deal with that later. When the gate dropped for Moto 2 it was Tyler Medaglia to the lead early but was passed in short order by Brett Metcalfe. Metty would have his way with the field for five laps and be the first to deal with lappers, who were problematic by lap four.

Goerke would bide his time in second and make a move around Metcalfe, who by the last couple of laps of the moto seemed to realize that his day would write as 2-2. Facciotti would once again be forced into damage control mode, as I found out after the fact that his shoulder was, let’s just say, ‘jacked’ from the Moto 1 spill.

Gopher Dunes was every bit of the beast it was expected to be.

Even though there would be no champion crowned on this day, the front three were beginning

Gopher Dunes in Courtland, Ontario, the home track to current National #1 and four-time MX1 Champ Colton Facciotti, would, as always, provide some great racing action. The layout at the Dunes was different this year which saw a reverse direction for most of the race track. When the gate dropped in Moto 1, Facciotti would do the hometown crowd and connections proud as he led early.

Colton looked as

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to see some light between themselves and those in pursuit. They would leave the Dunes with point totals that reflected their overall finishes on the day; Matt Goerke still the Red Plate holder with 267, Brett Metcalfe 2nd - 249, and Colton Facciotti 3rd with 245.

ROUND 6 SAND DEL LEE, RICHMOND, ON 420 MINUTES TO THE TITLE.

I spoke about Colton Facciotti having an apparent shoulder issue after his hard crash the previous round at Gopher Dunes at Round 5. Even though I did not see it personally, I did see an Instagram post from his wife, Jocelyn, a couple of short days later and it validated some seriously apparent, visible damage.

For a rider that had overcome early season adversity to be five rounds in and only 22 points down, how would this latest setback affect the outcome and his chances? Once again, another question mark hovered everywhere but in the mind of the four-time Champ, because when the gate dropped for Moto 1, he served notice that he was still in it to win it. Colton rode on the front end in cruise control for the Moto 1 win on a day that was very hot and humid, which had everyone saying it was one of the toughest races they had ever run. Series leader Matt Goerke would run a solid second in Moto 1 to Brett Metcalfe, who finished 3rd. Moto 2 would see Facciotti lead for six laps but ran into a problematic situation with a lapper later in the moto, which he admitted bothered him and took away his momentum.

Brett Metcalfe would take the Moto 2 win and the overall at Sand Del Lee with Goerke finishing second and Colton Facciotti third.

With only four rounds remaining, we would head off to Quebec with Matt Goerke extending his points lead by a couple more.

After the day at the MX101 team’s home track, the top 3 in the 2015 MX1 chase were Matt Goerke in the lead with 321, Brett Metcalfe 2nd – 304, and Colton Facciotti 3rd - 298.

ROUND 7 MOTOCROSS DESCHAMBAULT, DESCHAMBAULT, QC 490 MINUTES TO THE TITLE.

The first round in Quebec of 2015 would follow the week’s traditional ECAN, and for the third time, this series dodged a serious bullet weather-wise. The rain that fell overnight added some moisture to the sand based race surface but was not a concern by Moto 1 for the intense MX1 battle. Colton Facciotti would continue his strong Moto 1 performances at Deschambault and get a solid first moto victory over points leader Matt Goerke, with Brett Metcalfe having to navigate

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some traffic and settle for 3rd. Moto 2 would once again see Facciotti lead and look very strong through ten laps. He was unseated after Metcalfe made some contact with Colton after he came out of a rut a little bit sideways. Colton was pinned under his motorcycle and would require some assistance getting it off him from Head Referee Paul Kingsley. Points leader Matt Goerke would get around Metcalfe to win Moto 2, getting his second overall series victory. Brett Metcalfe would get 2nd overall for the day at Deschambault and Colton, via his 1-5, would finish 3rd. The points lead still favoured Matt Goerke, and after seven complete rounds it was starting to look like this was his title to win or lose. With six motos remaining, the totals were 1. Matt Goerke - 378 2. Brett Metcalfe - 356 3. Colton Facciotti 349.

ROUND 8 RIVER GL ADE MX PARK, MONCTON, NB 560 MINUTES TO THE TITLE.

The second of two bookend rounds that make this Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals series a true coast to coast tour would play out at the friendly confines of the River Glade MX Park. The Atlantic region, home to some of the most hospitable race fans in the country, had the table set for this highly anticipated round. Our series leader, Matt Goerke, with the Red Plate and two overall victories, who had seemingly had lady luck as a co-pilot through most of the action so far, would see his fortune change quickly. While running second, Matt would suffer an apparent blow to his title totals as his chain derailed. Goerke would somehow manage to remount the chain and make a miraculous 27th - 5th place comeback in Moto 1. The River Glade surface, hard, compact and somewhat loose in spots this year, made his efforts all the more impressive. Cole Thompson would lead the way in Moto 1 through fifteen laps, only to be overtaken

by Colton Facciotti, would make it three Moto 1 wins in a row. Brett Metcalfe would suffer his second mechanical of the series and not finish. Moto 2 would see Goerke show that he gets along just fine with the hard packed race tracks and would walk away with the Moto 2 victory. Facciotti’s 2nd in Moto 2 would give him his first overall win of the series. Cole Thompson

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TREY CANARD

NO S H O R TC U T S You need endurance to compete, to win, to dominate. But that’s just on the track.

When everyone thinks your days on the bike are done and the only thought in your head is proving them wrong, it takes more than endurance. It takes a crazy dose of spirit and tenacity.

SCOTT GOGGLES, MADE IN THE USA.

SCOTT-SPORTS.COM © SCOTT SPORTS SA 2015 | Photo: Simon Cudby

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would finish 3rd overall, but the real story after 8 rounds would focus on two riders as the plot really began to thicken at the top. As they sat leaving ‘The Glade,’ it was Matt Goerke still in charge of the title with 429 points, Facciotti in 2nd with 406, and Metcalfe with still an outside shot and 377 points.

ROUND 9 MOTOCROSS ULVERTON, ULVERTON, QUEBEC 630 MINUTES TO THE TITLE.

At a race track that has been around for almost 40 years in as picture perfect a setting as you could paint for a Canadian National, we were once again back in La Belle Province. The Ulverton track, home to probably the most elevation changes and the longest drag strip start of on any on the circuit, would not disappoint. The sun was out and Matt Goerke and the Rockstar OTSFF Yamaha team were smiling and in full control of this series. We saw Gopher Dunes Honda Canada’s Colton Facciotti get his first overall win of the series the week before and if he wanted to have any kind of a shot at his fifth Canadian National MX1 title, he would most likely need to run the table. In Moto 1, Colton Facciotti, who was riding as well as we have seen all season, would move to the front early and get a comfortable victory over Brett Metcalfe. Goerke would settle for third and still seemed in control of his own destiny; the title chase had only three motos remaining. Moto 2 would see more of the same but unfold a little differently as Cole Thompson would be the frontrunner early. Facciotti, who started third, would charge hard, getting to the front around Thompson and Metcalfe. Goerke would finish up the day a solid third and seemed content heading to the final round in the position he was in. Facciotti would be crowned the day’s overall winner going 1-1, Brett Metcalfe 2nd with 2-2 moto scores, and Goerke would take the Red Plate to the final round in 3rd. As

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they headed to Walton it was apparent that the title was down to Goerke and Facciotti as the point totals read: 1. Matt Goerke - 479 2. Colton Facciotti - 466 3. Brett Metcalfe - 431.

ROUND 10 WALTON R ACEWAY, WALTON, ON 700 MINUTES TO THE TITLE.

Walton Raceway would signify the finale in what many had proclaimed to be the most entertaining heavyweight motocross battle in our country’s history. After making its way coast to coast, this highly entertaining, travelling motocross series would finish up in the province of its birthplace on one of the best race surfaces this country has ever known. With many great battles fresh in our memories from the previous nine rounds, there was still one final chapter that awaited penmanship. As the amateur festivities that highlight the week at Walton Raceway began to wind down, you could feel the anticipation build hourly towards the final two top level gated drops of the series. The weather was as good as it has been all year, and I believe as records write, the day’s action would go down under the hottest day to date of the season in Walton.

Matt Goerke had overcome sure and certain disaster with managing the adversity of his pre-series collarbone and had done a masterful job of managing the Red Plate confidently through seven rounds of action. When the gate dropped for Moto 1, once again Colton Facciotti had one thing on his mind and one thing only…win. Colton did just that as he busted out an early moto lead and would literally run away from all that followed in his wake in gate to wire fashion. Matt Goerke would finish second in the moto but had his work cut out for him as he started in fifth and had to make up some real estate. Stamping passes on the very rutty, speed favouring Walton circuit was not easy to do. As we headed to the final gate

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drop of 2015, ten points separated our top two combatants, and in 35 minutes time we would have our 2015 Champion.

I was trackside just across from the first corner for Moto 2 when Matt Goerke rounded the first left hander just slightly ahead of Colton Facciotti. After rounding turn one, Facciotti immediately spotted and focussed in on a narrow opening heading down the hill towards corner two. As this unfolded, in front of me I held my collective breath as you could almost cut the tension of the energy of what was unfolding. Goerke had about half a bike length on Colton as they both committed to their descent down the chute towards the inside lines leading into corner two. Colton, in an almost now-or-neverlike fashion, accelerated to the narrow vortex of opportunity that would allow him to get to the lead and control his part of the 2015 title outcome. At about the same time, if not sooner, the bike of Goerke’s that had a small progress advantage on Facciotti did what any rider playing for keeps would do and that is close the door. Goerke managed to make forward progress momentarily as Facciotti had lost his balance as a result of the contact with Goerke. The two were enmeshed and shortly thereafter both became unseated. Every rider made their way around the two downed riders, and every race fan trackside and tuned in at home were now saying “Oh no!

Come on, get up; let’s go!” Who would get up first? With the bikes tangled amidst each other, it was actually Facciotti who got going about a full second ahead of Goerke. Whose fault was it? Was it the right thing to do? At this point none of that mattered and the only thing that was paramount to these two riders was to get on the gas and make up ground…now!

I mentioned earlier that this race track was hard to make up ground, and with the meat of the point totals in the top 3 or 4 positions, this would be a huge, monumental task. Everyone in attendance very quickly realized that this series that had been so packed with action from beginning to end had saved some of its best drama for the final moto.

Facciotti, with Goerke in tow a few seconds behind him, managed to slice his way in an impressive fashion to 3rd place for the moto. Matt Goerke would do the same making his way up to fifth when the final checkered flag was waived.

With a big fist pump over the finish line jump it was evident that Matt Goerke knew he was the 2015 CMRC Canadian National MX1 Champion.

Colton Facciotti gave it his all and came up just six points short, but gave Canadian race fans, his wife Jocelyn,

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his son Keagan and all his supporters good reason to be proud. Derek Schuster claimed that even though their equipment and team worked great together they will work hard to do everything they can to reclaim the number one plate in 2016. As for the newly crowned Champion, Rockstar OTSFF Yamaha’s Matt Goerke, he said that he was very relieved and happy once that final flag was waived at Walton Raceway. Speaking to him at day’s end, I asked at what point he knew he would be the Champ. He stated once he got the note on the board that he was 5th, he knew he was the winner. He also stated that he was pumped beyond words and very much looking forward to returning to defend in 2016 as he has a two year deal with his current connections. I also put the question to Matt about champions winning titles on their worst days. He said that in all honesty he would point back to round one in Kamloops as he knew he was behind the eight ball coming in as a result of the collarbone injury and did not know where he would stack up. He said “I knew I had to go out there and make a statement that I was okay and ready to go and win.” Well done Matt Goerke, you are not only a true champion but you gave us all 700 minutes of the most highly entertaining action we have ever seen. Thank you and congratulations.

Let’s do it all again next year.

FINAL POINT STANDINGS IN THE 2015 MX1 BATTLE

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H US QVA R N A PIONEERING EXCELLENCE

BY MIKE MCGILL | PHOTOS BY JAMES LISSIMORE AND BILL PETRO

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t’s been quite a season for Canadian Factory Husqvarna and Parts Canada rider Tyler Medaglia. The likeable Truro, Nova Scotia resident just put the finishing touches on a fine CMRC Pro National campaign in the MX1 class, finishing up with a very admirable 5th place overall in the final standings. While he may not have matched his previous season’s number 3 status, he arguably had his best season ever as the MX1 field in the Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals was really stacked with talent this season. Tyler battled it out every week with top talent in the sport, such as the returning former champs Matt Georke and Brett Metcalfe, as well as Colton Facciotti and a healthy Cole Thompson. Despite the stiff competition Tyler managed to put the Husky on the box on a couple of occasions. His solid 3rd overall at the opening round in Kamloops was a great way to start off the season, and he hit the podium again with a 3rd overall at Gopher Dunes. Tyler was a model of consistency this season as he placed either 4th or 5th overall at the rest of the races in the series. The only blemish on his record came in the form of a 7th at the third round of the series in Calgary. When you pair these results with the fact that our boy went down south to contest three Grand National Cross Country races prior to the Canadian race season and grabbed a solid 5th spot there as well, you would have to say job well done on a great year.

Seeing Tyler riding so well on the Husky was a like breath of fresh air.

We all know what a good rider he is but it was the way he approached this season that was so cool; just him and his mechanic, Kibby Pollack, touring the circuit in a sprinter van. Tyler’s father would join them on the weekends but that was the extent of it. No factory semi, no big posse, just an old school set-up just like back in the day. “I really liked it that way,” Tyler explained recently. “After the races were over it took us ten minutes to tear down and be ready to go.” On the track Tyler kept it pretty basic this year as well, which was by design. “Husqvarna likes things to be somewhat understated,” explains Medaglia, so Marketing Manager Victoria Hett and Tyler got together prior to the start of the season and decided to keep it basic and not too flashy for this year. “I learned all about the history of the company; that’s definitely the way they like things to be done,” says Tyler. “So the gear and the bike don’t have anything flashy or overbearing going on. Just clean lines and colours with the logos in the right place and visible.” I must say I’m a fan as I thought that Tyler’s look was great this season. And I really liked the pit set up as well. Do we really need all these semi-trucks clogging up the pits? I thought it was cool when Kawasaki first did it back in ‘91, but to be honest I miss the cube van days.

As most of you probably know, I love the history of the sport and I wondered to myself when would have been the last time, prior to Tyler’s efforts, that Husqvarna had a rider on the podium at a Canadian National? I figured it must be close to forty years. That’s quite a drought.

Almost Leaf-like in its longevity and magnitude. Of course at the time I was only guessing. I figured it was time to put my detective hat on and do some research to find out exactly how long it had actually been. When I say research I actually mean combing through old motocross photos and articles on the internet, which is one of my favorite things to do.

But first allow me to drop a little knowledge on those of you who

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might be younger or new to the sport and are not fully aware of the rich tradition of the Husqvarna brand. Back in the early ‘70s when organized motocross racing was really beginning to take off in North America, some of you may be surprised to learn that the sport at the time was being dominated by bikes that were made in Europe not Japan. In fact, the Swedish made Husqvarna brand along with the German Maico marque were the top two names in motocross during that period. Husqvarna motorcycles were originally imported to Canada by Danish immigrant Steen Hanson who had grown up riding the brand in his home country prior to coming to Canada in 1960. In 1968, he brought the first three Husqvarna motorcycles into the country and became the Canadian Distributor. Steen was not only a businessman but was truly passionate about the sport of motocross as well. In the early years he would bring legitimate stars of the sport from both Europe and the USA to Canada to compete against our riders and teach MX schools that Steen would sponsor. Bringing in the European stars, such as Gunnar Lindstrom, did not always sit well with the top Canadian riders of the day, but it no doubt forced them to up their game. It was largely through the efforts of Steen and his wife Marion that Husqvarna became a powerhouse in Canadian motocross during those formative years. So much so that in 1971 Ron Keys, Seppo Makinan and Jorma Rautiainen completely dominated the Canadian MX Nationals aboard their trusty Husqvarnas.

By 1972, however, the Japanese manufacturers really started moving into the Canadian racing scene. Keys was offered a factory ride from Yamaha on the new YZ and Rautiainen moved over to the new Kawasaki factory team. The Husqvarna team just couldn’t compete with the Japanese manufacturers and the big money they were throwing around, so eventually most of the top pro riders switched over to one of the Japanese factories. Seppo Makinan remained loyal to Husky and continued to fly the flag for them in Ontario until the end of his career, and the brand continued to be the weapon of choice for many privateers as they were still considered to be one of the finest MX machines made at the time. Heck, even Steve McQueen, the baddest bad-ass ever to grace the silver screen, chose Husky as his ride. Evidence of this can be seen in Bruce Brown’s classic 1971 moto documentary “On Any Sunday,” so what more of an endorsement would anyone possibly need, right?

But I digress. Before I move on, if you have not seen that film please do yourself a favour and check it out. It hasn’t lost anything over time and I personally re-watch it at least once a year and always enjoy it.

While 1972 was definitely a bang up year for Husqvarna in Canada, was that really the last time a Husky rider podiumed at a Canadian motocross national prior to Tyler Medaglia? Heikki Mikkola won the 500cc World MX Championship for Husky in 1974 and the old Rhinestone Cowboy, Kent Howerton, won the AMA 500cc National Championship for Husky in ‘76. This, to my knowledge, may have been the last major motocross championship won by the Swedish manufacturer. But wait, what about Canada? Here is where it gets a little confusing. Throughout the early to mid-’70s Jan-Eric Salqvist was the man in Canadian motocross. Formerly a top Swedish rider for the Husky factory in his home country, he was enticed by Carl Bastedo, the manager of the newly formed Canadian Kawasaki Factory team, to come over and race in Canada in 1974. Salqvist won numerous National

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“WHO COULD ASK FOR A BETTER PERSON AND RIDER TO REPRESENT T H E I R C O M PA N Y IN CANADA THAN TYLER MEDAGLIA? I’M SURE STEVE MCQUEEN WOULD AGREE.”

Championships for Kawasaki in the early part of the decade. While he put Kawasaki on the map in Canada, the wily Swede was also known to utilize several parts from his beloved Husqvarnas on his factory Kawis.

Now this is where it gets really crazy. In the spring of 1976, Kawasaki decided to pull their factory eff ort out of Canadian motocross, which left defending champion Salqvist without a ride. So what does he do?

Actually, to be more accurate, what does his mechanic, legendary tuner, Cliff White do? Of course. They take the 450 KX motor out of his factory Kawasaki and bolt it into a Husqvarna chassis. That’s what they do.

Makes perfect sense, right? Actually Salqvist may have been crazy like a fox because he took the “Kawavarna”, as it aff ectionately came to be known, to within a mere nine points of winning another Canadian National Championship. It was a mishap with another rider at the muddy season fi nale at the famous Copetown, Ontario round that ultimately cost the Swede another Canadian crown. The championship went to Jim Turner, an American rider from California that Suzuki Canada brought in to try to dethrone Salqvist. However, JanEric did manage to win his third consecutive Molson Series title that season. At the time, that title was equally as important as the National Championship in Canadian motocross.

Salqvist switched to Maico the following season, won another championship then retired. Husky’s glory days were officially over, and a new era of motocross in Canada and around the world was ushered in. It was all Japanese machinery all the time for the next thirty years. To my knowledge, no Husqvarna rider ever hit a pro podium again in Canadian motocross until this season.

So if you are willing to accept the Husky/Kawasaki hybrid as a Husqvarna, it looks like 1976 was the last time.

Thirty-nine years between podiums is quite a dry spell, but I have to say, it’s cool to see Husqvarna back in the mix again.

Of course it wasn’t an easy road back to the top of the motocross world for Husqvarna. After the glory years of the ‘70s, Husqvarna went through some pretty

tough times. It’s actually amazing that the brand is still around at all. The Japanese bikes had become dominant in motocross, and in 1987 Husqvarna Motorcycles of Sweden was sold to Cagiva, an Italian maker of dirt bikes of dubious distinction. In other words, they were crap as were the Huskys they were now producing. In 1988, the core of the Husqvarna development team that had not been hired away to Cagiva started up Husaberg back in Sweden. Husaberg met with limited success for several years but never recaptured the previous glory they had once enjoyed. In 2007, the auto giant BMW, who were looking to expand into off-road motorcycling in a big way, purchased the brand. Those plans never really panned out, however, so in 2013 Pierer Industrie AG, a holding company of Austrian investor Stefan Pierer, who owns 51 percent of KTM, bought Husqvarna from BMW. The rest, as they say, is history. With the support of offroad powerhouse KTM, Husqvarna has returned to the world of motocross in a big way and that’s great to see.

As for our erstwhile Husqvarna pilot Tyler Medaglia, he plans on racing the final AMA National in Indiana aboard his 450 Husky and then aims to compete in the final US GNCC race at Unadilla in September aboard the all-new 350 Husky, a bike that he feels will be better suited to the demands of the GNCC circuits. His contract with Husqvarna was for one year and expires at the end of the season, but he remains hopeful that he will re-sign and be back on board the Husky for next year’s CMRC National Series, so stay tuned motocross fans. I for one can’t see any reason why that shouldn’t happen. Who could ask for a better person and rider to represent their company in Canada than Tyler Medaglia? I’m sure Steve McQueen would agree.

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4 2 YEARS

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Even though took a hard fall on Day 1, he came back two days later to cheer for his boys.

oming down from the top step at the largest Amateur motocross event in the world, the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Motocross Nationals in Tennessee, the minds of several young men and women immediately turned their focus north. Not just to their homes many miles away but to the small town of Walton, Ontario, and the home of the Parts Canada Trans Can. Young kids like Joey Crown, Marco Cannella, Austin Watling, the Scott brothers (Tanner and Hunter), the Cryer family, and Cooper Larche amongst others all looked to finish off their summer of competitive racing in the green fields of Canada’s motocross finale, held in the “blink and you will miss it” hamlet nestled deep in Huron County. Waiting impatiently at home, hungry racers were eager to measure themselves against the very best racers in Canada and, as Crown and Cannella displayed in the heat of the south with wins, the best racers in the world.

For 24 years, the Parts Canada TransCan has hosted one of the most unique races in the world. A week of Amateur racing on a tough rolling and rutted track that closes the weeklong festival with CMRC’s Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals on Sunday. “This has always been part of my summer, I’ve been racing at Walton since I was a kid,” said Crown. “Our Augusts have been Loretta Lynn’s and then Walton. I loved racing here all week. It feels cool on Saturday when you see the Pro guys watching us race.” And a lot were watching the young Michigan rider. Crown served notice the week before taking home championships in the US in the ultra-competitive B classes. He was going to be good, and his lap times were staggering right from the start at Walton. His good friend and training partner, Marco Cannella, had also raised attention around his program by winning Schoolboy at Loretta Lynn’s and was one of few who could keep Crown in sight at Walton. As per the tradition of the event, the MX2 Intermediate class opens and closes the event, as it is regarded

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as the most competitive class of the Amateur week and a showcase of who is coming up next. It was no surprise to see the fences lined for Moto 1 where both riders would be the favourite to win.

“It felt good to lead that moto,” said Cannella while interviewed on the podium. “I am here with a lot of confidence and know what I am capable of. Joey is a great rider, so I am going to have to work hard to beat him. There are a lot of fast guys here, and that is what makes this race special.” Crown, however, would be just out of reach for Cannella the entire week, but Cannella was a step ahead of rest of the pack.

Crown’s years on the Walton track and his drive to win pushed him to sweep the MX2 and MX3 Intermediate classes. For the riders desperately chasing him all week, Sunday brought some vindication to everyone.

Crown lined up against the best in Canada for the MX2 Pro Am races.

In Moto 1, he ran up front before falling back to a disappointing 8th. He packed away the first moto jitters and in Moto 2 Crown became the first Intermediate rider to win a Pro moto, beating Kaven Benoit, the two-time MX2 National Champion.

Lost in the hype, but no less impressive, was Quebec rider JC Bujold.

Bujold has been on a steady rise the past

couple of years. The MX1 Intermediate rider was dominant, moving through the pack to take a perfect 1-1-1 in the big bike class. In MX3, he chased the leaders home each moto to round out the podium.

The CMRC Women’s East and West series have not only helped raised the profile of women racers but have also added to the anticipation of the Ladies class. Eve Brodeur and Sara King came into Walton as the two respective champions (East and West). It was clear from the pre-race press conference that both riders were there with the hopes of winning.

The words “confidence, desire to win and here to compete” were echoed by both riders as they sat next to each other on the press desk. While their speed was very close, the starts is where the unraveling happened for King. Brodeur was on point and near the front by the end of the first lap, while King fought through the pack. A sweep for Brodeur left it undeniable who the top spot belonged to, but King’s strong runner-up performances in each moto left no question who was next. Another special moment for the ladies of the event was in the 50cc 4-6 class, where Fiona Koenig became the first female racer to win a non-Ladies class moto in the 24 year history of the event.

FOR 24 YEARS, T H E PA R T S CANADA TRANSCAN HAS HOSTED ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE RACES IN THE WORLD.

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Joey Crown was very fast and smooth throughout the week at Walton Raceway.

The Walton Giants sign stood tall; it’s is a great symbol of Canadian motocross.

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Once again, Ryan Lockhart took home two titles from the TransCan.

FOR THE FIRST TIME, LIVE STREAMING V I D E O WA S BROADCAST OUT TO THE RACERS A L L O W I N G FA M I L I E S , F R I E N D S A N D FA N S WHO COULDN’T BE T H E R E T O WAT C H .

The Natural Double is still every rider’s favourite jump.

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While motocross has never been a team sport, and for many it has been what has drawn them to motocross, this year’s TransCan had a different feel. Motopark Academy, Frank Fit, MX101 Talent Factory, and GPF were all training centers named out from the winners’ circle.

Mostly Canadian training centers (or with a strong Canadian customer contingent), they were focused on winning throughout the big weekend. Perhaps most successful was the Motopark team. “Ya, we were really fortunate as a group to have such a successful week,” said owner Iain Hayden. “A lot of the kids reached and exceeded their TransCan goals that we mapped out for them. It was the success our program and programs like ours that gives them something to work towards. They all worked really hard and I’m super happy for them.”

Few could have a more breakout event than Nick Denniston. The young rider had locked into the MPA program and was a rider not everyone was picking as a Bronze Boot winner. “Nick has been focused on winning Walton all year.

He didn’t talk about it much but when he did that was his goal,” said Hayden. Denniston consistently put together a charge not only in the Junior level but in the run for the Bronze Boot against another surprise rider, Austin Watling.

Watling was a fringe podium rider in minis the year before and connected with the training center Frank Fit for a year of preparation. In the week leading up to Walton, the family made the decision to jump aboard a new Honda. “I was on Super Mini last year, and this year I am on a 450F so it was a big change for me,” said Watling. “I won five straight motos, but the last two motos I struggled in and those stung, but I rode well and I opened some eyes. I should be proud of that.”

Once again, what brings home championships, and even more when it comes to the Alpinestar Bronze Boot, is consistency. Where Denniston didn’t always have the edge in speed, he did with consistency. “None of this came easy, it was a lot of hard work this week against strong competition,” said Denniston. “My bad motos were pretty decent and my good ones I won. I got a lot of support from the Motopark Academy guys, and that was a huge factor. It has been an amazing year.”

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Tanner Ward recovered from his early season injury to have a great summer on his KTM.

Saturday at Walton, or better known now as Championship Saturday, was important for everyone this year. For the first time, live streaming video was broadcast out to the racers allowing families, friends and fans who couldn’t be there to watch. And manufacturer

Young Ben Kongmany gets some microphone time on the Walton podium.

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representatives and teams began to mingle around the podium to see who the kids bringing home championships were; perhaps none more interested than Yamaha. The brand has been pushing their amateur program for several years, and knew with the results from Yamaha mounted riders, they had a shot a top manufacturer and many of the showcase awards that day.

“The Manufacturer Cup is a really a big deal for us, because it means top amateurs - the riders who spend their own money are choosing Yamaha as their best option to go racing,” said Yamaha’s Bryan Hudgin. Hudgin, a former racer and a major supporter of amateur racing, was perhaps the most excited to learn Yamaha had taken the title from KTM at this year’s event as top manufacturer.

KTM has always had a strong presence in the 50cc and 65cc

classes, and great success on the bigger bikes. To beat them meant big results by a lot of Yamaha riders. “Maybe it’s the reliability of our product, our dealers, the range of models we have, the performance of the bikes or even the Factory Ride Award - or a combination of them all - but I was really excited to learn we won. I feel it is a huge accomplishment. We are very proud of this award and can’t wait to defend it next year.”

The commitment attending Walton is so large for so many families. Money, time, energy, and innumerable sacrifices are made chasing the dream of a national championship.

Saturday meant the national teams and the people deciding who to invest in were all present, and with it a unique opportunity that has played out in the past. For riders like Jeremey Medaglia, Weston Wrozyna, Jess Pettis, and Dylan Wright,

Next to Joey Crown, Marco Cannella was the fastest rider at the 2015 TransCan.

Damon Burbine had a great week at Walton Raceway as he won the 65cc 10-11 class.

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The start at the TransCan is always the most important part of the race.

Walton became the launch pad to their pro careers with some of the best teams in the sport.

The Canadian stars were in abundance this year and younger than ever. Preston Masciangelo, Julien Benek, Jake Tricco, Jake Piccollo, Tanner Ward, Jeremy McKie and Damon Burbine all were the elite of the mini class.

Masciangleo came away with the Dunlop Silver Tire Award riding 50cc 7-8, 50cc GP and 65cc 7-9. The entire Masciangleo family doesn’t hide the fact they come to compete and look for competition. Racing Loretta Lynn’s, Arenacross and any big events they can get to, Preston, a very well-spoken young rider, is another on the long list of young racers with big race confidence regardless of where they line up. With the depth at the small bike level, the Dunlop Silver Tire Award is becoming as difficult and prestigious as the coveted Bronze Boot to win.

In 65cc 10-11, Jeremey McKie was flawless. The Quebec rider quietly dominated his class. It has been a few years now of this type of performance from the young KTM rider. While the young mini classes are only a small glimpse of McKie’s potential, steady, focused riding shows the seeds of a great Pro racer down the road. Jake Tricco was another rider on a whirlwind summer. A trip to the World Juniors held in Spain this past July fueled Tricco with confidence to dominate the 85 12-16 class. His most impressive moto may have been in Super Mini when he chased KTM Canada rider Tanner Ward. Ward held on, but with it being the

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last mini moto of Ward’s career, it showed who will be filling his shoes. Ward would finish out his mini career with the Super Mini National Championship and take home the Schoolboy Championship on the larger bike.

Damon Burbine and Julien Benek were gleaming examples of what is special about Walton.

Burbine, from Nova Scotia, and Benek , from Lower Mainland BC, battled through the week in both the younger 65cc classes.

Burbine took home the National Championship over Benek, but Oliver Benek , Julien’s father, summed up the experience outside the results. “For us we only see stuff on the internet about other kids, and when we beat them or race with them, it gives not only Julien confidence that he can compete but kids back home can measure themselves against Julien. It is good for everyone and I am sure it is the same when Damon goes home. It helps everyone. We will be back.”

Nick Denniston took home the coveted Bronze Boot Award for 2015.

Ontario rider Jake Tricco had the Walton track dialed-in all week.

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WE THANK YOU !

To all the Racers, Families, Spectators, Sponsors and Partners, We Thank You for your continued support in making The 2015 Parts CanadaTransCan: Canadian Motocross Grand National Championship at Walton Raceway the largest attended Canadian Motocross Event of the Year!

Join Us again Next Year, For our very special:

TRANSCAN 25TH ANNIVERSARY August 16 to 21, 2016

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P R I VAT E E R S L I K E JUST CAN’T GET DYLAN SCHMOKE N N AT I O N A L S A I D A N A C E H T F O ENOUGH SIMORE

BY ANDY WHITE

|

LIS PHOTOS BY JAMES

of 50cc had a garage full e you knew it they for Be iler tra ot ex perienc e ome wi th a 16-fo ere in Canada we Ms and a mo torh KT s and er sh wa re as the e tools , pr es su some thing know n stock ed wi th all th ts at ren pa r ys he gu ot e th es t.” Th ing ou t wi “boomerang eff ec spar es . Af ter hang ke things to ng back ev er y ok es decided to ta hm Sc e th s, ce ra jus t keep on comi e th Ly nn’s was tta s re wa I Lo . at in Canada el and realized th lev xt ne year to compet e e th no tic ed.

Schmok e no t d hope fully to ge t , “W hy does Dy lan ce to compet e an ck pla ba e th ile ss all wh cla a d 50 of e ke as , wh y do a lot ck ed from th It go t me think ing e compet ition is sta Th tos at mo me ite so Wh n race in the US?” t wi ea n to 25 0A . If you ca er s come to the Gr up rid y al wa ion e at ppor t. th su ern od int US or r Energ y d up ge tting go in CMRC ’s Rock sta tta’s you usually en re Lo me so to e ip th sh North to compet e a few of tting a scholar ls? I sa t do wn wi th It is almos t lik e ge focused on Dr ink MX Na tiona ac tly what ex t jus of pass age. Dy lan e em rit th d by ke ol as ho d sc an te s eli er te Lore tta’s up iva pr at w top cing and ho and compet ed em to cont inue ra tocross for year s mo classes . te dia ng it is that dr ive s th me lki Ta ter them to Canada. the Schoolboy/In ds hit lea he th til pa un ey g cin their ra is ob vious bik es and parts th fat her Ma tthew, it year s of pa ying for his ter d Af nding an fi lan by k Dy ea ew th br wi year. Ma tth tting a financial to come up ev er y finally started ge a rs. is wh y they choose so da on na sp Ca indus try that the racing in suppor t from ke y d from his started to ex plain rnia where there Dy lan has receive lifo at Ca th t in or ck pp ba su g e Th nit ies rtu s po ck lot lik e loc al racin op the tra d him so many al rider s that know family has off ere . His ive ce re t ar e lot s of fas t loc ere no y th d ma an erage pr iva teer s very compet iti ve av is st s rie mo at is se e th s Th es ll. we e end of the runs his ow n busin ne y paid ou t at th fat her, Ma tthew, d ou t se ba l is ca is some purse mo da De na m e indus try; Custo wh y we come to Ca th on to as d re ke al cals lin re de d he da y. “T or k and ge t s gr aphic kit s an been able to ne tw Cajon that pr ov ide El r ou of ing lud ys inc sa s because we ha ve serie s,” at ed busines se nt suppor t for the ur y of to many mo to rel lux e Th nd . sa some pr et ty dece am ou te th ry a e nada fac to California there ar very ow n KT M Ca Ma tthew to Schmok e. Back in ocking on the same sines s has allow ed kn bu n all e ow ar his ey g th d vin ha ts good rider s an es ny requ time off to t. Imagine ho w ma take the required en where door s for suppor ason from no t se his race s. Also, giv a for er ov lan ts Dy ge th F wi FM be e lik y an en mp be s co a en tir e world ily liv es , Dy lan ha er s bu t from the the Schmok e fam should be at wh jus t California rid in e tic ip. to be able to pr ac te rsh na so tu on for sp for big track s, g e lookin rted ou t ss Mecc a”. At all th jon , CA , Dy lan sta ow n as “Mot ocro kn e Pala, lik e Gr ow ing up in El Ca rid ys d e an erican pr o gu s - he go t a mini bik you see the top Am which ar e , re ino riding lik e most kid Els ke few a La d ter tone, an de sert to ride. Af Glen Helen , Miles ere he has MX headed ou t to the from his house, wh time to ge t a real w s ro wa th it ’s d ne ze sto ali a re all s. mont hs they ce ra loc al sion and hit some bik e wi th suspen

H

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clocked a ton of hours on each one of those tracks. Dylan has also had the opportunity to ride the Lites class in the western leg of the AMA Supercross Series. His close proximity and his riding skills have also landed him a top spot with KTM USA as one of their official test riders for suspension and chassis.

Just how Canada all came to be for Schmoke happened in the winter of 2010. While I was meeting with the R&D guys at KTM in California, I mentioned that I was looking for some fast 250F riders to compete in Canada. Michael Sleeter mentioned a few names and one of them happened to be Dylan Schmoke.

I made a phone call and before I knew it, Dylan was connected to the RTR Performance KTM satellite team run by Craig Fortune. It was a perfect fit. Craig was looking to put RTR Performance on the map and the Schmokes were looking for something new. It was a pretty simple program. “You pay for your own travel and we will supply the bike and some parts,” and that’s all it took. Compared to what he had back home, that was way more support than they could have ever received in Southern California. “Where do we sign?” Dylan said. That season Dylan had some good results competing in what was then our nine round series. The following season Dylan decided to give the AMA Outdoors one more shot as a privateer. Unfortunately for him it was not exactly the season they were hoping for. So in true boomerang form, BAM!! In 2012, they headed right back up to Canada to compete in the MX2 series and he has been coming back ever since.

“It’s not complicated,” Dylan’s father stated. “We get great support from KTM Canada on bikes and parts. We try to finish in the top ten and collect contingency cash.” This past series was no different, KTM was offering support on a 450SXF, RTR Performance and Freedom Cycle offered travel support to the races and FXR was supplying the gear. The season started off pretty good in the west for Dylan, finishing

Top Right: Veteran Honda rider Kyle Keast was a big help to Dylan throughout the summer.

Bottom: Dylan loved riding the sand tracks in Eastern Canada.

“IN 2012, THEY HEADED RIGHT BACK UP TO CANADA TO COMPETE IN THE MX2 SERIES AND HE HAS BEEN COMING BACK E V E R S I N C E .”

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consistently around the 10th to 12th mark each weekend. The main objective was to finish all the motos with no DNFs. The balance of the eastern series went pretty well; if his starts were 50% better I believe Dylan would be a solid top ten rider every moto. Just for fun I looked on the CMRC’s mxnationals.ca website at the results. After the first lap, Dylan was on average in or around 20th position every moto. His buddy, Kyle Keast, was no better and started approximately 16th on average every moto. If there was an award for who passed the most people in one moto, well that would go to both Schmoke and Keast. I then looked up results for Colton Facciotti and Brett Metcalfe. These guys are on average starting 3rd every moto. How is that for consistency!

I asked Dylan, “At the end of the day is it really worth coming up to race in Canada?” He looked at me and said, “Yes, and I really would like to come back in 2016. Finishing 9th overall on your own dollar is tough but I really hope to get a little more support for 2016.” He went on to explain that flying in from San Diego every weekend with his father, plus hotels, a rental car and food sure adds up quick. They figured it was costing

them on average around $1500-$2500 per round over 10 rounds. Schmoke went on to say, “I was able to save on the budget by teaming up with Kyle Keast in the east coast. We get along really well. We usually end up battling most weekends during the races. I think it was a big help having another rider that I can learn from. Kyle is super motivated and has a solid program behind him. Keast’s girlfriend, Shandell, is a personal trainer so she made sure we were eating right and making sure we trained hard during the week. I don’t think I will miss that now that I’m back home. To be honest this is exactly what I needed in my program. I would like to team up with Keast again because I feel it really helped my overall results.”

Hard work and dedication gave Schmoke a solid top 10 finish in the 2015 Rockstar Energy MX Nationals, and with that under his belt, next on the schedule for Dylan is the Canadian Arenacross Series and the West Coast AMA Supercross Series. Once again it’s time to send our proposals and hope you can bring in enough cash to help pay the bills. With some return on that effort, we hope to see Dylan back again for the 2016 season.

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WITH

MXP CHATTER JUSTIN THOMPSON ith one of the most successful Outdoor National Series in Canadian history now in the history books, we now switch our focus to the tight confines of arenas across the country. For the first time in history, Justin Thompson and his Jetwerx AX Team are bringing their popular series north of the border to four cites in Canada. Beginning September 25th in London, Ontario, some of this country’s top pro and amateur riders will take on this exciting and intense sport known as Arenacross. We caught up with Justin as he was putting the final touches on his first ever Canadian National AX Series.

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BY CHRIS POMEROY

MXP: Hey Justin, how was your summer?

Justin: One word…busy. It was a little overwhelming at times but for some silly reason my family strives at moments like this.

It’s weird.

You obviously followed your brother Cole this summer.

What was your assessment of his performance at the 2015 CMRC Nationals?

Yes, I watch every race online but it’s really tough to be a fan only having Twitter and Live Timing. I guess being in the USA so much makes us spoiled to the supercross and motocross live airings. It’s all growing pains

of Canadian motocross being the size of our country versus the USA. As far as CT, I think he did well. I know he didn’t want to end the series in fourth but he had to start somewhere. I mean, I raced most those guys he’s racing and there is over a 10 year age gap between me and CT. So I really think Faccoitti, Goerke and Metcalfe are not only blazing fast but they have years of experience that it takes to run for a championship. All in all, Cole is a quick learner so I wouldn’t be surprised if he isn’t a title threat next season now that he has a full year under his belt.

It sounds as though your family had a busy summer, between Cole racing, the new Frankfit training facility that Kyle is running and of course you planning this new Arenacross Series?

Yes, the family runs at a 110% effort, 365 days a year. Kyle has been building champions with his Frankfit training facility, along with Jay and our MXschools.com program. Cole has been doing his thing, Jeff has been busy with my Dad at his company, and I have been working hard on bringing our very successful AX Tour in the USA to Canada. Really, I can’t take all the credit as it has been

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EASY AS KAVEN BENOIT #1 Champion MX2

COLTON FACCIOTTI #2 MX1

JEREMY MEDAGLIA #3 MX2

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a group effort by our Jetwerx crew, which are some of the most passionate moto people on the planet that eat, sleep, and breath motocross.

Okay, let’s get right into this. When did you start to think about bringing your successful AX Tour north to Canada?

This whole transition started two years ago but it has been a process to make it a reality. Since we have done hundreds of events in the past you would think this would be easy, right? Well, wrong!

There have been some huge hurtles to overcome. One being venues, trusting their facility in our hands. The venues on the 2015 schedule and most of the venues on the 2016 schedule have never had an event like this in their history. Therefore, we are breaking new ground and proving that we can pull off an event in their facility that will be successful for both parties. It’s a huge formula that will make most people go cross-eyed looking at it, but for us this is what we do.

most popularity the last six years with both industry involvement and rider support at an all-time high. We had several rounds last season that had around 70 pro rider entries. This made some main events pretty interesting with the likes of Medaglia, Harrison, J.Martin, Regal, Sewell, Justice, Moore, Thompson, Faccotti, Cue and many more battling for their chance to win.

Have those races been popular in the cities you’ve visited?

The series has been going to some of the cities since the beginning and there is a huge following with some fans who never miss a race. The AX Tour racing is so much more of an “in your face atmosphere” than outdoors, with fans never missing a moment of action and making it a great family entertainment package. That’s really the main difference between indoor and outdoor racing. In an arena or stadium, we can really make it a show with the rider video intros, laser lights, canons and a pit party. It’s a family 2015 experience.

THE VENUES ON THE SCHEDULE AND MOST OF THE VENUES ON THE 2016 SCHEDULE HAVE NEVER HAD AN EVENT LIKE THIS IN THEIR HISTORY. THEREFORE, WE ARE BREAKING NEW GROUND AND PROVING THAT WE CAN PULL OFF AN EVENT IN THEIR FACILITY THAT WILL BE SUCCESSFUL FOR BOTH PARTIES. How long have you been doing the series in the USA? The series is coming up on 15-yearsold in the USA and has been gaining the

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The series begins in London on the final weekend of September. How did you pick the cities and venues that you have?

The series took a few different shapes in the building process with it being originally seven venues reaching from the East to West coast.

After much discussion, we realized for year one that was too big of a footprint for teams and riders to travel with

limited budgets. So we restructured the program for year one to fit budgets and timelines.

What will be the racing format? Two nights? Amateurs?

The series is a two night format with both Friday and Saturday being part of the Pro National Series and the Amateur Western and Eastern National Championship. As far as the racing format goes, it’s simple. We have Amateur classes that will run their normal, two moto format with the top riders racing in the Amateur All-Star program. The Pro classes will run a Heat, LCQ, and Main event format.

The top six riders in both the AX Lites Pro and AX Pro will be fighting in a super final called the Clash for Cash Championship. The Clash for Cash is sort of the history of the Arenacross Tour dating back to its beginnings. It’s simply a way to see what rider is truly the fastest that night in a 20 lap main event.

Who will be designing and building the tracks?

When talking about track designs and builds, Jetwerx (Parent Company of the Arenacross Tour) is a track build and design company by trade doing hundreds of builds all over the world.

This helps immensely when building a safe, yet challenging race track in a short period of time. Everything that we do is by blueprint and animated track layout, making it fun yet challenging for all levels of riders.

As far as a title sponsor, is there an energy drink involved?

Well, that’s a good question, I guess we’ll have to see at round one.

2015

AXTOUR SCHEDULE:

LONDON, ON

S E P T 2 5 -2 6

SARNIA, ON OCT 2-3

PENTICTON, BC O C T 2 3 -2 4

CALGARY, AB N O V 6 -7

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The Future West AX Series has been very popular in BC, but at the end of the day it’s a regional series and works very well as one. How do you hope to make this national series successful?

Future West and the Quebec Arenacross series have done wonders for the riders in their areas by giving them the opportunity to develop the skills needed to be well rounded racers on a global level. Canada has always lacked the skill sets of other countries when it comes to Supercross and Arenacross. This is what we are focusing on by branching out. We want to try to involve the entire country in a National Arenacross program over the next few years.

The timing of this series appears to be perfect to entice a large amount of top riders. Can you talk about what riders you think might race this new series.

Let’s just say if you are a moto fan you won’t want to miss the first round as I really don’t know who to put my money on. Arenacross is a different art of the motocross craft. It takes technique, mental awareness and a little luck, which brings new heroes out of the woodwork to battle the current top guys in the sport. All I want to say is London will be epic.

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I know it’s hard to look too far into the future, however, where do you see this series going in the next few years?

As far as the future of the series goes, Jetwerx is really focused on progression.

We are a very forward thinking company and understand that this is not a process that happens overnight. We want to earn the trust of riders, fans, and the industry by proving ourselves and our product. We truly believe that each and every rider in the Arenacross Tour is a part of the show and for that reason we have taken the measures to always make it affordable for an indoor motocross production.

will showcase the Amateur All-Stars in a way that puts them on a stage where they will be discovered by teams, fans, and the industry. With this, the plan is to have TV and webcast together in year two. Other great programs that are part of the series are the “RaceTech Rising Star Award,” “Marin Bikes Halftime Show,” and the “Royal Distributing Holeshot Award.” These are some of the companies that support the sport and make all of this possible.

So it all kicks off in London on September 25th. You must be very excited to begin this series right in the heartland of Southern Ontario?

We are very excited to start in London.

It’s been well over 12 years since the last indoor race here and it’s great to be this close to home. Most of my friends and family have never seen our production live in person, with it being solely in the USA until now.

What other things can people expect out of the Canadian National Arenacross Tour?

There is a list of exciting new things that are coming along with the introduction of the Canadian National Arenacross Tour. With too many things to list, a few of my favourites are the live airing web broadcast of the entire series so that fans that can’t make the show will not miss it. We have also put together an allstar broadcasting line up that will make the series more whole right out of the gate. This live event will not only feature the best Pro riders in the country but

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FIRST IMPRESSIONS

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BY BR I A N KOS TE R

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PH OTOS BY D R E W RU IZ

T H E 2 016 K X 4 5 0 F hen MXP’s Editor Chris “Palms” Pomeroy first approached me about going to Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania to ride the famed High Point Raceway’s national track for the press launch of the all new 2016 Kawasaki KX 450, I kind of thought he was joking.

You see, Palms usually goes to these types of events to represent MXP, and as a former National #3 ranked rider in Canada, he’s somewhat faster and probably more qualified than I. He went on to explain that he was already committed to another brand’s launch elsewhere in the States at the same time and that this was not a joke.

So after many emails, phone calls and schedule rearranging, everything was set and flights were booked. Aimee Soto from Kawasaki USA was amazing to deal with and made arrangements to fl y directly from Pittsburgh to Montreal following the launch on the Friday so I could work the Ulverton National. I was getting pretty stoked as I have been to High Point several times to watch US Nationals throughout my youth, and have fond memories of camping there and being part of the spectator scene. My flight from Toronto was on Tuesday morning so with gear bag packed including some new FXR riding apparel, Forma boots and a sweet, fresh 2015 6D helmet I was set.

The itinerary for the event started with the presentation of the 2016 KX 450 and a welcome dinner Tuesday night followed by two full days at the track. The focus of the event was on the riding and seeing how all the technical advancements and plethora of changes made to this all-new bike translated to the real world of on-track performance. Probably the biggest news of all was the fact that the King of Supercross, Mr. Jeremy McGrath himself, would be in attendance as a newly hired brand Ambassador for Kawasaki and Team Green!

I don’t think it’s a secret that I am a longtime McGrath fan and have written several times in my UpShift column here in MXP about how great

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“THIS 450 FELT MORE LIKE A 250F WHEN TOSSED IN THE CORNERS AND LAID OVER WITH PREDICTABILITY, PROVIDING THE RIDER WITH A GREAT AMOUNT OF CONFIDENCE.”

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I think he is as a television personality and how natural and informative he comes across on the big screen. Jeremy killed it at both the Monster Cup races and the Supercross Series races he has been on and has always left me wanting more appearances of him in the booth. No matter who you are there is no denying that Jeremy McGrath truly is a living legend!

The press launch consisted of a dozen journalists, of which eleven were from American publications or websites. As the sole Canadian test rider I was soon made to feel more comfortable as three of the Kawasaki USA employees made it be known that they also hailed from Canada, which was kinda cool. As the youngest of three boys growing up dirt bikes were our world, and pouring all over those famous magazines from California were the next best thing than actually riding one.

We had subscriptions to many of them so I was pretty jazzed that all the big name magazines and websites were in attendance to evaluate this new Green Beauty. I’m not sure if intimidated is the right word but I was a little nervous as I didn’t really know anyone. It had been many years since I last saw the couple of testers who I had met before. Those two were none other than Nick Wey and Donn Maeda who work together doing these types of events and bike assessments. Nick won the Montreal Supercross a few years ago, has raced at Walton growing up, and did a Canadian National at Sand Del Lee a few years ago as well.

For anyone who has ever met Nick you know what a character he is and what a wicked sense of humour he has, never mind his mad skills on a dirt bike. It was great to see him again, but I don’t think Donn remembered meeting me way back in 2007; he was very polite none the less.

So Tuesday night finally rolls around and we meet in the posh lobby of our beautiful little boutique hotel just across the Pennsylvania line in Morgantown, West Virginia and board the limo short bus. The evening’s festivities were at a place called the Jet Center, which oddly enough is a huge, and I mean huge, hangar located at the Morgantown airport. The place was tastefully adorned with a full on Team Green semi truck and trailer parked to one side that barely put a dent in the floor space. There was also a stage and chairs for the presentation, a 2015 and a 2016 chassis for comparison, a DJ, and an open bar along with a dining area with really cool Kawasaki motocross themed center pieces on the tables. Once seated in the presentation area the DJ blasts the song Thunder Struck by AC/DC (the sound system was awesome), then we look behind us to see a smoke machine billowing fog as the hangar door opens to three new KX450s idling with riders on board who proceed to ride towards us with one bike riding

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up on stage. It was a super cool and well thought out scene. When the rider on stage removed his helmet, he was introduced and it was of course King Jeremy!

After the presenters were introduced it was time for the slide show and the nuts and bolts of why we were all there…the all-new 2016 Kawasaki KX 450.

All the presenters were very good speakers, and it was cool how they started out with a little KX Racing Heritage and Team Green history lesson. It was nice to be reminded that Kawasaki has been making motorcycles for over 50 years, and the first

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motorcycle engine they ever built was derived from their aircraft engine development. Since 1973, the KX line has proven to be the most successful motocross bikes in the Pro ranks in the USA boasting more wins than any other manufacturer, which was a nice piece of trivia I was unaware of. Another nice reminder was how Team Green was founded in 1981 and last year alone attended over 50 amateur events providing technicians, emergency parts, technical assistance and racing tips to any rider, regardless of the bike they ride. Team Green’s motto

is “Factory support of all racers.” Even though they operate primarily in the US, they still off er a huge commitment to the grassroots of our sport and to any rider from any country competing in the States.

The 2016 KX 450 is so new and technologically advanced that Kawasaki decided to focus the press launch solely on this one model. On paper this thing sounded awesome with the wheels being pretty much the only carry over part from last year’s bike.

Weight savings was a primary mission on this bike; the engineers at Kawi started with a clean sheet.

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The engine is the heart of any bike and this new KX 450 mill has undergone a ground up revision.

It has new cases, camshafts, revised bridged box piston, revised intake port and titanium intake valve shape along with an all new, high flow air box, new header with integrated resonator, and a new compact throttle body with a more compact fuel injector. The cylinder is offset 8.5mm forward to reduce mechanical loss through friction, enabling more efficient power. The transmission is also new with revised gears, enlarged input and output shafts with reduced thickness to improve durability, saving 9.2oz in the tranny alone.

These changes provide a more powerful engine especially in the mid-high RPM range through to over rev, with a smoother, more controllable delivery that has a combined weight savings of 4.4 lbs. Add the factory race-inspired launch control system and the three DFI plug and play couplers that are included, which are matched to the new ECU for differing track conditions, and you have yourself a much improved and tuneable power plant. Factor in the optional hand held KX FI Calibration Kit, which allows both home and professional tuners to make further changes to the power delivery via fuel and ignition changes, and you have a venerable package. To get more of a handle on all the modifications, check out www. kawasaki.com for an in depth breakdown on the improvements.

The chassis, seat and plastic are also new as is the geometry, suspension, linkage and swingarm.

The frame is now 14.1oz lighter and is 6mm narrower with a forged front section that was extruded on previous models, which is plainly a work of art. The rear frame section has increased tube thickness for extra strength, plus this bike has two location options for footpegs that offer 5mm of height adjustment. All these changes were incorporated to improve controllability and comfort while improving front tire grip, handling and turning. The swingarm has been totally redesigned, trimming 7.8oz from last year’s offering. The spars have thinner sidewalls and thicker top and bottom walls, and the front portion is cast with a taller and thinner wall. I like the new enlarged pivot diameter as well. When you add all this up it equates to increased overall torsional

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“THIS 450 FELT MORE LIKE A 250F WHEN TOSSED IN THE CORNERS AND LAID OVER WITH PREDICTABILITY, PROVIDING THE RIDER WITH A GREAT AMOUNT OF CONFIDENCE.”

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rigidity for improved rear traction. The shock has been revised with Kashima coated internals, a lighter spring, and the linkage has a new leverage ratio and arm shape for not only weight savings but to improve overall suspension action and to lower the seat height.

Up front the triple clamp has four position options for the Renthal handlebars offering 35mm of front to back range.

The bigger news is the revised works-replica triple chamber Showa SFF Air TAC forks built to Kawasaki specs. This fork is super trick and comes straight from the racing development program and boasts a neat external balance chamber on the non brake leg for increased volume and cooling. Of course there is adjustability on top of adjustability with air pressure and clickers, but one detail that I believe really sets Kawasaki apart is the inclusion of a super sweet 300PSI digital air pump supplied with each bike. This air tool is beautifully made and comes in a nice Kawasaki case; it’s a real testament to Kawasaki’s commitment to its customers and really is a nice touch.

The Braking brand petal-style rotors are 270mm up front and 240mm out back that are top of the line quality. I believe even the fastest of pro riders will be satisfied with these binders. This will save a mitt full of dollars over having to buy an oversized brake kit, which is the norm for serious riders. The newly shaped fuel tank is now lower and flatter at the top with increased capacity that has a sweet new cap design with improved function. The narrower, comfortable seat is now flatter at the front and rear, which allows the rider to move around more easily and get up and over the front end more efficiently. The new 10 degree V-shaped radiator angle allows for a slimmer profile and riding position. Combined with the new plastic shrouds, cooling performance is not sacrificed. I love the new seamless rad shrouds. With the thinner frame and V-shaped rads it allows the shrouds to be 1.2 inches narrower. The fenders are also a new shape and made lighter, as is the

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Obviously the mighty decision makers and engineers at Kawasaki were not joking around with this ground up project. They built not only a better bike but a class leading bike. The 2016 tips the scales at a whopping 7.5lbs leaner than the last year’s, and is slimmer, trimmer and faster. I would have to venture to say it is pretty much revolutionary in its execution, but how does it all translate to real world riding? After an exciting introduction and presentation, it was back to the hotel to get rested up for two full days at the track.

Wednesday morning was sunny and warm, okay, sunny and hot.

After a luxurious breakfast in the hotel lobby we were whisked off to the track for our 8am arrival. The famous track spans some lovely elevation changes that consists of a nice mixture of loam and nice hard pack jump faces. There are a few small stones here and there but far from what any seasoned rider would consider rocky. I believe everyone in the short bus was feeling a bit giddy as we crested the hill to see two full-on Kawasaki semi trucks with awnings out in full glory sitting beside a freshly groomed and watered National track. With the early morning sun rising slowly, the scene to me was bordering surreal. It was time to meet our individual bikes that were dedicated to each journalist in the group, plus meet our mechanics who were there for the duration of the evaluation. My assigned mechanic was none other than Team Green Motocross Supervisor (Big Boss) and main man Ryan Holliday. Ryan is a cool guy (and fast rider) whose job has

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him on the road for many weekends throughout the year taking care of and overseeing the entire Team Green Motocross Program. Every time I came in from the track he would greet me, relieve me of my bike, put it on the stand for me, ask how the bike was working and if any adjustments were required. But before I hit the track, the Showa technicians set my sag at 108mm.

The fork pressures were set for my 185 pound frame, which is a finely honed combination of muscle, blubber, grey matter and sinew.

With that out of the way the fork Inner Chamber was set at 145PSI, the Outer Chamber at 7.25PSI and the Balance Chamber at 131PSI, which proved virtually flawless for my Vet Master riding ability.

For everyone out on the track for the first session it was all about getting to know the track and fine tuning the cockpit of the bike. Kawasaki has the ergonomics pretty much spot on, as do most manufacturers in this day and age, but this bike just felt dialled in right away. It was a fun bike to ride immediately and it was soon apparent that all the pain staking effort the Kawasaki engineers put into this bike was not done in vain.

After my first on-track session it was time to kick back and watch some of the other guys’ lines to see how they were piecing together some of the rhythm sections. It was awesome watching Jeremy and NYK27 circulate the track as they were both on the gas in a big way.

I think if Jeremy was to race one of those Legends races at an AMA National my money would be on him to take the W; the King has still got it! Throughout the day he busted out several long motos and was clearly enjoying himself on the new bike. Nick Wey was also super fast and was styling around the track, and ended up doing some long solid motos as well.

It was really great to finally meet Jeremy McGrath. He is the real deal and what you see is what you get. I guess that’s why I always thought he was so good on television, he just always comes across effortlessly and carries an enormous wealth of moto knowledge as well. Jeremy was exactly the same in person, gracious

with all the testers offering his time, and he was more than willing to offer riding tips and help guys with various sections of the track. He helped me clear the first two rollers just after the small spectator tunnel /table top at the start of the downhill roller section just after the start. On Day 2 that roller section was the hardest and most troublesome part of the track for me to get through swiftly and smoothly. Not many guys were taking the time to try it so it felt good to finally nail it consistently. I know many of the other testers have had some experience being at the track with Jeremy but for me it was great to see firsthand just what a good dude he really is! Anyway, with respect to Ricky, I’m sure many of you out there would rather be called a King than a Goat any day. (Lol) So now it’s halfway through the first day, I got my big crash on the triple step up beside the start straight out of the way and was a little relieved to hear I wasn’t the only tester to take a soil sample. It was time for a break; Kawasaki had a beautiful lunch brought in for us and by now the track was getting some really nice lines carved in.

With all the riders more familiarized with the track, lap times were dropping and the heavy hitters were starting to throw down some sick whips for the cameras. It was great seeing how photogenic some of the veteran test riders proved to be. As everyone got more acquainted and relaxed, the group seemed to gel really well. It was now time to get serious on the track and feel what this new KX450 was all about.

The harder I pushed this new bike in the turns the better it turned; I was blown away how light the bike felt and how well the front tire held the track surface. It offers the rider an amazing amount of feedback and grip right away, and it only got better. They talked a fair bit about the chassis changes, aimed at front end controllability, and they were spot on as this bike will out carve last year’s bike hands down. This 450 felt more like a 250F when tossed in the corners and laid over with predictability, providing the rider with a great amount of confidence. The suspension felt very well balanced

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and the revised Showa SFF-AIR TAC front forks worked very well for me; they are quite sensitive to air pressure changes. The rear end seemed to track incredibly well for my weight and never did anything weird or unpredictable. Granted, this track did not have a lot of nasty braking bumps on it, but from the time I did spend on the bike, I am quite certain it will track well in the rough, ugly stuff just as well. The first thing I usually do on any new bike I buy is get both ends of the suspension professionally redone, but I felt I could race this new Kawi as is right out of the box. Perhaps with time and when servicing is due I may have a different outlook but for now I would not touch a thing, which is saying a lot. The next thing I like to do on all my bikes is install an oversized front brake rotor. This is another added expense that Kawi riders need not worry about as their 270mm front rotor is more than up to the task of slowing you down enough to snag that inside pass. Strong and progressive are the key words here and a single finger is all that is needed to haul this fast motorcycle down from speed.

And speed is what you will get from the new KX450. The motor is a joy to ride and the factory settings for the three standard DFI couplers should suffice for all but the most discerning riders. The optional KX FI hand held calibration kit will enable you to fine tune everything from power delivery to the amount of engine braking you want when chopping the throttle. In stock form the power is delivered smoothly and builds accordingly as you hold it open. It is very strong, but in a way that allows you to loft the front wheel easily over obstacles without ripping your arms off. Again, the brilliant engineers at Kawasaki’s engine

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development program hit a home run with this package. I found myself smiling repeatedly under my helmet as this thing hooked up and rocketed from turn to turn! As far as the new body work is concerned I did not hear a single complaint from anyone throughout the two days of riding. The new bike is noticeably slimmer, and feels remarkably light and agile in the air providing the rider with yet another level of confidence. The new side panels are virtually seamless; with the new plastic this 450 KX is a beautiful bike to look at too. I like the new air intake channels added between the rear fender and seat as well, which improve throttle response and reduce intake noise. The new seat and seat tank junction provides easy movement, is comfortable and further rounds out the good looks.

I’d like to take this time to thank Kawasaki Motors Corp. USA for the fantastic hospitality provided and for the first class attention afforded the test riders. They are clearly very proud of this flagship bike for the 2016 model line and for good reason. It’s hard for me not to gush all over this all-new 2016 KX 450. I also know there are a lot of other great bikes out there; the competition is getting stiffer and stiffer every year for supremacy in the 450 class. That said I firmly believe this bike will be in the running for bike of the year and will leave others scratching their heads wondering what just happened. It just seems that all the little changes combined with the big changes have transformed this motorcycle into a real world, everyday winner. It plainly feels good to ride and has a neutral balanced feel with incredible traction both front and rear that is inspiring for all skill levels.

About all I can say more is I hope you can get one before they are all gone!

“ON PAPER THIS THING SOUNDED AWESOME WITH THE WHEELS BEING PRETTY MUCH THE ONLY CARRY OVER PART FROM LAST YEAR’S BIKE.”

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Cir cus e Nit r o own th d k nit ely a a fi e e r f y ou b r e ar e d e h t , s t and w elo e s t ha t cr eed b d phr a s n a s and il s v d e r , dar e d fe w w o g in w lo db eem t o ou t . Min t a fe w t ha t s s or t ju eme sp r isk ar e y of ex tr d n ha t t he a w b d r ibe t his s has done an n c r s u e t d d ly ir cu able an pr oper Nit r o C nimagin bou t t heir . W ha t e t he u k a ga mis fi t s t in is s t t alk e t o do s of m no t ju displa y I’ con t inu , o lm N fi . e y r t li u t a n able a e e r fe e it in t o n t s or e y ’v e b u h t t s w w a o o sh ab ou t h em in t o nigh t ly t ur n t h t alk ing d t ly m n I’ n a . e y r s fr iend t is cur ins anit r o up o f ion t ha t r ick s t g d c a r u a e d y k o k r to ta eir bac dollar p h t n g o nd li a in il s e ach er for m mult i-m ar d fan globe p h e h ie t d g f n cir cli s and s o o f t hou ho w far in fr on t ee jus t s . t o h t ig ha v e g n blo w in s cr e w e v er y . r o Cir cu ll y mind a it e in 2 0 0 3 N r s is ’s g h It eginnin n a and u b a o r y le t s b o a d m hu He y, Tr a v is P eir v er y iosit y, “ me ince t h ple cur g on s o im s in c ome s m m r o fo fr r e d e e p t m o r t ta ise t o fa t ha t ? ” W ha t s ly , t heir r r n jump s a a e e c g e a ir t e w s t hink e of th igge s t m b o s ’s s s s ld a r o le fear le o f t he W s unpr edic t ab ’s (t heir a s n u a c a r t ir n s C e n by Pa , Nit r o has be e an o ur a g e ur r e d o m c p o S s c . s e s b le t d s t un ho w. It ’s g bigger ingly en s m a e t e s s n ju o w in leader) or e t ha fan foll ome m t has a a h t lt has bec u c r m in. e s por t is y per fo e x t r em a t Tr a v nas t he e r k back a o t o see e lo h d u r o a y h n ’t t h an t e Wh er, it isn t his ex t r eme e r a c ’s na er o f P as t r a ing lead ild ’s t he r as a ch w g e h w h y he e c in pushin s r n Eve e’s bee h e , y h cir cus . t ig s d t he be o s s pr o a g t o be s mo t ocr in a y r w t d d n it s an d pr o a e n r m u t he lim t a e e z uk i t W hen h e r f ul S u r a s h c an b e . he po w t rc f o o r in e memb he s , his w a t for t ly 2 0 0 0 e r r a g e ly e t h c a x in t t ed e r a ’t t s ur e s y w asn men t all w e v er it siv e fan o h , s k boo mas r e c or d w it h his one o f r olling na w as ll a t ’t b s e a P ra th , t c y w asn it fa r g. In pula , e s follo w in cer s w hose po in or lo t ra sult s . W ing t he fir s r ac e r e s ome t h is h id n d o s y a lw based a os t on t he na alm or able re P as t r a nd mem a ng be fo r lo la e u k c a t a t ’t c n e e p id s it d de d t h ac k and an s c en r ac e t r base t r n r cr os s. fa e ’s p na and s u s P as t r a s o r and c o un t ing f mo t s por t o r ie s mo ju g , it in in e w c ra ing gr o m r W it h his fo r r eer as e t his c a s t for p e he pu his t hir r in t he fo r e e b c long r os s r a c o t w asn’t o m s sional a pr o fe r. ir cus is w mir r o Nit r o C ie in s r na , e r e ar v k P as t r a o- w or g t . L ik e r ana’s c u t s V r a n P fo a f V d ne One o s s , an io’s Jole o t ocr o a t ch , On t ar r ac e m ot to w o t d w L ondon e , s u io e g r lf a ce. e t s in n r v O e h li v e in t he P r o Jolene an luck y t o r ace t r ack s in t s a u t f h o g t ho s e a s t au n t he o w p e u n ‘liv e le w is o gr o e. T h Bill, J Jolene a t a t im fa t her, y r ry a e e d h v e o e t n n d Jole er li fe o T h ank s s s er v e o li v e h a t h e y g t a li ear ly men t a omen t ’ in t he m

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HERE W D L R O IN A W CITY AUTHENTI ITRO N , E R A R S I ONLY E H T S I S CIRCU ORTS P S N O I T C A MENT N I A T R E T EN THAT Y N A P M O C THE DELIVERS T...

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S U C R I NITROUCRNS TO RET ANADA C well throughout her life, and in the last few years she’s become one of the more popular female athletes on the planet. Her nightly Nitro act of jumping a pink Barbie car has not only been exciting to watch, but it’s also become a symbol of empowerment for girls from Australia to Europe. If Pastrana is the Nitro Circus ring leader, Jolene is his talented female assistant who isn’t afraid to push the envelope and cast her own shadow.

Being in the motocross industry for so long sometimes makes you think like you live in a bubble.

Since Nitro Circus has two former motocross racers as part of their motley crew, we sometimes think that naturally their biggest fans are from the motocross industry. While this might be true in some cases, Nitro Circus’s reach far exceeds the moto industry. In fact, most of Nitro’s fan base is much more mainstream than motocross. Perhaps this is why it hasn’t been uncommon to see Pastrana on late night talk shows, on the nightly news or even mentioned in Hollywood movies. Unlike a concert or a normal sporting event, where fans go home and either sing in front of a mirror or try to recreate the sport they just saw, fans of Nitro Circus don’t head home and try to jump a tricycle 100 feet. This is part of what is so amazing about the show’s popularity. It’s based on watching the impossible become possible right in front of your eyes.

After testing the waters back in January of 2014 with its first Canadian show in Hamilton, Ontario, the Nitro Circus Tour is back in Canada with a vengeance, but this time the show is bigger and better than ever. With an all-new program that consists of new stunts and a brand new theme, fans are going to be blown away when the tour hits Canadian soil. The Canadian portion of the tour kicks off on October 14, 2015 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. From there it moves east to Montreal on October 16th before heading west to Winnipeg, Saskatoon and then its final Canadian stop in Vancouver on November 1st. This five stop Canadian tour extravaganza is going to be wild and will no doubt put Nitro Circus into yet another stratosphere of popularity.

So whether you’re already a fan or you’re just plain curious about what the Nitro Circus show is all about, you now have five chances in Canada to check out this incredible spectacle. After seeing their show in Hamilton two years ago and after watching some clips from this new tour’s first stops in Australia a few months ago, I can say that the 2015 Nitro Circus Tour is a must see if you like watching the impossible become possible. Whether you’re a Travis Pastrana fan, a Jolene Van Vugt fan, or just a fan of seeing really crazy and cool stuff, we hope to see you at one of the five Canadian stops.

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Right: During the fi nal moto, Marco knew he needed to make at least one more pass.

ven though this was only my second trip to Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, I have followed the stories of many riders and their struggle to make their dream of becoming National Champion a reality. I still clearly remember an announcement over the loudspeaker during last year’s opening round, stating for every one rider that makes it to the ranch there are often 10+ riders in their wake who didn’t have the luck, skills, or the means to make racing Loretta Lynn’s a reality. This hit home, and explains the sheer volume of emotion that I have seen overcoming many riders as they spend their week at the ranch.

Among many of the Canadian riders who made an eff ort to compete at Loretta Lynn’s this year, Marco Cannella is also one of a growing population who also make it a yearly tradition. For Marco Cannella, his 2015 road to Loretta Lynn’s began early in the year, competing in two area qualifiers that advanced him to regionals in the Northeast, and North central regions. The Northeast Regional at Birch Creek was his first chance at earning a spot at the national within either Schoolboy 1 or Schoolboy 2, his two target classes.

For Marco, his Northeast Regional was a success with regards to Schoolboy 2 as he was able to confirm a spot by earning 4th overall. Unfortunately for him, Schoolboy 1 wasn’t quite wrapped up, as he was involved in a first turn pileup that sent him fighting through the pack for a finish of 17th in his first moto in that class. While his later motos were much better, they weren’t enough to confirm a spot for him in this class as he was 8th overall in this class at the end of the weekend. Cannella would make a second attempt at earning a ticket with this class during the Indian Hills qualifier. Now in Illinois at his second regional, the weekend started off much better for Schoolboy 1 with a 3rd place for moto one, though an unfortunate return of bad luck put him out of the running for his second moto, finishing 19th. Despite a decent Moto 3 finish, Canella was left setting his hopes of making it into Schoolboy 1 as an alternate based on his Birch Creek results.

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MARCO CANNELLA TRIUMPHS “AFTER THE KEY

The Ranch Late August marks the beginning of the Loretta Lynn’s National in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee with 2015 being the event’s 34th consecutive year. By then, it has been a couple of months since many of the best Amateur riders in the world have earned their ticket to compete. Along with many from the US, there has been a growing population of Canadians who qualified for this year’s event. Along with Cannella, RJ Marnoch, Austin Watling, Cooper Larche, Ben Kongmany, Preston Masciangelo, Tanner Scott, and Nick Cryer were also hoping to make a name for themselves in their respective classes. With over ten classes containing at least one Canadian rider, Loretta Lynn’s felt like a better representation of North America’s most talented riders.

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PASS, HE SEALED THE DEAL BY TAKING THE SMOOTHEST AND FASTEST RUTS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO LOCK IN HIS SPOT AND EARN THE OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIP.”

Tuesday marked the beginning of competition for the 34th Annual Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National.

Along with the incomparable level of competition, this year also marked the return of weather this national is known for. With heat indexes well into the 100s (F), this was a far cry from the natural habitat most of us in the north call home. Places such as the creek, pool, and any available ice cream vendor were popular attractions for Northern US and Canadian riders all weekend. In fact, if one needed to find a rider from this region for an interview, these were better places to look than any RV, air conditioned or not!

For Marco Cannella, his competitive weekend would start at 11:00am Tuesday morning, which was great news as by now it was announced that he was no longer an alternate; his spot at the gate was confirmed for Schoolboy 1. With this news, he

Above: Marco’s huge smile speaks a thousand words.

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Left: The Schoolboy class was full of blue Yamahas.

Below: All week the riders had to battle through the near unbearable heat.

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soon found himself alongside national riders such as Papi, Falk, Halpain, Pennington, Hempen, and many more in this age group competing in a well stacked Schoolboy 1 class. During a later interview, Marco Cannella revealed that coming in as an alternate he had hopes of a top 10 finish, perhaps aspirations of a top 5 if he ended up getting a decent start. It wouldn’t take long for him to get a taste as to exactly how his weekend would progress.

The Competition Almost immediately after the gate dropped for his first 2015 moto, Cannella found himself in a podium position after completing a rocking start into turn one. It was broadcasted over the intercom and local radio, “Canadian rider, Marco Cannella is on the charge,” as he found himself sitting directly behind the leader, Carter Halpain with about three seconds

separating them, and that gap was shrinking. At this very point in his Loretta Lynn’s trip, Cannella was likely considering a diff erent overall objective than he originally hoped.

Continuing on Moto 1, Marco maintained a rock solid and consistent pace as he focused on good lines and avoiding the rough patches already present on this national track. Those same patches ended up costing Halpain valuable time on lap 6. Perhaps under growing pressure put on him by Cannella, Halpain again slipped up on lap 7 off ering Marco a chance to make a pass into the lead. From there, rider #64 set his Motopark training to good work, put his head down, and was able to stretch an impressive 11.5 second lead on Halpain and 15 seconds ahead of the rest of the pack. From that point on, aspirations of a top 5 were completely dashed; Cannella was now on the hunt for the championship!

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MARCO CANNELLA TRIUMPHS IN TENNESSEE The next setting for Schoolboy 1 was much different than Cannella’s first moto. Now late into the day on Wednesday with first gate pick, Cannella liked up with a different mindset than his first race. By now he had another first moto under his belt in Schoolboy 2 with 10 additional laps of experience on a race hardened version of this track, and with anything moto, experience never hurts. At the drop of the gate, Cannella again found himself in a podium position leading into Lap 1, this time with different circumstances as both Brock Papi and Mitchell Falk were leading the charge ahead of him, plus Jayce Pennington and Halpain were in hot pursuit of his #64 Yamaha. For Cannella, the battle was on. He needed to stick with the leaders and hold his position to keep dreams of a championship alive.

Falk and Papi set the fastest lap times early on, with Cannella slipping back only slightly all until a minor slip up cost him two spots during lap 4.

This incident put him behind Halpain and Jayce Pennington, both riders with more than enough skill and speed to maintain their spots. Not letting that setback bother him, from here on we saw Cannella’s training come back into play, as he matched or surpassed the quick lap times of the race leaders, taking advantage of a missed line by Halpain for a pass into 4th. He now had sights set on Pennington, who was slowly pulling further ahead all until lap 8 when Pennington went down, moving Cannella back into 3rd place. For Schoolboy 1 Moto 2, it would be Falk, Papi and Cannella making a trip to the podium with Cannella still leading the championship chase due to his stronger overall finishes (Falk was 6th, and Papi in 4th for Moto 1).

The final visit to the gate for Schoolboy 1 was on Friday and by now Cannella had scored a solid 7th place during his second moto in the incredibly stacked Schoolboy 2 competition. In that race Cannella rode well, finishing directly behind his buddy Joey Crown and ahead of his Schoolboy 1 rivals Falk, Pennington, and Halpain. With some of the other championship favourites now having finished behind him for two or three motos, in two separate classes, Cannella was definitely making a name for himself and becoming a true favourite for the Schoolboy 1 championship.

With everything on the line, Moto 3 may very well have been be the hardest and most signifi cant race in Marco Cannella’s racing career to date.

Everything was in the air with regards to who may earn the overall championship. At this point only Cannella was consistently on the podium, however, Falk, Papi, and Halpain had proven fast enough to earn their place in the spotlight as well. At this point Falk had a 1st and a 6th under his belt, Papi was checking in with 4th and 2nd, Cannella needed to maintain consistency and quite possibly hope for a rider outside of the championship hunt to mix things up in this moto. On the line, it was easy to

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Above: Marco fi ghts through the deep Loretta Lynn’s ruts on route to his title.

see that tensions were high for all these mentioned riders, and quite honestly I avoided my usual close up shots at the gate due to not wanting to aff ect the overall atmosphere leading into this moto.

The Championship It was on! With the gate dropped and the first corner now history, being outside of the top 5 was the last place Cannella wanted to be. Now well into the first lap, Cannella found himself in 9th fi ghting for 7th, a spot he would gain before the start of lap two. At this point, Falk and Papi were leading the charge far ahead.

Jayce Pennington, who wasn’t in a position to earn the championship, was leading the pack and his gap on Falk and Papi was growing. This was the upset Cannella needed in the event he himself wasn’t leading the charge. Now faced with the double edged sword often handed to riders within a championship hunt, Cannella now needed to ride as fast as possible to make passes but could not aff ord any mistakes.

With instructions given to his mechanic, who also happened to be his father, Marco asked that the pit board show the word “Pass” as long as he needed to get around someone to make his championship become a reality.

For Marco, that message on the board never changed as his race was down to the wire to catch and pass #23 Austin Smith, who was sitting in 4th. They would face off for the final four laps, both fighting for their own cause. Fourth would be Smith’s best finish of the week, and he did not present Cannella with any mistakes to take advantage of. As if in some type of moto drama, Cannella had to use speed to make a clean pass and made it happen on the final lap shortly before the Kawasaki table. After the key pass, he sealed the deal by taking the smoothest and fastest ruts possible in order to lock in his spot and earn the overall championship.

From the middle of the track you could hear the Cannella supporters over all other sounds. Friends, family and all other Canadians converged on the podium as a new champion was about to be crowned. It was a great atmosphere to be around indeed, and one of the best championship stories I have been witness to in my time covering Motocross. Like most of the Canadian riders I have met over the years, Marco Cannella is a genuinely humble individual and should stand as an inspiration for others who have had mixed luck at the ranch or hope to compete at Loretta Lynn’s in the future. Here’s hoping for even more Canadian representation during the 2016 season championship!

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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THE NEW MID-SIZE TRUCK THAT CAN FIRST DRIVE: 20 15 CHEVY COLORADO

BY CHRIS POMEROY | PHOTOS BY GM CANADA hen I received a call that GM Canada was reaching out to media outlets outside the auto industry, I was pretty excited. General Motors’ plans were to gather a group of journalists together from publications that represented a certain market that might use the all-new 2015 Chevy Colorado pick-up truck. After quickly accepting whatever GM had in mind, they laid out what would consist of their press launch. Instead of the usual itinerary where you arrive at the chosen destination and spend a few days testing out the new product, GM wanted this one to be both different and very memorable.

When I arrived at the Vancouver airport and made my way to the baggage claim area, there was a well-dressed gentleman holding a sign with my name on it in big, bold letters. Having a greeter waiting for me has only happened once before; it’s amazing how just having someone holding a sign with your name on it makes people instantly stare and think that you must be a “big deal”. Anyway, after meeting my handler, we jumped into a brand new Chevy SUV and drove to a nearby Airport hotel to meet with everyone. As we drove into the hotel parking lot I noticed that there were ten bright red 2015 Chevy Colorados all lined in perfect order. We were then met by Otie McKinley, who works out of the GM Head Office in Detroit. He introduced himself as the man who helped arrange this entire press launch for the North American media.

After a few pleasantries we were each thrown a set of keys and given a tour of the new trucks. Each truck had the destination of Squamish, BC programmed in the navigation aid and that was it. They told us to enjoy and that they’d see everyone in a few hours in Squamish. With jaws dropped, we all got into our Chevy Colorado and, like a scene from Amazing Race, we all set out in single file and headed north. Although we were all headed to the same city, GM’s plans were to break us into small groups and then have each group participate in three different adventures over the two days we were there.

As soon as I got behind the wheel of the new Chevy Colorado, I instantly thought this could easily be a truck I could own. It definitely drove smoothly, it was very comfortable, and like most trucks these days it had all of the features like Navigation, Bluetooth, a reverse camera, and of course GM’s patented programs - My Link and Onstar. As I passed over the Lions Gate Bridge and tried to take in as much scenery as possible without getting into an accident, I thought that this would be a perfect truck to take to the track because it has loads of room inside the cabin.

The 2015 Chevy Colorado represents GM’s re-launch into the midsize truck market. This is a market that GM dominated years ago with their S-10 truck, a vehicle that was one of their all-time best sellers.

After the S-10 came the first version of the Colorado, which was called the Chevy Canyon, but soon after the economic collapse of 2008 when everyone was left scrambling just to stay afloat in the auto industry, the mid-size truck market has been dominated for the past ten years by the extremely popular Toyota Tacoma. This well-built Japanese truck has been the golden child for Toyota, and with good reason. It’s versatile, strong, and over the years it has gained the reputation of being a ‘go anywhere’ truck. It’s the kind of truck that you can take to the mountains during the day, but also take to the city at night for dinner. Yes, Toyota has had this market pretty much to themselves for

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T H E N E W M I D - S I Z E T R U C K T H AT C A N

a decade, but with this newly designed Chevy Colorado, that is about to change.

The splash Chevy is hoping to make with this new truck is massive. They’ve taken what they learned from previous models, they’ve spoken to an endless amount of customers about what they would like to see from a mid-size truck, and they applied some of these features to the new Colorado. As I said, the average customer in this market wants a ‘do everything’ truck, and these days with gas prices still very high, they obviously want a truck that isn’t going to break their wallets as they’re cruising around the city. With two engine packages available (four cylinder and a V6), drivers are able to choose what works best for them as both engines are very economical in the fuel department. To go one step further, this coming fall GM is introducing a diesel power plant for the 2016 Chevy Colorado; they’re hoping that it will put this truck in a class by itself.

The first adventure on my itinerary was a rock climbing spot called Via Ferrata, something I had never heard before but I would soon learn that it’s derived from an Italian phrase, when translated to English means ‘Iron Ladder’. It’s basically rock climbing, but you’re climbing up the rock face using a ladder of rebar that has been drilled into the rock. As you’re climbing you are still clipped into a cable that is attached to the rock, so I guess it’s relatively safe, but you’re still 300 feet above nothing but a long fall. This is definitely an activity that I would normally never try, however this was a special occasion so I thought why not.

After surviving my first ever climb up a rock face, I felt alive and invigorated as I jumped back into my red Chevy Colorado and cruised up to my next adventure.

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Even on the very winding Highway 99 from Squamish to Whistler, the new Chevy Colorado drove like a car.

From its precise handling to its quiet ride, this truck definitely fit the bill as the ‘go anywhere’ truck. As I made my way to my next adventure (which was downhill mountain biking) I was forced to take my Colorado up a very steep hill. With the V6 engine, this truck had power to spare. Even with the box full of downhill mountains bikes the climb was no problem.

For just under two days I spent my time climbing rock faces, thrashing down a trail on a mountain bike and cruising through some high elevation fire roads on a Polaris Razor Side by Side. In between adventures I drove around in the Chevy Colorado, getting to know exactly what this truck was all about.

When it was all said and done, I really feel this truck is a great motocross truck. With a long box and crew cab configuration, the Chevy Colorado offers a lot of room both inside and out. With many different features available, there really is something for everyone. For a full outline of the new Chevy Colorado, please visit www.gm.ca to get more information.

I had a great time on the GM adventure in Whistler, BC. The activities were exciting and all of the journalists from the North American adventure publications were great. I would definitely recommend this new truck to anyone who needs a ‘do everything’ truck. Whether you’re loading up your bikes and heading to the track or getting yourself dressed up and heading out for dinner with the family, you can do it all in Chevrolet’s newest and most aggressive entry into the mid-size truck market. I’d really like to thank GM Canada for this cool and unique opportunity.

“TO GO ONE STEP FURTHER, THIS COMING FALL GM IS INTRODUCING A DIESEL POWER PLANT FOR THE 2016 CHEVY COLORADO; THEY’RE HOPING THAT IT WILL PUT THIS TRUCK IN A CLASS BY ITSELF.”

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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THE INSIDE LINE ANDY WHITE

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WITH

ry to think of a time in the history of our sport when we saw such amazing action, week-in, week-out in both classes as we have this year. I bet most of you will struggle to give me that answer. I am trying to think back when there were that many top riders fighting for the podium in both classes. I am going to say back in the late ‘80s, although Ross Pederson was the King of moto in those days in all three classes...yes you heard me, all three classes. Each national event would have two classes racing that weekend, either 125/250, 125/500 or even 250/500. Each class was scored separately and at the end of the five round series the top 10 riders were awarded top 10 numbers.

It was a little weird when a rider like Doug Hoover would have #3 on his 125 then a #4 on his 250 and #5 on his 500. How many different helmets and jerseys would you need? Most top 10 riders would compete in all three classes as well. Oh ya, the motos were 45 minutes long too. Ross was the guy in the 250 and 500 class but there was a ton of talent fighting for 2nd and 3rd every weekend. The 125 class was wide open because Ross was a little heavy to dominate that class, towering around 6 feet and weighing in around 180lbs, but he would get it done. The riders I am talking about that tried to knock Rollerball off were the likes of Doug Hoover, Alan Dyck, Mike Harnden, Pierre Couture, Carl Vaillancourt, Glen Nicholson, Serge Gregoire, Scott Lockhart, Jeff Surwall and probably about ten other talented riders.

Let’s get back to the 2015 CMRC Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals. I thought for sure Kaven Benoit would be really hard to beat. With the way the eligibility rules are made to compete in the MX2 class, a rider can’t have finished better than top 20 in the US and top 10 in the FIM. Good luck finding a rider that can come up and smoke our top Canadian riders like Benoit and Medaglia.

I have always said that if you are going to hire a top rider to compete in Canada you need to sign him to a two year deal. The first year is to get out and ride the tracks and understand the program up here. There is no way you can come in and dominate the

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It’s a Wrap!

WITH ANDY WHITE

Colton looked tight the first few rounds but by the time we hit the eastern rounds he was healed and ready to win. If he hadn’t crashed before the series started, I think Colton would have been our champ for 2016!

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series with a young rider the first year. Once that rider has completed the series and knows all of the tracks, he will be comfortable the second time around. Fighting for 2nd through 5th was anyone’s this past year - Decotis, Medaglia, Wright, Maffenbeier and Savage put on a great show. I sure hope these riders make it back for 2016.

The MX1 class was unreal, and the top four guys were so close almost every moto. It looked like Brett Metcalfe was the favourite from the beginning, coming off a good spring training program with no injuries.

Colton would be hard to beat because he knows the tracks so well, but with a bad crash only a month before the series it kind of threw a wrench in their program.

Colton looked tight the first few rounds but by the time we hit the eastern rounds he was healed and ready to win. If he hadn’t crashed before the series started, I think Colton would have been our champ for 2016!

It’s easy to say now but he only missed the championship by 6 points. Matt Georke rode better than most people expected; he did his homework and was the most consistent rider on the track. The moto at Moncton when his chain fell off almost cost him the series. Good thing he figured out how to get his chain back on the rear sprocket. Cole Thompson was my dark horse from the beginning. I felt he would be super consistent in the west where he had no history with those tracks, but once he hit the east coast, watch out. I think the crash he had with Metty at round one really screw up the game plan. It took way too long for Cole to shake off the injury and find his groove again. As I mentioned earlier, watch out for Cole next year, because he now has seat time on the western tracks. What can you say about Tyler? I feel he rode better than 2014! The problem he ran into was much more competition than the previous year. Running the #5 on his bike next year will look strange. Tyler will have more seat time going into 2016 so he should be able to improve his results.

Overall I think it was a really exciting series. I am sure when we see the racing on TV it will actually show how close the guys really were each weekend. Man, I can’t wait for 2016! How about you?

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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EVOLVED NUTRITION WITH DREW ROBERTSON & PHOTOS BY NICK HILL

BAC K TO SC H O O L hat a great race season!!! I’d have to say that this past summer’s racing was some of the best we have seen in years with different guys hitting the podium and the MX1 championship coming down to the last race.

So now what? What do we do now? Sit on the couch and eat potato chips? Sure, I guess that’s an option, but for those who are serious about moving forward in the sport, the couch sitting might not be the best option! This is the time of year where we look back at our season and try to decide on where we can make improvements, and what we need to do during the off-season to help us take the next step in order to improve. In terms of physical preparation, here are some questions you need to ask yourself:

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1) At the end of the moto, were you able to push as hard as you wanted?

2) Were you out of breath during a moto?

3) Did you find yourself struggling to move the bike around?

There are many factors that can affect the above questions, but let’s limit them to the physical aspects. There are other more specific questions we can get into, but for simplicity sake we will look at these three: 1) You were unable to push as hard as you wanted towards the end of the moto. This might be caused by a lack of muscle endurance. Look at adding a combination of weight training and high resistance road bike work to your program.

2) You were out of breath at the end of the moto.

You might need to add more anaerobic work to your program, allowing you to be able to do more ‘work’ over time.

3) You were struggling to move the bike around.

This might be an indicator that you need to add more strength work to your program.

Like I mentioned above, these are just a few of the questions you need to answer in order to start looking at what you need to do next in order to be ready for next season. I am a firm believer that in order to have success and be able to get the most out of an athlete, you need to build an individualized program as athletes are unique in both where they are at, in terms of athletic ability, and where they need to be. In this article I will be giving you examples of different off-season training ideas; these are just general. In order to become your best you would need to be evaluated and decide on the areas in which you need to focus.

Now in terms of the off-season, let’s take a look at what that means in terms of Motocross, and again this is general. Maybe your race season is longer or starts early, so remember that when constructing your program. The Nationals typically start in early June and finish in the middle of August, giving us a competitive season of 10-12 weeks, with a couple of weekends off during that time. The off-season in the training world usually refers to the period of time away from the sport we are training for, and this is where Motocross differs quite a bit from other, more traditional sports. Now it might seem like you have a long period of time off, but the typical pro heads south in either January or February to start riding and doing work on the

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H O W D O W E S TA R T T H E O F F -S E A S O N ?

Take time off, relax but stay active, and make sure to be seeing a massage therapist and/or a good chiropractor every week or so. This is a good period of time to recharge both physically as well as mentally. This should be two maybe three weeks long depending on how you felt ending the season.

N E X T ? G E T B AC K AT I T!!!

Here are two examples of early off-season training splits. One is for an athlete who was really run down at the end of the season and the other is for an athlete that is rested and ready to go.

The above will give you a rough idea as to how you can start your early off-season training in terms of being in the gym and moving some weight. In terms of cardio, it should be low intensity (zone 3 out of 5) and each session should be between 45-90 minutes.

W E L L R O U N D E D, R E A DY-T O - G O AT H L E T E

FAT I G U E D AT H L E T E DAY

bike. During this time, it can be difficult to add elements, especially strength, when you are riding 3-4 times a week due to the volume of work that is being done on the bike. Let’s go back then to our off-season. We have a period of 5-6 months where we can really focus on our weaknesses, work on muscle imbalances, anaerobic work, and add strength if needed.

PM

DAY

AM

PM

Sunday

OFF

Regeneration work

Sunday

Regeneration work

OFF

Monday

TBT

OFF

Monday

Upper body work

OFF

Tuesday

OFF

Regeneration work

Tuesday

Plyo work

Lower body work

Wednesday

TBT

OFF

Wednesday

OFF

Regeneration work

Thursday

OFF

Regeneration work

Thursday

Upper body work

Plyo work

Friday

OFF

TBT

Friday

Regeneration work

OFF

Saturday

OFF

Regeneration work

Saturday

OFF

Lower body work

T BT

TOTA L B O DY T R A I N I N G

R E G E N E R AT I O N W O R K

LOW I N T E N S I T Y WO R K , R E H A B I L I TAT I O N WO R K , LOW I N T E N S I T Y C I R C U I T S

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Here are some examples of TBT that are a good way to get moving and are not very intense. Focus on form and make sure you move through a complete range of motion.

Reps of each exercise: 8-12 Rest: 1-2 minutes Sets: 4-5

CIRCUIT 1

Reverse hypers Dumbbell bench Mini-band side steps Seated cable rows Ab-roller Overhead dumbbell extensions Walking dumbbell lunges Dumbbell hammer curls Dumbbell Cuban presses

CIRCUIT 2

Face-pulls Single leg RDLs Push-ups Dumbbell step-ups External rotation with band Supinated grip pull-downs Body weight squats wearing mini bands Cable wood chops Lying dumbbell extensions

Here is an example of a lower body workout we might do:

Here is an example of an upper body workout we might do:

Here is an example of a regeneration / mobility circuit we might do:

5 x 8 box jumps Rest 2 minutes between sets 1) Deadlift - 3 x 3 2) DB Bulgarian split squat - 3 x 8 per side Rest 1-2 minutes between sets 3) GHD - 3 x 8 4) Side bridge - 3 x 30 seconds per side Rest 1 minute between sets

Incline DB press - 3 x 3 Rest 1-2 minutes between sets 1) Neutral grip one-arm DB push press 4 x 5 per side 2) Close grip chin up - 4 x 5 Rest 1 minute between sets 3) Alternating incline DB press - 3 x 6 4) One-arm DB row - 3 x 6 per side Rest 1-2 minutes between sets

Goblet squats - 5 x 5 Rest 1 minute between Cossack squats - 3 x 10 per side Rest 1 minute between 1) KB TGU x 5 2) KB windmill x 5 3) KB single arm snatch x 5 Complete one side then switch Rest 2 minutes between sets Complete 5-6 rounds

Get out some paper and go over the areas you need to work on, and look at the time frame you have to work with remembering that when you get on the bike, due to the high volume of work you’ll be doing, you might find it hard to make progress in certain areas. Make a plan and get off the couch! Off-season doesn’t mean off, it means getting off your arse!!!

Any questions, please contact me at: drew@evolvednutrition.com

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F R O M T H E D E S K O F M A R K S TA L LY B R A S S

A G R E AT T E A M “Daryl takes flagging so seriously that Pros fear getting hit when he’s waving the blue flag. Lappers know to get out of the way when “Tonto” is on the track.”

PHOTO BY JAMES LISSIMORE

s many people saw firsthand or mentioned in their publicized comments regarding the 2015 Nationals, it was the best year ever!

There is no doubt the racing was the most intense throughout the series from start to finish. But I have a different reason as to why it was the best year ever…the national series staff.

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There is a lot that goes on at each National behind the scene that no one sees. The best analogy I’ve ever heard is it’s just like a duck swimming on a pond. Looking at the duck from land, it looks like it is leisurely floating on the top, making its way from one side to another, but what you don’t see under the water is the duck’s webbed feet are paddling like hell.

Many of the staff we have on board have been with the series for between five and fifteen years. In my opinion, each one of them is the best in the country at what they do. And what made things magical this year is every one of us gelled like a team should.

I can’t think of one argument that took place; we all had each other’s back if needed. That’s saying something because inside the admin trailer or the TV bus or the “big bus,” as the track crew calls the

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53’ trailer, there are a lot of intense, pressure-filled moments that happen every single weekend.

The ladies (or “hens” as we call them) in the Administration trailer (Wendy, Lisa, Susan, Chelsea) are a godsend. From the start of the day to the time the trailer is locked up they are constantly on the go. How they keep their composure, like times when there’s a power outage during a race, which effects the scoring system, or a piece of equipment breaks, or dealing with rider/team issues, is beyond me.

hasn’t seen a National ‘live’ since ’01 and hasn’t missed a round since then? He is directing all of the cameramen in that bus, and he’s amazing at what he does. The commentary between Travs and Fabs (Brian Koster) is second to none. Not only do they know their stuff about the sport and speak of the details of what a rider is thinking or how a bike is performing, but they announce with such emotion and passion; “No one holds a candle to those Canadian announcers.”

The track crew this year (Orten, Eric, Devo, Logan) had each round looking the best I could have imagined, and what I’ve always hoped for. They’re at each track four days before each National, setting up the stage, finish line truss, starting line background, banners, vertical flags, you name it. You may have noticed this if you visited a National this year, but on TV is where I notice their work the most. They nailed it!!!

The Head Referee, Paul Kingsley, and his assistant, Daryl Murphy, take their jobs quite seriously and do a hell of a job to boot. “KinGer” raced Pro since the early ‘80s and knows the sport inside and out.

He’s old school and won’t let anyone away with “bed wetting,” if that’s his opinion…but does it with a genuine smile on his face. Daryl takes flagging so seriously that Pros fear getting hit when he’s waving the blue flag. Lappers know to get out of the way when “Tonto” is on the track.

The TV crew, Hill’s Production, has worked the Nationals since 2001, and their experience with our sport shows in the final product. There’s a lot that takes place in that bus, in terms of sound, colour balances, and a lot of technical stuff that I have no clue about; it’s amazing. Do you know Marc Travers

I cannot think of a time like now when I can’t wait to get back at it. Yes, the racing was awesome and my guess is it is only going to get better next year. But to have a team like I do, that’s what made this year the most memorable for me. A huge thanks to each and every one of you!

MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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Valvoline develops X-18, a single grade oil which could be used in place of 18 different specified automotive lubricants

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Valvoline invented the engine oil category almost 150 years ago – and we haven’t stopped pushing new innovations since.

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