Going on that this week’s edition is once again brought to you by the fine folks at Troy Lee Designs. Troy Lee is responsible for decking out all the RTR Performance riders, Keast, Willard, Urquhart, and Canaday - and man, do they ever look good fighting to win! Check out this cool episode of Troy Lee TV that they sent over:
Last week, we dedicated the Update to Yuri Alexandre. He was kind enough to send us some info:
“Hey Kyle, I just got into Frid’Eh Update #45 and saw you wanted to chat it up! I'll introduce myself since you don't know me much. I'm from Quebec and I'm 22 years old. This year I didn't do all the nationals, I just did gopher and St-Julie since I focused on racing the Quebec series. I ended up 3rd in both pro MX1 and GP pro championship, and 4th in MX2. This series is pretty competitive with Tremblay, Benoit, Homans, Genereux.. Just ask the Medaglias, they showed up a bunch of times!"
He can ride supercross too ...
"I ended up 10th in the MX2 final at the Montreal SX too. In 2009 I did 8 out of 9 nationals in MX2 with the St-Cesaire Honda team; I did some top 15 finishes and ended up with #45. I'm really anxious to do the whole series again and I hope it's going be next year but I won't go back until I feel like I can do really good. So I hope I'll have what it takes when spring comes. If not I'll wait until 2012, but can't wait to do the whole series, I love the nats. So that's about it man, hope you know me better! By the way nice job on the updates, love it! “
Thanks Yuri! Quebec is fast, so it's not a surprise we're dedicating this edition of the update to another French Canadian, Simon Homans! I think his name says enough. Simon did the Eastern rounds this year and put in some good rides. Right now, Simon spends most of his time working on his new business venture, St. Elie Motorsports. You can check out Simon's track and everything else has been up to right here: http://www.steliemotorsports.com/index.php
One of the fastest french riders of the decade, actually, ever - 2001 MX2 East Coast champ, Simon Homans.
I’m going to hand it over to Steve Matthes...
Thanks Kyle, and thank you peeps for reading this site. I'm not a big Facebook guy at all. In fact I only got an account started because web ninja Marty said that people would read PulpMX more if I got one. I only have room for one social network dealio and in case any of you didn't realize it, Twitter is my social network of choice. Anyways, I've gotten sucked into looking at Facebook stuff and found a page dedicated to Manitoba Motocross!
This is right up my alley as I love looking at old photos of racers and listening to the 80's channel. Clearly I like to remember the times when I dominated Manitoba as the highlight of my life and not my life now where I'm obese and being looked at like a pork chop by my Basset Hounds.
Anyways, here are a couple of shots that I dug out of the Facebook page on MB MX and thanks to whomever keeps this thing running!
That's my buddy Lawrence Hamm covering the inside against Kim Houde circa '87, I think. Hamm would get lured over to the Yamaha crew that next year without my success. What a beast of a man!
Here's me holeshotting the CRAP out of the 125 novice class in 1989 at the famed Wes-Win track. I ran number 17 in honor of the greatest hockey player ever, Wendel Clark 'natch. Oh man, I could go on all day about these shots but I'll spare you all.
I don't have much else for you guys right now, I had some stuff but then an agent called me to yell at me and I had to take some stuff out while trying to think about the situation. So yeah, I suck this week but I'll make up for it next week when I'm in Paris for the Bercy Supercross.
Matthes, out.
Thanks Steve! Last weekend MX FORUM and DMX teamed up to bring the action live from Chilliwack and we will be doing that again tonight and tomorrow night as well. Make sure you tune into DMX at 6:30 pm Pacific time to catch all the action! The track is a lot more technical and will make for much better racing. I see Palms has his elbows up, so I better let him cut in!
Hello Everyone,
As I write this I have just come from my local Remembrance Day Ceremony. One of my Grandfathers fought on WW11 so every year we try and do something to remember what our soldier’s have sacrificed over the years. I hope everyone that reads has done the same.
So the news finally came out this week that Chad Reed has formed his own team and will be going it alone on a Honda. I'm not sure if he will be getting factory parts but I would think Honda wouldn't say no--he's probably their best chance to win a title. I know it’s early but I am picking Reed for the 2011 Supercross Championship and I’ll tell you why! After reading his interview this week with Steve and following him the last few months on Twitter, I am getting a sense that he has a score to settle. He has mentioned that the 2011 CRF 450 feels like his 2009 Suzuki, a bike that he loved and looked amazing on. He obviously hates to be boxed in and told what to do, so with his own team he will have full control of everything. He really is the underdog now so the only pressure he has is what he puts on himself. He admitted that he has a new trainer; this can be only be a good thing as his competition will be young and fit. Lastly, if we have learned anything over the years about this guy, just when you think he is done, he comes back and proves everyone wrong.
And ESPN thinks Chad can do it!
As far as Reed’s competition goes, who is going to beat him in a 17 race series? Defending Champion Dungey will obviously be fast and will win some races, but you have to wonder when his streak of great luck will end. Guys like Grant, Canard and Weimer will be fast and may win some races also, but I doubt they can pull off a championship. Perhaps Reed's biggest adversary will be Ryan Villopoto, although he lacks that natural SX talent that some of the other riders have--but he certainly makes up for it with heart and determination. This brings me to the biggest unknown in 2011: James Stewart. Who knows what he will bring to A1? One thing is for sure, he will be fast, but he will now have to ride at 100% all the time to win races and that has never worked for him before. Whatever happens, one thing is for sure, the 2011 Supercross Series is going to be epic!
In Canadian news, after speaking with Rick “holeshot “ Sheren this week, it sounds as if the Hall of Fame inductions went well last Saturday, with the exception of Ross Pederson not showing up. Rick said that it was a great night of good food, good slide shows and of course good story telling. When I spoke with Ross last week, he assured me he was excited and looking forward to the night so something must have came up. It’s too bad as you only get inducted into a Hall of Fame once ... but, of course, some of us - like Matthes - induct him everyday.
Short of a few crossed T’s and dotted I’s, Blackfoot will be going racing again in 2011 with the same three riders as last year, Dusty Klatt, Tyler Medaglia and Colton Facciotti. This is great news as I can’t picture the pits at a Canadian National without Team Blackfoot. This also gives Colton a chance to redeem himself after a difficult year on the track, albeit with w few wins. For a 22 year old,, Colton has gone through some pretty big changes in the last year, not only did he get married, but he is now a home owner. I wanted to get his thoughts on the past few months, so I ran him up. Turns out he was training while enjoying being a new homeowner and dry walling. Here's what's on his mind:
Colton will be back in Canada for 2011.
DMX: Hey Colton, how are things? What have you been up to since Montreal?
Colton Facciotti: Not too much actually, just hanging out, training, working on our house, that’s about it. I went over to Ireland for a SX a few weeks back, it went okay. I felt good on the bike but just didn’t get any results. I had a few crashes that weren’t really my fault, but it was good to get back racing again.
Yes, I heard you’re a homeowner now. How is the new house?
It’s good, really good actually. I have been doing a lot of work to it the last few months; we got it with the basement unfinished so lately I have been dry walling and finishing that up. Everything is great with it, we are real happy.
That’s awesome! You are coming off a pretty rough summer, how is your body feeling. Are you all healed up?
I am actually feeling really good, I have been working out hard and getting my fitness base back to where it was before all my injuries.The injuries have healed up good; my shoulder is great. I have been working with Todd [Schumlick] and he has done a great job in getting me healthy again. I am ready to go racing again and put last year behind, hopefully for good.
So you signed again with Blackfoot for 2011 so congratulations on that. Were you close to going to the US or were you staying here no matter what?
I had a few people interested in me down south but I think this past summer really hurt me. It would have been great if I could’ve raced the last few US Nationals after Walton, and the MXoN to show everyone what I can do. No one down there puts much stock in how you’re doing in the Canadian Nationals; they want to know you can get results down there and I wasn’t able to show them.
Were you getting worried that you might not even have a ride up here with Blackfoot?
Things were touch and go for sure with them not knowing if they were going racing or not. A few weeks ago it looked as if they weren’t so I had a few other options just in case, you know, a backup plan. Then a few days ago, Blackfoot called me and offered me a contract, it was literally that close. I am really excited now though, to be back with them and in a good position to try and get that #1 plate back!
Will you still be going south in January to prepare like always with the team?
Yes, that is all the same. I think there has been a few cutbacks to the program, but Blackfoot prides themselves on the preparation they do so that will never change. Now that I am healthy again, I can’t wait to get at it. It will be our second year on the new Yamaha 450 so that will be great; I loved the bike last year and I heard that the 2011 is even better.
Congratulations on everything, your marriage, the new house, the Blackfoot ride, you have a lot of reasons to be excited for 2011.
Yes for sure, thanks. I hope this past summer was just a bad fluke and I hope I can get back to where I feel I belong!
Thanks Palms. Sounds like Colton is happy with his decision to remain in Canada for another year. Hopefully when the economy turns around and Colt is back on his feet, at 100 percent, we can see him do battle down south. Silly season is really starting to shake up here in Canada. With Blackfoot now confirmed that leaves a few others still. Kyle Keast still has nothing confirmed but is in talks with a top team and stuff is looking good for big #4. Jared and Parker Allison, two of the fastest brothers Canada has ever seen, also have nothing signed as well as a lot of other big names still. That goes to show you how fast these guys are going - you have to either win or come pretty damn close to get a deal! I’m sure we will see Jeremy Medaglia back on a Orange Motorsports KTM, as Orange and KTM had a great program for him there last year and it wouldn’t make much sense to change.
A few words from Lissimore ...
Well, it's been an eventful week here in BC. With the first two weekends of the Nex-Trax Canadian Arenacross series taking place a week apart at Chilliwack's Heritage Park, a lot of people have been staying out in between. I've been hosting our fearless leader, Kyle Carruthers, here at my home all week and in between trying to bring you the best coverage in Canadian moto, we've managed to get out and have some fun and see the countryside. On Sunday night we headed out to Richmond to the TBC Indoor Go Kart track that used to hold the Ogio Go Kart races back in the Vancouver Supercross days, to get a little car racing fun in. Joining us were the Washington contingent of Brad Nauditt, his mechanic Robby and friend Bryan, who've been staying at Jackie Schott's in Chilliwack's. As always, when you combine motors and a group of people who just want to take each other out, it was a whole lot of fun.
Tuesday night we decided to check out an Abbotsford Heat game as they played the Houston Aeros. To the dismay of the Washington guys, there were no fights; everyone got a good look at the facility that's going to host the January 21st and 22nd rounds of the series. The state of the art hockey facility is going to be quite the change from the Chilliwack venue. It will be cool to see a true arenacross race in the Vancouver area. I love the Chilliwack track's large surface area but it's going to be good to have some variety. Plus, they've got delicious baked pretzels for sale in the Abby arena!
On Wednesday we made the three and a half hour drive up to Kamloops to visit RTR Performance, the title sponsor of the RTR Performance DMX/MXForum.com Webcast. With the week off between races, both Kyle Keast and Michael Willard have been staying in Kamloops so we hooked up with them to film a hilarious look at the RTR shop. Stay tuned to DMX in the future for the film. It was my first time shooting video and I'm looking forward to bringing more film features to the site in the near future.
KC is looking to relocate to B.C. Anyone need a roommate? In exchange for rent, he'll let you ride his sweet track.
If you haven't already checked it out, take a look at my Behind the Lens feature from this week, featuring a look at an old Shift Racing ad that I shot for Racer X Canada in 2006: Here.
The master and the apprentice are now teammates aboard Leading Edge.
We stopped by the track on Wednesday night on our way back from Kamloops and it was cool to see Kyle and Spenny hanging out together, just like that ad all those years ago. It's nice to see a genuine friendship like that last, and I'm glad to see them together on the same team for the first time. Heart warming, really.
Okay, it's time to head back out to the track. Stay tuned for all the breaking news as it develops!
The Track is looking a lot more technical now at the "'Wack!" Watch and Listen to the LIVE WEBCAST tonight to hear all of the bar banging action.
Thanks James! We were also able to stop by Valley Speed Machine shop on our way through the loopsl. Believe it or not, but James Lissmore is a huge motor buff and could really talk the talk with Valley Speed's head man, Rob Munro. Check out Valleyspeed.ca for all your motor needs from bikes, cars, boats and more! Thanks for showing us around Rob!
Valley Speed had Rods for everything you can think of (did that sound weird?).
Our editor in Chief Allison Kennedy is feeling a little under the weather this week ... so I guess we'll give her a break. But stay tuned as Allison has some great articles coming up next week. Get well soon, AK!
Thanks for reading and don’t forget about the MX FORUM/DMX/RTR Performance webcast here tonight at 6:30 PM pacific. We want to HEAR from everyone on the chat board, the forums, tweets, in your dixie cups - we only get so many winter races, let's take advantage of every lap!
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