MotoCross MXP Performance 19.05

C A N A D A’ S S O U R C E F O R M O T O C R O S S A N D O F F - R O A D

P HIL NICOLETTI

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COVER STORY

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THE RED BULL OUTLIERS

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THE GHOSTS OF MX PAST

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THE MONTREAL SUPERCROSS

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GOING DUTCH

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RACING IN SEPTEMBER

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HOOSIER OFFROAD DEALER PROFILE

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INDUSTRY PROFILE WITH DAVE CLEVELAND

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YAMAHA RIDE DAY

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MXP PRODUCT TEST

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MXP CHATTER WITH TODD SCHUMLICK

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YOUNG AND ON THE RISE

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The Montreal Supercross

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The Red Bull Outliers

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YOUNG PRESENTS

TODD SCHUMLICK

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RISE 78

Phil Nicoletti conquers Canada Palms gets out of his comfort zone

Mike McGill revisits the biggest race at Mosport Dean Wilson finds success inside Olympic Stadium Andy White heads to the 2019 MXON’s Lexi Pechout travels the world

Shelby Mahon profiles Pro-Am Motorsports in Calgary

Riding with the Blu Cru

Palms tries out the new Sailun Truck Tires Claudie Lissimore chats with this successful trainer We chat with talented Ontario rider Maya Legare

SPECIALS 10 EXPOSED 18 CAUGHT ON CAMERA

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by Chris Pomeroy

With Eve Brodeur

by Dylan Wright

by Sean Poitras

by Andy White

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

FEMALE PERSPECTIVE

GUEST COLUMN

THE MENTAL SIDE

INSIDE LINE

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PHOTO FROM R E D B U LL PHOTO FILE S

THE STRAIGHT ROAD Josh Hansen and Ken Roczen battle at the Red Bull Straight Rhythm.

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PHOTO BY JAM E S LISSIMOR E

BLU CRU BURNOUT Phil Nicoletti and Luke Renzland celebrate in Hamilton.

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PHOTO BY JAM E S LISSIMOR E

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PUBLISHER: Charles Stancer/Mark Stallybrass V.P. OF SALES AND MARKETING: Charles Stancer EDITOR: Chris Pomeroy SALES MANAGER: Al Jaggard SENIOR WRITERS: Brian Koster, Mike McGill SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR: Blake Breton STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: James Lissimore CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: James Lissimore, Drew Robertson, Leticia Cline, Andy White, Matt Wellumson, Sean Poitras, Lawrence Hacking, Kate McKerroll CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Virgil Knapp, Clayton Racicot, Bill Petro, Matt Wellumson, Frank Hoppen, Summer Denzler, Mike Vizer COVER PHOTO: James Lissimore MXP has the exclusive rights to the MRC’s mailing list of racing license holders. Every MRC 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 including the FMSQ. FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES CONTACT: Charles Stancer 416-633-1202 charles@mxpmag.com mxpmag.com

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CAUGHT ON CAMERA

A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNAL FROM RACES AND EVENTS THROUGH OUT THE YEAR.

S Andy just wants his son to stay healthy.

S FXR Racing must be short on male models.

S Colton must be a funny guy because it takes a lot to make Phil laugh.

S Dakota Alix always seems to enjoy himself in Canada.

S After a pretty serious injury, it’s good to see BMX legend Drew

S Matchy matchy in Hamilton.

Bezanson back on his feet.

S The drinks were on the GDR Honda Team inside the First Ontario Centre.

S Looks like someone just told Murph that the 2020 season is only a few

S Dean definitely had a lot of fans in Montreal.

months away.

S All three of these boys had plenty of reasons to smile in 2019.

S JT is all business when he’s at the races.

S With an off-season trip to Australia and a factory ride in 2020, Brayton must be looking forward to the new year.

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A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNAL FROM RACES AND EVENTS THROUGH OUT THE YEAR.

S Reunited and it feels so good

S Renzland finished up 2019 in style.

S Larry Enticer takes his pit shirt game to new levels.

S Whether he’s speaking French or English, Mathieu Gervais has it covered.

S The fans in Hamilton try to get close to the podium.

S This girl will remember her first trip to the podium forever.

S Nothing like watching Netflix before the main event

S After a long season it’s time to hit the bottle.

S Mookie and Phil talk about old times in Montreal.

S It was quite a year for this talented rookie.

S There are exactly eleven 450 Championships between these two

S Frank talks about what we can expect in 2020.

legends.

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FAMOUS LAST WORDS WITH CHRIS POMEROY

“THIS PAST SEASON ANOTHER TALENTED AMERICAN RIDER CAME OUT ON TOP, AND THIS MONTH WE HONOUR PHIL NICOLETTI WITH HIS FIRST EVER MXP COVER.”

TWENTY YEARS ON

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s we sit here with only a few months remaining in yet another year, it’s almost impossible to not look back at just how far we’ve come in this sport. With the recent stories that have appeared in this magazine regarding the CMA and its history in Canadian motocross, it’s amazing that we’ve even gotten this far. However, due to the hard work of certain individuals, the sport has persevered through the years of uncertainty and economic challenges to reach a point where we can ponder the past, and most definitely be proud of the past two plus decades.

With the world getting ready to welcome in 2020 it’s hard to believe that we’re now twenty years past the season that changed Canadian motocross forever. After taking Canadian motocross away both regionally and nationally from the CMA in 1994, the CMRC moved very quickly in establishing a solid foundation for riders right across the country.

For the pro riders, from 1994 to 1999, their National Series improved greatly with more money to be made as well as more support from the OEMs, and let’s not forget about the series being televised for the first time from coast to coast. Names like JSR, Blair Morgan, Marco Dube and myself were a large part of the fabric that the pro series built itself around in the mid to late 1990s.

It was an exciting time to be a rider in Canada during those days, and what we all didn’t know was that it was about to get better...much better.

I remember the exact day that these changes came to fruition as at the time I was sitting around my house with a cast on my arm healing from a broken scaphoid. We all know how serious an injury can be as that little, miserable bone sometimes doesn’t want to heal. Thankfully, I had some very good medical advice so for six weeks I was in a cast and told not to do anything stupid.

Anyway, I began to suspect that my career as a pro rider was slowing coming to an end, because I was not only burnt out but I was also starting to think about getting my pilot’s license and pursuing a career in aviation. One day in late September while I was sitting around feeling sorry for myself the phone rang and it was Ross Pederson on the other end of the line asking me how I was feeling and if I’d be interested in signing with the Blackfoot Honda Team for the 2000 season. You see, at that time Blackfoot was calling just about every top Canadian rider as they were attempting to put together a super team for the following season. I thanked Ross and said I would gladly consider his offer and that I’d get back to him. My next call was to Mark Stallybrass to see what the heck was going on with his national series in 2000 as it sounded like things were about

to explode. Well, things were about to explode as the 2000 national series was groundbreaking to say the least.

No longer were riders forced to race both classes to ensure a high national ranking, the series and individual race purse was increased, and the teams, like Blackfoot Honda, Two-Wheel Kawasaki, Richmond Kawasaki and Gowland Motorsports had much larger budgets to work with. So much so that for the first time in almost a decade the riders were offered salaries for their efforts. I ended up getting an official offer from Blackfoot Honda but unfortunately there was one item in particular that the TwoWheel Kawasaki could do better on, so I signed with the green team for the 2000 season. That was my final full season of racing the nationals so I’m happy that I was able to experience that unforgettable moment in Canadian motocross.

It’s hard to believe that next year we will be celebrating the 20th Anniversary of this monumental season. I cannot wait to see what the next two decades hold for Canadian motocross.

The big bike champion that year was none other than Doug Dubach after he schooled everyone on his revolutionary factory Yamaha YZ400F four-stroke. This past season another talented American rider came out on top, and this month we honour Phil Nicoletti with his first ever MXP cover. Phil and his OTSFF Yamaha Team had a great year and they were

rewarded with the 2019 Rockstar Energy Triple Crown Series title. As you will read in his cover story, Phil has already began preparing for next season as he’s looking forward to his second season in the Great White North. Congratulations Phil on your cover and we cannot wait to see you next season with the big #1 plate on your Yamaha.

Finally, as I put this issue to bed I’d like to pay tribute to one of my media colleagues who sadly took his own life last month. I didn’t know Jeff McConkey as well as some of you did as I would only run into him at media events and races.

However, he always treated me and my family with the utmost respect, and even on a few occasions he would take the time to chat with my son about how his races were going. He didn’t have to; he just did because I think he really loved talking about racing with everyone. I had no idea what Jeff was going through in his personal life, all I saw and all that I will remember is the Jeff McConkey at the race track. I hope that he’s found peace and I hope we can all pull together to try to find ways to prevent this from ever happening again.

Thank-you for reading and I hope you enjoy this issue of MXP Magazine.

R.I.P JEFF

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FEMALE PERSPECTIVE WITH EVE BRODEUR

STAYING FOCUSED WELL GUYS, IT SEEMS LIKE THE 2019 RACING SEASON IS OFFICIALLY DONE AND OVER WITH. AS I SIT HERE, IN THE MIDDLE OF A PHILOSOPHY CLASS, WRITING THIS COLUMN, I LOOK BACK AT THE LAST TWO ROUNDS OF THE TRIPLE CROWN SERIES AND I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START BECAUSE SO MANY THOUGHTS COME TO MIND.

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very year, I get so nervous when it’s time for the SX part of the series. I’m all for doing things that are outside your comfort zone but supercross, in my opinion, is just so stressful and crazy. A small and tight track with huge jumps that leave little to no room for error, it’s definitely a wild concept for me. With that being said, I was a little hesitant coming into the first round in Montreal, especially since the track was really intense and difficult last year. I was really surprised with how nice the track actually looked when I

showed up to the stadium. Throughout the day I had some nice battles with #3 Sarah-Kim Villeneuve, and many of the girls were doing some jumps around the track, which was super nice to see. It was a little disappointing that we were only on the amateur program and not a part of the night show, but at least we were there and that’s the important part. At the end of the day, I managed to get the win for the second year in a row.

The Quebec supercross went in a pretty similar way, except that this track was just as insane as I expected it to be.

During practice, I was able to hit a few of the jumps and doubles, but by the

PHOTOS BY JAM E S LISSIMOR E

time the main event came around, the track was so rough and destroyed from the pros’ heat races that it was just impossible for me to get my wheels off the ground without almost crashing every time. The fact that I only race supercross two times a year probably didn’t help with that either. I made a few mistakes in the final and even hit the ground once, but I still got the win. At the end of the day, that’s all that really matters.

With that being said, the thing that stood out the most, in my opinion, was how dangerous the women class was at both of these events. Now, I don’t mean it in a way that all the women on the track were dangerous or anything like that. What I mean is that in the

“I’M A FIRM BELIEVER IN CHASING YOUR DREAMS AND MAKING THE MOST OUT OF LIFE, WHICH IS WHY I FIND IT AWESOME THAT ALL THOSE GIRLS SIGNED UP TO RACE MONTREAL AND QUEBEC.”

women’s class, the difference in speed is so big between first and last that it makes it so dangerous for everyone on the track. I’m a firm believer in chasing your dreams and making the most out of life, which is why I find it awesome that all those girls signed up to race Montreal and Quebec, but it doesn’t make it any safer. Passing a lapper on a motocross track when it’s wide and there’s a few line choices is one thing, but passing a lapper on a very tight track and with sketchy jumps that make it hard for everybody to get around the track, let alone pass people, is a completely different thing. I won’t lie, I got a little scared for my safety and the other girls’ safety a few times at both of those events. It is what it is though. At least, this way, we got almost full gates and we were lucky enough to be a part of these two rounds. It’s a bummer to not see more girls from the nationals show up! It would’ve made for much more interesting racing, that’s for sure.

The series will officially end with the last round in Hamilton, but it looks like I’m going to have to skip this one. I am actually travelling to Maryland the same weekend for the wedding of one of my American friends that I met while racing the US WMX series a few years ago. So, I’ll be going on my first trip to the United States alone instead of racing, which is also really exciting in a way. It’s definitely a different concept for my Dad too since he’ll have to actually stay at home and work on the house instead of going to the races like we usually do!

So, with the season being over, I guess there isn’t much on my schedule for the next few months. My life will basically consist of going to school, working at the gym and working out every once in a while until I finish college in December! After that, we’ll be heading to Florida for a few weeks for Christmas break with some family and friends to just ride different tracks around the area. It’s something we all look forward to every year since it’s nice to decompress after a long year while also slowly getting ready for the new year at the same time.

So, I guess it’s time to start listening to my teacher again! I’ll talk to you guys again soon. Until then, have fun, enjoy life and stay safe everybody!

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PHIL NICOLETTI TRIPLE CROWN SERIES CHAMPION 450 PRO SX TOUR CHAMPION ROCKSTAR/OTSFF/YAMAHA

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GUEST COLUMN WITH DYLAN WRIGHT

“WITH SUPERCROSS CONCLUDING, I CAN REALLY REFLECT ON HOW THE WHOLE YEAR WENT AS A WHOLE. I BELIEVE THAT ALTHOUGH THERE DEFINITELY ARE SOME SPOTS THAT I CAN IMPROVE ON, THIS YEAR HAS BEEN A HUGE STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.”

TAKING THE NEXT STEP PHOTOS BY JAM E S LI SSI MOR E

THE YEAR HAS FINALLY COME TO AN END. AFTER A LONG YEAR OF RACING, WE FINALLY COMPLETED OUR FINAL ROUND OF SUPERCROSS LAST WEEKEND IN HAMILTON. IT HAS BEEN A GREAT YEAR FOR ME AFTER WINNING THE AX CHAMPIONSHIP, THE MX CHAMPIONSHIP AND TAKING HOME THE TRIPLE CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP. ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEEN A GOOD YEAR FOR ME, THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

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ow that the season has come to an end, a lot of people think that the work must stop for us and that we might get to sit back and relax. They are right to a certain point. For me, yes, the stress of the season is over and the stress of prepping every week to win on the weekend has come to an end. But for me, I didn’t even take a day off after Hamilton, my mindset right away went to: What can I do until the snow flies to get a head start on next season? Now that may be a different mindset than some people, but any head start we get on next season until the snow comes here in Ontario and Quebec is time that we save with the first few weeks of riding and testing down south in January.

Although for our team, this time of year, bikes start to get prepped and freshened up to go back to Honda and to some dealers. But GDR has always been great with providing me with bikes to continue to ride and prep for next year. Justin has been working very hard on getting bikes ready to go out.

Sometimes I feel bad showing up with a bike that needs some love or take one that has already been prepped to go back. All his hard work of getting them ready to leave kind of goes out the window when I roll that bike out of the shop. But I really appreciate them doing this for me, especially at a time of year that there’s no racing going on.

That brings me to my next point.

With supercross concluding, I can really reflect on how the whole year went as a whole. I believe that although

there definitely are some spots that I can improve on, this year has been a huge step in the right direction. I am someone that strives on excellence, and although it was a very good season for me, there’s always an area that needs some work. I am really happy with the championships that I was able to win, but to be honest, there were a few races that I would like to have back. These are the races that I like to focus on, because those are the ones that I believe I need to eliminate moving forward with my career. I have definitely found some areas that I will continue to work on this off-season heading into next winter to just keep moving forward as much as I can.

One thing that I am happy about from this season is my consistency week in and week out. Consistency has been one thing that was lacking in previous years, and it was one of my main focuses heading into this season. After looking back at the season, the only real two races that I was off the podium was one AX round and one SX round. With the exception of Minnidosa, where after winning the race I was docked 5 spots, I was on the podium every single round of outdoor.

But like I said, there is one moto at Calgary that I would like to have back, and one round of SX as well. The round of SX, I got together with another rider on lap one and tried to rush my way to the front too much, and it ruined my race after going down again with a rider while trying to make a move. Live and learn, I won’t let mistakes like that happen again.

When that snow comes here in the great white north, until after Christmas, my trainer and I will work closely together to make sure that my body is even better and stronger than it was this year. My trainer and I have been working together for many years now, so he knows my body probably better than I know it myself. I owe a lot of my success to him, because training is such a crucial part of a racers program. He definitely makes sure I’m 100% ready every year! This is the time of year where I can start lifting some heavier weights in the gym. This is in fact because there is less time on the bike, so I can work my muscles out more in the gym rather than saving some energy for on the bike. This time of the year is crucial because when riding down south starts back up I tend to start losing some weight due to so much riding on the bike. So the next couple months are really for the body and getting where it needs to be for when we get down south.

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PHIL NICOLETTI TRIPLE CROWN SERIES CHAMPION 450 PRO SX TOUR CHAMPION ROCKSTAR/OTSFF/YAMAHA

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P HIL NICOLETTI

HA PPY

ENDING

B Y C H R I S P O M E R OY / P H O T O S B Y J A M E S L I S S I M O R E

“AS I’VE GOTTEN OLDER AND STARTED TO TRAIN SMARTER, I’VE REALIZED THAT REST IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS TRAINING AND DOING MOTOS.”

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oming into the 2019 season Phil Nicoletti had high hopes of winning all three Triple Crown Series plus winning the large $100,000 prize that went with it. Well, here we are at the end of the year and Nicoletti almost accomplished all of his pre-season goals. Although he came up just short of winning the AXTour and MXTour titles, Nicoletti rebounded nicely in the Fall and took home the SXTour title as well as the overall Rockstar Energy Triple Crown Series Championship. It definitely wasn’t an easy season for Nicoletti by any means and his OTSFF Yamaha Team, but together they fought through the adversity that any championship chase brings and persevered to get the job done.

We are honoured to give Phil Nicoletti his first ever cover in Canada, and we caught up with him to chat about his amazing season.

HEY PHIL, WHAT IS GOING ON TONIGHT? Hey Chris, not much is happening tonight. Right now, I’m just sitting on my patio having a glass of red wine.

eat, where the hotel is in relationship to the track, what is the track like, it’s just everything that is more difficult the first year in a series. Now I know exactly what to expect so I’m looking forward to next year.

AFTER WINNING THE TRIPLE CROWN SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP A FEW WEEKS AGO IN HAMILTON I THINK YOU’VE EARNED A FEW GLASSES OF WINE. Yeah, it’s nice to just sit back and relax and not have to worry about going anywhere for a while. I had a little break after Walton when I went on cruise, but other than that we were just grinding things out.

It’s definitely a long season with the three different series so it’s good to have it overwith. Now that I have a full season in Canada under my belt I have a much better idea about when I have to begin my 2020 preparation.

YOU MENTIONED A CRUISE YOU TOOK IN EARLY SEPTEMBER. YOU TOOK A LITTLE HEAT FROM YOUR BUDDIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR DECIDING TO GO ON A CRUISE PRIOR TO THE SXTOUR SERIES. HOWEVER, LOOKING BACK I THINK IT ENDED UP BEING A GREAT IDEA AS YOU WERE PRETTY DIALED IN DURING THE SXTOUR. You can never make everyone happy, that’s for sure. I think it was like May or something when Cooper Webb called me and asked if I wanted to go on a cruise with them in September. A bunch of our friends were going, and the price was right, so I said, “Sure, book it.” Once the MXTour began I actually forgot all about the cruise until it came up in conversation later in the summer. At that point I had the Triple Crown Series points lead and I was wondering if I should even go on any type of vacation, let alone a week-long cruise when you can eat and drink whatever you want. But it all worked out and I think it helped because I went into the Montreal SX pretty fresh.

WE’VE TALKED A FEW TIMES THIS PAST SEASON ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT EXPERIENCE IS WHEN RACING A SERIES IN A COUNTRY THAT YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO BEFORE. YOU JUST MENTIONED YOUR OFF-SEASON PREPARATION AND WHEN TO BEGIN AGAIN, BUT THERE’S SO MUCH MORE. This year I think I started to prepare a little too soon, so in 2020 I’ll wait just a little longer. Racing in a series when you never been to the tracks and the cities before is definitely a challenge. Where to

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PHIL NICOLETTI

H A P P Y

ENDING FOR SURE, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY THERE’S A TIME AND A PLACE TO TAKE VACATIONS DURING THE RACE SEASON, BUT YOU DEFINITELY NEED THEM. I ALWAYS FIND IT AMAZING THAT FOR MOST PRO MOTOCROSS RIDERS, THEY DON’T TAKE TOO MANY NON-MOTO VACATIONS BETWEEN THE AGES OF LIKE 19 AND 30.

You’re right and I really don’t know why that it is. It could be that we just get so wrapped up in riding and training that we feel guilty going on vacation.

As I’ve gotten older and started to train smarter, I’ve realized that rest is just as important as training and doing motos.

LOOKING BACK TO THIS SEASON, YOU’VE SPENT YOUR CAREER RACING AGAINST THE BEST RIDERS ON THE PLANET, BUT YOU HAVEN’T BEEN IN A LOT OF CHAMPIONSHIP CHASES. DID YOU FIND IT STRESSFUL DURING THE PAST FEW MONTHS AS THE TRIPLE CROWN TITLE BECAME YOURS TO LOSE? Honestly, I was good until Sand Del Lee. Heading into that race I was right there with Colton in the MXTour Championship and I felt like I was starting to build some momentum and getting a little edge over him. What happened at SDL not only cost me a ton of points but it also took some wind

out of my sails, mentally. I obviously didn’t mean for everything to blow up the way it did, and it’s hard as an athlete to sit back and admit to yourself and everyone else that you messed up. Then the following weekend we headed to Moncton and I just didn’t gel with the track and I didn’t ride very well.

Looking back, I think I was still dealing with what had happened at SDL and it took a few weeks to just move on. After Moncton we headed to Quebec and I loved the track right away; we had one of our best weekends there. That gave me a lot of confidence and I took that to Walton where we won again. From there it was just a case of managing the races and trying not to doing anything stupid.

“THE MONTREAL SX WAS FUN, BUT IF I HAD TO PICK ONE MOTO, THOUGH, I WOULD SAY THE SECOND MOTO AT WALTON WAS THE HIGHLIGHT.” MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 31

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P HIL NICOL E TTI

HA P P Y

ENDING AS RACERS WE ALWAYS WANT TO WIN A RACE BY 30 SECONDS AND HAVE IT BE EASY, MOST OF THE TIME. HOWEVER, TO WIN THAT SECOND MOTO IN QUEBEC YOU HAD TO FIGHT OFF COLTON RIGHT DOWN TO THE FINISH LINE. DID WINNING THAT WAY AND BEATING COLTON GIVE YOU JUST THAT LITTLE EXTRA BOOST OF CONFIDENCE HEADING INTO THE FINAL FEW MONTHS OF THE SEASON? Colton is a great competitor and it was awesome to race him all summer. He’s a clean rider and he never gives up. He did the same to me in Prince George and I wasn’t able to get by him. During that second moto in Quebec I knew he was there, but I also knew that I felt good and that I wasn’t going to let him by. It definitely got a little stressful with the lappers, but I managed to win that moto and it felt great.

AS THE 2020 ROCKSTAR ENERGY TRIPLE CROWN SERIES CHAMPION YOU OBVIOUSLY HAD A LOT OF GREAT MOMENTS THIS YEAR. IS THERE A MOTO OR TWO THAT STAND OUT TO YOU AS MAYBE YOUR HIGHLIGHT? The Calgary national was good; even though I didn’t win in Prince George, that was a good race. The Montreal SX was fun, but if I had to pick one moto, though, I would say the second moto at Walton was the highlight. After the first moto I was really upset that I let the win slip away, and then when I got off to a bad start in Moto 2 I was like, “Here we go again.” But I found a few good lines on the sight lap and was able to move up quite quickly, and then I took the lead. I pushed so hard in that moto and I knew how badly Colton wanted to win his final moto of his career as well. It was a great race, and after Colton and I joked about how I wouldn’t let him win his final moto. I might have lost the MXTour to him but at least I won the final moto of the series.

I SPOKE TO COLTON ABOUT THAT MOTO AND HE SAID THAT HE PUSHED AS HARD AS HE COULD TO WIN BUT HE SAID YOU WERE RIDING SO GOOD THAT HE WOULD’VE HAD TO REALLY GO OUT OF HIS COMFORT ZONE TO PASS YOU. AND HE DIDN’T WANT TO DO THAT. That was a great race, and to beat him on a track that he knows so well and has had so much success at was special. Actually, that entire week was fun as I got to hang out, watch some great amateur racing and call out the numbers at Bingo Night.

WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU IN THE NEXT DAYS, WEEKS AND MONTHS AS YOU SOAK THIS TITLE IN AND THEN GET READY TO DEFEND IN 2020?

Well, I’m going to take a little time off before I start training for next year. I have the best trainer in the world, so during November and December we’re going to focus on getting me bigger and stronger.

Then when the new year comes I’ll start riding more and getting ready for the 2020 series. We did a little testing on the new YZ450F in September so we already have our base settings and a good head start on next year.

WELL PHIL, ENJOY THIS CHAMPIONSHIP AND THANKS FOR HELPING OUT WITH THIS STORY. WE’RE EXCITED TO HAVE YOU ON THE COVER OF THIS ISSUE AND WE WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK NEXT YEAR. Thanks Chris! I’m already excited about next year and trying to defend my Triple Crown title. I really enjoyed my first year in Canada. The fans were great and I made a lot of new friends. See you in 2020.

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2019

RED BULL

OUTLIERS PALMS GETS OUT OF HIS COMFORT ZONE B Y C H R I S P O M E R OY / P H O T O S B Y M A S O N M A S H O N

I

t was a super fun experience and a very unique event.

I think I’ve caught the “off-road bug” as I’m motivated to do even better next year. Not too many people can say they have burned a few laps in the downtown core of their city so I’m pumped to have that as a memory!

I think the more we can bring elements of our sport into the public eye and reach a broader spectrum of people, the better the opportunities are for growth. This race did just that! Have a nice lunch on 10th ave, do some shopping on 4th street, smell some race fumes down at Eau Claire Market We all remember how we felt the first time we did anything really special in our lives. The nerves we felt as we entered into the unknown world of a new adventure. When I was young, coaches always told me that I shouldn’t be nervous before a game or a race, they told me to just relax and everything would ultimately be okay.

Fast forward to now and at the ripe old age of 46 I still get nervous before a race or when trying new things, but with the years of experience I’ve learned those feelings are actually a good thing. Yes, being nervous is just an emotional by product of caring about what might happen, and what is wrong with that?

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The reason I bring up being nervous is because that is the best word to describe how I felt as I landed in Calgary to compete in the first ever Red Bull Outliers event. A few weeks prior, Jay Moore from Fox Racing Canada had reached out to me to see if I’d be interested in going out to Calgary to not only report on this new and exciting event for MXP Magazine, but also to race in the event. My initial reaction was one of apprehension because I’ve never done anything like this before. My specialty is motocross, dirt, jumps, and big berms.

None of those have scared me as much as the thought of riding over logs, rock, tires, and just about everything else you can think of. However, Jay was very convincing, and after a few minutes of talking I thought why not!

The Red Bull Outliers event is a spin-off of the past Red Bull Rocks and Logs event that took place on the Endurocross course located at Wild Rose MX Park in Calgary. As successful as the Rocks and Logs was, Red Bull wanted to try something new and even more exciting. The end result was a new, two day event with the first day taking place on an Endurocrosstype course, and the second day being a full extreme Enduro race for all of the riders. But as they always seem to do, Red Bull Canada had something very special planned for this new event, and it has something to do with its very cool location. After extensive talks with the City of Calgary, Red Bull received the okay to host this event right in the heart of downtown Calgary at the famous Eau Market Square, adjacent to the Bow River. This unprecedented location for the opening day of the Outliers event had the entire city buzzing with anticipation as spectators were free of charge, and popular riders like Colton Haaker, Jared Stock, Cory Graffunder, and Top 10 Canadian pro motocross rider Keylan Meston were all competing.

Another high profile athlete that was competing in Calgary was former NHL player Scott Thornton. After retiring a number of years ago from his long career as a professional hockey player, Thornton rekindled his childhood love of dirt bikes and began riding in earnest. In recent years, he’s been competing in numerous Enduro events in Canada and even travelled overseas last fall to race in the Rallye du Maroc. To show just what a die-hard riding machine Thornton is now, he and his good friend Lance Webb drove all the way from Ontario to compete in the Red Bull Outliers event. It was a great experience for both riders; Scott had this say about the event: “I”m a big fan of the WESS events, and it seemed like supporting a Canadian version of the Romaniacs was a no brainer. The slippery, snowy

conditions for the prologue made it especially intimidating to ride, so I just took my time and made my way around the course. The intensity of riding such a tight track with 5,000 spectators definitely added to the pressure.

I was looking forward to testing my hill climbing skills down in the Badlands, but weather refused to cooperate. I’ll be back next year more prepared and ready for more fun.” On a side, Lance Webb ended up finishing third overall in the Vet Class in Calgary so it was definitely a successful trip for the Ontario boys.

When I arrived in Calgary on the Thursday afternoon prior to the event, other than my curiosity surrounding how quickly I could adapt my motocross skills to the challenging obstacles, my main concern was the weather forecast. With a cold front

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2019

RED BULL

OUTLIERS

moving in for the weekend most of Southern Alberta was expecting anywhere from 5cm to 25cm of snow depending on where you live. Thankfully, Fox Racing Canada had me all ready for whatever Mother Nature was going to bring with a set of their new 2020 Legion Off-Road riding gear. With a perfectly tuned KTM 300 two-stroke from Cycle Works Foothills and the latest and greatest riding gear from Fox Racing, I was as ready as I ever would be to tackle the 2019 Red Bull Outliers event.

To say that the location for Day 1 of the Outliers was cool would be a gross understatement. Eau Claire Market is the centre piece of downtown Calgary with hotels, restaurants, parks, and a summer splash pad all within a stone’s throw of each other. The course was just

steps away from the host hotel, the Sheraton Suites at Eau Claire. In fact, on Saturday morning I was able to get dressed into my gear and then walk through the lobby and right into the paddock. When I arrived downtown for the first time on Friday afternoon,

I was greeted by Jay from Fox Canada, Jill Kenny from Red Bull Canada, and Canadian Enduro legend Shane Cuthbertson. Shane was the man in charge of building the course, and my first impression of the set-up was that it was going to be extremely difficult.

Of course, with the cold temperatures and snow flurries already moving into the Calgary area, the course was wet and very slippery. Also on hand for Friday’s media session was the two humour inspired boys from the online “On the bench” hockey segments. If you’ve never seen one of the shows, or “Epiy’s” as they call them, search them up on YouTube and sit back and have a laugh. Anyway, they were in attendance, and although they didn’t ride, it most certainly gave me an early indication that this event was attracting interest from people outside of the motorcycle industry.

When I awoke on Saturday morning and made my way down to the track, it was clear that winter had prematurely arrived in Calgary. The snow was falling even harder and the course actually had some of the white fluffy stuff accumulating on it. What was already going to be a very challenging day for everyone was made even more difficult by the adverse weather conditions. After some quick bike set-up work, as well as some assistance from Jess Pettis’s mechanic, Matt Deroy, to start my ice cold twostroke, I was off for my first practice session and my first ever time riding on an Endurocross track. Even though my practice session was only three laps it honestly felt as difficult as a 30-minute moto as with these types of obstacles you have to hold on extremely tight. Not to mention that I was pretty much holding my breath the entire lap, so I’m sure my heart rate was maxed out. However, I made it around the course in one piece, and

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2019

RED BULL

OUTLIERS

“After extensive talks with the City of Calgary, Red Bull received the okay to host this event right in the heart of downtown Calgary at the famous Eau Market Square, adjacent to the Bow River.”

-Keylan Meston

even with a few mistakes I was able to log the third fastest lap time in the Vet class. After practice it was time to try to stay warm while I waited for my heat race.

With time to spare before lining up for my heat race, I decided to walk around the edge of the track and hang out with the spectators. I was amazed that even with the cold and the snow flakes vigorously falling, the vibe was incredible. With the bikes hardly making any noise on the track due the low RPM’s needed to traverse over the rocks and logs of the Outliers course, all you could hear was the music pumping out tunes and the an-

nouncer keeping everyone informed.

With over 5,000 people in attendance throughout the day, Eau Claire Market Square was clearly the place to be on this last Saturday of September. One of the coolest things was that most of the spectators were residents of the nearby condos and homes. The Red Bull Outliers was most likely their first ever experience at a motorcycle race, and they all appeared to love what they saw. As I was walking around I overheard one of the kids telling their parents that with my white Fox boots and white Fox helmet that I looked like something out of a Star Wars movie. Once I heard that

I stopped and let the kid kick my boots to see how hard they were. The entire family was amused by that moment, and hopefully they’ll be fans of our sport moving forward. As I mentioned, even with the winter weather, all of the fans appeared to be loving this new event that had invaded their normally quiet downtown area.

Unfortunately, after a second place start in my heat race things went downhill from there. After a small tip over on one of the largest slippery logs, and then what seemed like an eternity trying to get unstuck from the other log section, I failed to finish inside the Top 6 and didn’t make the main event. Even though it was a crushing blow to my new Endurocross career, in retrospect I had fun and was proud of myself for stepping outside of my cherished comfort zone.

Even more unfortunate was that Day 2 of the Red Bull Outliers, which was supposed to be a challenging Enduro race three hours East of Calgary where the dinosaurs used to roam, was cancelled due to the snow and cold. I was looking forward to redeeming myself on the more spacious track of Day 2, but it wasn’t meant to be. With Red Bull Canada already making plans for next year, I hope I get another opportunity to head West to tackle the 2020 Outliers event. As soon as I returned home I began cutting down trees at my parents’ property to begin practicing for next year. In closing, I would like to thank Fox Racing Canada, Red Bull Canada, Cycle Works Foothills, and KTM Canada for all of their help with making this event possible for MXP Magazine. It was a great event and definitely an unforgettable weekend in Calgary. See you next year Cowtown!

I will once again be nervous, but I’ll most certainly be more prepared.

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2019-07-09 9:38 AM

GHOSTS OF MX PAST 1976 Mosport 500cc GP

BY M IKE MCG ILL / PHOTOS BY B ILL PETRO

Sometimes you go to a certain place and you can just feel the history surrounding you.

Mosport, or Canadian Tire Motorsport Park as it is now known, is such a place. Located just north of Bowmanville, Ontario, the venerable road racing circuit has hosted the who’s who of the racing world since its inception way back in 1958. Racing legends like Juan Manuel Fangio, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Mario Andretti, Niki Lauda, and of course Gilles Villeneuve have all raced the course.

S Bob Levy pushes hard on the Factory Kawasaki after a first corner crash.

S Podium attire has come a long way since

1976. Levy shows off his hard-earned first place trophy.

T

he list actually goes on and on and even includes a World Superbike appearance in 1989 when American star “Flyin’” Fred Merkel and Italian sensation Giancarlo Falappa edged out a strong Canadian contingent that included Miguel DuHamel, Steve Crevier and Michel Mercier for the wins. Mosport is indeed a legendary venue. From Formula 1 to World Superbike and almost everything else you can think of in between, it’s been a mainstay in all forms of racing in Canada for what seems like forever. However, even the staunchest fans may not remember that Mosport played host to two 500cc GP Motocross events in 1976 and again in 1979.

It was the heyday of 500 GP motocross in the mid-‘70s. The legendary Copetown track hosted the GP in 1975, a race that will probably go down as the biggest outdoor motocross event to ever take place in Canada. The GP track at Copetown was closed following the 1975 event to make way for the construction of Highway 403, so the

organizers were left looking for a new venue. The Steel City Riders out of Hamilton, Ontario were once again tasked with the duty of finding a suitable venue for the big race and the infield of the road course at Mosport was chosen.

Steel City head honcho and legendary MX referee Bob Kelly, along with Canadian Kawasaki Team Manager Carl Bastedo, were assigned the difficult task of designing a track that would be both challenging and accessible for the best riders in the world and the fans.

“Bob was really the guy in charge,” remembers Bastedo. “He was always the guy back then, but I did help him out to a certain degree.” Bastedo was always in the thick of things in those days as well and has continued to be a fixture in the world of Canadian Motocross right to this day. “I had just left my job as the Manager for Kawasaki, so I was available,” chuckles Bastedo.

“I was also the track announcer for that event. That’s basically when I started my announcing career.” The two succeeded in designing a world class, natural GP-style track, and things were

S “The Man” Roger DeCoster didn’t have his best day at Mosport, but look at that style.

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“THE 500CC RACE, WITH ALL THE INTERNATIONAL STARS IN ATTENDANCE, WAS OF COURSE THE MARQUEE EVENT OF THE WEEKEND. THE BIGGEST GP MX STARS OF THE DAY WERE ALL THERE.” looking very promising as the June 27th race date approached.

Labatt’s Brewery came on board as a major sponsor for the Mosport GP event, and in what seems like an almost unbelievable turn, they decided to schedule a National Championship Motorcycle Road Racing event on the Saturday before the motocross race at the same facility. What could possibly go wrong? What could have been a logistical and organizational nightmare “actually turned out really well,” remarks Bastedo. “I seem to remember a few problems with some rowdy campers on the Saturday night but other than that things turned out extremely well.”

The 500cc race, with all the international stars in attendance, was of course the marquee event of the weekend. The biggest GP MX stars of the day were all there, including “The Man” Roger DeCoster, his Factory Su-

S Canadian Factory Suzuki Ace Masaru Ikeda

holeshots the first 250cc support moto on his way to a wire to wire win.

zuki teammate Gerrit Wolsink, German Adolph Weil and Swede Ake Johnsson (joined under the Factory Maico tent by a young British sensation named Graham Noyce, who would eventually go on to be a World Champion himself) and multi-time Canadian National Champion Jan-Eric Salqvist. American Brad Lackey was making one of his final appearances for the factory Husky team before moving on to Honda, and on top of it all, the GP regulars were joined by several American National stars such as Tony DiStefano, Steve Stackable, both on Suzuki, and Pierre Karsmakers, who won the Canadian GP in 1975 on his Factory Honda. The Canadian National Series regulars in attendance included Nicky Kinoshita (Yamaha), Jim Turner (Suzuki), the aforementioned Salqvist, along with B.C. native Larry MacKenzie, who was actually the only Canadian born rider in the 500cc class, on his Canadian Factory Yamaha sponsored machine.

The Dutch dentist, Gerrit Wolsink, set the tone early by posting the fastest lap in qualifying by over 2 seconds over the second fastest rider, Belgian Jak van Velthoven on his Factory KTM. Wolsink was fresh off a sweep of both motos at the USGP in Carlsbad, California the weekend prior and was

obviously feeling quite confident.

Wolsink, who really was a dentist, a periodontist to be precise and who was always a threat to win when the GP Series, shifted from Europe to North America, He won the USGP at the infamous Carlsbad Raceway in Southern California a record 5 times. He logged a couple of Canadian GP wins over the course of his career as well, and although he was a top competitor on the GP Circuit for many years, finishing third in the 500cc World Championship twice (1975 and 1977), second twice (1976 and 1979), fourth once (1974) and fifth once (1978), his results in Europe never quite matched the sparkling results he posted while visiting North America.

It was a typical sunny, summer weather in Southern Ontario as the gate dropped on the first 500cc moto, and the crowd, while not quite as massive as the year before in Copetown, but still very large (7,000 was announced), was pumped for some great racing and would not be disappointed.

While he did not holeshot either moto, those honours went to Brad Lackey in the first moto and Aldolph Weil in the second, Wolsink was on a real charge that day and took over the lead of both motos on the first lap. Never looking back for Wolsink, he checked out in both races for his second consecutive GP win and a two-moto sweep.

DeCoster finished a distant 2nd in the first moto and did not finish the 2nd moto in Canada for the second year in a row, placing him no better than 5th overall for the day.

S Dutch Dentist Gerrit Wolsink

looking confident prior to Moto 1.

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“BOB LEVY, A YOUNG BC NATIVE WHO HAD BEEN RESIDING IN ONTARIO, WASN’T REALLY EXPECTED TO DO PARTICULARLY WELL IN THE SUPPORT CLASS RACE.”

S Ikeda was the heavy favourite to take the support class win that

day but came up a little short. Looking trick on the Factory Suzuki.

S It was one of those days that you dream about for

Canadian Bob Levy. Here he crosses it up for the fans on his way to the second moto win and overall victory.

As great as Wolsink was in North America over the years, the situation was almost the reverse for DeCoster as he struggled with seemingly sub-par results and mechanical issues on many occasions on this side of the pond. He never did win the USGP, which I’m sure must have frustrated him to a certain degree. DeCoster could certainly be forgiven for his seemingly off-form results in Canada on this day, however as it was revealed shortly after the race, ‘The Man” became a first-time father the day before the race on June 26, 1976. I’m sure he must have been, mentally, a little pre-occupied.

Based on his fantastic results in California and at Mosport, Wolsink actually left North America with a 4-point lead in the overall World Championship Standings. It wasn’t to last, though, as DeCoster dominated the final rounds of the series on his way to winning his 5th and final World Championship title. Wolsink completed the series, as mentioned previously, in the runner-up position, 6 points back of DeCoster.

While the 500cc race and Wolsink’s performance were certainly exciting and impressive, the real race of the day turned out to be for the 250cc

support class win. Apparently, due to the oppressive heat and humidity, the organizers decided to sandwich both 250 support motos in between the 500 class races to give the 500 riders more chance to recover between motos. This meant that the action in the 250 class was going to be fast and furious with a very short turn around time between motos. It was going to be not only a battle of speed, but fitness and stamina as well. Japanese import Masaru Ikeda was the odds-on favourite to take the win. He’d been racking up impressive results all season on his factory Suzuki, and seemingly, his only competition would be from a slew of fast American Pros who had made the trip to compete in this one-off race. Ikeda’s stiffest competition was expected to come from super-fast Cheektowaga, New York native Frank Stacey on his Team Penton/KTM. Stacey was well known to Ontario moto fans as he had taken the Support Class win at Copetown the year before.

One rider, who wasn’t really expected to do particularly well in the Support Class race was a young BC native, who had been residing in Ontario, named Bob Levy. Bob and the more established Paul Duncan were members of the Canadian Kawasaki Team that year, but up until that point of the season had not been doing especially well. In fact, the Cycle Canada article covering the event described Levy as a “relatively unknown rider from beautiful British Columbia.”

“I was young, I was in great shape, but I never expected to do that well,” remembers Levy from his home in Kelowna, BC. “I was a top ten guy in Canada in those days. I actually carried the number 7 plate for a few years.”

Levy, who was only 18 years old at the time, figured, as did most, that the fight for the win would be between Suzuki’s Ikeda and Stacey. “Masaru (Ikeda) was an internationally know rider,” explains Levy. “Spectacular” is the word that Levy uses to describe Ikeda’s abilities on the motorcycle, and then goes on to add that he figured the Finnish / Canadian rider Jorma Rautianen, on his ultra-trick Maico, would have been a force to be

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GHOSTS OF MX PAST

S Wolsink celebrates his big win at Mosport. It was his second GP Victory in as many weeks, as he won the USGP at Carlsbad the week before.

S To the victor go the spoils. Labatt’s came

on board as a major sponsor for this event, and the riders appreciated their product after a hot Southern Ontario day.

reckoned with as well, along with the Upstate New York brother combination of Leo and Marvin Wilson.

“I knew I had my work cut out for me, but there was just something in the air that day,” states Levy. The fact that Levy, or to put it more accurately, his team, had just taken possession of a brand new works Kawasaki from Japan certainly didn’t dampen his feelings of optimism on the day. “Yes, Carl (Bastedo), our Team Manager, was able to get the bike somehow from the factory in Japan.” Levy goes on to explain that “it was a hand-built, full factory works bike. Very exotic. Everything on it was different than my production bike: the frame, the motor, the suspension,

everything. And it was right on the weight limit too.” The bike was essentially the same as the one that was being ridden by US 250 National Champion Jimmy Weinert at the time. Levy goes on to add that “the bike was about two years ahead. That’s when the things that were being used on it started showing up in production.”

Of course, as is generally the case, not everything, but with Bastedo’s decision to put the young upstart on the factory machine went smoothly. “There was some politics involved,” remembers Levy. “I’m sure my teammate Paul Duncan, who was a more experienced Pro rider than me, felt that he deserved to be on that bike. And maybe he did but Carl had a lot of confidence in my abilities and I really appreciated that.

But there was a lot of pressure on me to do well. No doubt about that.”

As the gate dropped on the first moto, things certainly did not go as Levy had planned. He tangled with a couple of other riders in the first corner and ended up on the ground.

“They had done quite a bit of watering right before the moto,” remembers Levy, and me and a couple others just tangled and slid out in the mud.” Levy assessed the damage immediately.

“My lever was bent, bars too a little bit I think, and my visor got knocked off.

I was really worried that I had damaged the bike, and I was pretty much in last place but I was determined to catch up, so off I went,” chuckles Levy. As lap one ended both Ikeda and Stacey had already begun to pull away from the rest of the field. I didn’t seem as

S Impound: A look at some exotic, hand-built factory machinery. Suzukis, Maicos, a KTM and a Husky.

though Levy was going to be any kind of a factor but as the mid-way point of the moto approached, Levy, who had been charging through the heavy traffic on his factory Kawasaki, had moved himself into contention. The crowd lining the fences had certainly taken notice of the previously unheralded Levy’s efforts and began, with the help of track announcer Bastedo, to urge him on through the remaining riders ahead of him. “The crowd was electric,” remembers Levy. “They were so supportive it was phenomenal.” Levy was able to slice his way past an undoubtedly surprised Stacey on the last lap, but time ran out so he was forced to settle for a hard earned second

place in the first moto. Still, considering his first turn adventures, a fantastic and confidence inspiring result. Levy’s teammate, Duncan, did not fare as well unfortunately as he dropped his chain on the starting line and never even started the race. Duncan’s misfortunes were to continue into the second moto when after a mid-pack start, he broke a front axle and was forced to retire.

Between motos, Levy was perhaps just as surprised by his first moto performance as anyone. “I realized that, at least on this day, I could race with these guys. I could beat them.” Levy noted the track was extremely difficult, technical and challenging. He believed that it suited his style. “I considered

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GHOSTS OF MX PAST myself to be what I called a scientific rider,” states Levy. “Of course, Ikeda could have fit into that category as well, but even in practice that day I felt that I had a little bit of an advantage over him. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but it was exciting.”

As the riders queued up for the start of the second moto the crowd was abuzz, and as the gate dropped it was clear that they were now 100% behind Levy. Stacey pulled the holeshot with Ikeda and a much better starting Levy in tow. By the end of the first lap both Ikeda and Levy had passed Stacey and were setting a torrid pace at the front.

Levy was pressuring Ikeda continuously as the two began to stretch their lead, and then at about the halfway point Levy made his move. “There was a spot where I knew I was faster,” remembers Levy. “It was an off-camber downhill section and I was just saving it for when the time was right. When I finally pulled off the pass, I just flew past Ikeda. To be honest, I think he was surprised. I put about ten seconds on him immediately.” Try as he might Ikeda could not match the high-flying Kawasaki rider’s pace and Levy began to pull away. Not even a missed shift and a near topple over the bars in the late stages of the moto could keep him from completing a stunning and decisive victory.

Levy’s 2-1 scores were, of course, good enough for the overall win. Ikeda had to settle for 2nd. Still a great finish but probably somewhat disappointing for the Japanese rider as he was the heavy favourite going in, and many top executives from Suzuki were in attendance hoping to see him take home the victory. For Levy it was the biggest win of his young career. The purse alone was $2,500, and Levy also received contingency money from all his sponsors and a win bonus from Kawasaki. A big payday to say the least, but the money, while it certainly was nice, didn’t really matter to Bob. “It was all just so exciting,” he recalls with pride. “It was a perfect storm that day. Everything just came together for

S The top International stars of the day blast off the line for the start of Moto 1. DeCoster on the inside, flanked by Brad Lackey, Wolsink, Ake Johnsson and Adolph Weil.

me. I swear that even some of the top GP riders came to the fences to watch our race. It was so good.” Levy, now 62, remembers it like it was yesterday.

“It was a great time in my life.”

In an interesting side note to this story, you may be wondering what ever happened to the works 250 Kawasaki that Levy rode that day. Did it go back to the factory in Japan? Is it in a museum somewhere? “We raced it for the rest of the season,” explains Levy.

“We also did a lot of testing on it. That was one of the main reasons why they gave it to us, so we could do a bunch of testing.” According to Bastedo, once the race season was over and the testing completed, the bike was supposed to be destroyed. “Put in the crusher.” Bastedo, who had just left the employ of Kawasaki at that time, couldn’t bring himself to destroy the bike. “I just couldn’t do it,” remembers Bastedo. “So, I just tucked it away in the barn at my property at MotoPark.

It sat there for a couple of years and then one day I noticed that it had disappeared. I have no idea where it went or what ever happened to it.”

Levy believes that the odd part or two may have ended up on some other bikes here and there, but as for actual whereabouts of the factory machine he hasn’t a clue. “That was a lot of years ago now,” he chuckles.

The Canadian 500 GP left Ontario and Mosport the following year. In 1977, the big race took place in Saint-Gabrielde-Brandon, Quebec. The race then skipped a year only to return to Mosport in 1979. To my recollection that was

the last motocross race ever held on the property and it was also the great Roger DeCoster’s farewell GP in North America. But that’s another story.

For Bob Levy, the memories of Mosport ‘76 are forever etched in his mind. It’s the story of a true underdog who came through in the biggest way on his greatest stage. And the machine that helped get him there and then disappeared is surrounded in a cloud of mystery. You can’t make this stuff up.

I guess you can just chalk it up to being another colourful chapter in the history of Canadian motocross.

S New York State fast guy Frank Stacey

won the support class in ‘75 at Copetown but wasn’t quite fast enough to hang with Ikeda and Levy on this day.

S Ikeda, Stacey and Levy (hidden) battle for the holeshot at the start of Moto 2.

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2019 MONTREAL SUPERCROSS BIKES, QUADS, BUGGIES AND POUTINE! B Y C H R I S P O M E R OY / P H O T O S B Y J A M E S L I S S I M O R E

B

ack in the late 1960’s when the City of Montreal knew they needed a new large stadium as the centre piece for the 1976 Summer Olympics, they reached out to famed French architect Roger Taillibert. Montreal knew that with the cold weather that embraces the city during the winter months, they needed a stadium with some sort of roof. However, with a professional baseball team destined for Quebec’s largest city, planners also wanted fans to be able to watch the games under the warm summer sun. With that in mind, Mr.Taillibert came up with a very unique design that would include a very crude looking retractable roof. In the end, the roof has only been opened and closed a few times, and to this day it remains closed and locked down regardless of the event or the time of year.

For five decades now Olympic Stadium has been holding world class events, including multiple Supercross races since the mid-1970’s. The sport of Supercross has been a staple at Olympic Stadium over the years and fans in Montreal have witnessed almost every great Canadian rider compete on the floor of this architectural marvel. As it was last year, the 2019 Montreal SX served as not only the first big International indoor race on the busy off-season Supercross schedule, but also the opening round of the Rockstar Energy Triple Crown SXTour Series. So not only were our Canadian series riders on hand to race in Montreal, so were a trio of invited superstars like Dean Wilson, Malcolm Stewart and Justin Brayton.

Each of these American riders arrived in Montreal at different points in their season and in their mindsets.

For Dean Wilson, he was coming off another injury sustained back in April, and while he did join the US Outdoor Series halfway through, Deano hadn’t ridden SX in some time. Malcolm Stewart started 2019 on fire in the Monster Energy Supercross Series, however a broken femur in late January put him on injury reserve until the summer. Montreal would be Stewart’s first step towards getting ready for the 2020 season.

Finally, with Justin Brayton getting ready to spend October and November in Australia racing in their SX series, Montreal gave him a chance to get at least one race in prior to heading down under.

The inside of Montreal’s Olympic Stadium is much larger than most American facilities, and is a great venue for Supercross.

Dean Wilson came to Montreal fit and ready to begin his busy offseason SX schedule.

During one of the intermissions the fans paid tribute to former Quebec racing legends.

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Sadly during the start of the second 250 main event, Jess Pettis slid out in the first turn and injured his knee.

Cade Clason had a great race in Montreal and ended up third overall in the Triple Crown SXTour Series.

“For five decades now Olympic Stadium has been holding world class events, including multiple Supercross races since the mid-1970’s.”

Cole Thompson rode well in Montreal but was well off the pace of the Top 4.

Dylan Wright picked up right where he left off in the MXTour and grabbed the 250 win in Montreal.

These two champions must be talking about their combined eleven 450 titles.

Justin Brayton was using this race as a warm-up for his upcoming defence of the Australia SX Championship.

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2019 MONTREAL SUPERCROSS BIKES, QUADS, BUGGIES AND POUTINE!

As for our Canadian series riders, they’re in a difficult position when it comes to the rebranded Montreal SX. Unlike Wilson, Stewart and Brayton, they don’t get paid by the Montreal SX promoter to attend and compete. Since this race is now part of the SXTour Series, our riders have to be there as it’s a points-paying Triple Crown Series event. In talking to a few of our Canadian series riders, it’s definitely something they don’t like, but they know that they simply have no choice. For the visiting American series riders, they didn’t care as all three were just happy to be in Montreal. Unlike last year when this event was only open to the two pro classes as well as a Women’s invite-only class, for 2019 the organizers decided to try something a little different and go back to how the Montreal SX used to be run in the 1990’s. So, to compliment the above-mentioned classes, there were also four amateur classes added to the program, as well as four-wheelers and dune buggies. All of this was done to try to entice a few more spectators out of the comfort of their Quebec homes and into one of the city’s oldest sporting landmarks for a night of fun. When all was said and done, there were a few more fans in the stands, however I’m not convinced that having four-wheelers and dune buggies racing at the same event as our top professional riders is a good idea anymore. As a former rider, I had to deal with this all through the 1990’s at Supercross races in Canada. Back in those days they used hay bales to mark the track, so after a few off-road buggy races the hay bales would be destroyed, and the track was littered with straw. Not only did it look awful, but it was slippery and dangerous. However, the riders’ safety wasn’t always at the forefront of the event promoters in those days, so no one ever wanted to change. These days the sport has evolved to such a high level that in certain aspects we just cannot go backwards.

The pro classes, amateur classes, even a small fourwheeler class I think everyone could handle but keep the cars away in the future please!

When I arrived at the venue on Friday afternoon for media day and walked down the long ramp and through the main doors, I was quickly reminded at the sheer size of Olympic Stadium. This ageold building is massive both inside and out. The floor square footage is much larger than most new stadiums, in fact it’s so big that you could build two SX tracks. With this event using only about 60% of the floor for the track, the remaining space was used for the paddock. With the cost of bringing in dirt being at such a premium in the Montreal area, building a larger track really isn’t feasible for this event anymore. The first person I ran into inside the stadium was Dean Wilson’s father, Andy. Together with Dean’s mom, Andy drove Dean’s factory Husqvarna FC450 up to Montreal from their home in Florida. With Dean having just signed a contract with the Rockstar Husqvarna Team for 2020, having his race bike in Montreal was mandatory. Andy Wilson is a notoriously funny man, and as soon as he saw me the first thing he said was, “You look like crap Palms.” Just what I needed to hear after a long season at the races. Media day went smoothly as the top riders were able to try the track out and get a feel

for the tight confines of Olympic Stadium. From there it was time to retire to the Hotel Universel across the street to get ready for the big day.

It doesn’t matter how many races I’ve attended in my life, I’ve always felt the same when I wake up on the morning of race days. That feeling of wanting to get to the track as fast as possible never varies, and in Montreal it was no different. As I made the short walk from the hotel to the stadium, a ton of memories from this historic race came flooding back. The first time I went to the Montreal SX to watch was in 1986, my first race there was 1989, JSR’s first big win there was in 1996, as well as his final win in 2008.

All of these moments are forged in my mind, and whenever I see the giant arched tower of this iconic stadium I think of them. However, this night would be about building new memories as some of the top SX riders on the planet were about to duke it out.

I’m not going to go into all of the juicy details of the results from the evening in Montreal. In the end it was Dean Wilson who took the overall win in the premier class. Dean’s speed and aggression appeared to be above that of Stewart’s and Brayton’s.

One of the big surprises of the night was the speed and Phil Nicoletti. Phil ran up front in all three main events and almost took the win in one of them. Phil rode like he had something to prove and looked like he enjoyed being back on the track with his former

“It was a very popular win for Wilson as he has a lot of history here in Canada.”

American series foe. It was a very popular win for Wilson as he has a lot of history here in Canada. Even a few fans made some very large banners that said “Go Dean Wilson” so they were obviously delighted when he stood atop the podium. In the 250 class it was Dylan Wright who took the win, thus continuing his incredible 2019 season. It was a great night of racing and the fans were definitely entertained. Dean Wilson was able to get his first ever professional 450 SX victory, Phil Nicoletti extended his Triple Crown points lead, and during the day a large number of amateur riders were able to get their first taste of racing SX. I’m not sure if Roger Taillibert ever envisioned the sport of supercross racing inside his somewhat particular designed stadium, or if he ever thought it would still be in use almost 50 years later. However, I’m sure he would be proud of the longevity of both the structure as well as this event.

After a multi-year hiatus, the Montreal SX appears here to stay for a little while at least. As I said, remove the dune buggies and you have a pretty decent program to build on. And with that another Montreal SX is in the books!

Phil Nicoletti was very fast in Montreal and didn’t hesitate to mix it up with the visiting American riders.

Fresh off his Walton Raceway injury, Matt Goerke came to Montreal to try and score some much needed Triple Crown points.

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The Brayton/Wilson battle was the best of the night.

The Blu Cru game was strong inside Olympic Stadium.

In what ended up being a big mistake, the 2019 Montreal SX decided to go old school and brought back dune buggies.

Malcolm Stewart looked good on the tight Montreal track, but couldn’t repeat his 2018 success.

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Going Dutch B Y A N DY W H I T E / P H O T O S B Y F R A N K H O P P E N A N D A N DY W H I T E

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ack your bags, you’re headed to Holland! Earlier this year I was asked to attend the biggest MX race of the year, the MXoN located in the north-west part of The Netherlands in a place called Assen. I thought, “Great, this will be an awesome opportunity because the last MXoN I went to was in 1987 at Unadilla, NY.” I am sure you diehard fans remember that weekend. It rained pretty well the whole time and it was probably the muddiest race I have ever attended. The riders on the US team were Bob Hannah, Jeff Ward and Rick Johnson. All I remember from that weekend was we parked our truck in 6 inches of mud. I opened the door of the truck and thought, “Okay, it’s going to be a wet one.” The riders rode as well as they possibly could considering they were riding in slop. I couldn’t believe Bob Hannah rode so well on that Suzuki 125. I call it survival riding really; the lines on

the track changed lap by lap. To be honest I really don’t remember the Canadian team. I even Googled it and I looked and looked for a good 15 minutes until I finally gave up. I think it was Hoover, Bernard and Nicholson if I remember correctly.

Okay, so back to my planned trip to the track that really doesn’t exist...true story. This place is a full-on road race track on a normal day. The promoter trucked in tons and tons of sand from a local sand pit, I guess, and then made a track in front of the grandstands. It is a pretty interest-

ing set up when you think about it.

The grandstand area holds probably close to 50,000 plus fans. For an outdoor MX race that’s pretty impressive! It’s really the only way to see the race at this location or you end up spend big money to get yourself into a suite. I actually looked up the price for the VIP zone, which is a 3-day package including food and drinks. The cost...are you sitting down? Just over $1,000 per ticket.

Does that even make sense?

The tickets, rental car and hotel are all booked. The plan is to meet some

of my FXR colleagues at the Amsterdam Airport, then rent a car and head to Amsterdam. The official adventure really started in Montreal on Wednesday evening as I take a short flight from Montreal to Toronto. Then I get on to the all-night flight that takes about 7-hours and you land in Amsterdam at 10am. The trick to this flight is to get on the plane and have a lite snack, then recline the chair and fall asleep for as long as you can. If you can get three to four hours you will be fine the next day. If you get less sleep than that you will feel like crap pretty

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Jason Anderson and his USA teammates gave it everything they had.

“It’s almost like going to a Formula 1 event. It was good to relax and check out how they do things in Europe.” much most on the next day, and that’s not how you want to feel while driving around in a country you don’t know that well. Now back to the flight - I get on the Toronto to Amsterdam flight at 10pm, and sit in my assigned seat.

The guy next to me looks at me and says, “Are you going to the MXoN?” I say, “Yes, how did you know?” He replied with, “I see you have a FXR shirt on so I figured you are going to the race.” Anyway, we end up talking about MX and the industry. Funny enough, this guy I sat next to actually knew a lot about the industry and he even knew about the Triple Crown Canadian series. I was impressed with his knowledge. The only problem I had was I didn’t get my fours of sleep that I need to feel normal once we arrived. You know what…it was worth it. I just made a new friend that enjoys the moto world like I do. The plane has arrived in Holland, we have the rental car and are heading to the city center with only about a 30-minute drive or so. I was told to check out the Heineken beer breweries right in the city so we parked and walked over to the building. We stood in line for a while and then started the tour. It’s a decent tour. You pay something like $25 per person, and the best part is they give you two full size glasses of the freshest beer you have ever

Going Dutch

It was back on the highway towards Assen now. The roads are very well marked in their language. Please make sure to bring you cell phone for GPS directions. The towns’ names and street names you will never be able to pronounce...well, we couldn’t most of the time. We finally reached the hotel in a small town just out side Assen.

They don’t really have North America hotel chains out in the countryside.

This hotel we stopped at was small but super clean. The rooms have two beds but they are pushed up together.

If you are two guys you need to spread them apart and try to put the small table in between, if not it’s a little weird. The rooms are so small that when you are laying down you kind of With all of the rain, the track needed more than a bulldozer to fix it.

tasted. They said it was brewed only 36 hours prior to us drinking it. I have to say, it was the best beer I have ever tasted. After that stop we headed to, yes you guessed it, the red-light district. I looked it up on Google and it showed us the way. How funny was that?! We walked along the waterways and checked out the house boats that line the canals. One thing you really need to remember when walking around the city limits is to beware of the locals on their bicycles. They have their own lanes, so be careful not to stand or walk in that area. If you try and you’re not looking, you will get smoked. It’s almost a sport over there. We found the area they call the red-light district. It’s where the little red lamps are on the side of the buildings. Once in that area you will notice lots of tourists looking in the windows of these buildings. As it was only 1pm on a Thursday the timing was not great. Half of the windows were empty as I don’t think it’s prime time, if you know what I mean. The ladies looked like Hollywood models. They were dressed and looked like mannequins really. The weird part was that they all had their smartphones in their hands.

I guess they were lining up business meetings. We didn’t stick around that area very long as it was raining and we were hungry.

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feel you are still super close to your buddy. Note for next year, get your own room if you can! The showers are made for tiny people by the way. No word of a lie, it’s like an RV shower.

After a good sleep we made our way to the track. It’s Friday and it’s set up day for teams and vendors. I needed to meet my European colleagues so we could set up our FXR display booth. This is the perfect event to display our MX gear. People that attend events like this come from all around the world. I was really looking forward to meeting some of the people that I had connected to on social media.

They all knew I was coming for this race so it was a perfect time to say hello. Once we had the booth set up,

we wandered around and worked our way to the pit area. The pits were located next to the grandstands, which was a perfect location for the fans to check out between races. All the factory teams were present. Some of them have these incredible set ups.

It’s almost like going to a Formula 1 event. It was good to relax and check out how they do things in Europe.

Finally, it’s race day. It’s Saturday and we are on our way to the track.

Try and go early so you can park nice and close because most parking lots are out in a lot far away. Walking up to the track was like heading to the Daytona race track. They make you walk under the race track, then you pop up in the infield near the pit area. Remember, the FIM doesn’t allow you to wash your bikes at your set up, you need to head over to the Karcher pressure wash zone. It’s an area just to the side of the pit area with approximately 30 stalls for all teams to clean their bikes. It’s a pretty cool program and it saves teams from having to truck in tons of water.

Now it’s time to get to work. We head to our booth and get things ready to meet and greet the fans. Saturdays are pretty relaxed. The riders get out to practice on this man-made track.

The sand track was prepared and ready for a long weekend of good racing. The weather gods were predicting rain on and off for both days, and we were all hoping that they were wrong. That was the talk most of the day; fans traveling in from far really don’t want to watch a race in the rain or watch riders navigating in deep ruts and not getting much air time off

The highlight for Team USA was Justin Cooper winning his qualifying on Saturday.

The hometown Dutch riders had the deep sand figured out.

the jumps. We met lots of fans from the US and I did meet a few Canadians. The subject of no Canadian team came up ever so often. Most Canadians knew why and were over the whole discussion. It was time to watch the world’s best compete at this venue. As the day went on, the riders were out putting in fast laps. Teams and mechanics were making last minute changes to their set up. Qualifying was later in the day, and this is where we would see who has done their homework and

who hasn’t. We know the Americans have been testing for something like four weeks prior to the event. That’s quite a commitment. Last year at Red Bud the USA team had a rough one.

I know most or all US fans left that race thinking, “What the heck happened?” Local track with three of the best riders available to them. Are the European riders that much better?

That was the debate most evenings at the bar while in Holland. I have listened to lots of discussion from some very intelligent people from It’s too bad it rained so much because the track was ready for some great racing.

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The Dutch fans were ecstatic to see their riders take the win.

our industry. I have to agree with a few people that it’s the Europeans that have the winning speed today.

If you look at the yearly schedule of a MXGP rider, their series starts in the spring and ends in October. They then take a few weeks off to let the body heal itself, then it’s back to training for round one in early spring.

The training is full time outdoor testing, no supercross. The teams have their special set ups for sand tracks, hard pack, slow/tight tracks and the fast, high speed ones. That’s a lot of testing especially when you have

a schedule of 20 rounds in front of you. The toughest part of the MXGP schedule is that you ship your bikes in a container to the countries you can’t drive to with your team truck.

You better make sure you have the right suspension and engine package for those races in countries like China or Argentina. Okay, now let’s look at the US program. Supercross starts first week of January and goes to first week of May. Then they start racing outdoors from mid-May to the middle of August. Then the fast riders will do special one-off SX races

like Monster Cup or Montreal SX. Lots of the fast riders are heading to Australia these days for their SX series. If you look at the months the factory US riders train for supercross compared to outdoors, you see why the Europeans are faster. I think we should mix it up, one year have an outdoor MXoN and then have a SXoN. Let’s see how the Euro riders do on a track that looks like Anaheim’s.

Sunday is the main day for MXoN and that is when we see who sent the best team to the Motocross Olympics, as I tell my non-moto friends. The track in Holland is deep sand, plus the weather is looking like it will be very wet. I have to put my money on the team from The Netherlands.

They had it in the bag last year in the US until their MX2 rider had to pull out due to an eye injury. I wondered if they would have better luck this year. The US team looked great on Saturday; they needed to get good starts and stay clear of any problems.

Motocross is all about having some luck on your side sometimes. Well, as you read this story you already know what happened at the event.

Team Netherlands owned the event,

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“The fans in Holland are insane by the way! They love to party all day and night. I can’t imagine how they felt come Monday morning.” hands down they had the best riders and they won the event by a mile. The team has three riders and each rider races two motos each. They take the best five results and you can drop your worst result, then you calculate the total. This year The Netherlands scored 18 points total, Belgium 47 and in third it was the team from Great Britain with 58 points. Team USA finished 6th overall with 72 points. I can’t believe that the US team riders, Cooper and Anderson, took each other out on the first lap. It was an incident that occurred when everyone was battling for the best line and trying to stay out of the mud roost. Like I said, you need some luck at these events and the US team had zero luck this year. It might have been a wet, crappy, cold, damp day

The rain certainly didn’t dampen the podium celebrations.

Going Dutch

al NCE

but I still got to watch the best riders in the world compete against each other. The fans in Holland are insane by the way! They love to party all day and night. I can’t imagine how they felt come Monday morning.

The weekend was over and it was time to tear the booth down

(that’s the not-so-fun part of the job, I guess). Leaving the track with 50,000 plus fans requires a fair bit of patience because you’re not going anywhere for a while. It was a good time to set the GPS on the phone for the hotel next to the airport. It said two hours to the hotel (that’s not bad

but when you have been standing and working for 3 days straight with a 6-hour time zone change you really can’t wait to get back to your hotel room and relax). On to the next MXoN next year in France, and let’s hope it’s not raining please, Mother Nature.

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SEPTEMBER

RACING IN SEPTEMBER

B Y L E X I P E C H O U T / P H O T O S B Y H I R OYA S U H ATA K E YA M A AND MASON MASHON

FOR THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW ME OR MY STORY, HERE’S A RECENT UPDATE. I HAVE SPENT THE PAST 7 YEARS TRAVELING, RACING AND RIDING. I WENT FROM HOMESCHOOLING AND RACING EVERY EVENT THAT COULD FIT ON A CALENDAR, TO FULL-TIME COLLEGE, TO A HAPPY MEDIUM OF FUN WOMEN’S MOTORCYCLE EVENTS, SELECT RACE EVENTS AND FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT. I’VE LEARNED TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT AND NOT STRESS ABOUT THE LITTLE THINGS.

T

he reasons I ride and race motorcycles continues to transform the older I become. Without a doubt, the people involved in the event or community have a huge impact on my desire to compete, instruct and trail ride. Enthusiasts, fellow competitors, those that push me through training, the little girls that ask for pictures, the organizer and volunteers, and of course family, continue to inspire and motivate me to set new goals. It’s the people that have me returning to an event or direct me to new racing adventures. This is why when I was asked if I wanted to return to Japan to compete in my third HTDE there was no hesitation in my answer, of course I wanted to return!

September is becoming my favourite month of the year, as it is packed with the most events, and a trip to Japan for my favourite event of the year. I basically scheduled the entire month of September off from work. It’s definitely easier taking time off to go racing when you work in the motorcycle industry while already fully immersed in motorcycle related everything.

It also helps when you have the most supportive boss in the world!

When traveling overseas, I make every effort to make a trip out of it; explore the area or country, culture and fit in a few tourist stops. Back in May I thought that I would only be spending two weeks in Japan and then returning back to work. Oh how things can change; next thing I know I have scheduled two weeks in Japan, four days at the Corduroy Enduro in Ontario and two days at the Red Bull Outliers in Alberta all in less than 30 days. Strategic planning ensured I had a motorcycle and

suspension along with the appropriate race numbers and decals for each event.

My month started with packing as much as I could into two gear bags before boarding the plane and maxing out the 50lb weight capacity, which I must add is complete rubbish! Do you know how much motocross gear, tools and sufficient clothing is required for a 22-year-old girl? Definitely too much for Air Canada’s weight luggage restrictions. I was fortunate enough to have my Mom join me on my trip to Japan this year. I should probably mention the extra room in her suitcase and backpack kind of saved me.

Once we landed in Hokkaido, we stuffed all of our bags into a tiny little, let’s call it a square smart car, identified as sufficient to fit four people and two bags. In reality it fit two women and barely their makeup bags. I immediately jumped into the left side, informing Mom that I would be driving, however, without a steering wheel, it turned out I had the shotgun seat instead. Totally forgot Japan drives on the left-hand side of the road!

Driving through endless winding roads

“When traveling overseas, I make every effort to make a trip out of it; explore the area or country, culture and fit in a few tourist stops.”

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RACING IN SEPTEMBER

was a fun adventure in itself. My Mom and I drove 2,000km in 10 days, successfully exploring much of the north island. Hokkaido is extremely scenic with seemingly never ending tree covered mountains and valleys. We went inland to see the flower fields, then headed east to watch the sun set on the coast and the urban life of downtown Sapporo.

Cyclone, the local dealership, organized a riding school on my behalf at the top of a mountain called Rusutsu, which, I must add, has breathtaking views. It was hard to believe that we would actually be riding up there. The mountain has a motocross track and an enduro loop with obstacles for training. A small group of six ladies joined me for a full day of technical training. While these ladies had varied riding experience, they were talented and enthusiastic.

The day was split into a morning and afternoon session with a break for lunch as explained by my translator.

I cannot even explain the amount of effort that was put into this elegant meal. The organizers definitely raised the bar for future riding schools! They hired a professional chef who cooked and served us a three course meal on the top of the mountain! Complete with Husqvarna tents, table cloths and stainless steel cutlery. I couldn’t believe what was happening before my eyes.

After a few days spent as tourists, we headed for the race site at Hidaka. Amazingly, the entire town was involved in the production of the Hidaka Two Day Enduro, with the event staged at the bottom of a ski resort.

The parking lot was transformed into the pits, and Parc Ferme and everyone camped in their moto vans or stayed in the lodge. The location was small but social. I think this is the best part: everyone ate together, groups stayed together, shared their lunch boxes and just enjoyed the event regardless of race team or sponsor.

The race itself was perfect. Maybe it was the Japanese culture or they just had a kick ass team, or maybe both.

I’m not sure but the event organization was exceptional. Everything from how straight the banners were, to the many volunteers, and the fact that they took pride in every detail. You don’t need to speak Japanese to easily follow the course map, or the flagging either. The race ran the FIM ISDE enduro format.

You were given a timecard and told to go as fast as you could in the special tests, other than that don’t be late

and make sure you don’t go through checks early! The riding conditions on day one were incredible with loamy dirt from the rain leading up to the event. There were technical riding sections up creeks and weaving in and out of tight single track. Many areas were covered in bamboo where the workers had mowed to make a trail just wide enough to ride through. I would not recommend riding off trail because the vegetation was so thick with seemingly unbreakable vines and dense fern growth.

Day two was something else. The weather had forecasted for 30% chance of rain in the afternoon.

However, by 7am the skies had opened up and it was POURING! Thankfully I had packed my trusty roll-offs. I have learned that when it rains or pours, it’s pointless to get upset, it’s all perspective! Of course, I wished I wasn’t soaking wet and didn’t have to go through my entire supply of dry riding gloves or pour the water out of my boots, but it turned out that everyone had to deal with the same conditions!

I honestly had more fun on day two than day one. It was so slippery, I was drifting into all the corners. The grass track that was at the base of the ski hill became a giant slip and slide. I felt like I was riding with road tires with all the mud packed into the treads. It was all I could do to keep it on two wheels.

Everyone struggled at some point in the day; either getting stuck in the skeg, sliding out on the grass track, or losing traction in the rock sections.

Riders worked together and were extremely courteous to ensure everyone was able to finish. After the two days of riding through what felt like all types of conditions, and precious seconds in the special tests, it was a victory to receive the win in the National A class.

After three years competing in Japan, I am very fortunate to have gained a whole new family! Our last days were spent with a dozen friends, enjoying an elaborate family-style dinner.

There really is nothing like Japanese hospitality. Leaving is the hardest part of these trips, so maybe next time I will pack an extra bag and just stay forever. I highly recommend adding this place and event to your bucket list.

After a long flight home, I had to juggle a day at the shop to catch up, repack, and hop on my next flight to Ontario for the Corduroy Enduro, all within 30 hours. Oh, how the jet lag was real!!

This was the end of the national series where the east meets the west!

I had not competed in enough of the rounds to qualify for the championship, but the Corduroy has so much history, it was a race I couldn’t pass up.

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“After arriving back in Calgary, I was looking forward to finishing off the race season with the Red Bull Outliers event in downtown Calgary.”

Husqvarna was a main sponsor at the Cord this year. They provided demos throughout the weekend, Husqvarna Dash for Cash, and endless support to me as well as my fellow racers. The weekend was off to a good start as nine women and a few other guys from out west made the trek across Canada to compete. The Women’s Pro class had an impressive 15 entries. It was really cool that the entire 2019 ISDE Women’s trophy team was able to participate. Two long days of racing over approximately 300km of terrain that varied from fast, flowy single track to technical rock sections.

The competition was exceptional as was the organization! Added entertainment included the tire changing contest at the end of day one with tire irons flying as everyone was trying to beat Phillipe Chaine’s time of 50 seconds.

After arriving back in Calgary, I was looking forward to finishing off the race season with the Red Bull Outliers event in downtown Calgary. That’s right, if you haven’t seen photos yet you should google that ASAP! Calgary is a unique city to start with having the famous Wild Rose motocross track just 10 minutes from the downtown core, which is pretty much dead center in the middle of the city. Red Bull Rocks and Logs had previously been held at the track but Shane Cuthbertson and his team had bigger plans for this year. The race format is similar to events like Red Bull Romanicas where a prologue takes place on day one. The racers compete on the public streets, navigating over large obstacles to qualify for the best starting position on day two.

When my Saturday morning started with digging through boxes in the garage, trying to find my snow brush in order to scrape the ice off the windshield of the sprinter, I was a little worried as to how the weekend was going to play out.

The fact that it snowed just added that much more excitement to the event.

The organizers did make race day course modifications for athlete safety, but regardless, the riders showed up and were stoked to race. Yes, the conditions were slippery, but I think the track walk was harder than the riding.

The course had nine different features that included logs, rocks, balance beams, tires beds, and the OGOPOGO. Likely, all the riders struggled getting through the course at some point. Losing even the slightest bit of momentum felt almost impossible to get moving again.

The snowflakes were giant and fluffy, and it felt like we were riding in a winter wonderland, which definitely made for an epic backdrop to the event. Even with the less than ideal conditions, over 5,000 spectators attended to cheer on their favourite racers.

Red Bull Outliers was unfortunately cut short due to excessive snow on Day 2. I’m already looking forward to 2020!

Are YOU?

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Y R T S U INDOFIL E: PR

PRO-AM MOTORSPORTS

BY DA N I E L L E H E R B I S O N

Dealership Highlight: Pro-Am Motorsports Speed, adrenaline and the waving of the checkered flag are what most people think of when it comes to motocross. But those are just the visual aspects of the sport. What most people don’t see is the behind-the-scenes effort it takes to get a racer race ready. The advice, development, and support - the community of the sport.

That is what Pro-Am Motorsports in Calgary, Alberta is all about. They realize, whether it’s for sport or recreation, it’s not just about buying a bike, it’s about being a part of the experience - joining the community.

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Getting to Know Pro-Am Riding is not an individual recreation or sport. Pro-Am gets that. Understanding riders and what they are looking for, as well as staffing riding enthusiasts who genuinely care about the customer, is what has led Pro-Am Motorsports to become the best powersports dealership in Alberta.

Pro-Am Motorsports has been part of the Calgary riding scene for over 30 years selling Honda, Yamaha & Kawasaki motorcycles, side-by-sides & ATVs. Five years ago, they expanded their business from a 5,000 sq. ft. facility in a strip mall to a 45,000 sq. ft. space with a massive showroom, warehouse, and service/repair shop.

They pride themselves on great customer service, knowledge, and expertise. The difference comes from training their staff properly, with a huge focus on how to talk to the customer. Their number one priority is putting people on the right bike, so staff members really need to understand what the bike is going to be used for. With that mindset at work, Pro-Am staff often find the line between work and recreation blur – customers become riding partners and friends.

“With our focus on three brands – Honda, Yamaha & Kawasaki - we can really concentrate on knowing them inside out. We understand how they’re engineered, how they ride, and how they fit into people’s lifestyle,” says Jeremy Green, Pro-Am’s General Manager.

#IAMTEAMPROAM

Recently, Pro-Am Motorsports turned their attention towards the race scene. 2019 saw them develop a new race program and #IAMTEAMPROAM was born. “There was a real need in Calgary for some competition.

We felt we had a different perspective on what a race team could be; one that was built on community, where everyone is made better by supporting and developing each other,” says Green. #IAMTEAMPROAM took roots, and the hashtag has become a battle cry for their racers.

Through #IAMTEAMPROAM, ProAm Motorsports was really hoping to build a race community. They look for racers with a good attitude, a team spirit and who are ambassadors both on and off the track. #IAMTEAMPROAM is all about being a team member, not an individual racer.

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“WITH OUR FOCUS ON THREE BRANDS – HONDA, YAMAHA & KAWASAKI - WE CAN REALLY CONCENTRATE ON KNOWING THEM INSIDE OUT. WE UNDERSTAND HOW THEY’RE ENGINEERED, HOW THEY RIDE, AND HOW THEY FIT INTO PEOPLE’S LIFESTYLE,” -JEREMY GREEN

Pro-Am brings their racers together in a few different ways. They hold track days and get togethers for all levels.

They’ve also worked out key partners so they can provide support through training, advice, and partnerships. They even teach racers how to effectively use social media to increase followers and shout out to sponsors. They also set up an internal chat page so racers can chat with each other, ask for advice on things like what oil they use, and encourage each other before and after races.

Their relationship with Hoosier Offroad has allowed Pro-Am to be the exclusive provider of Hoosier Tires, and has increased awareness of the dealership.

There are customers who come into the store specifically seeking Hoosier Tires because of the tire’s unique characteristics. “Where most tire companies offer a selection of tires depending on rider needs, the Hoosier tire is developed for racers. It’s a lighter, zero compromise tire,” states Gamache. “Racers want to ride Hoosier.”

Pro-Am Meets Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad

Growing the Partnership

A natural next step was to partner with Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad. Both Green and his Sales Manager, Tim Gamache, knew the Hoosier name from their days in car sales. Green and Gamache were looking to offer Calgary racers something different, and with Hoosier’s long legacy of being a top performer in the tire community, it just felt like a good fit.

There’s more to a good partnership than just a great product. It’s a fact that Hoosier Offroad values bringing racers together and building a community fit with Pro-Am Motorsports’ vision of #IAMTEAMPROAM.

Hoosier Tires Being able to offer something unique, something that was developed with the racer in mind, was important to Pro-Am. They offer premier brands in Honda, Yamaha & Kawasaki, and that means their customers have high standards that need to be met. The Hoosier brand offers that value and more.

While Pro-Am is still in the early stages of their relationship with Hoosier Offroad and The Roost Factory, they are excited about future possibilities.

Already in the one season that #IAMTEAMPROAM has been on the scene, they saw the advantages of the factory trailer support and the general race buzz that being a member of The Roost Factory provides. “They work hard to grow the sport and build comradery in the pits.

Like #IAMTEAMPROAM, they value community, bringing everyone together with barbecues and award ceremonies. It just reinforces why you want to ride Hoosier,” says Green.

With the 2019 racing season behind them, Pro-Am is already looking forward to next year. Partnering with Hoosier Offroad and Roost Factory will help grow their team, increase track presence and expand relationships across the country.

Watch Pro-Am Motorsports Facebook Page @proammotorsports for #IAMTEAMPROAM 2020 Race Schedule.

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welcome to the team

DAVE

CLEVELAND

VISIT DAVE CLEVELAND OFF-ROAD IN THE:

MIDWESTERN USA

VISIT DAVE AT BORDER BATTLE XC EVENTS AND OTHER OFFROAD DIRT BIKE RACES IN THE US MIDWEST. CONTACT HIM TODAY AT: DCLEVELAND@HOOSIER-OFFROAD.COM FACEBOOK.COM/ROOSTMIDWEST

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Y R T S U D N I PROFIL E:

DAVE CLEVELAND

BY SH E LBY MAHON AN D DE L AN EY B ROGAN

The Roost Factory Hoosier Offroad Crew Chief Program is one designed for the passionate motorhead whose love of dirt bikes goes beyond the TV screen and magazine pile on the coffee table (or in the bathroom). Roost Factory gives the diehards with entrepreneurial spirit and passion the chance to run their own small business at what commitment level works best for them.

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hat kind of business you might ask? The Roost Factory purple paddock is home to industry leading hospitality and services dedicated to amateur racers, along with top of the line high quality performance products like Hoosier Racing Tires, BOXO tools and storage solutions, Red Line Oil, Rabaconda 3- Minute Tire Changer and more! The overall commitment and goal of the Roost Factory is to have our purple paddock and one of our lucky Crew Chiefs trackside at every sponsored race series and track in North America. They will be there to support our sponsored riders and members with preferred pit paddock position, trackside services, products that perform and more!

Dave Cleveland is one of those few lucky Crew Chiefs who had the courage and passion to set out in pursuit of their very own Roost Factory Purple Paddock. Mark Rivers, CEO of Roost Factory Hoosier

Off road, was impressed with Dave from the very beginning. “Dave is one of those people who has shown a passion for motocross and off-road racing beyond your average weekly commitment to hitting the track for some practice laps. Dave’s dedication to racing and supporting others is what stood out and made him the perfect Crew Chief candidate.”

Dave’s passion for two-wheels started, like many of us, at a very young age. Like most youngsters learning to ride, Dave fondly remembers being 5-years-old on a little Honda Z50 during one of his very first riding lessons, “On a Saturday before church I made five or so laps around the house, and when Dad waved me in, I flew right by him and crashed inside the garage. He told me how to go but not how to stop!”

Growing up in the country, Dave had lots of farm pastureland to ride on, and although his parents wouldn’t let him race, they encouraged him to ride as much as he could. When asked about his riding career early on he replied,

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“It seemed like I rode every day. I grew up riding and working on whatever needed fi xing.” This is one of the great things we at Roost Factory Hoosier Off road appreciate about Dave, his hard work and mentality of “if there is a will there is a way.” Dave’s love of motorized rides started at a young age thanks in part to growing up around stock cars and dirt ovals. But Dave knew early on his heart truly belonged to motorcycles.

When he was just 10-years-old, Dave bought his first motorcycle, a Chaparral 100. With more power than his little Z50 this was the ignition point, as Dave recalls, “That is when I got the real itch to start racing, but my parents would not sign off. At 16, I went and bought a brand new 1986 Kawasaki KX125. When I brought it home, my parents were not happy, but over time, they got used to it.” Riding every day after school and any time he had free time, his dedication to the sport was becoming a lifestyle and not just a passion. As Dave says, “I rode after school and on the weekends, waiting for the day I turned 18 to race. I would make my older brother go to MX tracks and sign up, so I could ride on an actual MX track.” Finally, after turning 18, Dave was able to sign himself up and start racing! He followed the AMA circuit as often as he could, until a bad crash in 2001 put him in the hospital. After that he decided to hang up his boots and jump into the mechanic side for a friend’s son who was soon to turn pro. When his racing was over and the dust had settled, Dave went back to his original love, working and fi xing.

With his passion for dirt bikes and an Engineering & Business Management degree, Dave was perfectly set up to enter the business side of the motorsports industry. The Roost Factory Hoosier Off road Crew Chief Program was the opportunity that Dave was hoping for. “The Roost Factory structure allowed me the opportunity to continue to support the sport that I am passionate about. It has allowed me to provide racers with performance products, as well as provide the much-needed trackside support for grassroots racing. It is a model that allows me to financially subsidize my family’s weekend racing efforts and meet great people in the racing community. “The Crew Chief program has given Dave the opportunity to work for himself via a mobile trackside dealership and the ability to work at his favourite locations! Dave gets to attend all of his favourite racing events, support amateur and professional riders, get a front row seat to the action, and earn an income to support himself and his family. The Crew Chief program is more than just a business opportunity, it’s a family lifestyle opportunity for those who already race or want to get involved. Dave speaks highly of the business opportunity that Roost Factory is giving passionate entrepreneurs like himself. “Roost Factory Hoosier Off road allows me to support riders with great products, exceptional hospitality, dedicated trackside services and to still be involved in the industry after retiring from racing. This opportunity to run a trackside mobile dealer also gives me the opportunity to expose my young children to the racing scene with the best support already in place.”

You can find Dave Cleveland trackside at off-road races in the Midwestern USA region like Border Battle XC and online at Facebook.com/ RoostMidwest.

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2020 A H A YAM DAY RIDE

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H T I W G N I D I R U R C U THE BL P O M E R OY

BY CH RIS

S / PHOTO

LL R MARCE

BY PETE

I

IN WHAT HAS NOW BECOME AN ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE TO CHATSWORTH, ON, A FEW DAYS AFTER THE MONTREAL SX WE WERE ONCE AGAIN INVITED TO MOTO PARK FOR THE 2020 YAMAHA MEDIA RIDE DAY. SINCE YAMAHA MOTOR CANADA USES MOTO PARK AS THEIR OFFICIAL BLU CRU OFF-ROAD BRANDED TRAINING CENTER, IT’S THE PERFECT FACILITY TO HOST SUCH AN IMPORTANT DAY.

THE “WITHN OF O I T P E C X E L SMALE A FEW H ,T ITEMS2 F Z Y 50 2020 S Y CALL , IS BA AIN ED UNCH ERG HE T HOWEVYZ450F NEW FERS A OF ORE E F WM NTS.” REFINEME

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his year our media day began bright and early with coffee, breakfast as well as a presentation from the Yamaha Motor Canada Marketing Coordinator Graeme Jones. With the 2020 YZ250F remaining almost unchanged from last year, the center of the presentation was mostly regarding the new YZ450F. With the pleasantries all complete and some good old caffeine running through my veins, it was time to suit up in my new 2020 Fox Racing gear and head out onto the track.

The Moto Park track had received a lot of rain the night before so it did take a few hours to dry up, but by midmorning we had cut some good lines and the motos began. Yamaha had their full line-up of 2020 bikes there for all of us to ride so I was able to get a bunch of laps in on the new YZ250F as well as the YZ450F. As I mentioned above. With the exception of a few

small items, the 2020 YZ250F is basically unchanged, however the new YZ450F offers a few more refinements.

I really like what Yamaha has done the past few years with the YZ450F. Each year they figure a few things out and make the bike more rider friendly. For 2020, the most noticeable change is the smoother, more linear power that the lighter and more compact engine puts out. While past models have been plenty fast, at times the power has felt like a little too much. I know everyone loves power and great acceleration, but if it wants to rip your arms off then that can lead to you getting tired and making mistakes. This new YZ450F has a very smooth power delivery that really makes you feel connected with the race track.

With the track being soft and rutted for most of the day, having a bike that handled well was very important. The bike now has a slightly thinner design

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2020 A YAMAH RIDE DAY throughout the mid-section, including a smaller fuel tank to assist with the weight savings of this new model. The spring-loaded KYB front fork is a masterpiece with best in class internals that provide a very plush feel. As the track got rougher and more challenging later in the day, the KYB front forks and KYB rear shock worked in perfect unison to give me a balanced feel. In the past, the YZ450 has had a tendency to dive under braking. However, with slightly stiffer suspension setting for 2020, the new YZ450 remains evenly weighted as you enter into corners.

With the smoother power delivery, the thinner and lighter chassis and great suspension, the 2020 YZ450F felt very balanced and predictable on every part of the challenging track. To bring the new package to a stop, the 2020 YZ450F features a newly designed front brake caliper, brake pads, and front and rear discs. To sum up the overall changes and the package of the 2020 YZ450F, I feel like the new YZ450 delivers an increased power output but with a more controllable linear acceleration and lightweight handling characteristics that mimic a YZ250F. The new 2020 YZ450F has also been updated to give riders the edge right out of the gate with Yamaha’s

Launch Control System. You can also adjust your on-track performance using wireless connectivity through the Yamaha Power Tuner App right from your mobile phone, and you can now choose between two user defined ECU maps on the fly through the handlebar mounted dual-mode engine map switch. The new YZ450F is really the perfect blend of new technology and years of Yamaha’s class leading development.

We all had a great day of riding, and with the assistance of the crew from Yamaha Motor Canada, the bikes were constantly being prepared for each session. It was also very cool to have Factory Yamaha Blu Cru riders like Phil Nicoletti, Sam Gaynor and Marco Cannella on hand to ride with the media. With Nicoletti fresh off his great weekend at the Montreal SX, he was happy to sit to chat about his season as well as what he thought about the new Yamahas. Obviously, he’s found success on the blue bikes this season, and after taking a few laps aboard the 2020s, he told me that he’s even more excited for next year. As they always are, the folks at Yamaha Motor Canada and Moto Park were fine hosts and we all had a great day riding the new Yamahas.

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HER T O O M S E TH RY, ELIVEN “WITHO D R E W P ER A D N N I H T E TH CHASSIS AND ER NSIONF, E LIGHT P S U S T GREAE 2020 YZ450 TH Y BALANCED ER BLE ON FELT VR A T C I D E E AND PRY PART OF TH .”

EVE GING TRACK CHALLEN

2020 YZ450F • Ultra-compact new 450cc engine, increased power with total control • Lighter and more compact rearward-slanted cylinder • Mass centralized design • Yamaha Power Tuner for instant trackside tuning via a smartphone • Handlebar switch for easily adjustable mapping • Compact electric starter with ultra-light battery • Launch Control System (LCS) optimizes engine output for quicker starts • Advanced fuel injection system for optimum power • Angled radiators ensure effective engine cooling • Robust transmission and clutch for positive shifting • Compact mass-centralized wraparound exhaust • Forward mounted muffler • Lighter aluminum bilateral frame delivers sharper handling • Slimline body and seat for ultimate ergonomics • Class-leading KYB® coil spring-type, speed sensitive front suspension • Link-type rear suspension with specially-tuned KYB® shock • Lightweight wheels with blue rims • 270mm front disc with updated caliper aggressive pad material • New rear disc and more compact caliper • 4-position adjustable rubber-mounted handlebar clamp • Embedded graphics give extended durability • Tapered aluminum handlebars with quick-adjust clutch perch • Wider and lighter footrests

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SAILUN TERRAMAX A/T THE ALL-SEASON ON AND OFF-ROAD CHOICE B Y C H R I S P O M E R OY / P H O T O S B Y M X P S TA F F A N D S A L I U N T I R E

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e are very fortunate here at MXP Magazine to get really exciting product to test. In almost all cases the product is directly related to motocross, consisting of riding gear, bike components, and obviously the bikes themselves. This is why when Sailun Tire approached us about testing their popular Terramax A/T all-terrain tires we jumped at the chance.

We all know that when you stroll through the paddock at one of our local tracks, there are trucks for as far as the eye can see. We depend on our trucks to be reliable and safe to not only take us to the races but also to serve us in our everyday lives. As the final item that connects our trusty vehicles to the road, the right tire choice can make a massive difference.

Sailun Tire has been around for almost 20 years, as the first set rolled off the assembly line back in 2001. Since that day, the Sailun Tire brand has grown exponentially, and today they sell over 40 million tires in over 130 countries around the globe. As a

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Milage Ratings P Metric = 500 80,000 km

PERFORMANCE RATINGS 9

Wet Performance Dry Performance

8

Ride Comfort

8

Quietness Tread Life

I was personally thrilled at the opportunity to fully test a set of Sailun Terramax A/T tires, as the timing happened to be perfect. When I received my Sailun Terramax A/T tires back in July, I had just bought a new Ford F-150 pick-up truck from Hanna Ford in Collingwood, Ontario, so I immediately had my local tire shop install these new tires. As many of you know, certain models of the F-150 come stock with Goodyear all-season tires. With this being my third F-150 in the past number of years, I have a lot of experience with the performance of the OEM-

“THIS IS WHY SAILUN TIRE OPERATES UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THREE VERY IMPORTANT CORE VALUES. WITH QUALITY, TRUST AND SUPPORT, SAILUN TIRE IS WITH YOU THROUGH EVERY TURN.” brand that competes in a very competitive marketplace, you don’t experience this large amount of growth without building a great product, as well as understanding your customers’ needs. Just as it is with motocross, customers aren’t afraid to spend money, as long as they feel their dollars are being well spent. Sailun understands this, which is why they’ve designed a wide range of tires that both fit your budget and perform on the road regardless of driving conditions. This is why Sailun Tire operates under the umbrella of three very important core values. With quality, trust and support, Sailun Tire is with you through every turn.

equipped Goodyear tires for comparison. I have found that while they seem to work well for a year or so, once you reach around 50,000km, the Goodyear tires get a little soft and lose traction. Since I don’t install snow tires in the winter, and the fact that even in the summer our roads can be slick with water or other traction rubbing materials, this becomes an issue, even with 4WD. I was excited to see how the more budget-friendly Sailun Terramax A/T tires would stack up against the other all-terrain tires I’ve had in the past.

For my Ford F-150, as well as many other popular light trucks and SUV’s, Sailun has a number of

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different tire models and a wide range of sizes that make a very convincing case in getting the most bang for your buck. With everything from the really aggressive Terramax M/T, to a typical all-season tire or dedicated winter tire, the complete range of Sailun products has it all. For my driving needs, the popular Sailun Terramax A/T was the ideal choice, one step down in tread depth from the more aggressive all-new Terramax M/T for those needing a more hardcore off-road option. I chose the Terramax A/T tire because I figured it would suit the type of driving I do on a regular basis and deliver the true all-season performance I need.

With some motocross tracks being located off dirt roads and the fact some of the practice tracks I go to require navigating my truck down a trail or a sketchy little road, I often need some extra traction. However, before I can even get to these tracks, I have to drive for hours on paved roads and even busy highways. So I need a multi-purpose on and off-road tire that will provide me with almost unlimited traction away from the pavement, but a tire that also gives my family and I a smooth and predictable ride on any highway.

As I’ve discovered in the months since I’ve had the new Sailun tires on my truck, the Terramax A/T was indeed the perfect choice. These Terramax tires are smooth and quiet on all of the highways I drive, even through Quebec where road maintenance doesn’t appear to be a priority. The Terramax A/T features a solid center rib that provides superior ride comfort and control, plus extra deep tread sipes at varying angles that improves comfort without sacrificing traction.

With their rugged on/off road tread design, the Terramax A/T tires deliver strong stability and comfort in all kinds of weather, with the ability to easily expel water and mud very well. In the first month of

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SAILUN TERRAMAX A/T

having these new tires on my truck, my family and I drove through a massive rain storm while heading home from the Deschambault ECAN. Obviously, we had to reduce our speed as it was not only hard to see, but the other drivers had also slowed down due to the road conditions. Even with water pooling on the uneven road, the Terramax A/T kept our truck

tracking straight and I didn’t feel any of that typical ‘pull to one side’ that you sometimes feel as your tires sometimes hydroplane for a split second.

As Canadians, we pride ourselves on being able to drive in all types of road conditions and the last thing we want is to be caught without a great set of tires connecting you to the road. It’s like being

on the starting line at Gopher Dunes with a hard pack tire on your rear wheel when everyone else has a sand tire. You need the right tire on your bike as well as on all of your vehicles. As I write this review, I currently have put over 11,000 km on these tires and they still look and drive as if they’re new.

With winter fast approaching, I’m extremely confident these Sailun Terramax A/T tires are going to provide great traction on both snow and ice too, as they feature an impressive 3 peak mountain snowflake (3PMS) winter rating which delivers superior traction that has been tested and approved for use in cold and snowy winter conditions. The rugged open shoulder tread design has been extensively tested and proven to perform in some of the toughest winter conditions across Canada, meaning a little Ontario winter isn’t going to bother them.

Overall, the Sailun Terramax A/T tires have performed just as well as the other big name all-terrain brands out there, while costing surprisingly less.

The Terramax A/T also comes with an industry leading warranty, featuring Road Hazard Protection and a 30-day Risk Free Trial. The Terramax A/T is now available in a variety of popular sizes through authorized Sailun Tire retailers across Canada. If you would like additional information on Sailun Tire, be sure to visit www.sailuntire.ca and have a look at their complete line-up for yourself.

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WINNING

2019 ROCKSTAR TRIPLE CROWN SERIES C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S TO C H A M P

PHIL NICOLETTI

17

YEARS IN MX

T H A N K YO U T O A L L W H O S U P P O R T O U R R AC E P R O G R A M

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MXP CHATTER

TODD SCHUMLICK

BY CL AU DI E LI SS I MOR E / PHOTOS BY JAM E S LI SS I MOR E

When you look at the sport of motocross and how fit and strong you have to be, having some sort of trainer helping you out is a must these days. Every top rider has a trainer that they trust to keep them on the right track with their fitness. One of best in the business is Todd Schumlick, a man who has trained Canadian Motocross champions like JSR, Blair Morgan, and most recently Colton Facciotti. Todd is an articulate and no-nonsense trainer who demands that his athletes are either all in or not at all. With Colton announcing his retirement last month, we caught up with Todd to see what he is up to these days and what might be next for this passionate trainer.

FIRST OF ALL, CAN YOU TELL ME WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOUR LINK IS WITH CANADIAN MOTOCROSS?

I am a 51-year-old “trainer” who for the past 25+ years has specialized in motocross, mountain bike, and action sports physical fitness, sports nutrition, and sports psychology/ mental development.

My education includes a Kinesiology degree and various post graduate fitness certifications (NSCA, ISSA, etc.). My link to motocross started with Blair Morgan in 1998, then included many other top Canadian MX athletes including Jean-Sebastian Roy, Doug DeHaan, Marco Dube, Heide Cooke, Mitch Cooke, Sean Hamblin, Kyle McGlynn, Kris Foster, Colton Facciotti, Cole Siebler, Dusty Klatt, Shawn Maffenbeier and more. At a peak period, I was assisting 10 - 15 top motocross athletes throughout the season. I guess my link to motocross would also include our California winter motocross camps (2007 - 2014), which grew in popularity each year

in existence. I also managed a privateer/development motocross team (2008 2013), which included both Kyler McGlynn, Cole Siebler, and Shawn Maffenbeier.

HOW & WHEN DID YOUR COMPANY “PERFORMX” GET STARTED?

I basically started working with athletes (hockey, track, bodybuilders, etc.) in 1990 once I finished my Kinesiology degree in Santa Monica, California. At one point, a friend of mine called me Mr. PerformX, as I often mentioned, “If an athlete can perform X, shouldn’t they be able to perform Y,” referring to the balance between movements/muscle groups.

My interests always centred around athletic training with a personal interest in action sports, mostly due to my BMX racing background. It’s funny, because many thought PerformX was a reference to ‘Perform (MX).’ Motocross interests didn’t come along until approximately nine years later, in 1998 with Blair Morgan. Prior to that I was primarily assisting WHL/NHL players.

WHICH ATHLETES (MOTO OR NON-MOTO) HAVE YOU BEEN OR ARE STILL WORKING WITH?

Well, I believe I’ve outlined the top motocross athletes I’ve assisted over the years earlier, but other top nonmotocross action sport athletes would include: Jonaven Moore (snowboard), Scott Gaffeny (snowboard), Brett Turcotte (snocross), Stevie Smith (mountain bike), Remi Gauvin (mountain bike), Miranda Miller (mountain bike), Brooke MacDonald (mountain bike), Sam Blenkinsop (mountain bike), Aaron Gwin (mountain bike), Richie Rude (mountain bike), Emmeline Ragot (mountain bike), Finn Iles (mountain bike), Josh Carlson (mountain bike), Marcelo Gutierrez (mountain bike), Catharine Pendrel (mountain bike), Tim Trembaly (snocross), Mark Abma (freeskier), and more.

At the moment I am also assisting Factory Honda offroad motorcycle competitor Tallon Lafountaine. Wow, that’s some solid name dropping right there!

YOU HAVE PLAYED A BIG PART IN COLTON FACCIOTTI’S CAREER, WHAT WERE YOUR HIGHLIGHTS TOGETHER?

Highlights…wow! So many.

Maybe our first meeting... when (uncle) Blair (Morgan) and JSR sat him down and told him he should be working with me. It was a very inspiring chat. From there, it would probably be Colt’s shoulder injury (I believe ’09). He crashed in Moto 1 and didn’t believe he could ride a second moto, which could have affected the overall championship. I performed some therapeutic exercise/physiotherapy after Moto 1 and he was able to go out and win Moto 2.

Another highlight would have been our EPIC golf match in Vancouver when we were tied going into the last hole, tons of trash-talking, and then he drains an eagle from about 90 yards out. That might be one of the last golf games I ever played. It ruined me.

HaHa!

DID COLTON’S RETIREMENT COME AS A SURPRISE OR WERE YOU AWARE FROM THE BEGINNING? WHAT WAS YOUR PERSONAL OPINION ON THE TIMING?

No surprise at all! Colt couldn’t continue working that hard, he’s way too soft!

Ha! Kidding aside, I knew it was coming. Colt let me in on his plans in late 2017, after we decided to work together again for 2018 and possibly 2019 (prior to that, I assisted Colton 2008 - 2014). I think the timing was good. More importantly, I don’t think it matters what I or anyone thinks., it only matters what Colt thinks. He understands better than anyone the effort, risks and time commitment it takes, physically, mentally, and emotionally, to be at his best. Colt is a highly committed and competitive athlete and the level of effort required to remain competitive is very taxing on many levels.

To go 10+ years at the level he competed is amazing. He’s not much of a half-ass’er. Like most top athletes, for him it’s all-in or nothing.

IT’S FAIR TO SAY THAT COLTON HAS LEARNED A LOT FROM YOU BUT WHAT WOULD YOU SAY YOUR LEARNED FROM WORKING WITH A 6-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPION?

First, I would say being surrounded by some of the best athletes in the world is incredible., the best education I could receive.

This includes Colt. After nine years of working together, you can’t help but learn from the athlete. The average duration I have assisted professional athletes has been eight years. This is probably my proudest achievement. From Colt, I learned to be patient and humble. Maybe you can also call it “silent but deadly.” At this, he is second to none of the athletes I’ve assisted.

Colt downplays many of his abilities. At the same time, he is scary focused and determined once the helmet goes on.

OVER THE YEARS YOU’VE WORN A FEW HATS. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY AND WHERE YOU ARE AT TODAY?

Yes, it’s been a fun journey!

First, to earn the trust of these world class athletes for so many years has been very humbling to me. I NEVER take this for granted. I assisted Blair (Morgan) for 10+ years and continue assisting him today. I talk to JSR often, and a few of the others as well.

My athletes are more than clients, they are my extended family. I swear I don’t have children due to them!

Ha! The championships are great for business and ego, but the trust that is earned is the real reward.

As for moving PerformX primarily from motocross to mountain bike training, I guess most was due to

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WHAT WOULD YOUR TOP-3 PIECES OF ADVICE FOR WORKING OUT BE THAT YOU WOULD GIVE TO AN AMATEUR RIDER THAT WANTS TO TAKE IT MORE SERIOUSLY?

Red Bull. After my success with Colt (when he was supported by Red Bull), they contacted me about working with Stevie Smith (Red Bull / mountain bike). Stevie and I had great success during our six years (who passed away in 2016 from a motorcycle accident), and we went on to win the UCI World Cup series together., a first for a Canadian rider.

From there, the interest from other mountain bike athletes grew very quickly. Hopefully this doesn’t come across negatively, but I was assisting primarily Canada’s top motocross athletes, not necessarily the top athletes in the sport. In addition, the budgets of both teams and riders were starting to see the crunch. On the other hand, I was working with the top mountain bike athletes in the world, and there was less limitations to my support level. When I started with Stevie and we were taking on the best in the world, it was really exciting. It was also a new challenge. Since entering the sport (mountain biking) in 2008, it has grown tremendously. I’ve also been fortunate to have toured the globe for the past 10+ years as well. What a reward! In addition to the training, in 2008 I had a chance to start a small PerformX downhill team, which was one of the top semi-privateer World Cup teams 2010 - 2014, then moved on to owner/manager of the Norco Factory Racing downhill/enduro mountain bike team 2015 - 2018, and now the manager of the Intense Factory Racing downhill team, including 5-time World Cup Downhill Champion rider Aaron Gwin / 7 year PerformX athlete. At this moment, I am in pretty deep!

YOU ARE TRAINING SOME OF THE FASTEST MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDERS IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. WHAT IS SIMILAR AND WHAT IS DIFFERENT BETWEEN MTB AND MX?

The similarities would be in the injury prevented training, as well as a majority of the strength and conditioning work, primarily due to rider position, physical demands, and similarities in biomechanics (movements). Nutritionally and mentally, they are very similar.

How I assist athletes mentally is a bit complex, as well as not being generic. There are some basic mental fundamentals, but there’s also some very individual differences and needs for each athlete. As for the differences between mountain biking and motocross training, obviously there is a greater short-term power demand for downhill MTB (average runs are 3 - 5 minutes in length) and Enduro MTB (average runs are 5 - 10 minutes in length) versus longer motocross races. But both downhill and enduro MTB events also have multiple days and repetitions of practice, so it can be up near the same amount of seat time as a motocross event. Genetics and body type still play a big role in determining training protocol for motocross and mountain biking (downhill and enduro) as well. I would say there are more similarities in physical demands between motocross and enduro mountain biking (riders are required to pedal to each race stage, which can total 6 - 8 stages over 1 - 2 days). I also recommend motocross riding to my mountain bike athletes for training purposes. In fact, soon I head to California to ride motocross (and train) with Richie Rude (Downhill Junior World Cup Champion / 2-time Enduro World Series Champion / 7-year PerformX athlete) and Aaron Gwin.

1) DO THE BASICS, including traditional strength exercises (Power/ Olympic lifting), cardiovascular (mountain biking, road cycling, rowing, and possibly running), and stretching/yoga. In my opinion, I see way too many athletes in the gym performing ‘circus training’ (bouncing balls, balancing boards, etc). Maybe to entertain themselves and not get bored? Possibly to avoid hard work? I think it’s mainly whatever the latest trend is. Training often needs to be a grind, and not be comfortable, just like competing.

There’s no way around it.

2) Be sure your training has a strategic protocol that ends with maximum power. Way too often I hear athletes/training discussing strength, endurance, ‘bulk’, etc, with limited or no understanding of physiology.

Greater strength can equal greater endurance. Greater endurance can equal greater strength. Power is key in all sports. In simple terms, Power = Work (strength) over Time (endurance). Developing your power requires the right combination of strength and endurance.

3) Your best fitness regiment should include developing your mind.

Again, this is not simple or easy by any means. You need to find ways to challenge yourself mentally and emotionally, and whether you succeed or fail, there should be a positive outcome from it. But before any of the above, I always remind

athletes there must be a WILL and a WANT. Without it either, all development is limited.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR TODD SCHUMLICK?

For 2020, I will continue assisting various mountain bike and action sports athletes. At the moment, I am just getting all athlethroughout the globe. Typically, an athlete spends 2-3 days with me for assessment, testing, and training instruction.

Then I set time aside with athletes throughout the off-season, either getting together one-on-one, at a training camp, and/or electronically (email, phone, Skype, WhatsApp, etc.). I am also putting everything in place for the Intense Factory Racing team, including off-season testing, a rider roster change, European team shop, overseeing mechanics, and generally preparing for the 2020 UCI World Cup season, which kicks off in Portugal in March. For 2021, there痴 also some really exciting stuff coming, as we池e expanding PerformX to online training, more camps (mountain bike, and possibly motocross again!), sports specific fitness testing, and more. My staff is expanding as well. All to come at www.performxracing.com.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD?

Yeah, if anyone wants any fitness tips or ideas, just check out my Instagram @ performx_training. You can also email me at todd@performxracing.com and I’ll do my best to provide some advice or suggestions. Otherwise, thanks to all my athletes, as well as Canadian motocross for all that you’ve provided!

Life is good!

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YOUNG PRESENTS

AND ON THE

RiSE iSE R WITH

MAYA lEGARE B Y C H R I S P O M E R OY • P H O T O S B Y J A M E S L I S S I M O R E

MAYA lEGARE iS A FAsT, YOUNG feMAlE RiDeR fROM A SMAlL TOWN iN ONTARiO. FOR THE PAsT feW YeARS MAYA HAS BeeN WORKiNG HARD AND iMPROViNG HeR RACE CRAfT. SHE HAS MOsT CeRTAiNlY COME A lONG WAY fROM HeR eARlY DAYS OF RACiNG iN THE 50CC ClASS AT MOTO PARK. AfTeR A VeRY SUCCeSSfUL 2019 SeASON, WHiCH SAW MAYA WiN THE AMO RiDeR OF THE YeAR AWARD, SHE iS NOW lOOKiNG FORWARD TO NeXt YeAR. WE CAUGHT UP WiTH MAYA FOR THiS MONTH’S ROYAL DisTRiBUTiNG YOUNG AND ON THE RiSE. MXP: fiRsT OfF MAYA, CAN YOU TelL ME HOW OlD YOU ARE AND WHeRE YOU AND YOUR FAMilY CAlL HOME? ML: I am 13-years-old and we live in Manilla, Ontario. It’s a small town west of Lindsay, Ontario CAN YOU TelL US SOMeTHiNG COOL ABOUT WHeRE YOU liVE? Our town is small and quiet. The only noise is usually coming from our house when we ride our dirt bikes and 4-wheelers around the yard.

HOW lONG HAVE YOU BeeN RiDiNG A DiRT BiKE? I started riding a gas powered snowmobile at 2 ½, following my Dad around the neighbourhood, a gas powered ATV at 3 years and then a dirt bike when I was 5. I started on a Yamaha PW but my Dad quickly realized I needed a bigger, faster bike with a lot more suspension. I moved up to a KTM 50cc Jr., then my 3rd bike, a KTM50cc Sr., all in my first year of riding.

HOW lONG HAVE YOU BeeN RiDiNG A DiRT BiKE? My first race was at Motopark in the Diva class on the old, small 50 track that used to go down through the forest. It didn’t take me long to get to top 3. It was amazing to be on the podium at 5-years-old.

DO YOU HAVE A RiDeR THAT YOU lOOK UP TO AND THAT SOMeTiMeS GiVeS YOU ADViCE? Definitely Eve Brodeur. She is amazing and has won the Walton Championship three times, getting her picture on the Transcan Giants wall. She is the Women‘s National Champion for the 4th year in a row!

Racing against Eve and being able to talk to her about the track and events I should attend has helped me with my confidence. It is nice to be recognized by the fastest female motocross rider.

SO YOU JUsT WON THE AMO RiDeR OF THE YeAR SO CONGRATUlATiONS ON THAT. HOW HAS YOUR SeASON BeeN THUS FAR? Thank you! It was such an honour to receive and to be recognized as AMO’s Rider of the Year for 2019.

The 2019 season started off slowly after going down a lot at my first few races on my 105cc Supermini.

After a few races on my Supermini, I decided to run my KTM 150cc for some practice and mostly just for fun. I found it difficult to switch from my small bike to my big bike and back again. After AMO dropped the age from 14 years to 12 years, I was given the opportunity to race in my first Women‘s Nationals at Gopher Dunes. I ended up 21st overall after going down a few times both Motos. It was a good experience and I loved riding my 150; I knew I just needed more seat time. I started to excel on my 150 and ended up winning Ladies A at the MMRS Madoc Nationals, AMO Provincials and Spring Series as well as the Girls 9-16 class. I am still deciding if I will run both bikes in 2020. My Dad might make me run both for another year.

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lOOKiNG AHeAD TO THE OfF-SeASON, WHAT ARE YOUR PlANS FOR THE WiNTeR? During winter, I usually just relax and spend time with my friends. We are looking for a house with a few acres of land so we can build a track. iT WAS GReAT TO SeE YOU AT WAltON. HOW DiD THE WeeK GO FOR YOU? My week at Walton went okay, but I could have done a lot better. I placed 3rd overall in Girls 9-16 because in one moto my gas line came off and I couldn’t get it back on. I was on the side of the track for a while, and I tried to catch up to the front of the pack but ended up 3rd. The Ladies A class did not go well either, but I still had an awesome time with so many amazing people.

AWAY fROM THE TRACK, WHAT iS YOUR FAVOURiTE THiNG TO DO OTHeR THAN RiDE DiRT BiKeS? Motocross is definitely my favourite thing to do but recently I have taught myself how to play the ukulele. I’ve been watching YouTube videos and have learned many songs. I think I’m getting pretty good!

YOU SeeM liKE A VeRY FOCUSeD KiD. YOU lOVE RACiNG DON’T YOU? I really do love racing. It’s thrilling and fun especially when battling other riders. I sometimes get disappointed when I make mistakes or have a bad race but riding against the Women this year has definitely made me want to be a faster, smarter rider.

lOOKiNG BACK AT AlL OF YOUR RACiNG ReSUltS, WHiCH ONE ARE YOU MOsT PROUD OF? There are two Motos I am most proud of. The first one was in 2018 when I raced Eve Brodeur in Ladies A at the Walton Transcan on my KTM Supermini and took 2nd! I was so happy making podium next to her, I had no idea what to say when it was my turn to be interviewed. I am also proud of the time I was going into the last Moto of Ladies A at the 2019 MMRS Madoc Nationals. It was a 3-way tie and I knew I needed to ride smart. It started to rain and it was a difficult track to pass on since there was really only one good line, but I did it – I took 1st and the Championship at 13-years-old.

WHAT iS YOUR FAVOURiTE TRACK TO RiDE? I like all the tracks I race but my favourite would have to be Motopark. It’s a fast dirt track with a lot of jumps. My second favourite is Walton. I don’t get to practice much on that track but both tracks are fun to ride.

WHAT iS YOUR fUNNiesT OR SCARiesT ROAD TRiP sTORY? One weekend when it was very rainy and windy, we decided to leave for Motopark to get there early to get a good camping spot. Once on the road the wind was so strong my parents were afraid that the trailer was going to blow over and take the truck with it. The wind even blew our stairs out several times on the way. After a long ride we made it and ended up getting a great spot.

WHAT GRADE ARE YOU iN AND WHAT iS YOUR FAVOURTiE SUBJEct? I am in Grade 8 and my favourite subjects are math and science. I find them easy and do well scoring 90% in both.

WHAT ADViCE WOUlD YOU GiVE OUR YOUNG RiDeRS WHO ARE COMiNG UP THROUGH THE RANKS AND WANT TO SUCCeeD? Stay focused and be nice to everyone – except once you’re on the line, that’s where friendships end.

Elbows up and make that line yours, and if you can’t make it yours, make a new line (this is my Dad’s voice in my head). Always make sure to congratulate the winner, even if you didn’t do so well yourself.

fiNAllY, WHO WOUlD YOU liKE TO THANK? I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity to be a part of MXPMAG.com, my Dad for getting me interested in riding anything with a motor at an early age, and my Mom, always having the trailer ready with food and fresh gear. I would also like to thank my sponsors: Trudel and Sons Roofing, Local 27, OG Optics and Mission Cycle for supporting me and my family and making it possible for me to meet my goals each year.

WHeRE DO YOU SeE YOURSelF iN fiVE YeARS? In five years I’ll be 18 so I see myself driving to the track with my music blasting and my bike in the rear view mirror. I for sure see myself moving up the ranks in the Women’s Nationals and staying at the top of my Ladies A class.

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THE MENTAL SIDE

BY SEAN POITRAS

GETTING ANSWERS THE MENTAL SKILLS WE USE ON THE TRACK ARE AS UNIQUE TO US AS THE INDIVIDUAL RACES THEMSELVES. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT DIFFERENT RIDERS WILL PREPARE FOR THE SAME RACE IN VERY DIFFERENT WAYS. WHAT ONE ATHLETE CONSIDERS A MENTAL STRENGTH MAY BE A MENTAL WEAKNESS TO ANOTHER. WITH THAT IN MIND WE WANTED TO HEAR SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU, OUR READERS, HAD FOR US IN REGARDS TO YOUR MENTAL SKILL SETS SURROUNDING YOUR RACE DAY PREPARATION AND EXPERIENCES.

Q: MY DAD ALWAYS TELLS ME TO FOCUS BEFORE A RACE AND DURING A RACE. WHAT SHOULD I FOCUS ON?

The idea of optimal focus for any task simply refers to the individual’s ability to control or attend to the appropriate thoughts as they pass through your mind. When talking about focus during a race or other high performance situation, we must also consider that the rider is working on controlling their thoughts under the added stress of being under pressure. Our minds become flooded with thoughts, some good and some bad. Some are relevant to the task at hand while others are unwanted, unnecessary and harmful to our performance.

To improve upon your focus you must identify which thoughts are useful and which thoughts are not.

An effective way to practice and strengthen your ability to focus on the right thoughts is with meditation, specifically performance imagery or visualization. We are blessed with powerful cognitive sensory abilities to create and re-create familiar situations in our minds. We can stop, pause and rewind these images at will, the same way a pro hockey team will review footage before a big game, with the exception of one major difference. Video footage

only allows you to view the action from the vantage point of the camera, and only provides the visual and sometimes auditory sensations of the event. Your mind is much more powerful than a camera and can provide a much more advantageous perspective of important factors of your performance.

First, your mind can visualize your own individual performance from your own first person visual perspective. More importantly, as you go through your own visualizations you are likely to encounter negative or otherwise useless thoughts.

These thoughts may simply distract your from your meditation, or create a cause for concern in your performance. This is an opportune time to practice your thought control. Allow yourself to push unwanted or unnecessary thoughts aside, and leave way for the productive and necessary ones which you know will help you perform to your fullest.

If you know that your focus or concentration needs to be on the timing of your turns and the clinching the throttle, there is little to no time to have any self-doubt or fear of failure. Practicing your thought control through tools like meditation or visualization is an effective way to master the skill of focusing.

Q: I LOVE LISTENING TO MUSIC BEFORE A RACE. CAN YOU TELL ME WHY MUSIC KEEPS ME CALM?

Music is a tool that many riders and other performers use during their pre-race routines and workouts. I too was intrigued by this question while completing my undergraduate degree, as I would listen to music often as a part of my preparation and routines. I made it the subject of my Honors thesis, titled The effects of listening to music during exercise: Real vs. perceived exertion.

Many athletes would report that while listening to music, their high intensity workout would seem easier when compared to sessions when they were not listening to music. We could attribute this effect to a number of neurological explanations in our brains including the release of dopamine, activation of multiple brain areas and structures, and even forcing both hemispheres to work together on a more dynamic level. However, one strong theory is that music has rhythm and can even be predictable, which provides us with a sense of control. When we listen to music we know and have heard before, it creates a sense of familiarity and trust, which is helpful for calming anxiety.

Q: SOMETIMES I GET REALLY MAD AFTER A BAD RACE. IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO OR THINK ABOUT TO KEEP ME FROM GETTING SO UPSET WITH MYSELF?

Anger is an emotion that is deeply rooted within the realm of competition and performance. When we compete against another person or group we are essentially comparing our personal or team skill sets to theirs. The outcome of the event objectively judges our performance and competence in the task. Anger is an ancient emotion controlled by an area in our brain called the amygdala.

From a functionalist viewpoint, we experience anger in response to a sense of helplessness or injustice in our environment. Anger can also be complementary to other emotions such as fear or regret.

After a bad race or poor performance we are often consumed with different emotions and thoughts, which can lead to feelings of anger and disappointment. The important thing to know about emotions is that we have more control over them than we think. Emotions are essentially responses to the experiences we encounter in our lives. We also know that our experiences can change based on the perspective we choose. In competition, as in life, we have very little control over the things that happen to us, especially the bad things. However, we do have 100% control over how we respond to the experiences we encounter. Choose to learn rather than be angry.

Choose to be motivated rather than be upset. Choose to be better tomorrow than you were today.

Q: IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO KEEP FROM MAKING DUMB MISTAKES DURING A RACE?

One thing you can do to immediately start helping yourself is to rephrase this question. Far too often I hear athletes and performers phrasing their questions and more importantly their self-talk this way. Asking me this question provides me with enough insight to know that your self-talk is hurting you rather than helping you. Our internal dialogue is an important part of our practice, our preparation and our race day performance.

We need to be very clear with ourselves from day one of training what we want to accomplish on race day, and not confuse ourselves with talking about what we don’t want to happen on race day. This is what is meant when you hear the term ‘positive self-talk.’ It refers to the goals you have set for yourself and the objectives you have identified as necessary to achieve them. Telling yourself to “keep from making dumb mistakes during the race” sets you up to make dumb mistakes during the race. As you are reading this, if I told you to not think about… a pink elephant… would I be surprised to hear that you just spent a split second thinking of and picturing a big pink elephant? The answer would be no, nor am I surprised when a rider claims that they constantly make the same mistakes after telling themselves over and over and over again not to make that same mistake. Make your self-talk work for you.

Make the words functional, instructional, and specific so when the time comes you will know exactly what to do.

Thank you for all of these great questions with regards to your mental game.

I love the opportunity to help athletes tackle new obstacles in their training or performances. Please continue to reach out with your great questions, because chances are if it is on your mind, it is likely on the mind of many other riders just like you.

80 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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2019-10-31 4:20 PM

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2019-10-28 10:40 AM

THE INSIDE LINE WITH ANDY WHITE

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

PHOTOS BY JAM E S LISSIMOR E

HEADING NORTH THE FINAL ROUND OF THE TRIPLE CROWN SX TOUR WAS HELD IN HAMILTON, ONTARIO THIS PAST WEEKEND, AND I MADE MY WAY THERE TO WATCH IN PERSON. THE ENTIRE TRIPLE CROWN 450 PRO CHAMPIONSHIP WITH THE BIG PAYOUT WAS STILL ON THE LINE. PHIL NICOLETTI HAD A 27-POINT LEAD ON LAST YEAR’S WINNER COLE THOMPSON. THE SX TOUR SEGMENT WAS STILL UP FOR GRABS, TOO.

G

oing into the last round it was Nicoletti’s championship. All Phil had to do was show up and qualify.

I wasn’t sure if Phil would go for the win or just ride for the 100k payout. If anybody knows Phil, he wasn’t just going to ride around and collect the cash.

He put on a great show and proved he was the best 450 rider in the 2019 series. This got me thinking about our series and the riders that are competing in Canada. I get asked by plenty of US riders, “Is the series any good up there? Are the tracks any good? Does it pay? Are there any teams that would sign me to a deal?” Here is what I tell them, “Well, the series is healthy, the payout is solid, the tracks are demanding and there are only a handful of real teams.” I tell them to ask a few riders that have raced the series to see what they have to say. Here’s the running

list of riders I hand them: Millsaps, Decotis, Nicoletti, Metcalfe, Sleeter, Keefer, Klatt, Facciotti, Renzland and the list goes on and on.

Why do some of the top riders come to Canada when they could still get support in the US? Perfect example would be Phil Nicoletti. He has ridden for some really good teams like Factory Husqvarna and JGR Racing. The year before Phil came up to Canada he had a fill-in ride on the Factory Husky 450; I believe he finished in the top 5 at a few rounds. Was there a ride for Phil or was it time to look somewhere else?

I am pretty sure he had options. He could have stayed in the US and had a good season on a solid team with good equipment and a small paycheque.

As you know, he went north and signed with OTSFF Yamaha. This team is privately owned with support from Yamaha Canada. They have a good solid background with lots of wins. The

team owner is motivated and wants to win. The crew on the team takes it very seriously and it shows when you walk by their set up. So why did Phil commit to the Canadian series for two years?

I think in his position he was looking for a team that he could call home for a few years. I also feel that he has figured out that a nice paycheque and solid bonus money are a wise choice when you have been at this sport as long as he has. He could be back in the states fighting for a fifth or so or he could be in Canada fighting for a championship. I think I would take the second option, too. Winning races is the best feeling in the world. Standing on top of the podium with that number one plate in your hand must feel like you’re in a dream. You could tell as Nicoletti crossed the finish line in Hamilton that he had done it! His body language showed it! On the podium you could tell it was a lot of work to win a championship. Solid effort paid off, and now Phil goes home with a nice 100k bonus from the series plus a team bonus and a few other ones too.

Now it’s the off season, riders’

“SOLID EFFORT PAID OFF, AND NOW PHIL GOES HOME WITH A NICE 100K BONUS FROM THE SERIES PLUS A TEAM BONUS AND A FEW OTHER ONES TOO.” contracts are up and teams are looking for the next future champions. If you are tired of getting roosted and battling for a top 10? Maybe it’s time to head north and try to win a championship?

If you have a structure and you know how to twist the throttle, you are in that group who could walk away with a nice payday.

Next on the schedule is AMA supercross. I know I am looking forward to another good race season. There have been a lot of changes in the past couple of months. You might want to check out the media sites and see who is on what team going into the 2020 season. Enjoy the off season and make sure you are ready for round one of the 2020 Triple Crown Series. Who knows, you might win a 100k!

82 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM

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POWERING NEW LEGENDS

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“I demand a lot of myself and my equipment. I know that, to be a champion, only the best will do and I place my trust in the KTM 125 SX. It’s a proven race-winning machine, so it’s now up to me to get the rest done.”

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Congratulations to Colton Facciotti, Dylan Wright and the entire Honda Canada GDR Fox Racing Team for their victories on the track and another great season.

Colton Facciotti, 1st, 2019 450 Motocross Champion on the CRF450R

Dylan Wright, 1st, 2019 250 Motocross Champion on the CRF250R

CHAMPIONSHIPS

Speak louder than words.

Photo credit: James Lissimore

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