By Danny Brault

Canadians had a tough pill to swallow this week, following Team Canada’s 2-0 loss to Russia, but we have to move on, there’s always 2010. To be honest, my thoughts haven’t really been on the ice (even though I’m a hockey fan, and sometimes a player) instead, I can’t stop thinking about dirt. And no, I’m not talking about the latest Lindsay Lohan gossip; I’m talking about the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series, specificially the Lites class and our boy, Dusty Klatt.

Last weekend, at the opening round of the East Lites series, Blackfoot Honda Fox Racing’s Klatt, along with teammate, Mitch Cooke, made their AMA supercross debut. While both riders looked fast, stylish and smooth in practice and in their day qualifiers, only Klatt was able to find the main event. He went on to finish 13^th. Klatt would have finished a little further back had it not been for a few riders crashing out, but hey—that’s racing. He admitted to riding somewhat cautious and just wanted to get through the first one, so I can’t wait to see what he does in Atlanta.

Brady Sheren and his father, Rick, flew in from BC for St. Louis and the Indy Dealer Expo. It was Brady’s first race since coming down with mono. Brady was riding smooth and fast and it didn’t take him long to figure out the St. Louis track. Unfortunately, bad starts kept him from going any further than the night program’s LCQ. Look for Sheren to make a main if he can cure his starting woes.

Doug DeHaan and Ryan Lockhart will be searching for the Supercross main event this weekend in Atlanta. While DeHaan has qualified for one round—he finished 15^th in San Francisco—he’s been fighting with Mike Brown, David Vuillimen, Jason Thomas and Tyler Evans for the final transfer spot each weekend. Will Dougie qualify this weekend? Let us know by clicking on our weekly poll.

As for Lockhart, he is consistently making the night program, but still needs to lose a second off his lap times and get a start to make it into the big show. Lockhart is really beginning to suffer the trials and tribulations of the privateer lifestyle. For example, in St. Louis his rear tire went flat during the semi and he rushed back to the pits to try and fix it. He only had enough time to stuff some air in it, and a lap into the LCQ, it all drained out.

And I got an email update from Kyle Keast earlier this week, who is in South Africa with Chuck Mesley:

Chuck and I found a place where you can go on the internet! We are having a good time down here, but I miss home. The beach is awesome and the track is cool too. I will probably check my email every other day so email me back and let me know how it is going up in Canada. I will see you soon and wish us luck. I hope we kick some friggin’ ass. Chow.

We’re not 100 percent sure, but we think this is the first time ever that Keast has been to a race without his family. He and Mesley will be racing this weekend at Rover Raceway in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Senior editor, Allison Kennedy, found a cool MX forum discussing the arrival of the two Canadians in South Africa. Here is a post by one of the forum’s members, Prince:

Give them [the Canadians] a big e-dirt cheer and maybe buy them a couple of beers afterwards. Maybe Freebs will give them an e-dirt sticker to put on their bikes so you can recognize them. Also, warn them about the lions lurking on the PE track!

Click here to go to the website:

Speaking of Ontario riders, Pierce Chamberlain called us last Friday to let us know that he got the okay from his doctor to start riding again. (Chamberlain underwent knee sugrey not too long ago.) He will be riding an RMZ-250F for OTSFF Suzuki and Two Wheel Motorsports at the provincials, CMA AX Series and the Canadian MX2 East Nationals. Jason Burke picked up two YZ450Fs a few weeks ago, and is now training at the Georgia Practice Facility with his brother, Timmy. Also, there has been word that Joel Saarits may be on green this season for Lightning Powersports.

Be sure to watch the Lites race from St. Louis on Saturday at 6:00PM on SPEED. Then on Sunday, watch the Supercross race from Atlanta at 4:30PM on SPEED. If you can’t wait that long, you can listen to the race on SupercrossLIVE!