Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Taddy Blazusiak finish in third in the 2011 Indoor Enduro Genoa,Italy Final

Coming back from a series of crashes in Round One of the Indoor Enduro World Championship in Genoa, Italy on Saturday night the KTM Enduro Factory Team rider Taddy Blazusiak finish in third place overall. KTM Enduro Factory teammate Thomas Oldrati was a solid fourth at the end of the night.

Taddy, the Polish rider and reigning Indoor Enduro champion who has established himself as the one to beat in hard man-hard machine Enduro competitions, has just returned from winning five of six rounds in the GEICO Endurocross in the USA but his opening event in the championship was not as he would have wished. He went down hard in the first of three finals and banged both his head and shoulder but continued racing. Then from mid pack he crashed again just short on the triple jump and did well to scrape back to a ninth place with a banged up bike and bent handlebars.


KTM's Taddy Blazusiak (#111) finished third overall during the first round after winning the second final.Blazusiak the fighter


Despite feeling pain in an aggravated old shoulder injury, he was leading the second final when he crashed again and had to concede first place to Finland's Mika Ahola. The third race was his best of the night. He took the holeshot in the style that has won him respect from peers and fans alike and went on to claim the checkered flag. His 9-2-1 result on the night left him in third place overall in front of Ahola and Joakim Ljunggren. Just eight points separate him from the leader in the five-round competition that this year has been elevated from World Cup to World Championship status.'

Good Night Out for KTM's Thomas Oldrati

It was also a solid night's ride for Italian Thomas Oldrati the second rider in the KTM Enduro Factory Team to compete in the night. Fastest in training, Oldrati finished with a 3-4-2 result to be fourth overall behind the big guns on a night where crashes claimed other prominent riders.

Taddy Blazusiak: "I had two crashes in the first final - the first was a simply indoor Enduro fall where I lost my front wheel after hitting a log. But the second was much bigger. I was riding with a good pace and was sure I could get back to the front but I lost some traction on the take off of the triple jump and came up short. My shoulder was really sore after that crash so I was struggling a bit on the second race. I didn't have a loft of power in the shoulder and I just ended up on the ground again when I was leading. I got back to second, which was okay. The last race was the perfect way to end the night. I pulled the holeshot and then stayed out front and upright all race. I felt like my speed was good enough to win all three races but after my first final crash to still be third in the championship is really good.

2011 Indoor Enduro Genoa, Italy Final 1 Results:

1. Joakim Ljunggren, Sweden (Husaberg)
2. Mika Ahola, Finland (Honda)
3. Thomas Oldrati, Italy (KTM)

Final 2 Results: 

1. Mika Ahola, Finland (Honda)
2. Taddy Blazusiak, Poland (KTM)
3. Joakim Ljunggren, Sweden (Husaberg)

Final 3 Results: 

1. Taddy Blazusiak, Poland (KTM)
2. Thomas Oldrati, Italy (KTM)
3. Mika Ahola, Finland (Honda)

2011 Indoor Enduro Championship Points: 

1. Mika Ahola, 51 points
2. Joakim Ljunggren, 45
3. Taddy Blazusiak, 43
4. Thomas Oldrati, Italy, KTM, 42

View the original article here

Monday, November 29, 2010

Big News for Motocross Fans

In the two and a half months that I've been away from Cycle News i've discovered several things,and I'd be remiss to not share them with you - just in case you have yet to experience the gut-wrenching feeling of being job-less for the first time in your life.

So here we go: Through a technique known as repetitive learning, I now know where everything in the grocery store is located; the fine art of caulking bathtub enclosures has been conquered; my dog now actually believes that a dog walk is a daily event; no one in my neighborhood has greener grass; when your wife comes home from work and asks, ‘So what did you do today?" it might be a good idea to have something to tell her even if you have to embellish (playing up the grocery store thing works quite well); I'm not a fan of "The View," and something about Oprah still bothers me for some reason; the 15-yard sprint to get the paper from the end of the driveway in your boxers is far easier in August than it is in November; waiting to get paid every two weeks is less painful than paying bills every two weeks without a paycheck; I have more friends than I thought; and I miss the hell out of doing Cycle News.

So grocery store and dog parks be damned, I'm back to being the editor of Cycle News. And I couldn't be happier.

By now you've probably read that the Motorsports Aftermarket Group (MAG) has purchased the Cycle News brand and hired me to be the editor, bringing the last three months of my life full circle - fired/misery, hired/happiness. And to think I questioned those who said way too often "when one door closes, another one opens." This, my friends, is not just a door. It's a freaking garage door.

After sitting at a desk in a Cycle News office for the past 25 years, whether that be in Long Beach or Costa Mesa, I'm writing this from the MAG offices in Irvine, California, and I'm writing with a smile on my face that a plastic surgeon would have difficultly removing. The right word might actually be giddy. Selfishly, I'm excited for myself and I'm excited for the team that I'm in the early stages of assembling. But I'm also excited for you because I think - like me - you've probably missed your Cycle News. Although we are still in the process of putting a plan together to take the publication to the next level, I can tell you that we now have a future that is bright and you will be getting your fix of Cycle News in some manner in the very near future. I promise you that.

My immediate goal is to get cyclenews.com back to where it needs to be, get our valued contributors back to work and get back to being your news source of choice on the internet. Beyond that... well, you'll be the first to know.

I recently returned from Las Vegas where off-road editor Kit Palmer (yes... Kit is back!) and I attended both the AMA Hall of Fame Banquet and the final round of the EnduroCross Series. It was there that we were able to get a sense of the excitement from our industry partners that we are back in the fold with what I like to call the new Cycle News, and I know I can count on the support we will need to go forward.

As for our readers, I'm hoping that our announcement today brings a smile back to your face as well. I know my neighbors will be pleased that their mornings can go forward without the fear of seeing me in my boxers, and Oprah can live her life without me. You see... everyone wins in this deal. Except the dog.

View the original article here

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Davi Millsaps ready to stage a run at the 2011 Monster Energy AMA Supercross

Davi Millsaps will be joining Justin Brayton on the Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGRMX team.With a new team and a clean bill of health, Davi Millsaps is ready to stage a run at the 2011 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, title. Millsaps will be racing under the direction of team manager Jeremy Albrecht and the Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGRMX team. The 2011 season marks the fifth year Millsaps has been competing in the premier AMA Supercross class.

Earlier this summer during the fourth race of the 2010 AMA Motocross championships, Millsaps suffered a frightening crash which required an air medic response team to fly him to a local primary care facility. In the end, Millsaps suffered damage to his kidney, a broken thumb, several broken ribs, and a bruised lung. After a long recovery, he is fully rested and ready to be in contention for the 2011 AMA Supercross title.

“For the upcoming season I need to train hard and ride hard and see where it takes me,” said Millsaps. “Hopefully I can put my head down and focus on what I need to do to be where I need to be.”

Millsaps joins Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGRMX following five years of seat time on a Factory Honda. Since joining the pro ranks in 2004, Millsaps has earned one Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites title along with 10 career wins and an additional 19 podium finishes over seven years. In 2010, Millsaps posted a career-best third overall in the premier AMA Supercross class, complimented by four podium finishes and one win.

“It’s going to be really good, competitive racing this year,” said Millsaps. “There are a lot solid riders coming up, so I’m looking forward to it because it really shows where you stand. It’s going to be a good year especially with everybody coming back from injuries. I just need to make sure I buckle down and do my best.”

The 2011 Monster Energy Supercross season kicks off January 8 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif.
For more information on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, please log on to www.SupercrossOnline.com.

View the original article here

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Taddy Blazusiak Victory in Las Vegas

Taddy Blazusiak started the night off well after impressing the crowd in the afternoon hot laps. Blazusiak turned the fastest lap time of the night nearly two seconds faster than the next closest competitor. Blazusiak’s fast lap time earned him first gate pick in heat number one.

Off the gate, Blazusiak had a great jump that put him two bike lengths ahead of the field as they rounded the first turn. He went on to take an easy win to qualify into the main. It was determined that once Blazusiak qualified into the main event, all he had to do was show up for the main and the championship was his.

Knowing that, the Red Bull/KTM team was able to run the number one plate on his bike for the main event.

Also having decent heat races were Christini/KTM rider Geoff Aaron who won heat number two. Heat number three showed a great battle between Justin Soulè and FMF/KTM rider Mike Brown. The KTM rider had the early lead but was passed through the first boulder section by Soulè. For the remainder of the race the two switched the lead multiple times. When the checkered flag flew it was Soulè with the win followed by Brown in a close second.

RPM/KTM rider Kevin Rookstool qualified for the main event after winning his semi race. His teammate, Maria Forsberg, missed qualifying for the night show by one space earlier in the day after an amazing last chance qualifier. Look for Forsberg to make history next season as the first Women’s Pro rider to make the EnduroCross night show in the Pro class.

At 10:00pm the gate dropped for the final main event of the season. Fans saw two KTM’s out front earlier. Aaron grabbed the holeshot followed closely by Blazusiak. It didn’t take long for the Polish rider to push his way into the lead and never look back. Blazusiak went on to take a commanding win and the championship title. Aaron finished a strong 2nd place and took 2nd in the championship chase. Brown rode a strong race to push forward from a bad start to finish 4th overall.

In typical fashion, Blazusiak gave the fans a great show after his win. He took a few victory laps down the start straight popping wheelies and stoppies at one point getting off his bike to bend down and give it a kiss. “I am very excited about this championship. It means a lot to me to take home this title. I can’t thank my Red Bull/KTM Team enough for all of their support.”

Results Rnd 6 – ’10 AMA Endurocross championship

1. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM Enduro Factory Team)
2. Geoff Aaron (Christini/KTM)
3. Cody Webb (Gas Gas)
4. Mike Brown (KTM)
5. Colton Haaker (Kawasaki)

Final championship standings – ‘10 AMA Endurocross championship

1. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM Enduro Factory Team)
2. Geoff Aaron (Christini/KTM)
3. Justin Soule (Kawasaki)
4. Cory Graffunder (Husqvarna)
5. Kyle Redmond (Kawasaki)

View the original article here

Friday, November 26, 2010

Taddy Blazusiak wins the EnduroCross in Las Vegas

In Las Vegas Nevada with the Orleans Arena completely crowd filled we watched KTM's Taddy Blazusiak wins the race and defend his GEICO EnduroCross, presented by E3 Sparkplugs Championship.Christini/GEICO KTM's Geoff Aaron finished second in the race and also the Championship for the second year in a row and Cody Webb, the 2010 AMA Trials champion earned his first ever EnduroCross podium.

Taddy Blazusiak got the day started off by barely edging out Monster Kawasaki's Justin Soule to set the fastest time during the Pioneer hot laps that puts the riders on the track by themselves for a single lap against the clock. Geoff Aaron had the third fastest time.  Those three riders earned the first picks for the heat races and all three also earned quick trips to the main event by winning their respective heats.

Geoff Aaron got aggressive on the start of the main event and pushed Blazusiak a little wide to take the Girardi Wealth Management $750 Holeshot award but Taddy fought back quickly to take the lead.  Aaron stayed close for most of the race to keep Taddy honest but ultimately lost touch.  That allowed Taddy to edge away and take the win.  Cody Webb appeared to have third locked up but Lucas Oil backed Colton Haaker worked his way through the pack to take the position but then had an ugly trip over the bars and ultimately finished fifth.  Mike Brown and Justin Soule also fought for the final podium spot but both had their own issues to ultimately finish fourth and sixth respectively.Kyle Redmond, Jamie Lanza, Cory Graffunder, Kevin Rookstool and Destry Abbot finished seventh to eleventh.

GEICO EnduroCross also includes three support classes at each event and the top finishers from the five previous rounds as well as the Vegas daytime qualifiers earned the right to compete for AMA number one plates.  Ty Davis rode his Husqvarna to the 35+ vet class win over Todd Sciacqua and Kurt Nichol.  Luke Reynolds survived a last lap crash in the rock pile to win the Open Amateur class over Mark Mcgregor and Ryan Sandoval.  Multi time AMA Trials champion Patrick Smage won the TrialsCross championship over Bryan Roper and Shad Petersen.

2010 Las Vegas, NV GEICO EnduroCross Expert Class results:

1. Taddy Blazusiak    KTM
2. Geoff Aaron        Christini KTM
3. Cody Webb        Gas Gas
4. Mike Brown        KTM
5. Colton Haaker    Kawasaki
6. Justin Soule        Kawasaki
7. Kyle Redmond    Kawasaki
8. Jamie Lanza        Kawasaki
9. Cory Graffunder    Husqvarna
10. Kevin Rookstool    KTM
11. Destry Abbott    Kawasaki

2010 GEICO EnduroCross Expert Class final points:

1. Taddy Blazusiak    KTM
2. Geoff Aaron        Christini KTM
3. Justin Soule        Kawasaki
4. Cory Graffunder    Husqvarna
5. Kyle Redmond    Kawasaki
6. Gary Sutherlin    Kawasaki
7. Colton Haaker    Kawasaki
8. Kevin Rookstool    KTM
9. Cody Webb        Gas Gas
10. Mike Brown        KTM

GEICO EnduroCross on the Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour on Versus network:

Event / Date / Arena                                                 Air Date / Time          Re-Air Date / Time

Denver, CO 10/30/10 - National Western Complex:     12/12/10 5:00 PM        12/15/10 5:00 PM
Las Vegas, NV 11/20/10 - Orleans Arena:                 12/19/10 6:00 PM       12/23/10 5:00 PM

Note: All times are Eastern.  www.motorsportshour.com.

EnduroCross tracks incorporate various elements of off road racing into a supercross-style setting, including rocks, boulders, logs, sand, mud, a water-hole... and even a few special obstacles like giant tires thrown in!  Known as the "toughest racing on two wheels," this indoor version of extreme off road racing will certainly keep you on your feet. The GEICO Powersports AMA EnduroCross series will be captured by the Versus Network, to be aired on the popular grassroots racing program; The Lucas Motorsports Hour. With its excitement and unpredictability, the EnduroCross championship has always down to the wire and this year will be no different as the series starts and finishes at Vegas' Orleans Arena! Don't miss your chance to see GEICO Powersports AMA Endurocross "Live" - and be sure to log-on to www.Versus.com for local airing dates/times for the Lucas Motorsports Hour.

ENDUROCROSS is a registered trademark of Source Interlink Magazines, LLC.

For rules and race information visit www.EnduroCross.com or email endurocross@sourceinterlink.com.
For TV airing dates/times visit www.motorsportshour.com

Source Interlink Media Motorsports:

Encompassing the highly successful AMA GEICO MiniMotoSX presented by Monster Energy, the AMA GEICO EnduroCross Championship Series, presented by E3 Spark Plugs and the AMA EnduroCross Grand Championships, the Source Interlink Media Motorsports brands reach millions of motorcycle enthusiasts with live events, DVD packages, web sites, television and magazine coverage. Visit http://www.minimotosx.com/ or http://www.endurocross.com/.


View the original article here

Thursday, November 25, 2010

The 47th edition of the DMX Frid’eh Update

Troy Lee Designs Canada welcome you to the 47thedition of the DMX Frid’eh Update right here on directmotocross.com, your one-stop shop for everything Canadian moto! Sorry, this one is a couple hours late. Just get ready, it's going to be a long one, so grab a drink and your dinner!

I think the biggest news today is that I woke up to a snow covered yard! Yes, I had to go and clean my truck off and let it warm up to defrost the windows before I could go anywhere here in SWO. It wasn’t cool! I know Alberta was hit with a ton of snow (at least it was when I landed there for my layover on my flight
 Monday night) and I’m sure other parts of Canada are seeing the white blanket come down as well. Yes, riding season is coming to end (sigh) but at least we're getting closer to the kick of A1 and seeing one of the most stacked fields of competition ever. It’s going to be a good season and the crew at Gopher Dunes may think I’m nuts, but I still have Canard as my pick for the championship!

Once again this edition of the update is brought to you by Troy Lee Designs. A big thanks to them for stepping up and making it possible for us to bring you this column each and every week this month. RTR Performance Troy Lee Design riders Urquhart (or is it Airkeart?), Keast and Willard were able to go 1,2,3 in the final Open main event of the weekend and they definitely looked good doing it wearing that stylish Troy Lee Designs gear!


RTR Performance Riders Looking good!

Sticking with tradition, this week’s update is dedicated to 2010 National number 47 Ryan Gainey. Ryan holds a couple records in Canada so to speak. He is the first person to top ten a national on an Aprilia dirtbike as well as holeshot twice on the big beast.  Every time he is at the track he is surrounded by beautiful woman even during track walk! He is the only rider to turn down a factory ride in the states with Mitch Payton's mighty Pro Circuit team as he felt racing in Canada was more fun. Oh and he is also from Albania so I hear from the DMX staff. Pretty cool eh?

No, I’m just kidding. To be honest I don’t know every single rider or their life story that shows up and races a Canadian national here and I’ll be the first one to admit it, especially as we get further back in the pack. We do know Ryan raced Gopher Dunes this year as James Lissimore was able to tag a couple pictures of him.

So Ryan if your reading this give me a shout kyle@directmotocross.comand we'll give these fine folks the real scoop on what you have been up to!

Also check out this cool video TLD sent us over of a quick tour David Pingree did through TLD headquarters!


Now, lucky for us there has been some racing action in Canada the last couple weeks. I was able to catch a flight out to beautiful B.C. and check out rounds 1-4 of the Nex-trax Canadian AX series. I have to admit this series is pretty cool and has a great turn out! There is no doubt why B.C. has produced the best indoor riders Canada has ever seen (think Lange, Sheren, Beaton, Klatt, Facciotti to name a few). Right from the 50cc class on up, this series teaches the kids to push hard and be aggressive and it really shows. The whole time I was there I was itching to ride! It was pretty fun out there especially doing the MX FORUM/DMX/RTR Performance live video webcast. If you weren’t able to check it out you can check out the archives under the DMX Breaking News section and on MX Forum. A big thanks once again to my co-host, Billy Rainford, for throwing that all together and inviting DMX to be a part of it. Thanks Billy!

The action is no doubt heating up in the pro classes too. Kyle Beaton looked to be the most dominant rider in the series and it showed with him taking most of the main event wins over the first two weekends. RTR Performance rider Kevin Urquhart was up there, also taking two main event wins and showing Beaton a wheel or two. We were able to catch up with both of these guys this past week here at DMX and you can check them out here and here.

Klatt also took a main event win in round one, reminding people he's the real deal. Unfortunately Klatt went down hard in Round 3 and put himself out for the remainder of the weekend with a badly sprained wrist.  The barn was definitely claiming its victims with RTR Performance rider Kohl Canaday taking some beatings, including knocking out some teeth. Josh Snider went down and broke his arm after showing up and borrowing a Kawasaki. Monster Energy Leading Edge Kawasaki rider, Kyle Beaton, went down also but it sounds like he’ll be just fine. Heal up quick boys!


Beaton is motivated and looking to win in 2011! Even if it is on a 110!

I think so far the biggest surprise of the series is Kyle Keast. The RTR Performance TLD Honda Canada rider put in some consistent rides and hit the box on several occasions. He now holds down third place in both the AX2 and Open pro championships. I’m not saying he is the biggest surprise because of his skills, I’m just saying it because of some of the names on the line who have a lot more time indoors then he does. I think it’s time everyone stops saying Keast isn’t an indoor rider as he has proved many times he is the real deal!

Next the series moves to Grand Prarie, Alberta on December 17thand 18th. Word is that there is going to be over $10,000 into the pro purse for that weekend. Pro's you know where to go!

Also make sure you check out Angie Parkers column Out of the Blue. It is jammed packed full of all the latest news on Canada's top motocross ladies!

Ok here's Palms with his contribution:

Happy Friday everyone! I hope a good week was had by all. As I write this it is snowing outside in Shelburne, Ontario. I know it’s probably 15 degrees and sunny at Gopher Dunes but for now it looks like winter is on its way. The weather we experienced last week seems like a long time ago now, I hope everyone had the chance to get out and enjoy it. I know I sure did!

Late last week as the temperature climbed and the sun seemed to get brighter outside, the generous people at Kawasaki lent me a KX 450F to ride and test for a few days. The KX 450 is one of the only bikes we didn’t get to test at our DMX Moto Park ride day so I was anxious to try it out. Now I know every rider has had a few (hopefully) of those ride days that were just so spectacular that you just didn’t want them to end. This was the case for me on Friday and Saturday of last week, the weather was great, I had a great bike to ride and all the work I had put into my track in September was paying off. I basically rode and tested the Kawasaki both days until dark, which seems to be happening way too early now, by the way. My track is kind of on the Supercross side of things so after watching so many videos from California of guys out testing for the 2011 Supercross Series, it was awesome to get out and pretend that I was doing the same. Please check in with DMX in the near future for a complete rundown on what the 2011 KX 450F was like.


Palms riding the KX250F here at our Dirt Shoot test day. He says the KX450F is a weapon!

So after two weekends of crash and bang Arenacross out west, the series takes a month off before resuming in Grand Prairie, AB. Last weekend saw some great racing but a lot of crashes too, as a number of top riders left Chilliwack very sore after Saturday's racing. I had a chance to speak with one of those riders, Leading Edge Kawasaki’s Kyle Beaton this past week. If you haven’t read it yet, please go a check it out. Kyle is very forthcoming with how he’s been doing.  Is it just me or does Beaton seem like he has matured a lot over the last few years? I guess adversity will do that to you. He also seems a lot more focused and, as he mentioned in the interview, he really wants to go south and ride some rounds of the Supercross series. It would be great to see him down there as he will probably be the only Canadian on the gate. Let’s hope he finds the funding to make it happen.

Speaking of riders that have had their share of adversity in the last few years, Steve “I love croissants ” Matthes did a podcast last week with Sean Hamblin over on www.pulpmx.com. It is a great listen and Sean’s memory is obviously intact as he recounts almost every second of the past 10 years. A number of us in recent years have tried to get Sean back up here to race the Canadian Nationals, but he had his mind set on a U.S. comeback. I personally would love to see Sean come up and ride the next two years up here, I think he would contend for the MX1 championship in his second year for sure. I think I am just dreaming, maybe we should start a “Bring SH105 Back to Canada” on Facebook or something?

One of Sean’s biggest fans is Ron Ashley of Two Wheel Motorsports in Guleph, Ontario. Ron is one of the guys who helped Sean when he first came to Canada. I called Ron today and asked him for his best Sean Hamblin memory, here is what Ron had to say: “I have a few for sure, but my favorite one comes from the summer of 2001. Sean was struggling all year to find the speed he had the year before, he tried defending his MX2 West Championship but came up way short.  As the series moved East and he started riding the 250’s I made him and Mitch Cooke go to Gopher Dunes all the time to practice, they hated it but I knew what the payoff would be. Sure enough in Moncton he was leading a moto and I told Frenchie to lie to him on the pit board and not tell Sean he was leading. I knew that if Sean figured out he was leading, he would get tight and it would be over. Well, we never told him till he crossed the finish line in first. He was so surprised and obviously so happy. Those results really gave him the confidence to take the next step in his career. I wish that guy would swallow his pride and come up here again!”

Well, that’s it for me. I hope everyone has a safe and warm weekend, and congratulations to Greg Workman on the birth of his daughter Katie. Welcome to parenthood Greg!

Thanks Palms and once again congrats to Greg Workman and his wife on the birth of their beautiful baby girl. Greg is a rep for many brands in motocross including Forma and Scott to name a couple. He’s one of the good guys for sure!

Now over to DMX's creative director Dawn McClintock. Take it away Dawn!

Thanks Kyle! Well it's that time of year and everyone is racking their brain to try and come up with some neat ideas for Christmas presents. It also happens to be my little guy's birthday next weekend so I have to cross that hurdle first. I came across these little bikes (named "Y-Bike") purely by accident when I was looking for a bike for him last year, the problem was, they weren't available in Canada. Well now they are and I jumped to it and it arrived on my doorstep on Tuesday. The cool thing about these little bikes is that they teach balance at an early age, so when your kid is ready for the step up to a real two wheeler, they already have the whole balance thing mastered. The other cool feature is that for you diehard factory colour freaks, they come in blue, green, orange, and pink (other colours are in the works). A must have for the littlest member of the moto family.


Check out this factory KTM ride! Pimp my ride Mom and Dad!


Next step up is the Extreme Y-Bike. Braaap!

There will be more detailed information on them next week and how you can get your own Y-Bike right here in Canada. You can check out more images here:

Thanks Dawn! December is fast approaching; it means Christmas, good food and other things but also means time is running out for Canadian riders to sign deals for next year. We know Blackfoot will be back for sure with Klatt, Facciotti and Tyler Medaglia but there are still other teams and big riders without deals.  Sounds like we will see Teddy Maier back in Canada on a green machine this coming summer. Question is whether it will be a small bike or big bike ride. Personally I would love to see him try the big bike class as he proved in Montreal that he can be a threat there too. I haven’t spoken with Andre Laurin lately of OTSFF Rockstar Suzuki as I know himself and the team are busy with Snocross testing. I think it’s a safe bet you’ll be seeing Bobby Kiniry back and if that’s the case that is great news! We know we have Kaven Beniot on board at Andy Whites KTM team but the rest of the team is still unconfirmed.

National #4 Kyle Keast is still without a ride. I know Keast has been in talks with a couple of big teams. I sure hope someone can find a home for Kyle because no matter where he lands he is going to be a great representative for that team and their sponsors. Keast is a fan favourite anywhere he goes and just loves to ride a dirt bike. It might be interesting to see what he can do on some good equipment, with a good program and not having to go to work between nationals. Well update you more next week on silly season.


Fans love the Dozer from coast to coast!

Now over to DMX photographer James “I’m so happy Kyle and Billy are gone” Lissimore…
It's definitely been a busy couple weeks here at the DMX western headquarters. With the first four rounds of the Nex-Trax Canadian Arenacross series taking place a week apart in nearby Chilliwack, I played host to our own Kyle Carruthers plus his webcast co-host and all around good guy, Billy Rainford from www.mxforum.com. Also, on the weekends, Dusty Klatt was staying here too so it was a full house. Now, after a few trips to the airport, everyone is safely back in their respective homes and I've been able to spend this week catching up on all the great stuff we produced during the last little bit.

Of course, the main reason that Billy and Kyle were here was for the MXForum/DMX/RTR Performance webcast and despite a couple hiccups, things went great and from talking to some people who were listening and watching at home they were thoroughly entertained. Kohl Canaday even said that he was watching the webcast on the Friday night of the first round and was inspired to load up and come down to race on the Saturday, despite an earlier practice crash that left him missing a few teeth. He saw the action out on the track and didn't want to miss out. Unfortunately, this weekend he crashed in practice on Saturday and was again forced to sit out but he's tough and still learning at this arenacross thing and I'm sure he'll be eager to get back out there at the next round in Grande Prairie.

If you haven't already checked it out, we've had a ton of coverage from this past weekend's racing. I'd include the links but there's so much new stuff up on there it would take up half the page. Make sure to check out our Pro Photo Reports, AM Photo Report, Interviews and Wallpapers.

Another big piece of news from this weekend is that Leading Edge and Kyle Beaton are working on putting together a program to race some of the West Coast Lites supercross races. Last time Beets raced supercross, in 2008, he raced five events and qualified for three. Right now he's trying to balance his schedule between the Canadian AX series, his commitments to the Future West series in England and the Supercrosses but he's trying to make it work so that he can hit as many as possible. It looks like a change of teams was just what the doctor order for Beaton as he's starting over with a clean slate and seems motivated and eager to get his career back on track. Plus, he looks great on his new bike – other than his crash on Saturday night, he's looked all but unstoppable so far in the Canadian AX series.


Will we see Showtime 2 come January?

On Saturday, I was able to take off from the Arenacross for an hour to go check out the new track that's being built in Popkum. They're relocating it to the other side of the freeway in a really nice spot with good dirt and better drainage. The best part is that, because of the better drainage and soil, they're hoping to keep it open all winter so that's great news for us out here on the west coast that want to get out and put in a mid-winter ride. Darren Pilling had a few guys out just riding in a rough track to see how best to lay it out but I did sneak a couple pics of Bigwave Billy himself putting in a few laps. Anyone who remembers Billy's ill fated return to the Vet Master class a few years ago knows how often he rides these days so he had plenty of excuses about his lack of “form”. He's going to be “super” pumped to see this photo of him in here.


The new Popkum MX Track location.

Ok, that's it for me this week. The mountains are getting blasted with snow, Whistler is opening today, Baker is possibly opening tomorrow, so winter is finally here. Time to get the board ready!


Mx Forum's Bigwave Billy showing us "elbows up"!

Thanks James and once again thanks for letting me hang out at your place all week! Looks like DMX’s newest member Allison Kennedy has some news for this week….

Thanks, guys, this is quite the update so far. I don't have a ton to add but I did want to thank Kevin Urquhart for taking the time to chat earlier this week. I've been out of the loop for so long that sometimes I forget how to get the ball rolling in rider interviews ... luckily Urquhart was the perfect candidate for that situation.

Confident and funny, I really enjoyed the stories he shared about how committed his family has been throughout his career. From his grandfather acting as his race mechanic, to his grandma making sandwiches, his parents helping him chase sponsorship and his sister designing his resume, it sounds like Team Urquhart is much more than a one-rider operation. It was a great reminder of what I love so much about this sport: family, friends, and teamwork. Best of luck to Kevin in the coming rounds and with finding a ride in Canada for 2011, now that the CMRC series has finally made his A-list, it would be interesting to see what he could do up here...

Thanks AK! Now here's something from Matthes who caused this whole thing to be late-
Thanks Kyle and yes, you can all blame me for this late update. Y’see, I’m in Paris, France for the 28th annual Bercy Supercross and the main event just wrapped up. It’s almost one o’clock in the morning and here I am, typing away for you lucky bastards. I was also waiting on some actual real race photos from a dude that I paid 130 Euro to but looks like he's taken my money and gave me the giant middle finger so enclosed are some crappy Blackberry shots.

Anyways, I love this race-it’s got such great traditions and the tight confines of the arena make for some great, great racing…usually. There isn’t a legend that hasn’t raced at this race and the fans are some of the most passionate around.

I’ve been out to this race four or five times now and I don’t know how many of you get to do these off-season races with the guys who you usually see on weekends when everybody and everything is Joe Serious but when you’re in another country, all the counterparts seem to band together and there’s a lot of down time to hang out.


Oh if these tunnel walls could talk...
For example, I must have spent an hour today talking to Lorraine Barcia about her son Justin and all sorts of things in the motocross industry,  then Antonio Cairoli and myself talked about coming to America, Mike Alessi, how he loves Jeremy McGrath and hugged him last weekend in Genoa until it got weird and much more. Then it was lunch with Micheal Byrne, Ryan Morais, Grant Langston their respective wives and mechanics just talking and telling tales. You just don’t get to do that much at the supercrosses and nationals.

It’s a good time for making friends and laughing. After that it was a talk with Jean-Michael Bayle for 20 minutes (I tried to hide my boner…can I say boner in Frid’EH Update?) and then with David Vuillemin for a while. I’m not name dropping to impress anyone, I’m just saying that at a normal event, I’m not doing that.

Anyways, the format consists of one-lap sprint races for gate pick in the elimination races where half the field gets tossed aside in short five-lap races and then a 15-lapper main for all the marbles. Justin Barcia of the GEICO Honda team won everything tonight except for the very first elimination race which went to Gauthier Paulin.


Former Canadian champion Kyle Chisholm got third in Friday's main event!
There was disaster everywhere you looked tonight as the dirt was very soft and rutted up easy. First there was Michael Byrne who got sideways in a triple/triple section and crashed hard. He’s done for the weekend with a suspected wrist injury. Then in the main, Paulin went out early, Max Anstie crashed into a wall, Blake Wharton went down with headshake, Greg Aranda landed on Grant Langston in a rhythm section and KO’d both of them. In fact over half of the top ten fastest qualifiers went out in the main event!

By the end, last men standing were Barcia followed by World Champion Marvin Musquin and then USA’s Kyle Chisholm who rode a smart race to end up third. It was a hectic night and get ready because that was just the first one!

I heard some Blackfoot Yamaha talk all the way over here in France, it seems that they are indeed going racing next year as DMX reported earlier but it’s with a definite smaller effort from Yamaha. It should be interesting to see if the program suffers at all with the smaller dedication of resources from big blue. I know the guys there will be working hard to make sure the standard doesn’t slip.

Thanks Matthes, well that’s it for this week folks. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!


"No Willard, I will not comb your hair with this!"
RTR Performance owner Craig Fortune talks racing with RTR rider Micheal Willard.


Seb Tortelli models the new JT gear!

View the original article here

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Andrew Short wife talks about their relationship


We caught up with Jacki Short, wife of Andrew Short.Everyone's got a better half, but only at Alli do you hear about being hooked with motocross greats He’s a new KTM team rider, Motocross of Nations team U.S.A. Champion and 3rd place finisher in the 2010 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championships. Jacki, a former racer herself, took some time to give us insight into their life, baby Emma’s early riding career and Andrew’s biggest fear.

What’s it like being in a relationship with a professional motocross rider?
I’m very privileged. Our life is very interesting and we’ve been blessed to travel to so many places and meet so many people.

Explain your role in the world of Andrew Short.
I think my role has changed over the years especially since we have a little girl now. I try and be supportive and as uplifting as I can to encourage him and be able to play any role I need to play.

Do you go to a lot of races and get to see him compete?
I don’t go to as many as I used to since we’ve had the little one. We both agree it’s not fair to her to be gone so much as she doesn’t quite understand. She’s been breaking daddy’s heart when he leaves by saying, “Daddy go to airport again?”

Is the travel schedule difficult to deal with?
If that’s the worst thing we have to deal with in his job, he gets to travel the world and see so many things, it’s not that big of a deal.

Andrew, 2-year-old daughter Emma and wife Jacki, who's expecting a baby boy in January

Where did you grow up?
Texas, about 20 minutes from where we live now.

What kind of things are you into, what are your hobbies?
I still enjoy riding motorcycles when I can as a ‘fair-weather’ rider if the temperature and track is good. I like hanging around the farm, driving the tractor and doing a little varmint hunting!

How did you guys meet?
Racing motorcycles going to all the amateur nationals and Loretta Lynn’s.

Do you remember your first date?
I don’t think we ever had a date. Our date was at the track going out riding and practicing.

How long have you two been together?
We’ve been married for seven years. We dated for about two years before that.

When did you know he was the one?
Andrew and I knew pretty quick after we started dating that we were going to get married. We got married at 19 and 20, but we knew. Living in different states it was either break up or get married and we knew we weren’t breaking up.


Do you guys have or are planning to have children?
We already have our daughter, Emma who is 2 ½. Our second one is a boy due beginning of January.

Are you going to let them ride motocross?
Emma loves to ride the Honda Ruckus already around the farm. Andrew recently noticed that the cutoff date for Loretta Lynn’s is January 1 and I’m supposed to have a C-section December 31 so he thought I could hold out for a couple days!

Walk us through a typical date night.
Sometimes we just take the road bikes out and go on a cruise to dinner. It’s just the two of us and we talk about something other than racing.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
Andrew grew up in Colorado and loves it up there. I get so happy seeing how excited it makes him to be up there. It’s our perfect vacation spot.

Give us an inside secret or funny story that fans don’t know about him.
Andrew is afraid of heights. He won’t get on a ladder or help me with anything like changing a light bulb. A lot of people wonder how he does Supercross with all those jumps and stuff. I don’t know how he does it personally.

Look back to Short's perspective from the very start of the season

View the original article here

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Youth Motocross Gear helmet protection

A good Youth Motocross Gear helmet should protect your head, neck and face from injury and flying debris.  It should fit snugly, have padding that can be removed, and have plenty of room for goggles which will protect your eyes.  Helmets can be found for riders of all ages and both genders, though the only difference is usually the size and color of the helmet in question.  Make sure to get precise measurements for your helmet as it has to fit snugly in order to be effective.  Hand in hand with your helmet should be a good pair of goggles to protect your eyes.


Body Armor: Armor for your chest, back, and shoulders is also in the top two for your own protection.  Motocross armor is made of tough and flexible materials that can withstand shock and damage and still be comfortable.  Some have reinforced spines or removable panels.  They are always well ventilated for your own comfort.  The kind of body armor you want should be comfortable, tough, and flexible, meaning you’ll likely have to shell out some cash for it.

Motocross Boots:  While not quite as important as a helmet or armor, boots are definitely up there on the list of motocross riding gear since you won’t want to go riding in your shoes!  Motocross boots can be long or short, but the most important things are that they are sturdy, adjustable and have plenty of support for your ankles and feet.  This helps to ensure that if there’s an accident, you’ll be less likely to twist your foot or break a bone. Purchase whatever style of boot you’re most comfortable with wearing and be sure to shop around to find the perfect fit.  You don’t want blisters!

Various Guards (shin, knee, elbow, gloves):  For the rest of your body, you should look at guards like shin guards and gloves.  If you’re a new rider, these should be given some weight; if you’re more veteran, you might be tempted to, if not wait, buy discount for a bit.  These things protect your joints and hands though, so don’t put them off too long or you could find yourself with broken bones more frequently.

Jacket:  It’s not nearly as important as the armor, but a good motocross jacket makes you feel good and confidence is part of the game.  A good jacket can also help you to stay dry and warm in foul weather riding and can be worn off the track too.

Other:  Tee shirts, hats, and other paraphernalia should be left til last.  They aren’t necessary, but they’re cool, so when you have some ready money, find some clothing for yourself or your friends and family to support you while you ride!
There are a lot of different varieties within each type of motocross gear, depending on the company.  Make sure that the gear is certified by a safety commission like DOT or whatever your country uses to standardize safety in riding gear.  Finally, be sure that you’re comfortable wearing it and that you’ll be able to clean it.  Then gear up in your motocross gear and go motocross racing!

How much for a quality X3 Stainless Steel Full Exhaust System?

No matter what people may say $1000 is a substantial chunk of money no matter how you look at it. Nevertheless, this is the amount of green that most riders expect to drop on a quality four-stroke full exhaust system. Some riders chaulk this up to a necessary expense and simply pony up the cash, while others decide they don't need a full system and stick with the stock setup or maybe just an aftermarket slip-on. But now, Leo Vince is offering an option that makes everyone happy: the X3 Stainless Steel Full Exhaust System, which sells as a complete setup for the surprisingly low price of $570. After seeing that number, I just had to see how the X3 Stainless System held up to some real-world abuse aboard our KX250F Long Haul machine.

Upon pulling this system out of the box, it's clear that Leo Vince didn't sacrifice its reputation for quality while keeping the final cost low. A carbon fiber end-cap, high-grade stainless steel and clean, quality workmanship all support Leo Vince's goal of creating a solid pipe for the workingman. It's clear that no corners were cut on the path to performance as this "budget" system even includes a spring puller, wash plug, spark arrestor and carbon fiber mounting strap! Installation is no more difficult than with a stock setup, as the fitment was spot-on for the Kawasaki.


Compared with the blown-out stock muffler that I was replacing, the Leo Vince system was pure music to my ears. While we didn't sound test this particular exhaust, I wouldn't be surprised if it blew at 94 decibels, and with a much more pleasant note at that. On the track, the powerband was noticeably altered with a fatter, much smoother dose of power at lower rpm. This change gave the Kawasaki's delivery a milder edge and made it easier to grab traction coming out of corners and through slower sections of the track. However, the snappy little 250F still retained enough of its aggressiveness to keep even our heavier test riders happy. Weight-wise, the Full Stainless System isn't the lightest setup on the market, but it's still very much in the ballpark of the stock unit and I couldn't feel any difference in the dirt.

After several rides on the MX track, I installed the spark arrestor in the X3's muffler and took the bike to a friend's house up in the hills for some post-thunderstorm trail riding. Here, I found the smoother personality of the Leo Vince exhaust was well suited to lower-speed trails, and the spark arrestor insert did little more than give the power a more "corked" sensation. This didn't affect the performance too much, but I ended up taking the insert back out the next time I was at the track. Quite possibly my favorite aspect of the Leo Vince system was that it required absolutely zero jetting changes to the KX-F. We've had more than one frustrating experience with putting an aftermarket system on a bike and having the carburetion go batty, and this just wasn't in the cards for this machine.

Over 30 hours later, the silencer packing is holding quite strong and the pipe still sounds great. The only major issue relates to the header guard mounts, to which the stock guard was mounted when I installed the system. On a recent practice ride, one of our test riders heard the guard come loose and pulled off the track to tighten it. He resumed his moto and pulled off the track to find the guard missing and a small hole in the header near one of the mounts. According to Leo Vince, this is the first reported failure of this kind. The hole was most likely caused by our tester overtightening the guard while the header was at high operating temperature. Nevertheless, the pipe is still well within the one-year warranty period provided by Leo Vince, and it's obvious the system itself is literally years away from being worn out.

Between the durability, performance and straight-up value of the Full Stainless, I'd recommend this system in a heartbeat to anyone who wants to upgrade their exhaust without spending too much dough. And if you don't want the whole shebang, you can still buy just the silencer ($379) or the header ($239) and build the kit as you please. Either way, it will be money well spent.

More info? www.leovinceusa.com
Exhaust 90.0
Installation 18/20
Power Delivery Change 45/50
Durability 8/10
Design 9/10
Price 10/10

View the original article here

Monday, November 22, 2010

Jake Moss has raced back into contention for the Australasian Supercross Championship

Jake Moss has raced back into contention for the Australasian Supercross Championship Pro Open crown after scoring his best points haul for the season in New Zealand at the weekend.The Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki's had his fuel-injected RM-Z450 dialled in from the start. Moss was unstoppable in the heats and his searing pace - particularly through the testing rhythm section - meant he was never headed in the eliminator format series, overcoming AMA regulars Hansen, Alessi and Reardon. He maintained that form in the gruelling quad format challenge - consisting of four six-lap races back to back.

Consistently quick off the line, Moss was back to his brilliant best with a 2-3-2-2 to secure a well-deserved 86 points and his first podium finish of the season which has lifted him to third position overall and clearly back in contention for the Pro Open title.


Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki's Cody Cooper, guest riding for the two New Zealand rounds, put in a strong performance in front of his home crowd finishing sixth overall.

In the Pro Lites, defending champion Matt Moss, began the day in strong form, qualifying second fastest. He started the first leg of the Triple Challenge Final well, riding a controlled race to maintain second position throughout behind arch rival PJ Larsen. Team-mate Lawson Bopping - coming off his first round win in his most recent outing - was unfortunately involved in a spectacular crash on the opening lap that forced him to the back of the field.

Race two went horribly wrong for Moss when he came in contact with Luke Arbon and the resulting damage to his bike made it impossible for him to salvage any points.

The third and final race looked to be an uphill battle for Moss, contending with a poor gate pick and unfamiliar set-up on a spare Suzuki RM-Z250. Undeterred, he proved why he is the dual and defending Pro Lites Supercross Champion by claiming a meritorious second place under challenging circumstances.

Moss's second place finish in the third final gave him 44 points for the round and meant he finished the weekend in second position overall. Despite surrendering the title lead to Larsen, he is just nine points adrift even with his worst result of the season. Bopping came back from his big crash in race one to secure 25 points and hang on to fifth position in the Championship with Team Raceline Pirelli Suzuki rider Steven Clarke in sixth.

Said Jay Foreman, Rockstar Motul Suzuki Team Manager: "Jake showed tonight that he can put the RM-Z450 on the box. He rode superbly and he is pumped for the final three rounds. In the Pro Lites, the pressure is now on PJ. Matt can work on pulling those points back, so he knows what to do for these final three rounds."


The Super X carnival moves to the southern island next week at Dunedin's Carisbrook Stadium - known as the House of Pain to rugby fans the world over.

Pro Open Results:

1. Josh HANSEN
2. Jay MARMONT
3. Jake MOSS (Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki)
4. Tye SIMMONDS
5. Daniel MCCOY
6. Cody COOPER (Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki)
7. Todd WATERS
8. Mike ALESSI
9. Daniel REARDON
10. Mason PHILLIPS

Pro Open Championship Standings:

1. Josh HANSEN 225
2. Jay MARMONT 193
3. Jake MOSS 152
4. Tye SIMMONDS 149
5. Daniel REARDON 138
6. Todd WATERS 128
7. Daniel MCCOY 127
8. Justin BRAYTON 121
9. Lewis WOODS 107
10. Mike ALESSI 107

Pro Lites Results:

1. P J LARSEN
2. Ryan MARMONT
3. Luke STYKE
4. Matt MOSS (Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki)
5. Ford DALE
6. Cody MACKIE
7. Nicholas SUTHERLAND
8. Steven CLARKE (Team Raceline Pirelli Suzuki)
9. Robbie MARSHALL
10. Josh CACHIA

Pro Lites Championship Standings:

1. P J LARSEN 210
2. Matt MOSS 201
3. Ryan MARMONT 176
4. Cody MACKIE 136
5. Lawson BOPPING 130
6. Steven CLARKE 111
7. Josh CACHIA 110
8. Ford DALE 105
9. Luke STYKE 103
10. Robbie MARSHALL 102

View the original article here

The 46th edition of the Frid’Eh update

I think Troy Lee Designs riders Keast and Willard summed it up best when they told you to read it, because it’s going to be a good one!The 46thedition of the Frid’Eh update right here on DMX www.directmotocross.com

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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Monster Energy Super X Championship Finale with Josh Hansen Victory

Josh Hansen the has won the fourth round of the Monster Energy Super X championship at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland, winning three of four races in the Quad Challenge final.

The event had its fair share of thrills and spills with the great track providing a fast and technical start and many line options. Monster Energy / Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Hansen, who went into the round leading the championship after three runner up finishes, was dominant all night with the fastest qualifying and three holeshots in the final. CDR Rockstar Yamaha's Jay Marmont was the only rider able to grab a race off him in the final moto.


Hansen was first overall with three wins and one third, Marmont was second with two third places, one second and one first, and Rockstar Motul Suzuki's Jake Moss claimed third overall with three second places and one third.

Hansen extended his championship lead to put him 32 points ahead of Marmont and Jake Moss moves into third overall.

"I am super stoked to get the win. I would have loved to win all four, but I guess I can't be greedy. I am so happy Monster Energy was able to bring me out here for Super X because I am loving this place, the series and the people," Hansen said.

Jay Marmont (said, "It's a relief to finally get a win and I enjoyed racing tonight. I finally got the start I wanted to in the final race and it paid off."

Jake Moss said, "It feels good to be on the podium and I am really happy with the way I rode tonight. I really want to thank my team and family for all the support they have given me."
New Zealand supercross star Ben Townley had a very unlucky fall in his heat race and was forced to withdraw from the event with a suspected hip injury.

The Lites final once again kept the fans on the edge of their seat with America's PJ Larsen the eventual overall winner in the Triple Challenge, and in so doing moved back into the championship lead. He rode himself in to two first places and one third. His team mate for JDR Motorex KTM, Ryan Marmont, finished second overall with one second and two fourths and Luke Styke third overall with one third and two, sixth places.

Matt Moss had a collision with Kawasaki Racing Team Cool Air Conditioning's Luke Arbon in the second moto and was unable to start his bike until the final lap to finish. He finished fourth overall.
Larsen now moves into first place in the championship, nine points ahead of Moss. Marmont sits in third.
The series now heads south to Dunedin for the fifth round at Carisbrook stadium on Saturday November 20.
All riders spared a thought for young rider Harley Quinlan, who had a severe crash during training during the week, with all of them wishing him and his family well.

OPEN top ten results - Round 4
1. Josh HANSEN - Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki: 25,25,25,20 TOTAL: 95
2. Jay MARMONT - CDR Rockstar Yamaha: 20, 22, 20, 25 TOTAL: 87
3. Jake MOSS - Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki: 22,20,22,22 TOTAL 86
4. Tye SIMMONDS - JDR Motorex KTM: 18,18,16,15 TOTAL 67
5. Daniel McCOY - Coastal KTM Motorex Team: 13,15,12,16 TOTAL 56
6. Cody COOPER - Rockstar Motul Suzuki: 15,16,8,13 TOTAL 52
7. Todd WATERS - Cougar Bourbon Thor Honda: 11,14,7,18 TOTAL 50
8. Mike ALESSI - JDR Motorex KTM: 16,12,15,5 TOTAL 48
9. Daniel REARDON - Cougar Bourbon Honda Thor Racing: 14,6,18,8 TOTAL 46
10. Mason PHILLIPS - Fly Team Green Kawasaki: 10,13,14,7 TOTAL 44

OPEN top ten results - Top ten championship standings
1. Josh HANSEN - Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki: 225
2. Jay MARMONT - CDR Rockstar Yamaha: 193
3. Jake MOSS - Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki: 152
4. Tye SIMMONDS - JDR Motorex KTM: 149
5. Daniel REARDON - Cougar Bourbon Honda Thor Racing: 138
6. Todd WATERS - Cougar Bourbon Thor Honda: 128
7. Daniel McCOY - Coastal KTM Motorex Team:127
8. Justin BRAYTON - Muscle Milk / Toyota JGRMX: 121
9. Lewis WOODS - Top Gear KTM: 66
10. Mike ALESSI - JDR Motorex KTM: 107

LITES top ten results - Round 4
1. P J LARSEN - JDR Motorex KTM: 25,20,25 TOTAL 70
2. Ryan MARMONT - JDR Motorex KTM: 18,22,18 TOTAL 58
3. Luke STYKE - GTYR Rockstar Yamaha: 15,15,20 TOTAL 50
4. Matt MOSS - Rockstar Motul Suzuki: 22,0,22 TOTAL 44
5. Ford DALE - Serco Yamaha: 16,25,0 TOTAL 41
6. Cody MACKIE - Kawasaki Racing Team Cool Air Conditioning: 9,14,15 TOTAL 38
7. Nicholas SUTHERLAND - 12,10,12 TOTAL 34
8. Steven CLARKE - Raceline Pirelli Suzuki:20,7,5 TOTAL 32
9. Robbie MARSHALL - Yamaha: 3,12,14 TOTAL 29
10. Josh CACHIA - Coastal KTM MX Rad: 13,16,0 TOTAL:29

LITES - Top ten championship standings
1. P J LARSEN - JDR Motorex KTM: 210
2. Matt MOSS - Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki: 201
3. Ryan MARMONT - JDR Motorex KTM: 176
4. Cody MACKIE - Kawasaki Racing Team Cool Air Conditioning:136
5. Lawson BOPPING - Team Rockstar Motul Suzuki: 130
6. Steven CLARKE - Raceline Pirelli Suzuki: 111
7. Josh CACHIA - Coastal KTM MX Rad: 110
8. Ford DALE - Serco Yamaha: 105
9. Luke STYKE - GTYR Rockstar Yamaha:103
10. Robbie MARSHALL - Yamaha: 102

Michelin Development Series - Top ten championship standings
1. Dylan LONG - KTM / Thor / Motorex / Michelin / One Industries: 75
2. Jake EMANUELLI - Doyle & Shields Yamaha Bairnsdale / Fox: 58
3. Jacob WRIGHT - Honda Jnr Development Team: 57
4. Luke CLOUT - SS Racing / MX Rad / Pirelli / Fox / Link / Rockstar: 47
5. Kurt WATERMAN - Spot On Racing / Bell / Troy Lee Designs / Dragon: 44
6. Jarrad DAVIS - Davis Bikeworx / Motul / Fox / Alpinestar / Dunlop: 39
7. Lenny MAGYAR - Canberra Motorcycle Centre: 34
8. Meghan RUTLEDGE - Moss Institute / Southern Highlands M-c: 34
9. James BOOTH-ELLIOTT - Loose Kid Industries / Ringmaster Images: 32
10. Lincoln NICOL - Prorider Motorcycles / Factory Spec MCD / Comac: 30

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Sunday, November 21, 2010

New Selected Riders for the 2011 British Championships

The selected riders for 2011 NZ DBG MX Team to race in the British Championships, Redbull Series and British Masters and if good enough some FIM rounds.

They are :-
MX2 … John Phillips
MX1 … Kieran Scheele
MX1 … Bjarne Frederickson

We had a large number of applicants ranging from NZ’s best champions to many of NZ’s up and coming junior 125 cc stars.

This team is about giving kiwis who may have never been given or been financially able to. The riders selected after a lot of hard work will, we hope, find form and impress the best in the business while here in the Europe.

Some applicants simply have had a shot and some we felt were a little young to tackle things over here. And some already had irrevocable contracts for 2011 or were tied to the NZ champs which unfortunately crosses over with the UK rounds starting in the coming year.

For 2012 we would ask the many young 125cc – 2 stroke riders that have applied to establish themselves on 250’s and stay in-touch. We would like to hear how you are going and from others with potential.

Anything can happen in the season through riders being further selected for “greater things”, through injury or personal reasons. We will therefore need to keep in-touch with all because who knows, you may be on a plane sooner than thought if a spot develops.

We hope those not selected are not disappointed and will show grit by being available for a ride as first reserve; and even more grit by re-applying for the 2012 year.

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Ashley Fiolek the determination to turn her inability to hear into an advantage

Florida's Ashley Fiolek has quickly become a household name since joining the professional ranks of Women's Motocross in 2008 and has helped give the female demographic of one of the fastest growing sports in America some well-deserved attention.Thanks to her infectious smile, gifted abilities on a motorcycle, and her determination to turn her inability to hear into an advantage, Fiolek has garnered national exposure.

In three years of competition in the MotorcycleUSA.com Women's Motocross Championship, Fiolek has captured two titles and became the first woman in American Motocross to receive a factory ride as a member of American Honda. She has won %50 of the races she's competed in with 11 wins in 22 starts and also boasts two X Games gold medals.

With her success and exposure on television shows like Last Call with Carson Daly and ESPN's E:60 as well as features in the pages of the New York Times and ESPN The Magazine, Fiolek has used her popularity to become a leader in the deaf community. She regularly gives back by hosting events at local schools and community centers and is proof that dreams can come true no matter what the circumstances.

Thanks to her inspirational story and philanthropic work, Fiolek is being honored at the annual Courage in Sports Awards alongside former USC football star Stafon Johnson, NBA Hall of Famer and Mayor of Detroit Dave Bing, and a collection of daredevil skydivers known as Wingsuit Pilots. The Courage in Sports Awards recognizes athletes who demonstrate extraordinary courage, spirit, and perseverance in the face of adversity in order to succeed in their chosen sport. The show airs exclusively on CBS Sports this Sunday, November 14 at 5 p.m. ET.

For fan and racing information on the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, log on to www.allisports.com/motocross.

About the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship
The Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship is the world's most prestigious motocross series. The Series is managed and produced by MX Sports Pro Racing, whose mission is to raise awareness of motocross racing through the promotion of professional championship racing events nationwide.

The series is also produced in conjunction with Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports, a global business that encompasses national and international action sports events, multimedia production and a consumer-based lifestyle brand.

Alli is owned by NBC Sports and MTV Networks and represents a vast network of athletes, fans, brands and properties.

The Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross series is sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America. AMA Pro Racing operates a full schedule of events and championships across every spectrum of motorcycle competition.

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