CANADA’S SOURCE FOR MOTOCROSS AND OFF-ROAD
THE 2017 MXON T H E J O U R N E Y
41831514
DECEMBER 2017 $4.95
C O N T I N U E S
LUCKY 13 FOR TEAM CANADA
THE THREE AMIGOS!
WARD, WATLING, CANNELLA
RACING RETURNS
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M A RV I N MU S Q U I N
FUSE AIR RIVE T W E N T Y_ E I G H T E E N
T H E F I R S T. T H E F O R E V E R .
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CONGRATULATIONS TEAM CANADA COLTON FACCIOTTI, SHAWN MAFFENBEIER AND TYLER MEDAGLIA ON ANOTHER GREAT YEAR AT MXON
THANK YOU
TO ALL THE TEAM MARIN BIKE PROS FOR ANOTHER AMAZING YEAR AT THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF THE CMRC ROCKSTAR MOTOCROSS NATIONALS!
COLTON FACCIOTTI, SHAWN MAFFENBEIER, MIKE ALESSI, TYLER MEDAGLIA, KYLE CHISHOLM, KAVEN BENOIT, COLE THOMPSON, KYLE KEAST, TIM TREMBLEY, DYLAN WRIGHT, JESS PETTIS, NATHAN BLES, JEREMY MEDAGLIA, MARCO CANNELLA, WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO TEAM HONDA CANADA, GDR, FOX RACING & THE ROYAL DISTRIBUTING, MOTOVAN, PILLER’S TEAM PRESENTED BY HUBER MOTORSPORTS!
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M O T O C R O S S P E R F O R M A N C E // V O L U M E 17, I S S U E 5
MX P C O N T E N T S F E AT U R E S 38
TE A M C A N A DA G O ES TO ENGL AND
Lucky 13 for Canada. 48
THE THREE AMIGOS
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B R AW L I N G I N B A J A
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ONE ON ONE W I T H D AV E Y F R A S E R
Cannella, Ward, Watling are fast friends. Palms heads to the 2017 Baja Brawl.
Andy White speaks to this east coast hero. 68
YA M A H A C A N A D A R I D E D AY
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R O A D T R I P P I N G I N J A PA N
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TH E TOU GH EST TR AC K I N C A N A DA
Riding with the Blu Cru.
Lawrence Hacking visits the land of the rising sun.
Canadian legends return to ride the famous Austin track. 82
GETTING SUSPENSION VO LUM E 2
Mike Haist takes us through testing for Supercross. 86
M X P C H AT T E R WITH MARK BOOKER
Palms sits down with the owner of Team Holeshot Motosports.
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FA M O U S L A S T W O R D S
Colton Facciotti continues his journey.
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GUEST COLUMN
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UPSHIFT
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FROM THE DESK OF
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E V O LV E D N U T R I T I O N
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INSIDE LINE
GEARING UP
Thomas Munro tells us why he loves racing dirt bikes.
COLUMNS
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C OV E R S T O RY
YO U N G A N D O N T H E R I S E
12 22 92
by Chris Pomeroy
with Ryan Lockhart with Brian Koster Mark Stallybrass
by Drew Robertson with Andy White
SPECIALS EXPOSED CAUGHT ON CA MER A GEARING UP
10 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM
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GREETINGS Photo by James Lissimore Marco Cannella introduces himself to everyone at Round 10.
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FLYING HIGH Photo by James Lissimore Shawn Maffenbeier flies high through the damp English air.
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BATTLE OF BRITAIN Photo by James Lissimore Max Anstie had the ride of his life in front of his hometown fans.
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MILLION DOLLAR MAN Photo by Frank Hoppen Marvin Musquin reaches for the stars after hitting the jackpot in Vegas.
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MUD SCRAPERS
WHEEL SEALS & BEARINGS
MXP MAGAZINE
SHOWA SFF AIR TAC GLIDE KIT
MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE VOLUME 17 ISSUE 5
FOR SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES CALL SUBSCRIPTIONS: 416-635-MXP1 PUBLISHER: Charles Stancer/Mark Stallybrass V.P. OF SALES AND MARKETING: Charles Stancer EDITOR: Chris Pomeroy SALES MANAGER: Al Jaggard SENIOR WRITERS: Brian Koster, Brent Worrall, Mike McGill SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR: Blake Breton STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: James Lissimore CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: James Lissimore, Drew Robertson, Brian Koster, Virgil Knapp, Leticia Cline, Andy White, Matt Wellumson, Kourtney Lloyd, Krystyn Slack CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Krystyn Slack, Virgil Knapp, Clayton Racicot, James Lissimore, Bill Petro, Matt Wellumson, Frank Hoppen, Hoppenworld, Summer Denzler, Matt Wellumson, Steve Dutcheshen COVER PHOTO: Cory Walters
MXP has the exclusive rights to the CMRC’s mailing list of racing license holders. Every CMRC license holder from coast to coast receives and reads each issue of MXP. In addition to this exclusive list of readers, we are partnered with several motocross and off-road enthusiast organizations across the country including the FMSQ.
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Even Allan Brown made an appearance in England. Big hats were obviously in style this year at the MXON. September was summertime in England.
Sometimes in England you just have to stand around and wait for something to happen.
The Goat gets ready to spin some laps at Matterley Basin.
The fans in England wore many faces.
Maff and Robin try to stay warm under the Canadian tent.
The chainsaw game was strong at Matterley Basin.
France’s flags were blowing strong all weekend long.
Scenery doesn’t get much better than this.
Popping smoke in England.
It was a battle of the flags in the stands.
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THE JOURNEY BEGINS HERE
FOXRACING.COM/CA FOLLOW US: @FOXRACINGCANADA
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Dean Wilson emptied the tank during the final moto.
Maff was happy to drive from the wrong side.
The home team was all smiles after the race.
The podium was a special place after the 2017 MXON.
Zach Osborne had the best painted helmet in the paddock.
The Union Jack has never looked so good.
Is there even film in this camera?
After the race it was time to celebrate.
Newf was on hand to make sure everyone was braced.
We’re not even sure what this is?
Tim Gajser surveys the metal starting gates.
JT$ and Steve Matthes were enjoying their time in England.
24 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE ¡ MXPMAG.COM
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W HE AT K INGS A ND PRE T T Y THINGS WITH CHRIS POMEROY I PHOTO BY JAMES LISSIMORE
’m not completely sure when most Editors sit down to write their column for each of their magazine issues, but for me, I always save it for my final piece of writing. I find this works best as it allows me to reflect on the cool stories and the massive amount of work that goes into each issue of MXP Magazine. In this case, I’m especially glad I waited as moments before I sat down to compose this column I heard the news that Gord Downie, lead singer of the Tragically Hip, passed away. As with most people my age in Canada, the Hip’s music has eloquently provided a soundtrack for over half of my life. Over the years, some of their songs have timestamped selected events that have happened to me, so much so that when I hear a particular song by them, I’m instantly transported to a place and time. I know I’m not alone with regards to the power of the Hip’s music as for over 30 years their songs have told some classic Canadian stories. Like the sport of hockey or the maple leaf, the Tragically Hip is as Canadian as they come, and Gord Downie will be greatly missed. My first encounter with the Hip’s music came in the spring of 1991 while I was still in high school. Prior to that, my musical taste was still a little
“IF I HAD TO PICK ONE, OR MAYBE TWO, I WOULD SAY THAT I NEVER GET TIRED OF LISTENING TO “SCARED” OR “BOBCAYGEON.” RIP GORD, AND THANKS FOR THE MUSIC.”
F A M O U S
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more 1980s rock so I had never really taken the time to stop and listen to any of the Hip’s songs. However, during that time I was in comeback mode as I was attempting to return to racing after my broken femur from the year before. Even though I was lucky enough to have healed quite quickly from my injury, and was actually able to race three times before the 1990 season had ended, I was still very nervous about returning to full-time racing. I was still in high school so I had some classes to attend each day of the week. But, when I wasn’t at school I was out riding, lap after lap, practice session after practice session, just trying to get my timing back. At the time, I was lucky enough to have a small group of friends from school that were right beside me helping with my comeback. They would come out and run the stopwatch while I practiced, and we also did some training off the bike as well. Every time we drove somewhere it seemed like the Tragically Hip was playing on the radio. Their top selling album, Road Apples, was out then so every day we rocked to songs like “Three Pistols” and “Little Bones.” I’m not sure why, but looking back I remember what a cool time that was, and also how the Hip’s music in a way helped me come back from the worst injury of my life. After that I was a Tragically Hip fan and was lucky enough to even see them once in a concert, although it was before they were really popular and they actually opened for Rush at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1992. So many good memories from so many great songs. My favourite Hip song? If I had to pick one, or maybe two, I would say that I never get tired of listening to “Scared” or “ Bobcaygeon.” RIP Gord, and thanks for the music. Looking at this issue of MXP Magazine, I must say that I’m very proud of the content we’ve been able to put together. With Colton Facciotti on the cover and a massive 2017 MXoN story, like the Tragically Hip, we were also able to tell our own true Canadian story. We also have Ryan Lockhart as this month’s Guest Columnist, Drew Robertson talking about how important it is to stay fit as we get older, and Mark Stallybrass writing his final column for us. As you may know, Mark has done a deal with Justin Thompson of Jetwerx to sell the CMRC and SPI (the Pro Nationals) and all that goes with it. After 28 years of leading the charge of bettering Canadian motocross, Mark is now going to take a step back and pursue other interests. Thanks Mark for everything, and the sport of motocross in Canada thanks you! I hope you enjoy this issue, and I hope you had a safe season at the race track.
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C ANADIAN PRIDE WITH RYAN LOCKHART orking in the industry has its perks. I have been with Atlas Brace now for just a little over five years and have learned to wear a lot of different hats. I guess you could say my main job is Sales, but I also deal closely with a lot of our Canadian and International Athletes. With our International Athletes most of our dealings is done by email, but it is always nice to try to meet up with them at least once a year to say hi and interact with them, as well as come to an agreement moving forward with Atlas. I have experienced the Motocross of Nation back in 2007 at Budds Creek (Can you believe that was 10 years ago??) and always thought, “Wow that was the best race I have ever been to,” but I always heard the MXON in Europe was next level and was something I needed to check off my bucket list. Well, no better time to experience it than 2017 at Matterly Basin. It was an opportunity to visit out European guys, plus two of the three guys on Team Canada are Atlas guys so it was perfect timing. On Wednesday, September 27th, myself and my boss, Brad McLean, hopped on the plane for the long flight to London (9 hours direct) only to arrive the next day. Upon arrival to the track, the three guys were out putting laps in and all looked great. Maff looking better than ever, Colt … well, being Colt, smooth and effortless, and Tyler being a bulldog like always. The team atmosphere was relaxed and everyone was smiling and happy. It was also cool to chat with the two youth ambassadors Jake Tricco and Jake Piccolo and get their thoughts on what they were taking in and how you could see it in their eyes how badly they wished they were riding. You can only imagine how bad two of the fastest amateurs our country has produced wanted to be out there, and it was killing them to be standing along the fence watching. Either way it was a great experience for these two, and it really showed them the preparation and organizing it takes to get to this level. It won’t be long before these kids will be men and will be in the position to represent Team Canada. After some much needed rest we were off to the track early Friday Morning. I had a bag full of 2018 Atlas Braces that needed to be handed out to our riders. This race would be the launch of the 2018 braces, and I was excited to chat with our Athletes
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“IT WAS ALSO COOL TO CHAT WITH THE TWO YOUTH AMBASSADORS JAKE TRICCO AND JAKE PICCOLO AND GET THEIR THOUGHTS ON WHAT THEY WERE TAKING IN AND HOW YOU COULD SEE IT IN THEIR EYES HOW BADLY THEY WISHED THEY WERE RIDING.”
and catch up. Things were pretty quiet around the pits on Friday, which is nice when you have a job to do. The track was absolutely beautiful, with massive jumps, loamy dirt and the greenest grass I have ever seen surrounding the track. It was really something to see. The lineup of motorhomes and people coming into the event to camp had to be a few miles long, and you could feel the excitement in the air. Friday was a fairly short day for me as the weather was not great, but I was able to meet up with my riders right away and get accomplished what was needed. The format is something I always find interesting at the MXON. Each class (MXGP, MX2 and OPEN) each get a one-hour long practice, so it’s fun for me to watch the riders learn the track and get comfortable. It was apparent from the get-go that Team France was going to be the favourites coming in, but with how everything played out this year with injuries and riders opting out of the event, there were a handful of teams with a legit shot. The qualifiers started and the racing was awesome. The track and weather worked out perfectly. Osborne’s ride in MX2 was unbelievable and there was no doubt in my mind that he could carry the other two Americans on his shoulders to the victory on Sunday if the cards fell into place. Herlings winning the Open qualifier by 20 plus seconds was no joke, and I personally think he is the fastest dirt bike rider in the world right now. Canadians were solid, Colton had a good ride going but fell, Maff was really good, and Tyler was all heart. The team qualified 15th straight into the A final for Sunday. Waking up Sunday morning, I was quick to realize that everything I witnessed and predictions I made were totally thrown out the window. It poured rain all night, and arriving at the track it was a complete mess. The track was super muddy and the clouds in the sky showed that it was going to be a wet day. The most impressive thing I saw out of the whole event was how good the Euros can ride the mud. Wow, I just couldn’t believe how good these guys were. I guess it’s a little more common in Europe for mud races and it showed. The races were a bit on the boring side since it was a bit of a survival race, and keeping goggles on was the toughest task of the day. Riders were making pit stops for fresh goggles and gloves only to head back out and have them off one lap later. Regardless of the racing the atmosphere was ridiculous. Fans wrapped in their countries flags, face paint, air horns, chainsaws, beer drinking and well over 45,000 people. It was incredible to see and something I will remember for a long time. Team France smoked everyone, which was expected, and the Canadians probably would have liked to have a little better of a day but they tried their hearts out. Their consistent finishes gave them 13th overall. I have to think on a dry track the team had the potential to finish well inside of the top 10. All in all, it was a great trip and I’m already thinking about Red Bud next year. Thanks for reading.
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U NTIL WE MEET AGAIN WITH BRIAN KOSTER ith the 2017 Pro Nationals in the books and the 25th Anniversary season behind us, it was a time of refection for some of us who have worked the tour for many years. So much has changed as far as sponsors, venues, formats, teams, riders and even event staff, but one thing remains constant is the great on-track motocross racing action. And 2017 just may have been the pinnacle of phenomenal ontrack antics from a whole host of amazing MX1 and MX2 riders. The MX of Nations had us as a nation on high alert as our three chosen ones soldiered across the pond to do battle amongst the world’s best. What an honour that’s bestowed upon our athletes to represent Canada on the world stage of MX, and it’s so great to have a properly funded and supported team to root on. The Monster Cup was over the past weekend; although we had no Canadians to cheer on in the million-dollar class, it was a highly entertaining spectacle none the less. The weather as usual in Vegas was perfect, and it was a perfect storm for Marvin Musquin taking the sweep, cleaning up and leaving Las Vegas a million dollars richer. The drama was high and the ever-humble Musquin was a deserving winner, and I think it was really good for the event to have the million-dollar purse won again. It was tough waking up at 6:30am on des Nations day and driving an hour to my buddy Brent’s place to watch Team Canada race live and arrive to see what a rainy, blustery day it was in England. It looked quite miserable with the flags bent over and the raindrops on pretty much all the television camera lenses. It was a tough day for all the riders, and I was proud of our team for making the A final and for persevering on a gnarly and technical track come race day. The mud looked ridiculously sticky, and visibility was a humungous factor with many of the world’s best having to pit for fresh goggles. All three of our riders had some issues in every moto, but they did their very best and had to suffer through collisions, crashes, rain, rocks and mud in
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U P S H I F T
“WE HAVE SEEN CHAMPIONS FALL AND CHAMPIONS RISE, WE HAVE SEEN BRIGHT LIGHTS THAT FADE AS FAST AS THEIR SHINE, AND DAVIDS WHO HAVE BEAT GOLIATHS.”
the eyes, creating a less than ideal circumstance. Tyler, Colton and Shawn are all heroes in my eyes! I could probably fill several magazines with stories and memories of the past eighteen years working across the country on the Pro tour. So many good times that it’s almost impossible to put into context really, from simple group dinners, to all night after parties, to delayed or cancelled flights and brokendown vehicles; a lot has gone down. The cast of characters that have come and gone both on and off the track has been entertaining the say the least, as well as those few whom have remained constant throughout all these years. There have been many great riders, ex-US factory stars, and an entire cast of mechanics who are usually just as wild and crazy as the riders themselves, if not more. We have seen team owners and managers of all stripes, some have faded away from the sport while others have propelled themselves to great heights within the industry both at home and abroad. There has been conflict as well as bliss and everything in between, but the show always goes on. There has been sickness and even death yet the show still goes on. I’m not even going to talk about injuries because that is just a given in most sports but I don’t think any more prevalent than in our sport of motocross. We have seen both the thankful and the thankless, ones who appreciate and others who are chronic complainers, never satisfied no matter the circumstance. We have seen champions fall and champions rise, we have seen bright lights that fade as fast as their shine, and Davids who have beat Goliaths. Some have made a lot of money and some have lost a lot of money, while some are just happy to be. Some are held in high esteem and others, well not so much, but therein lies the beauty. Everyone involved has their own individual take on a given situation or person, and that is each own’s right. Its comical to hear someone talk trash about a person for years and years and have that same trash talker finally converse with that person and say “Hey, he’s actually a really good guy.” We all have the right to trash talk if that’s your thing, but it’s funny when one simple meeting can dissolve years of a preconceived notion of an individual. I think it’s good to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and a second or even third chance, but after that…well let the chips fall where they may. The bottom line is we are all open to have our own opinions…just as long as mine is the correct one (just kidding). But seriously, there have been so many awesome personalities that have come and gone and I wish all those who spent time being a part of the Canadian scene all the best! Some may like me and others may not but no one can take away how many hours, how much sacrifice, as well as dedication I have poured into Canadian Motocross. I am far from alone in this sacrifice and dedication, and to those of you who have, I offer my thanks.
PHOTOS BY JAMES LISSIMORE
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BY CHRIS POMEROY | PHOTOS BY JAMES LISSIMORE
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hen talking about Colton Facciotti’s long and successful career, it’s hard to pin point which moment stands out as his best. You could talk about the first time he won a MX1 national moto in 2007, his first of four MX1 titles a year later, or you could just talk about how he’s been able to remain at the top of his game for over a decade, despite multiple injuries and team changes. Not since Ross Pederson and Jean Sebastien Roy have we witnessed a rider with the tenacity and durability of Colton Facciotti. This is why, when the day comes that Facciotti decides to hang up his boots and call it a career, we will look back on his racing career with the utmost admiration, and he will go down in history as one of the best riders this country has ever produced. Heading into 2017, Colton Facciotti was looking for a little redemption in the Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals. After a very difficult 2016 campaign, Colton played not only a big second fiddle to Davi Millsaps but also suffered some injuries that caused him to retire from the series early. However, after a very productive off-season, which saw Colton and his GDR Honda Team record a large amount of testing hours on their all-new 2017 CRF450R, they were able to come out swinging at Round 1 in Kamloops this past summer. On a dry and whooped out Whispering Pines track, Colton was able to come from behind during Moto 2 and finish in a very impressive second place, logging the fastest lap time in the process. It was a promising beginning to really what was a make or break season for the multi-time Canadian Champion. With the opening round now in the rearview mirror, Colton and his team turned their attention to Round 2 at the newest track of the 2017 series in Prince George, BC. With so little known about the Blackwater circuit in Prince George, bike set up was based mostly on track condition hear say and guessing how it would turn out. The consensus on the Blackwater track was that it was going to end up being hard packed and slippery come race day. But with cool temperatures and rain on Saturday, the track turned out to be anything but hard packed and slippery. When all was said and done, Colton finished third overall with decent lap times, but he was a little off the pace of the two leaders, Christophe Pourcel and Matt Goerke. With years of experience obviously under his belt, Colton knew that in the opening rounds of the MX1 series, the most important thing to try do was not make a big mistake that could put himself far behind in the points race. The last five MX1 Champions have all come out of the opening
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“ W H EN H E I S CO M F O RTA B L E WITH HIS M AC H I N E A N D W I T H T H E T R AC K , V E RY FE W R I D E RS A R E C A PA B L E O F B E AT I N G H I M .”
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“H E A D I N G I N T O 2 017, C O LT O N FAC C I O T T I WA S LOOKING FOR A LIT TLE REDEMPTION IN THE R O C K S TA R E N E R GY D R I N K M X N AT I O N A L S .”
four western rounds in good shape and have entered the second half of the series inside the top three in points. Throughout the western rounds, Colton remained consistent and close to the leaders. Unfortunately for him, he picked up a stomach virus just prior to Round 4 in Regina and wasn’t able to eat all weekend long. The result was a gutsy but very hard to swallow (in more ways than one) 5-8 moto scores and a lot of lost points. This was the last thing that Colton and his 2017 Championship hopes needed after just four races, but he left Regina with the knowledge that once the MX1 series headed east, anything could happen. As his GDR Honda’s hometown race approached, at the toughest track in Canada, Gopher Dunes Raceway, Colton was still feeling the effects of his illness just two short weeks prior. During that 14-day break, Colton wasn’t able to train or ride as much as he normally would. However, as Round 5 got underway, Colton was able to get the boost of energy he needed from having his wife and two kids on the sidelines cheering him on. With their home just a mere 20 minutes away in Aylmer, Ontario, Colton’s family served as the inspiration he needed to walk away with his best ride of the series. With sickness still oozing from his pores, Colton put on a riding display on the rough Gopher Dunes track to win the first moto in front of not just his family but also his Honda Canada bosses as well. With zero energy left in his body, he only managed an eighth in Moto 2 and a distant fourth overall on the day. Although it wasn’t exactly the overall finish Colton was looking for, his first moto win in two years was great for his confidence. As the 2017 MX1 series continued its journey east to Quebec and then the Maritimes, Colton took the overall victory at Round 6 in stunning fashion.
Like his opening moto win a week earlier at Gopher Dunes, Colton’s Round 6 overall victory was his first in twenty-four months. However, during the following two rounds in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Colton once again struggled with bike set-up, as well as poor starts. This resulted in more lost points and yet another hole to climb out of. Throughout his career, Colton always had the ability to bounce back and never give up. Now, he needed to dig deep during the final two rounds of the series. When he is comfortable with his machine and with the track, very few riders are capable of beating him. This was very evident at the final two rounds of the 2017 MX1 series as Colton won three of the final four motos. At Round 9 in Quebec, Colton won both motos on the sandy Deschambault track, and a week later at the final round in Barrie, he won the opening moto of the day on his way to third overall in the 2017 series. Obviously, with the season beginning with dreams of a MX1 title, third overall was not exactly what Colton was looking for, but with his mid-season illness and two very fast riders finishing in front of him, third overall was definitely a result he and his team could be proud of. With the 2017 CMRC Nationals complete, Colton turned his attention to the Monster Energy MXON in England. It had been two years since Colton was part of Team Canada at this event, so you can imagine how excited he was to represent his country. This James Lissimore cover photo is of Colton as he flew through the wet British air at the MXON. Colton and the rest of Team Canada travelled over to England with high hopes of improving on their 2016 tenth overall finish, but after Mother Nature dumped a boat load of rain onto the Matterley Basin track, Team Canada struggled in the mud and was unable to find
their traction. In the end, the team battled to 13th overall against the world’s best riders, a finish that on one hand wasn’t exactly what they were looking for, but on the other wasn’t too bad. Colton and his team served Canada proud and left England with their heads held high. With the 2017 season now history, Colton and his GDR Honda Team now turn their attention to next season. With a year under their belt with the next generation CRF450, the team should be much better prepared for the 2018 MX1 series. However, with more and more talented riders wanting to head north to compete in our series, Colton will have to continue to refine his race craft so he can try to win at least one more MX1 Championship. Colton is already in elite company as far as the best Canadian riders to ever line up at the gate, but we’re sure he wants to win one more MX1 title before calling it a career. As we’ve witnessed so many times over the years, Colton is capable of doing whatever he puts his mind to.
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2017 MXON
It’s Lucky 13 for Team Canada BY TYLER MEDAGLIA PHOTOS BY JAMES LISSIMORE
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Prior to Sunday’s race, the team had an awesome mid-week practice session.
It’s Luc for Team Canad MXON_17.05.indd 3
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First off, I am honoured to have been chosen to represent Canada for the sixth time. At the Calgary National in the Blackfoot Inn, members of the Canadian team and the media took part in a meeting to discuss the event, logistics, fundraising and a bunch of other stuff concerning the event. We knew the choice was going to be made shortly after the Gopher Dunes National, and I heard that the first choice for the team originally was to send the same team from the previous year (Myself, Benoit and Li’l Muff). With Kaven injuring his ankle and struggling with it, we knew that he might not be ready in time for the race, then he had an internal injury after a crash at his home national. ne day I received a text asking if I would like to be the MX3 Open rider for the MXoN. Even though I have been chosen a bunch of times, it still feels good to receive a text like that. My riding continued to improve throughout the season, and my last moto of the CMRC Nationals was a second-place finish, the same as my first moto of the national series. Ending the season on a good note gives one confidence going into any other race in the off-season, including the
O
des Nations. Personally, it makes me more comfortable going into the big races knowing that I belong there, and coming into this year’s race I felt ready. Luckily, my wife's sister's husband, Ryan, is an Air Canada pilot, and once I told him of my flight plans, he told me to strongly consider upgrading to first class since Rouge only flies to the Gatwick airport and the regular seats are really tight. I’ve learned that if you fly overseas to race you have to be comfortable on the flight over or else you end up being a zombie for two
days, and that’s time wasted. I forgot about the helicopter ride until we got there. We all were ready to get a rental car, but then a guy picked us up who had the riders’ and mechanics’ names down and he took us for a short drive to a small airport to take a helicopter to the island of Portland (where we stayed in the castle). It was a fun little 45-minute chopper ride in and out of the clouds, seeing the
country side and the coast of England. From there we went to the castle and met up with Sasha and the Germans, who were helping us out at the event with the rig and hospitality, etc. The first thing I like to do is find a local cafe that has good coffee and breakfast, so a group of us took a walk after getting situated in our rooms at the castle. Luckily, it was like a 2 Km walk through this old town to a quaint little
2017 MXON
ucky 13 ada
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Just as they did last year, Team Canada had some pretty awesome accommodations in England.
2017 M
It’s Lucky for Team Canada Colton was all smiles prior to the arrival of bad weather.
Just as they did last year, Team Canada had some pretty awesome accommodations in England. 42 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM
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Inside the team’s castle, there was more than enough room for everyone to hang out.
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family restaurant with good food (and homemade desserts). On top of that, we had a chef at the castle who cooked for us every day. It’s basically full-on superstar treatment. Kibby and I went on our annual expedition to check some of the cool things around after he got the bike fully dialled for our first day of practice/ testing. We heard that the track we had booked to practice a couple of times before the race was quite similar to the actual race track in Matterley, and it turned out to be true minus the jumps that were forty times bigger at the event. With any event of this magnitude, the parking and getting in is al-
ways a pain in the ass. Sometimes you wait in the vehicle for hours, sometimes you have to walk for 5 Km, and once you’re in the pits, there isn’t even room to fart let alone get one more vehicle in there. I try to visualize the track by itself as if I were the only one there, and block out everything around the property, picturing the track two weeks after the event with no banners, people, rigs, signs, horns or smoke bombs, so that I don’t get intimidated by the surroundings and take it for what it is. You can cut the energy in the air with a knife. It’s very heavy and it comes from every direction, so you have to have thick skin if you’re not
used to riding in that kind of environment because it honestly makes an AMA National feel like a local provincial race. Even with all the visualization and focus, I still went out in practice and was trying too hard, holding on too tight and making mistakes on all my heater laps, including falling in the very last turn after nailing the entire track. After that, I knew my bike was good and I would be fine to race at my full potential, but then I had to do a start on a metal grate that I have never done before. Roman Febvre started beside me, and his holeshot device was set so low that his front tire was maybe three inches from touching the fender, basi-
Team Canada had a great set up in England.
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Unfortunately, after all of the rain it turned the Matterley Basin circuit into a muddy mess.
2017 MXON
It’s Lucky 13 for Team Canada cally bottoming out the forks. He then started to heat up his tire like it was a cement start, and by this point I was so confused that I almost forget to start my bike. I got out of the gate well but this guy on the other side of me almost looped out, and his bar came down on my bicep, kind of jacking up my start. I came around in a decent position and climbed up to 14th. I was feeling confident with my speed and endurance, and moved forward the whole race. It’s always nice to have no issue getting into the A main. You have the peace of mind that you have a couple practices before you get on the track on Sunday, and you can watch the B main, see where the starts are coming from and how the track shapes up.
Practice was pretty muddy so it was good to get out and feel what the dirt was going to feel like and deal with mist in your eyes. The mist never stopped…all day! The first moto was still pretty muddy for the MX1/MX2 guys, and people were pulling off left, right and centre to get new goggles or adjust something. It was wild, I’ve never seen so many pits-stops in one race. The boys had a couple issues in the first moto but never quit and kept charging, even after some crashes that were almost unavoidable. After seeing the first five guys on the start almost get half a track lead after one lap because of how hard it was to see, I knew that I was going to have to go for it on the start. I realized why they set their holeshot devices so low:
During the week, the team went and did some very cool sight seeing.
Team Canada was a close knit group in England.
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Team Canada 2017.
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It’s Lucky 13 for Team Canada Like I said before, this race is extremely hard to have everything go your way, because there are so many fast riders going flat out
Even in the deep mud, Shawn Maffenbeier did his best in the MX2 class.
a) the smaller guys can touch b) there is tons of traction, and c) you almost jump out of the start, and when the wheel hits the ground it pops out the device really quickly (if it’s not low enough). So, I had a mid-pack start and had Tommy Searle a couple bike lengths behind me for 30 minutes. I knew it was him because the crowd was so loud everywhere I was on the track, but he sniped me on the last lap when I moved over for Herlings (I didn’t want to be the guy who got in the way on the last lap for the race win). When we got back to the pits it was a quick transition to get into new gear, get everything cleaned up, and also replenish myself with as much food as I could get in. In the second moto, I had another mid-pack start. I was in a good position and had a pretty big crash on Lap 3 or 4 that set me back a bit, but I caught back
up and fell again and again. Then I started yelling at myself to get my act together, so for the last four laps I made a handful of passes, including two on the last lap. We ended up 13th but we definitely had a top ten in us. Like I said before, this race is extremely hard to have everything go your way, because there are so many fast riders going flat out that it’s pure chaos out there and any mistake you make is always amplified. In conclusion, I absolutely love this race. It’s so intense and nerve wracking that you want it to be done as soon as possible, but as soon as it’s done, you want it to happen again the next weekend. I truly believe that Team Canada is on the brink of its best ever result, and I badly want to be a part of that before I stop racing pro motocross.
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THE THREE AMIGOS BY MIKE MCGILL
PHOTOS BY JAMES LISSIMORE
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personally don’t follow the amateur scene all that much, but I’ve seen the seen these kids race and have been truly impressed by their speed and professionalism on the track. I’ve also heard that they are all good friends off the track as well, which surprised me a little bit, since on-track rivalries usually lead to off-track tensions. I decided to give all three of them a call to find out what was going on with them and what exactly their plans are for the coming season.
Tanner Ward HOMETOWN: Woodstock, Ontario AGE: 18 SCHOOL: Done
Austin Watling HOMETOWN: Corunna, Ontario AGE: 18 SCHOOL: Done
When did you start racing and how did you get into it?
Next year, 2018, promises to be an interesting season in the world of Pro Motocross in Canada. One of the main reasons for this will be the emergence of three highly rated young prospects into the MX2 class. Woodstock, Ontario’s Tanner Ward, Corunna, Ontario’s Austin Watling and Marco Canella, who hails from Waterdown, Ontario, are all making the move from Intermediate to the Pro class next season, and if the hype surrounding these youngsters materializes into anything close to what has been predicted, the racing between the three of them should be fantastic.
Tanner: My Dad and my older brothers were into it. That’s how I got into it. I got my first PW50 when I was two-and-a-half, I think, and my Dad got me started by riding around in a field by my house. I actually had my first race when I was three. It was a TVR (Thames Valley Riders) race at a track near Granton, Ontario. It’s not there anymore and I don’t really remember much about it. I was three. Austin: My Mom and Dad were into trail riding, even before I was born. When I was four they got me a bike and I started riding. I did my first race when I was five at a track just outside of Grand Bend, and shortly after that I met the Thompsons. I started riding with them a lot and they really helped me out. Marco: My Dad got me my first bike when I was three - a PW50 with training wheels on it. I would drive it around all over the place in the snow and everything. I still actually have it. I just rode it over to my neighbour’s house the other day. I took off the training wheels, though. I first raced on the PW when I was five, just for fun. I believe it was a Steel City Riders Club Race and things just progressed from there. My Dad had a good friend who was really into dirt bikes and we would go with him to watch the races at Gopher Dunes. That’s what really got me interested in racing.
Marco Canella HOMETOWN: Waterdown, Ontario AGE: 17 SCHOOL: Currently completing Grade 12
How did things go for you this season?
Tanner: It went way better than expected. I had a lot more fun this year, and I think that was because I didn’t really put a lot of pressure on myself. In past years I was guilty of putting too much pressure on myself, and that took away from the fun that I was having. I decided this year that I was just going to go out there and ride, try to learn as much as I could and have some fun. I decided rather than do the American Amateur Nationals thing this season I would ride Pro Am in the East Coast portion of the CMRC Nationals in the MX2 class. That turned out to be a good decision for me as I had some good results and I think I made an impression on some people. The Deschambault National was obviously a big day for me. I rode the Amateur National there during the week and was feeling really good coming into Pro Day, and then boom! it started to poor rain. This is going to be interesting, I thought, but then I went out and set the fastest qualifying time. That’s when I started thinking to myself that maybe I can actually do something here. I ended up getting second in both motos and second overall. After I finished on the podium it was just a surreal feeling. It didn’t really kick in until well after the race when I realized that all the hard work was finally starting to pay off for me. My Dad was near tears and the whole KTM team was really happy for me. All the bosses from KTM Canada were there so it was a great way to meet the new team.
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Austin: This year was alright. It started out well at the early season races but then at Moto Park I crashed and that put me out for a while. I hit a kicker and went over the bars. It knocked me right out. I never went to the hospital but I’m sure I sustained a concussion so I wasn’t going to rush back. When I did come back it was frustrating for me because I wasn’t getting the results that I felt I should be getting, so I wasn’t happy about that. I went to Loretta Lynn’s in August and ended up getting 4th overall in the 450B class right behind Marco, so that was pretty good. Looking back now, though, I kind of wish I had done what Tanner did this year and skipped Loretta’s. There’s just so much pressure involved with that race. After Loretta’s I really just wanted to take a break, and my parents supported me in that. They just want me to have fun and not put too much pressure on myself or get burned-out. I raced the final National of the season for GDR Honda at RJ’s in Barrie. I crashed off the start of both motos but felt that I rode well. I ended up getting 13th overall. I learned a lot, though, and the team really helped me out, which I really appreciated. Now I’m looking forward to taking a full-on break. Marco: This year went well for me. I did all the big US Amateur Nationals and my results were pretty good. I got 2nd OA in the Schoolboy Class at Daytona Amateur Supercross, two top fives at Freestone, and then at Loretta’s 3rd overall in the 450B Class. Things didn’t go as well in the 250B - I finished 9th. After that, my last big race was the CMRC National in Barrie. I was really looking forward to that and I was pretty excited for it - riding 30-minute motos in the Pro class. In the first moto I got a great start and ran 5th for the whole moto until the last lap when I had a stall and dropped to 6th. Second moto I ended up getting 5th for 5th overall. I was really excited about the result. I see it as something to build on for next year.
What are the plans for next season?
Tanner: Well, obviously I would love to be back on KTM next year and be their Canadian MX2 rider. We’re talking right now but nothing has been signed. Whatever happens I’ll be riding the whole outdoor series. In January, I plan on going down to the States and riding some rounds of the Amsoil Arenacross Series, so I’m excited about that. Hopefully it will be on a KTM, and for now I’m just taking a little break. Austin: Well, I’ve got nothing signed yet for next year. I’ve been on a Honda for pretty much my whole career, other than one season on 80s when I rode a Kawasaki, so I’d love to stay on a Honda. GDR and WCK Honda in Corunna have been very supportive and I hope to stay with them in some way or another. Either way, I plan on doing some Canadian Arenacross over the winter and will be doing the Outdoor Nationals next year, for sure. In a couple of weeks, I’ll be getting back on the bike and I’ll be heading down to Florida in a few weeks to race the Mini-O’s. Marco: Well, first off, I’ve got the Mini-O’s in November. We’ll see what happens. Who knows if I do well there; I could possibly end up riding in the States next year. Most likely, though, I will be in Canada racing the new Supercross and Arenacross Series and doing the whole outdoors as well. I’m currently in talks with OTSFF Yamaha to ride for them but nothing is for sure yet. I also just signed a one-year contract with Club MX in North Carolina, so I will be based out of there for the next year at least. The place is awesome. They have three outdoor tracks, two supercross tracks and arenacross as well. I’ll be heading home here and there but will be mostly based there for a while.
So, let’s get into this. Who, so far in your career, has been your biggest rival?
Tanner: Marco and Austin, for sure. Whenever we get together it’s always close, always great racing. I’m not sure who has the most wins between us but I’m sure it’s close. Austin: Tanner and Marco. Early in my career I wasn’t really the guy, you know, back on 80s, but when I went to Junior things started to click for me and I started mixing it up with those guys. We always seem to find each other on the track. Always, it’s crazy. Especially Tanner and I. Marco: Tanner and Austin, for sure. Tanner and I have been racing against each other right from the beginning. Austin has come onto the scene a bit later in Junior and Intermediate. A kid named Kyle Biro was a big rival on small bikes, and Casey Keast from BC. When he came east he was a strong competitor, but Tanner and Austin, for sure.
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“This year went well for me. I did all the big US Amateur Nationals and my results were pretty good.” MARCO CANELLA
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“It went way better than expected. I had a lot more fun this year, and I think that was because I didn’t really put a lot of pressure on myself.” Tanner Ward
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What’s your most memorable race with the other two guys?
Tanner: I’m not sure if there is any one race for me. I must say, me and Austin have crashed a lot together over the years. (Laughs) It’s funny because Austin is definitely not a dirty rider. He races clean and I know he’s not going to pull anything dirty. This sport is dangerous enough without stuff like that going on but we really have come together many times. Marco and I haven’t really raced each other that many times to be honest. His program isn’t really the same as ours so we don’t hook up as often, but that’s going to change next year. Austin: Walton 2016 - final moto. Me, Marco, Tanner and Casey Keast were all in the same moto. Something happened to Tanner early, but me, Marco and Keast were swapping leads throughout the whole moto. Marco ended up winning but it was a great race. So much fun, we were doing burn-outs on the podium. (laughs) Marco: No one race. Really, all the races that we had together at Walton in 2016. All three classes I would say. There were some great battles, and fortunately I was able to beat them all at Walton.
THE THREE MIGOS
I’ve heard that you guys are all friends. Is that true?
Tanner: Austin and I are really close. As I said, it’s kind of rare that all three of us are together. I know Marco has a lot of confidence and he’s a good kid, but sometimes he can have a bit of an attitude. For example, when I have beaten him in a race before, I’ll stop to shake hands after the checkers but he just rides right by. He’s very competitive, I get that, and as I said I know he’s a good kid. As for me I’ll just keep smiling and enjoy everything about this while I can. Austin: Yes, Tanner and I are good friends. Marco is a really good guy, too. When we are together we are all friendly. We plan on racing each other for quite a few years so I think we’re going to be friends for a long time. Marco: Yes, we are friendly, for sure. I’m not as close as Tanner and Austin are but we are all friendly. When we are all at a race I’ll always go over and say hi, then we watch some races together. There’s no bad blood.
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What about when you turn Pro, and you are racing each other for a living. Do you think you’ll still be friendly then?
Tanner: If anything, I think we’ll be even more friendly. We’re going to be in it together, I guess. All three rookies in the Pro Class. We’ll be spending a lot more time together so I think we’ll get along really well, even though we are racing each other. Austin: For sure. We’ll be in the same boat. Hopefully we can show everyone what we’ve got. Marco: I certainly don’t want to start anything between us. We’ll all be racing hard and trying to win. We’ll be racing for a paycheck then and not just trophies, so we’ll be racing hard. As I said, I’m sure we’ll be good, but you never know, I guess.
You’re still young, but when you were growing up, who was your favourite rider?
Tanner: When I was young I was a big Ricky Carmichael fan, and as far as Canadian riders go I would have to say Colton (Facciotti). I know he’s from BC but I met him after he moved to Ontario. It’s almost like he’s a local boy and I actually got to train with him a bit. He’s a dominant rider on the track and a really nice guy off. I’m friends with him now. I never thought that would happen. Austin: When I started getting interested in watching Supercross, Ryan Villopoto was winning everything so I was a fan of his, I guess. As far as Canada goes I would say Colton. He has always been my favourite rider, and this year I was a teammate of his. That’s cool. Marco: Well, as far as American riders go, I would have to say that I’m a big James Stewart fan. But when I was very young I had a Colton Facciotti poster in my room. I still have it as a matter of fact. He’s always been my favourite to watch. He’s so smooth and makes it look so effortless. I’ve always tried to copy his style as much as I can.
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THE THREE AMIGOS Favourite track?
Tanner: Well, Dechambault, obviously. (laughs) It’s got a great flow, in my opinion, and lots of elevation. I’ve always done well there. It’s a great track but I don’t really have a favourite. As long as I’m riding I’m happy. Austin: Actually, my favourite track would probably have to be GPF, Josh Woods’ track. It just never get’s boring. They don’t have races there, just practice, but it’s a great track, for sure. Marco: Moto Park. I train there. I trained there for three weeks last summer and I love it. I also love Gopher Dunes, especially when it gets all rough. I love rippin’ the sand and getting blasted in the face. Also, Red Bud. That place is the ultimate.
Who are the people who have helped you out the most so far in your career?
My parents, for sure, especially my Dad. He’s put so much effort in for me to be able to race. Plenty of nights he works late on my bikes and then drives to the track early. He doesn’t get any sleep. We drove across the country to the Monster Energy Cup in our mini-van. There has been a lot of sacrifice and hard work, for sure. Kyle Thompson from Frankfit helped me out a lot with my riding earlier in my career. This year I’ve been working a lot with Kyle Keast at AlphaMX. I also want to thank KTM Canada, Thor Racing, Dunlop, Renthal, Motorex, Oakley, TCD Racing, Team LTD and New Era. Austin: My parents of course and the Thompson family. Jay, Cole, Kyle and Justin Thompson have all been a great help to me ever since
I started riding really. I would also like to thank my sponsors. They include Honda Canada and GDR, Fox, Shift MX, Real Deal Training Facility, Ryno Power, Frankfit Canada, New Era, WCK Honda, Humberview Group, Proven Moto and SSS Suspension. Marco: Of course, my parents have sacrificed a lot for me. That goes without saying, but I also have received a lot of help along the way from Iain Hayden at Moto Park. He’s helped me a lot with my riding over the years. All the people at Moto Park, really, I can’t thank them enough. Matt Crown from MCR Suspension has been my riding coach for the last year and I would also like to thank my sponsors for all their help as well: Yamaha Canada, OTSFF, Evolved MX, Steve Simms Racing, Fox Canada, Scott, Orthoflex, Marin bikes and Rockstar.
“I went to Loretta Lynn’s in August and ended up getting 4th overall in the 450B class right behind Marco, so that was pretty good.” Austin Watling So, there you have it folks, a little bit of insight into these three young speedsters. I’ve been around the sport for quite some time and don’t ever recall a season in which three, such highly touted, Ontario based prospects have made the move into the Pro ranks. No matter where they end up or who they end up riding for, be it a privateer or a Factory Team, their presence in the Pro class should certainly make for some intense competition and great racing, and I for one can’t wait to see it.
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Baja Bra The 2017
BY CHRIS POMEROY
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PHOTOS BY MICHAEL VIZER
he year was 1974 and most was good in the world. Pepsi Cola was just introduced, Richard Nixon was President of the USA, and in more personal news, it was also the year that my wife was born. Motocross in North America was still in its infant stage and new tracks were being born everywhere. One such track that first opened that year was Baja Acres located in Millington, Michigan, just a short 20-minute drive north of Flint. Carved into the side of a sandy hill, it didn’t take long for Baja Acres to become one of Michigan’s best tracks, in fact word quickly spread to neighbouring States that this track was a thing of beauty. With sweeping corners, long sandy uphills and downhills, and just about everything else that riders dream about, Baja Acres was both fun and challenging to ride right from its inception. My first experience at the track they now simply call “Baja” was way back in October of 1986. I was racing 85s then and was looking for a new track to go and try racing at. A few of my riding friends were raving about how much fun Baja Acres was so my Dad and I decided to make the four-hour trek to Michigan. Right from my first lap I fell in love with the track, its layout, the sandy soil, and the overall vibe of the facility was unforgettable. Another thing that was noticeably different racing in Michigan was the level of competition.
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In 1986, I was lining up with fast mini bike riders like John Kitsch, Brian Swink and Eric McLear. Those riders were legends at the time in the 85 class, so it was great for me to compete against such fast riders. Of course, it wasn’t just that trio of young stars that made Baja one of their home tracks. Since its opening day in 1974, the track hosted Michigan Mafia riders like Jeff Stanton, Eddie Warren, Nick Wey and Josh Woods. The track has also hosted every type of event from Loretta Lynn’s Qualifiers to an Amateur National in the late 1970s. With the famous Red Bud track just two hours away, the AMA has never considered Baja Acres for a Pro National. Even though the track is more than worthy of a Pro National, Baja Acres has been busy enough over the years with other large events. In 2002, almost 30 years after the first bike was started on the property, Baja Acres’ newest and biggest event was born. The Baja Brawl came from an idea to host both a high profile amateur event on a sand track in the Midwest, as well as to create an event that race families could attend and stay for multiple days. Once the four-day long Monster Energy Baja Brawl was born, riders and their families flocked there in droves from as far away as Florida, Texas, and even California for a chance to race on what some call the best track in North America. After that first event in 2002, it didn’t take long for Baja Acres to go from the regional headquarters of the Michigan Mafia, to a nationally known track that everyone wanted to ride. Canada’s love affair with Baja has gone far beyond my early years of racing there. Just about every top Canadian rider who lives in the vicinity of the
Midwest has raced at Baja over the years. Since the beginning of the Baja Brawl, many of our top riders in both amateur and pro have ventured to this event. It has become so popular that most just asked each other, ‘Are you going to the brawl?” With entry numbers exceeding 800 in recent years, and popular night time events like the Belly Flop contest, the Pit Bike race, and Friday evening’s Best Whip Contest, the Baja Brawl has become so much more than a Labour Day weekend motocross race. With superstars like Austin Forkner, Justin Cooper and Joey Crown all having raced the Baja Brawl in recent years, it was no surprise to see names like Parker Mashburn and Seth Hammaker on the starting line in 2017. Local Michigan favourite Joey Crown was also entered again this year as he lives just down the road from the track. Having come off a very successful Loretta Lynn’s event a month prior, as well as a few good finishes at the final three rounds of the Lucas Oil Pro Outdoor Nationals, Joey was the favourite to win all of his classes at this year’s Brawl. Unfortunately for Joey, he took a hard fall during the start of his first 450 Pro moto and was forced to call it a weekend. Joey’s crash was so violent that it caused his helmet to fly off his head. Thankfully, all he suffered were some bumps and bruises and all he needed was some rest. As it’s been for the past number of years, the Canadian contingent was strong at this year’s Baja Brawl. Canadian riders of all ages crossed the border in search of glory at this late season event. Those in attendance were names like Riley Clapp, Thomas Munro, Preston Masciangelo, Tanner Ward, Kobi Cox, Brad Williams, Quinn Amyotte and Ryder Reinhart, just to name a few. Of the fast Canadian riders
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to tr r
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a d t s."
Above: Local Michigan superstar Joey Crown easily won Friday night’s whip contest. Left: Quinn Amyotte was one of the victorious Canadian riders at the 2017 Baja Brawl. Below: Jordan Jarvis was by far the fastest female rider at the 2017 Baja Brawl.
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entered, the trio of Tanner Ward, Quinn Amyotte and Brad Williams all took home titles at this prestigious event. In fact, Tanner Ward, who was entered in Open Pro Sport, 450A and the College 14+ classes, was the fastest rider of the weekend and his superior riding had everyone talking. It was awesome to sit and watch our fast Canadian riders battle some of the top amateur riders in the USA, and to watch a select few take home championships was incredible. Even though this sport has changed over the years in so many ways with riding techniques and much more improved motorcycles, one of the things that hasn’t changed is how fast our Canadian riders get when they race against faster riders. With full gates of fast riders in almost every class, the Baja Brawl provides an excellent opportunity to race against great riders on one of the best tracks on the planet. The racing at the Baja Brawl is just part of the entertainment. This year featured not only the usual shenanigans, but also appearances by two of our sport’s most popular Social Media sensations. From Ontario, the snowmobile jumping Larry Enticer was on hand to take in the Baja Brawl festivities. His American Social Media counter-part Ronnie Mac was also there to entertain the fans, and of course, drink a lot of his sponsored supplied Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. Both legends took part in the nighttime parties, and to the best of my knowledge, it was the first time ever that these two had been at the same event. The riders and their families loved the entertainment that these two provided and it really added to the vibe of the entire event. From Friday morning when everyone arrived and began practising, until the final moto on Monday afternoon, the Baja Brawl provided non-stop action both on and off the track. With great racing and endless events to keep the entire family busy, this long weekend of motocross flies by so fast. This was my family’s second year in a row attending the Baja
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Brawl and it certainly won’t be our last. The competition will bring us back, the fun events will bring us back, and of course the incredible Baja Acres track will bring us back. Baja Acres is currently constructing a Medievaltype events centre so they can hold things like weddings and other parties. Of course, the money earned from these events will go straight back into the track, as well as the entire facility. With 43 years of racing now in the past and many more to come, I asked owner Jenny Johnson what has kept Baja Acres going strong for so long. Her direct response was, “Because this sport is fun and it kicks ass, and so has Baja Acres for a long time.” Next year, if you’re looking for a fun and competitive event on an incredible track, then add the Baja Brawl to your race calendar. I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed.
"From Friday morning when everyone arrived and began practising, until the final moto on Monday afternoon, the Baja Brawl provided non-stop action both on and off the track."
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Left: After a great summer at the Canadian Nationals, Tanner Ward went to the Baja Brawl and won a title. Centre: Ontario 65cc rider Ayrton Pomeroy battled hard all weekend long against the stiff competition at Baja. Right: Racing in the highly competitive 85cc class, Preston Masciangelo was a top ten rider all weekend.
a Brawl The 2017
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O N E
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Davey Fraser with
BY ANDY WHITE | PHOTOS BY JAMES LISSIMORE
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had a chance to catch up with privateer rider Davey Fraser. I call him a privateer because he was not pitted under a big awning and he had no real support from a manufacturer last season. Davey has been competing in the CMRC Nationals since 2004, and he has had his ups and downs. At 28-years-old, he is one of the older guys racing in the MX2 class. This past year was probably one of his best years on the circuit so far. He is also one of the few riders competing on a 250 two-stroke. Remember, the rules say 250 two-strokes have to be bone stock except you can bolt on an aftermarket pipe and silencer, and you can run race gas, that’s it! No engine work, it has to be bone stock.
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Andy White: Davey, if you are a true privateer, why do you race a two-stroke? Davey Fraser: Well, I am a privateer in a way, but I also feel that I get the same support as any of the top riders even though I’m not under a big awning, if that makes sense. The Carlson family put a solid program together for me this past year. I have everything I need. I have race and practice bikes, plenty of parts and tires, etc., and a mechanic that flies in every weekend to set up the race bike and rebuild the practice bikes. I have a full-size motorhome with a trailer that we sleep in and travel in, the fuel and all my expenses are paid for, I don’t have the pressure the other factory riders have and I have everything they have, in my view. I think I have the best ride in the pits. I also know this is how I like to roll. I don’t want that added pressure of a team manager telling me what to do or why didn’t you do this or that. I have been
around long enough to know why I am at the races. I will and I do give 110% every weekend. The reason why I ride a twostroke is easy - I am old school! I don’t ride a bike on the rev-limiter and that’s how you need to ride these 250Fs today. I like the power of the two-strokes, too. I know riding a full-on race ready 250F would be faster on some of the tracks, but I still prefer my two-stroke. Davey started racing when he was 10-years-old on a Kawasaki KX60. His dad and uncles come from a road race background. AW: Why are you not racing on slick tires then? DF: Well, funny story, I started on dirt bikes but by the age of 13-14 I was racing a Yamaha TZ125. I then moved up to the 600 Amateur class. I enjoyed road racing but my passion is in moto. AW: Davey, didn’t you race again that fast guy named Adam Turner in the 600 class? DF: No, he is much older than me, he retired before I hit that class. I can tell you I had better lap times than Adam [laughs]. AW: Did you look up to any riders in your area while growing up? DF: Myself and everyone else looked up to Mitch Cooke, Ryan Lockhart and Johnny Montes. These three ridMOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 63
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“I traveled to the races by myself and raced the weekend with no real help. It was not easy doing everything by myself.” ers dominated the east coast and I wanted to be like them one day. I actually have and will still race against Ryan in the Future West Arenacross series this fall again. I like racing against him. He is not easy to get by, he rides a wide line. AW: Most of the top riders fly home to sleep in their own beds during the week between rounds. Do you prefer the motorhome? DF: I like that I don’t have to rush, pack up and get on a plane that night or at 6am the following day. Those riders spend Monday traveling all day, and by the time they get home they’re still tired. They’re back on a plane Thursday afternoon or Friday morning to race the following weekend. I like to travel with a few other riders from round to round. We map out the practice tracks and we put a plan together for the week. We get to mountain bike or ride our road bikes, hike or sight see during the week. I drive the camper so I know that I need to be at the next event by Friday. That gives me plenty of time to train and also relax at the same time.
AW: I remember a few years ago you pulled a killer holeshot at the Moncton national on your TM250 two-stroke. You fist pumped as you crossed the holeshot white line, then you did it again in Deschambault. What’s with that? DF: Those are the only two holeshots I have ever had, and the first thing that came to mind was “Holy crap, I just pulled a holeshot and I am leading the race!” I was so pumped that I fist pumped the air with excitement. I need to work on getting more holeshots in the future. [laughs] This past year was probably Davey’s best to date. He consistently finished in the top 10, he even had some top 5 finishes. AW: What’s in the plans for 2018? DF: Well, I am going to race the Future West Arenacross series again for Carlson Racing on a two-stroke. I really enjoy racing indoors. The money is good and it keeps you aggressive on the bike. The tracks are not too crazy and everyone rides safe. It’s good training in the off-season. I’m looking forward
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to the 2018 outdoors. I will ride for Carlson Racing again and I will have the same program as I did in 2017. The only difference is I will be moving up to the 450 class. I have raced the MX2 class for a long time and I feel it’s time to give the 450 class a shot. I know the top 5 is a long shot and I can accept that. I am looking at finishing top 10. I want a single digit number in the future. I know that I have the right support from my sponsors, and I have a solid team and mechanic that will give me the right tools to get the job done. Will it be easy? Hell no! but I am looking forward to the new challenges. AW: I attended the national in Truro in 2016 and I remember seeing lots of Davey Fraser supporters. What was that about? DF: Well, that’s kind of my home track and I had some friends that helped me out financially that year. They sold t-shirts and raised some funds so I could get to all the rounds. That was a full privateer effort. I had a pick-up truck and a closed in trailer. I traveled to the
races by myself and raced the weekend with no real help. It was not easy doing everything by myself. I remember finishing practice and having to pressure wash the bike, change the air filter, etc., then I pushed my bike to the staging area for the race. The other riders had mechanics hold their bike as they prepared their starting gates. I had to find a tree to lean my bike up against and prepare the gate myself. I didn’t have any pit board signals during the race. I would look at the pit boards of the riders that were in front or behind me. After your moto I had to clean my bike and filter, and maybe install a new tire, make lunch and try to rest all at the same time. That’s a true privateer in my view! As I listened to Davey talk about the tough times I can appreciate that he means, I don’t think I know another rider that finished top ten or even top 20 and was a one-man race team. It looks and sounds like he has found a good team to be with and I wish him the best of luck moving forward.
“The other riders had mechanics hold their bike as they prepared their starting gates. I had to find a tree to lean my bike up against and prepare the gate myself.”
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PERFORMANCE IS HERE
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2017-05-12 11:13 AM
A Ride Day
Blu Cru with the
BY CHRIS POMEROY
PHOTOS BY PETER MARCELLI
arm up, stretch, stretch again, and then repeat. This not just the morning routine of the pro motocross athlete, this is also the 7:30am routine of the days when I plan on going riding. As many of you know, age can be a wonderful thing for everyone and we should embrace it. With age comes maturity and experience, and what could be better for riding dirt bikes than those two attributes? However, for motocross riders, age also brings with it the aches and pains of a lifetime of pounding over rough tracks and of course the inevitable crashes that we’ve all suffered. Riding dirt bikes over the age of 40 is obviously a lot of fun as we all have begun the process of truly appreciating what we do, but if you want to be successful it definitely takes a little preparation, and some good old perspiration. For the past decade I’ve had the incredible opportunity to test ride a lot of new dirt bikes in some very cool locations. Tracks like Monster Mountain MX, Glen Helen Raceway, Muddy Creek Raceway, and Zaca Station MX have been checked off my bucket list in the past ten years. Every single one of these test ride days have been incredible in their own right, with great tracks, brand new bikes, and
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great people. I’m sure you can imagine just how cool it is. But, these days are also long days and they demand countless laps from the morning until late afternoon. You can see why a little work out and some stretching is a must prior to hitting the track for us aging motocross riders. One of most recent test rides involved riding the 2018 Yamahas at the legendary Moto Park track in beautiful Chatsworth, Ontario. The day of riding started off like all others: a short work out early in the morning before departing for the track. Thankfully, Moto Park is only an hour away from where I live so the drive doesn’t give my body
enough time to stiffen up. So, after a quick stop for a coffee and some water, I arrived at Moto Park and was instantly greeted by the fine people from Yamaha Motor Canada, as well as a few of my fellow media cohorts. The first time you arrive at one of these cherished test rides and media launches, it’s always such an impressive sight. Right in front of you is a perfectly groomed track, a massive team semi-truck, and a line up of brand new, shiny dirt bikes. It’s definitely a site that never gets old, and I always feel like I should be pinching myself. This Yamaha Ride Day was no different. When I drove through the Moto Park
Above: The track at Moto Park was in perfect condition for our ride day.
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Right: When the media guys aren’t riding, most of our time is spent talking.
Right: Looking out over a perfectly groomed track.
Right: The new Yamahas corner like they’re on rails.
gate, sitting there were six new 2018 Yamahas just waiting to be started and ridden. After finding a place to park I was greeted by photographer Peter Marcelli, as well as the new Yamaha Motor Canada Marketing Coordinator, Graham Jones. Both men were excited to see me and obviously were excited to get the day started. At this point of the day, even though our throttle hands were twitching and everyone was eager to ride, the first order of business was a presentation by Yamaha Canada regarding all of the changes and updates to the new models. With many new features on the 2018 YZ450F, most of the pre-
Right: Getting ready to hit the track.
sentation was spent discussing this all-new motorcycle. With new features like a redesigned chassis, engine updates, as well as the addition of a much-needed electric start, the 2018 YZ450F is a thing of beauty. Over the past few years, riders have absolutely loved the abundance of horsepower that the big Yamaha has had, but they’ve struggled with the heavy feeling the bike gives, as well as the fact that it lacks the ability to turn quickly. With the changes that have been made to this new bike, all of these issues are a thing of the past. Yes, this bike is still the fastest machine in the 450 class, but now it’s also one of the best handling bikes on the track. During the presentation, Graham Jones touched on all of these new features and it made everyone in the room that much more eager to ride. As the presentation wrapped up, the final piece of business was to wish long-time Yamaha Motor
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A Ride Day
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In between rides it was time to rest and think about life.
Canada employee John Bayliss all the best as he approaches retirement at the end of November. Over the past thirty years, John has bled the Yamaha brand, and in that time has overseen many of the company’s motocross successes. MXP Magazine would like to wish John all best as he begins the next chapter of his life. With the presentation out of the way it was time to suit up and hit the track. With more media riders than bikes, we were all forced to play nice and take turns with each bike. Having already ridden the new YZ450F this past summer in California, I decided to take my first ride of the day on the mostly unchanged 2018 YZ250F. Normally, I don’t enjoy riding the smaller 250 machines, but with the large amount of power on the YZ250F, this bike is always fun to ride. Riding the 2018 version of the YZ250F was a lot of fun on the jumpfilled, high-speed Moto Park track. The biggest thing I noticed about riding a high revving 250F is just how much more time is spent shifting during each lap. As you head into a corner you must down shift to a certain gear, and then as soon as you’re out of that corner, it’s time to shift back up again. The 2018 YZ250F is a powerful machine, and it’s a lot of fun to ride. After a few sessions on Yamaha’s newest quarter-litre rocket ship, it was time for everyone to gather in the Moto Park restaurant for lunch. This was not only a time to eat and refuel our bodies, but it also provided a great opportunity to talk and bench race with the other members of the media. This is always an entertaining time of the day as the
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only thing old motocrossers like doing more than riding is talking about riding. The phrase ‘The older I get, the faster I was’ certainly applied. Once lunch was complete it was time to hit the track again, but this time it was on the new 2018 YZ450F along with Peter Marcelli. I’ve had the honour of working with Peter a few times over the years, and he’s always been able to produce some incredible shots. For this photo shoot and feature story, Peter had the idea of doing mostly black and white photos to give this story a different look. I hope you like the photos in this story. For most of the afternoon I spent my time either riding the 2018 YZ450F, talking to the Yamaha Canada mechanics about the new bikes, or simply rehydrating and taking in the day. The weather was spectacular for this ride day so it made it that much better. Everyone in attendance had a great time, and Yamaha Canada was happy that we all made it out to Moto Park. After the usual good-byes, I made my Below: The 2018 Yamahas make riding a lot of fun.
“You can see why a little work out and some stretching is a must prior to hitting the track for us aging motocross riders.”
Above: Sometimes every rider just wants to find a berm and turn the throttle.
way back home where I spent the next thirty minutes stretching and recovering from the long day of riding. Although this job is awesome and it’s not exactly your typical 9-5 occupation, it’s still, at times, very demanding and very taxing on the body. With a few more media launches coming up before the end of 2017, I will keep trying to stay in some Below: The calm before the storm.
sort of shape so I’m able to handle the countless hours of riding. However, with the 2018 Yamaha Canada Ride Day at Moto Park now in the past, I’d like to thank everyone who made this great day possible. It definitely was a great day, a great opportunity to hang out with some quality people and ride some new dirt bikes.
Below: Yamaha Canada had the Moto Park track all lined with cool banners.
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Ride Africa Twin International Challenge 2017 BY LAWRENCE HACKING
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or a North American there’s no doubt that a trip to Japan is always an incredibly eye-opening experience. Visiting Japan is an interesting journey of discovery and an in-depth lesson in a culture and society that is very different from anywhere in the World. The recent Ride Africa Twin International Challenge brought a small but varied cast of characters together for a 4-day ride around the stunningly picturesque countryside of Hokkaido, Japan’s Northern-most island. The concept of the event is fairly simple, ride Honda’s newest and perhaps most talked about flagship model in recent years in its intended environment while partaking in a team challenge competition that really was disguised as a very social fun event. The actual challenges were almost more of a conversation starter than an actual competition. In the end no one seemed to care much whether they won or lost, it was more about how the game was played. In this case the journey truly was the destination. Having spent a considerable amount of time on the big H’s 1000cc adventure bike over the past year or so I feel at home on it, but now I can say I have rid-
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den it in its true home. Briefly, the Africa Twin is very different in concept than other ADV bikes, stemming from its history in the original Paris Dakar rally. Subsequently, Honda leveraged its equity in the Africa Twin’s authenticity and remained true to that spirit of true and undaunted adventure. The Africa Twin is a true polyvalent bike that shreds tarmac like a sport bike yet is a thrill to ride on gravel and even more extreme off-road conditions. To ride the first Ride Africa Twin International Challenge was an example of riding the bike in the right context - it is a lively, freespirited bike, and the Ride Africa Twin Challenge was designed to provide fun, explore new territory, make new acquaintances, reconnect with old friends, plus enjoy the sensation of riding motorcycles in a shared experience. The RATIC 2017 started in a small ski lodge outside of Niseko, not far from the main city of Sapporo. The choice of location really set the tone of the event quickly; the cozy log structure had everyone become friends from the first meeting, the bunkbed dormitory sleeping arrangements and main living room made everyone rub elbows and speak freely and easily. I arrived a day early to get a head start on jet lag recovery, and I started chinwagging and gladhanding right away with the other two foreign riders who were invited - Vincent ‘Ptit Maurice’ Biau and
Stephanie Rowe from France and the UK respectively. Ptit Maurice was on France’s GS Trophy team when that event took place in Canada a few years ago, and Stephanie is an avid adventure and rally rider. The remaining participants were Japanese riders that had varying degrees of experience but were all great, fun guys and good riders. The three teams were given catchy names, ours was Team Grizzly. My teammates were renowned Japanese moto-journalist Ben Matsui and Yuta Kojima, a younger Africa Twin owner. We rode together for the duration, Ben led and Yuta herded me along so I didn’t stray off course. The route took us along gravel twotrack forest roads that led us to some panoramic vistas and other locations for our challenges. One of the most difficult and interesting challenges was to find GPS waypoints at an off-road facility called Big Bear. Another challenge was to ride a slalom course against the clock and add up numbers at the same time. I failed; jet lag got the better of me. The organizing team put together a beautiful lunch each day and each one was in a special location with the same level of luxury each time; complete with tables and chairs under tents with a BBQ, place mats, salads and wine glasses with tasty grape juice. As participants were privileged and pampered, no
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Ride Africa Twin International Challenge 2017
"The challenge was a tricky bit of two-track trail riding where every intersection had to be verified by GPS and the right path taken. The team with the least amount of distance on their odometers was declared the winner."
detail was left to chance. At each lunch stop we were given a briefing to explain the plans for following the ride and challenges. Our first day took us on a loop stage around the hills and valleys in the Sapporo area then back to Niseko for a well-earned dinner and some frivolity. The following day was a fairly short day’s ride up to Hidaka, the picturesque town nestled in the mountains that I have been to for the Hidaka Two Day Enduro. It rained a fair amount so the call was made to forgo the camping plan, so we set up our Coleman tents inside a local ski resort. We bivouacked indoors in a large room that Japanese groups would use to host gatherings. It was a warm and fuzzy place to sleep and socialize, plus it was another unique place to call home for the night. The third day of the Ride Africa Twin event was the longest in distance. We rode north on the small roads and two-tracks in the rural countryside. What I realized is the Japanese make good use of all available farmland in efficient plots growing rice and flowers in addition to many other cash crops. Small pastures dot the landscape, and mountainous relief of Hok-
kaido is home to a number of famous ski resorts. The RATIC took place during a busy summer holiday week, and countless motorcycle riders were on the road doing tours and camping. It was great to see, and nearly rider you pass gives you an enthusiastic and sincere wave. We headed to the port city of Wakanai in the most Northern part of the island, before lunch the navigation challenge was in order. The challenge was a tricky bit of two-track trail riding where every intersection had to be verified by GPS and the right path taken. The team with the least amount of distance on their odometers was declared the winner. Lunch this day was at a 5-star restaurant called Mikuni with a renowned chef with a number of awards and books to his credit. The restaurant was situated on top of a hill featuring a spectacular view of the placid fields and forest below. We ate like kings before setting off on the final leg of the day’s ride. During this particular week, many roadside attractions are staged - at one highway rest stop, traditional Japanese drumming was entertaining
the many travellers. Although busy, the roads on Hokkaido are perfectly suited for riding adventure bikes; the surface is smooth and constant corners kept the ride interesting. We rolled into Wakanai after dusk to meet our last challenge of the competition - the communication challenge. The task is to see how intimately you got to know your team members. I think I aced it. Between Yuta, Ben and I, we grew as friends quickly. I found Japanese people open and they speak freely, especially among fellow motorcyclists. The final dinner was well animated with lots of laughs, libations and incredible food. The last day we made the final push up to the tip of Japan at a place called Souya where the Russian coast is a mere 40 kilometers away. Riding up to Souya en masse felt like we reached our goal but I might have been mistaken. Our goal may not have been the actual destination. It was the feeling of fellowship and bond we developed over the week among people who were strangers at first and friends in no time at all. I guess that is what adventure riding is all about.
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R et u r ni ng
t o
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a
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BY JUSTIN MCCABE PHOTOS BY ROB GERTH AND SANDRA HOUDE
a ' s
T ou g h e st
T r ac k
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A us t i n wenty years ago, Austin Raceway in Manitoba held its last race; twenty years prior to that it was Canada’s most difficult MX track. Dubbed by Ross “Rollerball” Pederson as “The most difficult in the world,” it held National races dating back to 1977. The idea for MX Legends and Golf was conceived in Revelstoke, BC. I was out in Revelstoke racing the Canadian Snow Bike Nationals; so over a chilled bottle of wine, with the passion for moto, a good conversation with Manitoba moto friends, Bruce and Cori Baker, Austin came up in conversation, and you can’t talk about Austin without talking about the legends! As I was driving back to Manitoba, with the Canadian National title Mod Class trophy sitting beside me, I couldn’t stop thinking about Austin and what it meant to me. As I got closer to Austin, I felt compelled to reach out to Alfred Nunn, the owner and promotor of Austin Raceway. Alfred helped me back in 1986, and I wanted to thank him for believing in me back then and to find out how he was doing. As luck would have it, he said that he was going to be at the golf course. Yes, Austin Raceway was now a 9-hole golf course; had been for 20 years. When I got to the golf course, Alf and I reminisced about the good old days and all the work that had gone into transforming a race track into a golf course. Near the end our conversation, I asked Alf if he would ever consider getting the old gang back together for one last race at Austin. He said he would think about it, and told me to call him in one month. At this point, I thought why not incorporate a round of golf into the weekend? So, I planned to golf on the Saturday and race on the golf course on the Sunday. One month passed and I called Alf. I was barely able to tell him who was calling, and he said “I’ve been thinking about where we could put the track.” We met at Austin that day! This is when things really started rolling. I started
T
Top right: The legend Ross Pederson roosts his way past the old Austin water truck.Above: If you enjoyed racing in sand with giant front number plates, then Austin was your type of track in the 1980’s. Below: Two old foes, Al Dyck and Ross Pederson, were all smiles when they spoke about their past races.
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Top right: The greatest rider in Canadian motocross history holds up his race jersey one more time. Centre: Even though the old Austin track was made up of deep sand, the new track had some sections of dark loam. Above: Of course this cool event had to have a 30 second girl. Below: It didn’t take long for Ross Pederson to feel comfortable on a dirt bike again.
thinking; wouldn’t it be cool to see the legends back at Austin? So, I decided to reach out to Ross “Rollerball” Pederson. When I called Ross, he had no idea who I was, but that didn’t matter; it was the concept of getting together with previous moto rivals and a few friends that sealed the deal for Ross. It was not the race aspect that mattered, it was the idea of riding at Austin that was the catalyst that put him on track to reuniting with old friends, putting in a few prestigious laps at Austin, and reliving memories. Memories such as Ross’s cube van getting stuck in the sand and Alfred refusing to pull him out. My next call was to Canadian and Manitoba legend “Too Trick” Al Dyck. I grew up watching Al on a regular basis as he spent a few years training and racing in Manitoba when he was competing in the Nationals. After many conversations with both Ross and Al, they committed to coming to Austin. The date was set and track preparations got underway.
Planning
The planning of the event pretty much consumed my wife and I as minutes, hours, days, weeks and months passed. My wife Andrea was the glue to the operation, she was in charge of so many fine details I can’t even say. The details were as big as building a website from scratch, creating spreadsheets and registration forms and everything in between. Many of the fine details were hammered out late at night with the uncertainty of not knowing if we were going to be able to pull off a successful event. Being that both Al and Ross were from out of province, I said that I would supply them with a bike to ride. I personally built Ross a customized 1984 CR500 and was able
to locate at bike for Al through Milt Reimer at FXR. We raffled off a 2018 CRF250R through our main sponsor Avenue Honda. Because of Avenue Honda’s participation, we were able to make this more significant and special than just a local MX race. With that in place, we decided - what better way to end a round of golf or moto as a Vet rider than a cold drink with friends? This is where Farmery came on board and added another depth and component to what we thought would be a one-off event.
Who
was
th ere?
We had behind the scenes support from Andy White and Corey Parent, and impressive riding from the frontline man, Milt Reimer, all from FXR. It was not only Ross Pederson, Alan Dyck , Don Formo, Earl Reimer, or the entire Balcaen family of 16 (I think) that made this event significant and recognizable, it was the riders that took the time to travel from as far west as BC, AB, and SK. Riders also came from northern MB and ON. In addition, we had Jan Vetesnik, who was a fierce competitor in Czech in his younger days. Jan’s first race on Canadian soil was at Austin. So the idea was to cater to the Legends of MX, rub shoulders, play a round of golf on the old MX track now transformed into a golf course, have a sit down dinner, tell some stories of years gone by, and listen to some kick butt tunes from a racer himself, Lennon Harder Stevens, from the band, The Urgez.
Th e
Track
I had to be creative enough to build a 500cc friendly MX track within the golf course for Sunday’s races. Natural terrain, a few sand bunkers for the dash for cash, and a super wide GP-style MX track was all I could imagine when designing this from scratch. Well, the track and the landscape of this place is notorious for its Southwick-style sand, dubbed to be as Rollerball would say in the day “the most difficult track in the world.” Coming from a 42-time Canadian National Champion, I trust his judgement. I called this place home, and (I loved it then and I love it now) the sand was home to me. We started out with fresh cut grass and had multiple soil types just as it would have been back in the ’70s. The start straight was a mix of dips and natural downhill terrain, that some would say is a very fast start. Alf says - turn off the throttle if you’re going
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A us t i n too fast, ride within your abilities. The rest of the track was built with a European GP-style layout so it would flow well, be safe, and easy to pass. If you were fast, you loved it; if you weren’t, you loved it! As far as injuries went on race day, not even so much as a bag of ice was handed out from the medics. Alf was very proud of how safe his track used to be, and how he wanted me to make sure that it was safe. Safety is #1.
How
Above: It’s been years since fans have seen multi-time Canadian Champion Ross Pederson blow apart a berm. Below: The event was very well attended, and everyone had a great time.
the
event
went
The event was a success, thanks to our volunteers. Without them, we wouldn’t have pulled this off. We did this as though it was a National for the vets and legends; everything from the 4,000 square foot registration/Legends dinner/beer garden tent, twostroke classes, the specific 500cc two-stroke class, the Iron Man race (40 minutes plus two laps), the Dash for Cash around the beer tent, and the golf and ice cold beer from Farmery. We tried to make it special for spectators, those returning that had not been to Austin for over twenty years, as well as to the newcomers that have only heard grandpa or dad talk about the place that “made you a man,” according to Kim Houde’s testimony when asked
about Austin. I want to be sure to recognize my wife and kids for all they did to make this happen, as well as all of the volunteers and sponsors. Without all of them, this would not have been possible. The personal emotion that surrounded Austin months before, the days leading up to the event for riders, and the day of for spectators that had not been here in over twenty years was overwhelming. We got through it, and we were able to give back just over $1,500 to the local Lions Clubs. We had smiles and tears from grown men and women, and we are set to do it all over again August 25th & 26th, 2018! 2018 will have a few new surprises in store and some great stories to tell, you won’t want to miss it! For pictures and updates on the event you can visit our Facebook page at MX Legends and Golf or contact us directly at legendsmxgolf@gmail.com.
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Photo: R. Schedl Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations! The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.
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getting Suspended BY MIKE HAIST PHOTOS BY CHRIS PARR
Volume 2
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n this article we are going to talk about the shift from outdoor racing to indoor racing, and specifically from motocross to supercross. What goes on during the transition period, how long it takes and the demands put on the teams and riders will be described to you so that you may have some insight as to what it takes to line up for the first SX of the year. For the pro level rider it is quite different than most. The “break” after the outdoor season is not all that long and they are back at it. At the highest levels of racing it is basically a full time, year round job. Some take a week or two off to wind down and others just blend right into the shift of SX almost the week after. With the Monster Cup being an invite-only event, some riders have to be ready to compete in a relatively short amount of time on a supercross track. For the selected few, it is a good opportunity to try a new bike or new ideas on a known bike. There are no points counting towards a
I
title, rather, it is a huge payout if you can win the special event. For everyone else there are a few months to complete the transition from motocross to supercross. Getting back on supercross tracks is about getting the timing down and repeating like clockwork. Once the rider has found his “groove” then it is time to do the real work of digging for speed. All too often there are little details and finding as many of them as you can that add up to an improvement, as most top level riders can all complete the same lap execution (jumps, rhythms, whoops, etc.). Making the rider feel confident and being able to trust the bike is key; when a rider believes in the motorcycle, they are willing to “hang it out” that much more, creating those unforgettable races we watch. The riders have a bunch of people around them, team managers and owners, personal trainers, mechanics, engine builders, suspension tuners and more. Although building a great race bike is quite a task, so is dealing with all of that information for the athlete. One part of a winning
Above: Data Collection: In today’s day and age there are data collection tools available that can help steer decisions. Below: Riders have to deal with a great amount of information coming from many different team members. It isn’t as simple as jump on and ride.
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recipe is the relationship that gets built with the rider and the people around him or her. At supercross events, all of these people creating the team need to be well aligned with the rider for really special things to happen. We have all seen when one rider or another starts to become really dominant. This is when all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. When the riders get out on a track for the first time it is quite common for the suspension settings to feel quite stiff. We are coming out of the outdoor season where being able to last for some 35 minutes or so is key, and more often than not when SX riding starts back up there is a common theme of “Wow, this is really stiff, is this what I was using last year?” As the rider spends more time riding the indoor style tracks, they become more accustomed to the obstacles, they start to ride faster and start pushing. After a few weeks of hard work they have “ridden back into the setting” and then new development takes place. Testing focuses on many things, obviously, however, two of the more key items can be placed under the umbrellas of comfort and performance. The comfort piece is what lets a rider feel good and trust the bike, they believe in the motorcycle and will go do things that they will only do when he or she gets to that point of trust. It takes a great deal of courage and belief to complete today’s tricky obstacles and if not done right can end in a crash, injury or worse. As the trust in the motorcycle rises the demands on the performance start - things like getting the ride height in the ballpark, finding traction under both braking and acceleration, and having enough reserve for safety and more all come into play. On the surface it is likely obvious that the suspension settings for SX have more control (firmer) than outdoor settings. There is also more rebound control (slower). Finding the right balance between how firm and slow is the key, and you can pretty much create any combination that you like at the various suspension shafts speeds seen during a lap of a supercross track. When testing, you break down the lap into sections and work with each part of lap to hopefully build a complete setting that covers all areas needed. The rider has their input, which is very important, the team of people around the rider
has their opinions, and data that is collected shows what is happening. Making sense of all the information coming from the various avenues is the tricky part. Ultimately, during a test session, a choice gets made and is ridden. The rider comments on the new setting, data is looked at and it is deemed better or worse. Even if the setting is worse, sometimes you learn as much or even more by going the wrong way! At times it is really hard, a new setting gets tried, the rider comes in and says, “Nope, that isn’t the right direction,” but the stopwatch says they went faster. Those conversations get interesting quickly… In the end the rider and the team hit a point where they think they are good to go racing; sometimes it comes quicker than others. There are years when you are ready to go a couple weeks in advance, practice laps get turned and getting to the first event is a nice, seamless progression. There are other years where you are testing right up to Christmas and are sweating, making it in time to the first race. I have seen both versions work out quite well and both paths go horribly wrong. There isn’t one routine or path that seems to get the job done. Each year brings with it a new challenge and is probably a part of why this never gets dull. In the end it is all about getting to the first race where there are a ton of things going on. There is the hype that has been created, expectations for a new rider on a new team, redemption from a previous season gone wrong, the pressure that the riders puts on themselves, sponsors looking for exposure, the travel required and much much more that all take place at the first event. For the rider, and sometimes even the team, it is quite a task to get through the first event and finish relatively well. Maybe that is where the expression comes from, “You can’t win the title at the first round but you sure can lose it.” I hope this gave you some insight as to what goes on in order to get ready for a SX season. As you can see, once the outdoor season is complete there is still a great deal of work to be accomplished before the end of the year. For the pro riders out there, I hope your “off-season” goes well, everyone else will be eager to follow any information that gets shared and are looking forward to the first race!
getting Suspended Riders have to deal with a great amount of information coming from many different team members. It isn’t as simple as jump on and ride.
Fork Testing: Some early offseason fork testing, you need to keep it fun!
Final Product: All ready to go! The race starts in a few hours.
84 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM
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a t t h e C r w it h P X M
Mark Booker BY CHRIS POMEROY
PHOTOS BY TEAM HOLESHOT MOTOSPORTS
ark Booker has been around motocross since he was a young child. Having grown up in Ontario, “Booker,” as he’s known to most people, spent his early days racing old famous tracks like Hully Gully, Big Bend, and Copetown. After racing for most of his youth, Booker took a long hiatus from the sport to pursue other interests, as well as to start a family of his own. Two years ago, Booker was back at the track and eager to give back to the sport that he loves so much. Within a few months of being back at the races, Booker launched his popular amateur team, Holeshot Motosports. Since his team began, they have won a number of amateur titles and are gaining more strength each season. Unfortunately, just as we were putting this interview together with Booker, he suffered a massive crash while practicing at Moto Park and will need many months to recover. Although we offered to put this story on hold until he felt better, Booker said “no way,” and he spoke to us in between his multiple surgeries at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. For this month’s MXP Chatter, here is Mark Booker of Team Holeshot Motosports.
M
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MXP: That’s pretty cool, everyone needs a place to stay at the track. Before we get into your team, can you take us through your childhood? Did you race from a young age? MB: I raced BMX until about the age of 11 and did win some pretty big championships. But as soon as my father introduced me to a dirt bike at our cottage I instantly fell in love!
MXP: Hey Mark, what is going on today. How are you feeling? MB: Chris, there’s lots going on today being in Sunnybrook Hospital after having a big get off a few weeks back. Lots of progress on me health wise, and thankfully I had Team Holeshot Motosports’ 2018 deals in place before my crash. MXP: Can you tell us about your crash, judging by your list of injuries it was a big one? MB: I was just up at Moto Park riding and getting some seat time before their Vet National. I don’t really remember what happened but I know I got kicked off one of their biggest jumps and it all went downhill from there. I ended up having to get airlifted from the track, and the doctors said I broke 36 different bones. I’m really lucky to be alive Palms, someone was definitely watching over me. I’ll be alright though, a few surgeries, some rehab, and hopefully I’ll be back at the race track soon. I really want to thank everyone for all the support and best wishes. MXP: We wish you all the best Booker as you recover. Thanks for doing this interview as we’re sure you don’t feel too great. Obviously, most of us just see you at the races, but what is your real job during the week like? MB: I have a detailing and painting company, I do mostly fleets. However, more recently I’ve started an all-inclusive RV and trailer rental company with the units being available at MP County Line in Florida, and also at Moto Park in Chatsworth, ON.
MXP: What was your first race and what was your favourite track growing up? MB: My first race was at Moto Park back in 1986, and it’s one of my favourites as well. The facility takes a back seat to no other track, but as far as just track layout I would say my favourite was the natural course in Copetown, ON. That track was as good as any track I’ve ever seen. MXP: You’re right, Copetown was a beauty. Who were some of your competition growing up, and which riders did you look up to? MB: Growing up my major competition would have come from Gus Bakos, Chad Hartman and yourself in 80cc. However, after moving up bike sizes into 125, 250, and 500s, you had moved up a year earlier so my main competition then on route to the pro class was Jesse Wilson and Dougy DeHaan. I always did look up to yourself and Steve Bulyovsky after you both went back to back winning the 80cc Schoolboy class, and then right into winning all three Junior classes as well. You and Bully were so much fun to watch back in those days, it was a great time to be at the race track. MXP: When you quit racing, why did you decide to take a break from it? MB: At the end of 1992 was my end to racing after reaching Pro. I broke my femur and didn’t return to racing until I got into snowcross later on around 1998. As you know, the early 1990s were a tough time to be a pro motocross rider. Unless you were a top rider there wasn’t much point in being out there.
MXP: Yes, it was a very difficult time in our sport, thankfully it started to turn around as the ‘90s went on. While you were away from racing what did you do with your time? MB: I was not the most supportive son to my father back then, and we didn’t see eye to eye on everything. So, I had moved out at 18-years-old after my femur injury and I sort of lived the life of a normal kid hanging with my buddies. MXP: Did you still follow the sport while you were away from it? MB: I followed a little bit of it to see where my good friends had finished, but I never stayed in touch that much until 1997. I was working for Royal Distributing and wanted to try snowcross, so I went out the next year and got a trail sled and converted some of it over to a race sled. I had a great outing at my first race at Talisman Mountain, so Royal gave me a full-on ride for the next three seasons to run snowcross. With Yamaha factory support being so involved with Yamaha Motor Canada, they lined me up with some bikes to ride during the offseason in 2000 and 2001. MXP: That’s pretty cool, I remember snowcross really took off during those years. So, you raced snowcross and kept busy, and then you reappeared at the track two years ago. What made you come back? MB: Well, simple, my son Nolan wanted to race so I told him we would try it out in 2015. We lined up for the last race of 2014 and he loved it, and I really enjoyed it as well! We met some great new people, as well as saw some old friends. It was a really cool experience to be back at the track.
MXP: It must be very cool seeing your son racing on some of the tracks you used to race on? MB: Nothing compares to that feeling being back around the action again. Motocross has some of the best people in the world at the races, I love being at the track. MXP: Okay, so you come back to the track and see a bunch of your old friends, but you didn’t stop there. What made you decide to start up Team Holeshot Motosports? MB: I wanted something for my two sons to have as they got older, so the team is owned by them, actually, Nolan and Ryden Taylor-Booker. I always had some form of support from manufacturers and dealers when I raced, and that seemed to be missing from the Ontario MX scene when I returned. I knew that a lot of my old pro racer friends, and acquaintances such as Marco Dube and JSR, were still really involved, and now, in fact, they ran their own or operated someone’s company in the industry. I know the expenses that go with being serious about motocross so I thought I could start something up to help a group of talented kids whose parents I got along with. I thought maybe we could all save some money, give our sponsors exposure and have fun doing so. It became a no brainer. So, my first discussions were with Dube, whom loved the idea, and he helped push through with other sponsors for Team Holeshot Motosports from day one! I put together a good group of riders from 50cc all the way to the Intermediate class. Somehow every kid on the team has done well and we’ve won many championships, including 38 last year!
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M XP Chatter w ith
Mark Booker MXP: That is quite a success story. How many riders do you currently have? MB: Right now, there are currently eleven riders on the team for 2018.
“Somehow every kid on the team has done well and we’ve won many championships, including 38 last year.”
MXP: Obviously, everyone wants to win races, but there really is so much more to this sport than that. What is the most satisfying part of seeing all of your riders on the race track? MB: I love when the kids give me a big high five, or when they run over with such enthusiasm after a good battle or a great podium speech! Honestly, it is only a little smile or a weird gesture with these kids that really gets me feeling great about the team and supporting them. MXP: Your team appears to be going strong. Where do you see this going in the next few years? MB: I believe we are the elite team to beat or chase in Canada. I would like to continue to supporting my guys in all of the amateur classes, but also to be dominant in the Intermediate and maybe even the Pro classes. It would be really cool to do this as a full-time job one day. MXP: You’ve been around the sport for a long time. How do you compare the sport of today to the sport years ago? MB: Well, there definitely is not the same kind of money to be made as a rider now as there was when you and I raced back in amateurs, but it looks as though some steps are being made to help that out. As far as organization goes at the races and the events themselves, they’re a lot of fun, and with the new age of social media you sure can help yourself in a big way. These days everyone knows who everyone else is. MXP: What are some things that you’d like to see changed in our sport? MB: Well, to be blunt, I would appreciate if there was less drama within the sport and at the track. This is a great sport and the kids are great. A few people out there just need to take a step back and relax. I guess that is the downside of Social Media; it’s easy to get caught up in other people’s business.
MXP: Back in the 1980s there were so many interesting people and so many funny stories. Give us your best story from the 1980s. MB: Back in 1989, I believe, we travelled a lot to big U.S. events with other Canadian riders, but never more than with the DeHaans. We were on our way back from the Kawasaki Race of Champions in Englishtown, NJ and I believe my Dad, Gord, had the wheel. Doug DeHaan and I woke up to some commotion in the RV at a gas station. The other DeHaan boys were up still as they hadn’t raced that day, and they normally had a blast getting old Gordo fired up. Apparently, the gas attendant had been such a jerk with my Dad and harassing him that he came right back in the RV and said, “Boys pull the pins on this baby, this guys lot is looking too nice.” So out we get and pull the septic pins in the RV, four days worth, and my Dad circled the lot twice in perfect rotation so that it all spewed out around this gas attendant’s cars like a circle of blood thirsty sharks. It was hilarious watching it and Gord’s commentary about the guy as he was doing it. Needless to say, we never went back to that gas station.
MXP: That is a classic story Booker. Well, we really appreciate you doing this, especially in the state that you’re in right now. Here is your final question, who would you like to thank? MB: Well, I would like to take this time to thank all of the riders on the team for next season, who are Victoria Dillon, Cooper Wallis, Ben Kongmany, Nolan Taylor-Booker, Crayden Dillon, Tristan Dares, Nic Wallis, and newcomers Ryden Taylor-Booker, Max Filipek and affiliate Dakota Yaskow! With the help of KTM Canada along with Apex Cycle, in 2018 the entire team will be seen in one colour on one brand, KTM! I would also like to thank Graeme Nelson and Two Wheel Motorsport for all of their help last year with our pro-am team riding through Yamaha Motor Canada. For 2018, all sponsors remain with the addition of a few and of course the big news that the entire team is Orange Brigade for 2018. @apex.cycle @ktm_canada @fxrmoto @mddistributions @formaboots @ride100percent MP1 Suspension @atlasbrace @6dhelmets @deftfamily @ridedunlop @mikametals @surfturf_canada Motopark @mpcountyline @slinger_motorsports @rockwoodvetclinic @dillonbrosroofing @4arm_ strong @Dt1filters @kmcchain @williams_hotels. Also, a big shout out to our new sponsor Doug from Holeshot1. Also, big news with the addition of Bill’s Pipes joining the team this year with Steve Simms Racing being Canada’s distributors for these products. Through SSR we’re really looking forward to running the all-new factory cone KTM 65 pipe now available, and the rest of Bill’s two-stroke and fourstroke full KTM line on all of our race bikes.
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10/10/17 8:42 AM 2017-10-19 10:46 AM
Thomas Munro BY CHRIS POMEROY
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PHOTOS BY JESSICA TEN HAGEN
We are so very lucky in this country to have a plethora of young and fast riders who have been tearing up tracks for a number of seasons now. Throughout this year at MXP Magazine, our Young and on the Rise feature has profiled riders from the west coast of Canada all the way to the east coast. For this issue, we travel back to Ontario to speak to Thomas Munro, a young 65cc/85cc rider who lives just outside of Sarnia, Ontario. Thomas had a very successful 2017 season with multiple race wins in Ontario, as well as trip to the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National in July. With the off-season now upon us, we thought it would be a good time to sit down and get to know Thomas Munro a little better. the other kids went the wrong way. Then they came back and passed me. We went home and practiced and I ended up winning the championship that year.
MXP: Hey Thomas, it’s MXP Magazine calling. Let’s begin with you telling us how old you are and where you call home. TM: I am 10-years-old and I live on a farm just outside the very small town of Inwood, Ontario. My hometown is located not too far from Sarnia. What is something cool about Inwood, Ontario? There is not a lot in Inwood to be honest. I like to go to the Library on Tuesday nights, that is pretty cool. It is a farming community. My family is the 5th generation on our home farm. I will be the 6th if I stay. That is pretty cool.
That is very cool. The town where I live has a lot of farms so I know how important family farms are. How long have you been riding a dirt bike? I have been riding a dirt bike since I was two and half years old, believe it or not. I started on a PW50 with a rope tied behind so my Dad could chase me and slow me down. I can just picture your poor dad having to run behind you. Do you remember your first race and how you did? My first race was at Mini Thunder at the MXschools track in Brigden. I was 4-years-old. I got the holeshot because all
That is a pretty cool story from your first ever race. I know you haven’t been racing long, but do you have a favourite rider? Yes, actually I do have a few favourite riders. For Canada, Cole Thompson is THE MAN. He is so smooth. It’s awesome to see him ride here on a daily basis. I get spoiled quite a bit because he shows up at the pit where I train with MXschools and throws down some fast laps. In the USA, Davi Millsaps is my favourite. The first race I was allowed to stay up and watch on TV was when he won the Monster Cup so I always cheer for him. My sister, Hailey, makes me cheer for Broc Tickle just because she thinks his name is funny. Do any of the fast pro riders ever give you advice? Jay Thompson, my coach, at MXchools was a pro. He gives me lots of advice. I am not too sure if he was fast, though.
Cole Thompson has helped me with starts and line selection, and Colton Facciotti pointed out to me that I needed to charge my corners harder. So, I guess I’m lucky to be able to ride sometimes with fast riders. It’s always great to be able to ride with fast riders. How did your 2017 season go? Pretty good. I did a lot more training than racing this year. My goal at the start of the season was to qualify for the Loretta Lynn National. I am very proud to have met that goal. Unfortunately, Walton was cancelled this year as I was really hoping to win both 65 classes. Other than that, we did some races in Ontario and in Michigan, and we had a great time. Overall, I would definitely say that 2017 was a success. What do you feel was your best race of 2017? My best race this year was the Mid-East Regional at Chillitown in Ohio. I was just hoping to get my Loretta Lynn’s ticket but ended up getting three great starts and killed all three motos against some really tough competition. I was presented
a sweet AMA #1 plaque for winning the championship. I went 1-3-1 and I was obviously really happy. Well, it sounds as though you had a really good 2017 season. What do you usually do in the off-season? In the winter I like to get out on the snowmobile, and I play lots of XBOX. I work out at Frankfit Gym. My family also plans on heading south to vacation and train again this year. That sounds like a busy offseason ahead. What is your favourite thing to do other than ride dirt bikes? Not too much...MOTOCROSS IS LIFE! Motocross is a good life. What are you plans for 2018? Our plans for next year are to qualify again for the Loretta Lynn’s GNC on both 65cc and 85cc bikes. We’re also looking forward to hitting a few more races in Canada like the ECAN and a few of the Jetwerx AX events in the spring. Looking back at your racing results, is there one that you are most proud of? I have a lot to be proud of. I have been very blessed. Winning the Mini Thunder Championship and TVR Championship in my first year of racing was really memorable because my Grandma was still around to see. Winning the Ontario Provincial Series in my
“My goal at the start of the season was to qualify for the Loretta Lynn National. I am very proud to have met that goal.”
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rookie year in the 50cc class with the CMRC was cool. There was a lot of fast competition that year. It was a fun series. Also, winning all twelve motos and two championships at the Deschambault GNAC last year was huge. However, making it to Loretta’s and driving in that facility for the first time was just awesome. Hopefully I can make some cool memories in 2018. Those are definitely some awesome moments. With all of the tracks that you’ve raced thus far, do you have a favourite one? Gopher Dunes is my favourite track. I love it because it gets insanely rough and rutted. What is your funniest or scariest road trip story? We were headed down to JWTF to train in North Carolina. It had gotten really foggy so we stopped at the back lot of a truck stop for the night. We all went to bed and were sound asleep. Then we woke up at 3am to the sound of a train blowing its horn coming right for us. We thought we were all dead and that Dad had parked on the train track without knowing because it was so foggy. Turns out we were parked just underneath the bridge to the train track and that was obviously why it was so loud. We laugh about it now, but at the time it was sure scary.
What are your favourite types of obstacles on the track? My favourite obstacles are ruts, big tables, and triple step ups, like the one at the Malvern track. Well, it’s been great talking to you Thomas. I wish you all the best moving forward and the best of luck racing. Final question for you, who would you like to thank? First off, thank you for this great opportunity. We are big fans of MXP Magazine. I would also like to thank FXR Racing, they keep me looking sharp on and off the track. The quality of their gear is so good and it looks even better. Thank you to MXschools and my coach Jay Thompson. We have so much fun. Thanks to Kyle and Frankfit Canada for helping me push my fitness levels. Minton Cycle built me a rocket of a 65 this year. I love my bike. TwentySix Suspension does a great job keeping my bikes dialed in so thanks Steve. Dan Dubois at D&D Motoproducts keeps my bikes looking so fresh from grips to graphics. Thank you to my Mom, Dad and sister Hailey for their support, and thank you to everyone for their kind words whether it’s on the track or through social media. I really have met a lot of awesome people through motocross.
That’s a great story and one that I’m sure you’ll never forget. What grade are you in and what is your favourite subject? I am in Grade 5 at Brooke Central School. Go Brooke Broncos! Also, my favourite subject is Math. Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years I will be 15-yearsold, so I’ll almost be ready to drive a car. Hopefully I will be healthy, strong and still racing. It would be cool to be like Tanner Ward and getting ready to turn pro.
MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM // 91
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T HE BELL TOLLS FOR THEE WITH MARK STALLYBR A SS This will not come as a shock to those that closely follow Canadian motocross: my wife, Jan, and I have decided to sell both CMRC and SPI to Justin Thompson of Jetwerx. It wasn’t an easy decision because we have invested a large portion of our lives into the sport of motocross. We have just completed our 28th year of running CMRC – that’s a long time. And personally, it’s been 39 years that I’ve worked in the motorcycle industry, and yes, it all started by mopping floors at a dealership. To put it simply, the time has come. The primary reason is there is more to life than motocross, and we have come to a stage in our lives where we want to enjoy our investment of sweat and tears that we have endured, and focus on other things that we find very appealing, one being a summer off that we haven’t had in 30 years. I believe this is a win-win situation for many reasons. Justin is acquiring an organization that will fulfill his dreams and lifelong goal of running the sport in the country and taking it to higher levels, and we will be compensated for our efforts and begin a new chapter in life. The sport will win as well. There will no longer exist the possibility of having two Pro National series compete against each other – I didn’t want to see a series that took 25 years to build take a step backwards. Pro racing in Canada is at its highest level in history and hopefully it will continue to improve. It’s also an opportunity for the country to reunite. There is one mission that I have had since day one and that is to have the country united and operate under one umbrella, one sanctioning organization, because it is the only way the sport will survive and grow. There will always be people that join the sport and figure they can take racing in a different direction, or an individual that sees an opportunity to profit from promoting their own races, but they’re not taking into consideration the big picture. The big picture is Canadian motocross and the health of the sport across the country. I have recently encouraged the manufacturers to exclusively support one “national” organization if they want to see the sport survive, and I truly hope they
F R O M
T H E
D E S K
O F
M A R K
S T A L LY B R A S S
T
“I HAVE HAD MANY OPPORTUNITIES AND PLATFORMS TO RETALIATE TO CRITICS, BUT I’VE ALWAYS REMAINED POSITIVE IN THE PUBLIC EYE BECAUSE I BELIEVE EVERY GOOD LEADER SHOULD FOCUS ON POSITIVE ASPECTS AND IGNORE THE NEGATIVES.”
take my advice. There is no other way, especially when you take into consideration the size of our sport in relation to any other stick and ball sport. It has enough challenges to survive, division and splintering shouldn’t be one of them. I know it’s a nasty word but there’s one evil necessity to keep the sport alive – money! It’s always been a bone of contention for participants in the sport, but a license fee is crucial to support the infrastructure that keeps the sport alive. When you take into consideration the cost of a bike, apparel, helmet, boots, a neck brace, 40’ motorhomes with a 30’ trailer (apparently a must if you want to compete in the sport), race gas, the gas/fuel that it takes to fill up the truck or motorhome, crash parts and every other expense you can imagine to get yourself to a race or compete for a year, and there is whining and complaining about a $140 racing license? Really? Not only does $40 go to your region to cover administration costs, banquets, prizes, timing equipment or whatever else they choose to spend it on, plus a portion that is allotted to the insurance company to protect your ass, plus HST to the tax man, but at the national level, there’s a huge chunk that goes into administration to process licenses, insurance applications, and cover the costs of accounting and bookkeeping fees, legal fees, postage, shipping, electricity, phone, web hosting and IT costs, etc. It’s what it takes for you to be able to show up to a race, pay your fees and have fun. And let me say it again…IT’S $140!!!!! What other sport charges so low of a fee? Now that that’s off my chest, I would ask that you suck it up, quit your bitching, and pay the fee. Trust me, no one is putting your license fee in their pocket because there aren’t enough racers in the country anymore to “take the money and run.” Even though I haven’t received a pay cheque from CMRC since 2008 (my income is generated through the nationals. Believe it or not, it’s the truth – it won’t make me upset if you don’t), most people don’t work for free. If you’re annoyed that others are trying to make a meager living working at the hobby you love, then that issue lies within yourself. There’s another downside that does nothing but hurt the sport and that is negativity. Unfortunately, in motocross, negativity is very prevalent, mostly due to social media where anyone can voice their opinion (usually uninformed and based solely on emotion, or what may be the word in the pits), but when ninety-five things are good but five are not so good, why focus on the five? There are a few rotten apples that are spoiling the bunch. People that trash talk over the internet just show their lack of education, lack of professionalism and lack of respect for not just the people they attempt to drag down but the sport and industry in general. They’re on a path to nowhere. If you want to suck up every word they say as gospel and tout them as heroes, fill your boots. In the long run, you’ll come to realize they’ve done no good and they’re only trying to drag you down into their sordid existence.
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I have had many opportunities and platforms to retaliate to critics, but I’ve always remained positive in the public eye because I believe every good leader should focus on positive aspects and ignore the negatives. Constructive criticism has always been welcomed but not through social media. Over the years, there have been phone calls or people that approach me at an event to voice their concerns, but to be honest, they have been very few and far between. If you want changes to be made or at least have your opinion be heard, take it to the source, and if you don’t, don’t complain that nothing has been changed. I’ve always said, “If your wife doesn’t tell you why she’s pissed at you, how are you supposed to change what you’ve done to make it better?” There are many good people in the industry that have their heart and intentions in the right place, and many of them I would like to thank for their support, dedication and friendship. First and foremost is Allan Jaggard. Allan has supported my undertaking since day one, in fact, when he ran R&M Motosport for Eastern Canada, he was very instrumental in making the first-ever event I promoted, at Eagle’s Nest Raceway in Oshweken, ON in September, 1990, a raging success that paved the way for many good things to come. His support and loyalty has extended through to this day, representing me to Motovan and Royal Distributing, and I consider him a great friend. Wendy Snelgrove and Barb Scott have worked with us on the administration side of the business for so long I can’t remember when they weren’t, and we love them both for their dedication and sticking it out through both the good and tough times. Additionally, Wendy has been a rock for us at the nationals, running the administration trailer and scoring system with precision, especially under immense stress that you can’t even imagine. Without her we wouldn’t have been in a good spot. Earlier in my career, I worked for Yamaha Motor Canada (1987-1989) and developed some great
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friendships, in particular, John Bayliss, Peter Swanton, who both I recently had lunch with to wish them well for their upcoming retirement, and Tim Kennedy. These guys helped me get off the ground, supported me throughout my career, and instilled in me the confidence and drive to keep on pushing forward. I don’t bleed blue but I would do anything for any of them. I recently referred to Brian Koster and Marc Travers, or as we call them “Fabs and Travs,” as the best motocross announcers … in the world. And I truly meant it and believe it. They have been a staple at the nationals, great friends away from the track, and are a big reason for our success. I used to race with Fabs in the mid ‘80s and we have been friends ever since. Travs came on board in the late ‘90s and has increasingly become an irreplaceable asset to the national series. I have never seen a guy work as hard as him, making sure everything is in place, taking on tasks that are outside of his responsibility – it amazes me. You guys are my bros and always will be. I will miss being at the nationals with my team. Paul “Kinger” Kingsley, Daryl “Tonto” Murphy, Susan Harris, Lisa Snider, Eric Verbeek, and Rob and Gerry from the Hill’s crew have been great supporters of mine, so it will be weird not travelling the country with them yet again. My sponsors through the years have obviously enabled the national series to grow and for me to prosper, so in particular I would like to extend a huge amount of appreciation and gratefulness to James and Mike Paladino of Motovan, and John Mochrie of Royal Distributing for their years of support. Last and by far not least, I thank my wife, Jan. I met Jan in 1989 through motocross when she was working for the Toronto Supercross and I was working at Yamaha, strictly business at first of course, but when after the race, Fabs said “Hey Stally, there’s a hot blond looking for you.” The rest, as they say, is history. Jan is not necessarily a motocross enthusiast, as she says “I married
motocross,” but her dedication to the business of motocross has been unmatched for thirty years. She is the backbone of the organization behind the scenes. There’s not a chance I would have made it without her. She came into the business with a marketing, advertising and insurance industry background, which was crucial for our success. She has been my sounding board, a wise business partner, and lived through all of the stress, pain and agony that my sport and passion bestowed upon her. Not once did she ever give up. There are not enough words to describe my appreciation for her, so I’ll just sum it up by saying “She’s my life!” To all of the riders and families that participate in the sport, I would like to say there is no better sport in the world in which to be involved. The life lessons the sport teaches you, the friendships and comraderies that are developed, and the thrill of competition when it’s man and machine vs. man and machine, there’s nothing like it. And thank you as well for supporting CMRC, your local tracks, clubs and promoters. To all of the amateur riders, I would like to offer a piece of advice. Enjoy the sport, train hard, practice harder, set goals, don’t lose your focus when you’re feeling down, learn how to commit and dedicate yourself to your passion, and never give up, because it will all be to your benefit when you decide to hang up your boots. Don’t plan on motocross to be your career, get an education instead, then maybe afterwards go for it, but keep it as your hobby. The reason why I’m being long winded is this will be my last article to be written in MXP. I’m saying so-long to a sport that I have loved my entire life. No one will ever take that away from me. Since the time I first threw my leg over a bike, then later idolized Ross Pederson and Bob Hannah, to when I first started to work in the industry, I knew motocross was going to be my life. I figured out my role, I worked extremely hard for the sake of myself, my family and the sport, and I am very proud of the success that my team and I have accomplished. I wish Justin and his crew nothing but the best, and I truly hope the sport will continue to flourish and grow in the future. Although I could retire at this stage of my life, I’m not one to buy a rocking chair and watch life from the porch. I have set new, higher goals in a business that I will go after and approach with the same commitment and dedication that I did with motocross, just not the same passion. That will never be replaced. For those that know me to be a Rush fanatic, I will leave you with these lyrics that gave me a lot of inspiration: “Some are born to move the world to live their fantasy, but most of us just dream about the things we’d like to be. Sadder still to watch it die than never to have known it, for you the blind who once could see, the bell tolls for thee.” Goodbye motocross, you will be missed. Mark
2017-10-20 3:08 PM
N EVER STOP WORKING WITH DREW ROBERTSON
M
illions of people around North America play recreational sports as a way of staying in shape. What many people don’t realize is that the sport itself is only part of the equation, and, unless paired with a regular gym routine, could be doing more damage than good! Here are the 4 reasons you need to get your ass in the gym before next season starts:
INJURY
E V O L V E D
N U T R I T I O N
1 PREVENTION
“SO, GET YOUR ASS IN THE GYM. YOU’LL STAY HEALTHY, BE ABLE TO EXTEND YOUR CAREER, ENJOY RIDING EVEN MORE THAN YOU DO NOW, AND WHO KNOWS.”
In a lot of cases, athletes playing recreational sports underestimate the physical toll it takes on the body and end up getting injured as a result. Multiple studies have found that weight training can have a serious impact on preventing injury and reducing the seriousness or duration of injuries. People who get into the gym two to three times a week, warm-up properly, stay hydrated, and get adequate rest see a marked reduction in injuries and are able to get back on the bike sooner in the event an injury does happen.
INCREASED SKILL
2 ABSORPTION
Another advantage of weight training and conditioning that a lot of people overlook is performance late in the moto as well as what experts call “skill absorption.” How often have we heard people talk about being rested for school? Well, learning a skill, be it a math equation or learning a skill in moto or rugby are no different. By weight training and conditioning you will be able to maintain a higher level of output for longer, so halfway through a practice moto you are still sharp and able to absorb new skills. How many of us late in a moto have made mistakes we know we wouldn’t have made earlier? A well-rounded program will help build endurance and thus minimize fatigue later in the moto, keeping you sharp and being able to ride more consistently throughout.
LONGEVITY
3 OF PLAY
We want to be able to enjoy our sports for many years to come. There are more and more studies that are promoting the advantages of weight training in addition to aerobic activity. Try adding a couple of 3045 minute spin / jogging sessions in each week, but you need to make sure you’re working on adding some strength training to your week as well. By weight training you increase your muscle mass, improve your metabolic rate, and provide a hormonal advantage to glucose metabolism, keeping you lean and mean. Resistance training is associated with greater bone mineral density, meaning you’re less likely to break something. Long term increased bone density can even help prevent osteoporosis.
4 GREATER ENJOYMENT Weight training and conditioning will help make you stronger and faster, enabling you to perform better at your sport. You will be stronger on the puck or ball, and you will be able to run or skate faster for longer. Even in recreational sports we have a competitive spirit and a drive to win. By adding some strength and conditioning you can perform at a higher level for longer!!! So, get your ass in the gym. You’ll stay healthy, be able to extend your career, enjoy riding even more than you do now, and who knows? SAMPLE WORKOUTS:
WORKOUT 1
WORKOUT 2
WORKOUT 3
1) Single leg squats off bench x 10 per side
1) Pull-ups / ring rows x 10-12
1) Walking lunges x 10 per side
2) Push-ups x 10-15
2) Goblet squats x 12-15 3) L-Y-T-W x 10
2) Standing shoulder press x 12-15
3) Supermans x 15 4) Burpees x 15 • Rest 30-45 seconds • Complete 5-6 rounds depending on fitness level
4) Jumping jacks x 40 • Rest 30-45 seconds • Complete 5-6 rounds depending on fitness level
3) V-sits x 15-20 4) Band pull aparts x 15 5) Ice skater jumps x 6-8 per side • Rest 30-45 seconds • Complete 5-6 rounds depending on fitness level
Any questions about any of the workouts or how to perform some of the exercises, please contact me: drewr@athleticdevcentre.com
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FROM THE SHORE TO THE SHIELD, I AM ONE EPIC RIDE.
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2016-11-29 5:08 PM
THE INSIDE LINE ANDY WHITE
brought to you by
WITH
IW IN TERESTING TIMES TH ANDY WHITE all is finally here and it’s time to regroup and start working on plans for the 2018 season. It’s been one busy year for me working for FXR. The MX side of the business is really starting to grow fast and it’s time to start hiring more people to take care of different duties. I love it! It’s called growing pains but good pain if that’s possible. Our race support program has switched into high gear again, and we have a lot of fun reading all the resumes we receive from young kids right up to the pro riders. A few weeks ago, Mike Brown went to the Vet MXdN in England to represent Team USA. We built some special gear for the occasion and people really took notice. We have all of a sudden started getting requests from the UK. This is where the ROI kicks in. The gear costs money to make and Mike Brown doesn’t ride for free. It’s an investment that is paying off and it’s nice to see the requests flowing in. This is what I have been telling the younger riders for years - once you get a sponsor, try your best to promote them at the highest level. You never know who is watching you and you may be the reason they contact that sponsor. People in my position remember the riders that go out of their way to help sponsors. I like to keep an eye on who is posting and tagging FXR on social media. Those riders are the ones that I like to send a thank you package for their extra effort. This is the time of the year that you need to get your race resumes updated and sent off to the sponsors. Don’t overdo it, put down the facts and what your plans are for 2018. It’s too easy for sponsors to research your results on the net today. Please don’t make excuses either. If you had a bad weekend, well, it was bad, don’t blame it on the wrong suspension settings or that you got cut off by a lapper. I like to see some results from the past two years, then a few pictures of what your set up looks like. I then want to see a few pictures of you riding; this shows me what your gear set looks like and what your race bike looks like too. If your bike looks like crap then I don’t really want you representing our gear. You’re welcome to buy the gear at retail. After you have included photos then put down your goals for the 2018 season. Are
F
T H E
I N S I D E
L I N E
“LOOKING AT THE 2018 RACE SEASON, YOU MAY HAVE READ THAT THERE IS LESS AND LESS SUPPORT HAPPENING. YOU NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET TO THE TOP OF THE LIST TO GET SUPPORT.”
you planning on competing in a full series or just a few events? Please don’t send the sponsors a page that lays out how much it costs and that you need sponsors to race. Get a part-time job and get the proper parts for your bike. Looking at the 2018 race season, you may have read that there is less and less support happening. You need to figure out how to get to the top of the list to get support. The companies that support are usually trimming their budget so make sure you get your race resume in early and make sure it looks like you have put some serious effort into it. If I see a resume that looks like you tried hard I will put in the same effort. When I get a resume that says, “Hey, looking for support” … hmm, the rider didn’t even try to figure out who I am. If you don’t know who to address your resume to, please be polite and write “To whom it may concern.” I replied to the rider that wrote “Hey,” I replied with, “Hey, my name is Andy. Thanks for the resume, I will look it over when I get a chance.” He got the message, apologized and thanked me for my time. That rider is now on the program and is killing it. Speaking of sponsors, how crazy was it that a Red Bull rider and two Rockstar athletes finished on the podium at the Monster Energy Cup in Vegas sponsored by Monster? Marvin walked away with ONE MILLION DOLLARS...thanks Monster. I don’t think the Monster bosses were pumped that their top athlete, Tomac with the number #1 plate, was laying on the ground early in the first moto. I thought it was a little odd but that’s racing I guess. I thought having Tim Gajser over from Europe was pretty cool; this guy is not afraid to hang it out. It’s too bad he went down pretty hard in the first moto with a few other top riders. Like a few people said, that event is really just a testing stage for the upcoming supercross series. With only a few months or even weeks before A1 is here, I am looking forward to a new season of racing. Will Chad Reed ride a red or orange 450? Will Millsaps be okay to race? Will Ken Roczen be ready for supercross or will he wait until the outdoor series starts in May? Will he actually race again is the big question! There is plenty to look forward to for 2018. See you at the races.
98 // MOTOCROSS PERFORMANCE · MXPMAG.COM
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