Frid'Eh Update:Presented by Royal Distributing
FEBRUARY 3, 2007
By Danny Brault
Repentigny is a very French town, and even our Senior Editor, Allison Kennedy’s mild French skills were tested getting us breakfast—dang that extra OJ.
Today we’re heading out to an ice racing track in Lavaltrie to meet up with Buddy Ford and get a grasp on this true Canadian sport (and maybe sneak in a little extra practice before my big debut tomorrow).
The amateur program gets underway tomorrow, while the big show, featuring the pro classes, takes place on Sunday. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve raced or rode on the ice, but how hard can it be to turn left? We’ll soon find out.
The Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series returns, once again, to Anaheim this weekend. It’s been a rough go for Star Racing Yamaha’s Dusty Klatt, but his luck will surely improve. At San Francisco last week, Klatt was running well inside the top ten until he got tangled up with Red Bull KTM’s—and supercross’ other bad boy—Josh Hansen. It left Klatt with a bent brake pedal which he didn’t notice until he couldn’t stop for a bermed corner and was sent over into the wall. Ouch. He persevered, however, fixed his brake pedal and managed to salvage a 17th and a couple of points. Still not the results he expects, but they will come.
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Chad Reed and Canada's Paul Delaurier are in second overall in the SX class, 15 points behind points leader James Stewart. |
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Klatt gets closer each week. All of Canada's MX enthusiasts are hoping that A3 is his weekend to shine. |
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photos: James Lissimore |
Obviously, Dusty has a lot of pressure on his shoulders from himself, his team, and the fans, but you have to remember—he’s also being deprived of the Trailer Park Boys show while in the U.S. I don’t think I could keep myself together either if I didn’t have my daily dose of Bubbles, Ricky, and the gang. We’ll keep shopping for the new season and send it Klatt’s way. How’s that for motivation?
Klatt shared his thoughts from SF on website, www.dustyklatt.com.
Adopted Canadian, Michael Willard, rode his One Industries KTM to his best AMA SX finish yet, with a 13th in the Lites class. It will be a good battle for the Canadian MX2 East championship between Willard, Blackfoot Yamaha’s Nick Evennou and Canadian contender, Tyler Medaglia, who has been working hard down in Georgia.
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What you talkin' bout Willard? |
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photo: James Lissimore |
Be sure to check out our SX analyst, Steve Matthes’ Observations from SF.
Babbitt’s Kawasaki’s Darcy Lange steamed rolled the competition at the BooKoo AX round in Oklahoma last weekend. Lange won three out of four motos on the supercross-style track and now has twenty wins and 111 points over second-place rider Tyler Bowers in the championship. The only other riders to score wins are Bowers (5), Brad Ripple (4), Jimmy Nelson (2), Ryan Dungey (1) and Keith Johnson (1).
With only two rounds remaining in the BooKoo series, Lange is set to add a third AX championship to his belt and possibly pad his wallet with a cool $50,000, if he wins the US Open of AX at Uncasville, CT on February 10-11. Then when the BooKoo series wraps up, rumour has it that Lange will contest the East Coast supercross rounds for the most powerful Lites team ever … but we can’t say anything official yet…. This just in: Darcy Lange is the 2006/2007 BooKoo Arenacross Champion. Awesome! photo: James Lissimore
[Update: Darcy Lange won in Minneapolis on Friday night and clinched the 2007 BooKoo Arenacross title and took home a cheque for $25,000. Way to go Darcy!]
I spoke to Darcy two weeks ago, and when asked if he was interested in racing a few supercross rounds, he didn’t show much interest. But if Mitch Payton put a bug in his ear, and a Pro Circuit KX250F underneath him, I’m sure he would have a difficult time saying no. Stay tuned to www.racerxcanada.com for more on this.
With the West Coast field being one of the most competitive ever, I started thinking that Darcy could be a real threat in the East, but then I checked www.motoleague.com to see who will be on the line in Atlanta and I discovered that it will definitely be a tough battle.
Broc Hepler, Ryan Dungey, Mike and Jeff Alessi brothers, Zach Osborne, Ben Townley, Brett Metcalfe, Danny Smith, Andrew McFarlane, Ryan Sipes, Billy Laninovich, Matthew Goerke, Ryan Morais, Branden Jesseman, Sean Hackley, Justin Brayton, Matt Boni, Sean Collier, Broc Tickle and Bobby Kiniry are just a few of the names entered in the Eastern Lites division. OTSFF Suzuki’s Medaglia and Ryan Lockhart may also enter a few rounds in the East.
It would be amazing though to see a Canadian on the Pro Circuit team, under the direct guidance of Payton and his talented staff.
It hasn’t taken Colton Facciotti much time to become familiar with his Blackfoot Yamahas. The eighteen-year-old led every start, every corner and every lap in the Lites and Open classes at the Future West Chilliwack AX last weekend in BC. Ryan Lockhart made the long flight from his Nova Scotia home to Chilliwack, and finished second behind Facciotti in every race on a ’06 RM-Z250. KTM Canada’s Eric Nye was the next fastest guy in the barn, while local Lee Coutts claimed the West Coast AX championship.
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Colton Facciotti debuted his new Blackfoot Yamaha at the Chilliwack arenaxcross last weekend. |
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photo: Billy Rainford |
Click here for Billy Rainford's SixSixOne photo report from the race. Speaking of Colton Facciotti and the Blackfoot crew, click here for Allison Kennedy's interview with Joe Skidd.
The Lethbridge Arenacross Championships kick off tonight and tomorrow. Lockhart and Chuck Mesley are headlining the event, along with Richard Schmalzbauer (SK), Luke Firth (AB), George De Graaf Jr. (AB), Pete De Graaf (AB), Frank Barry (AB), Todd Heggie (AB), TJ Durden (Montana), and Jimmy Lamastus (Idaho). Along with the amateur and pro racing, AX schools will be held each day and a silent auction and other fundraisers for Chris Bonneau, who is still battling a brain tumor.
Racer X Illustrated/ Racer X Canada subscribers noticed that they only received RXC in the mail this month. We do apologize; there was some confusion at the mailing house, but no worries, we’re sending out your March RXI ASAP along with a cool gift!
Here’s an update from our roaming California couch surfer, James Lissimore:
Well, last Friday we made our way to San Francisco for the SX. Dusty needed to bring his practice bike in case it was a mud race so we took his Sprinter van. Good thing it’s the extra tall, extended length model as we managed to squeeze a couch and a chair in the back along with myself, Howie Spencer, Dusty, his dad Darren and Dane from MotoXXX (Kyle Lewis’ mechanic) for the six and a half hour drive. It was actually pretty comfy, though I’m not sure the race gas fumes were good for us … maybe that’s why I slept the whole way.
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Since he's been sleeping on a couch for months now, James Lissimore felt right at home in Dusty's Sprinter van. |
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photo: James Lissimore |
I ran into our own Doug DeHaan at Lake Elsinore’s SX track on Monday. Doug had decided at the last moment to stay out in California for the week to try and squeeze in some more practice on the hard pack out here, in hopes of better replicating the conditions that he’s faced so far at the first four rounds of the series. Though Doug has struggled so far this season and hasn’t made a main, he’s still as upbeat and as positive as ever and is determined to turn things around. Here’s hoping he can put it in the main this weekend at Anaheim 3.
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BTO Sports / BBMX's Doug DeHaan stayed in California for the week to spend some additional time testing on hardpack. |
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The always entertaining Brady Sheren gives his new Team Solitaire ride two thumbs up! |
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photos: James Lissimore |
Wednesday, I met up with Dean Wilson to shoot some photos with him up in the hills of the Nuevo area. Felix Trepanier and Benoit Milot came out to do a little filming of Deano for Ben’s new film, “Invasion 3.” Dean was showing no fear as he hit a super technical step up that basically forced him to preload off a rock in the face. We also went to a local track in the area where Dean proceeded to completely destroy a berm for my camera. It was epic. The kid is a charger.
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Felix Trepanier gives Dean Wilson a little face time for Ben Milot’s new movie. |
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Now that's a bermshot! Wilson obliterates a helpless sand berm in Nuevo. |
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photos: James Lissimore |
Spotted at Glen Helen on Thursday was MotoXXX/Martin Racing’s prototype CRF250R. What makes this thing so special? It’s fuel injected. Rather than wait for the OEM’s, the Italian racing team, Martin Racing decided to build their own EFI bike to get a jump on things. According to the Italian engineer on hand, tuning the machine has been the biggest challenge so far, as the varying conditions of a motocross track require a lot more input than the standard pavement stuff that everyone is used to. Starting is awesome on this thing; it’s like being back in the one kick days of the two-stroke era. The bike is certainly a preview to what we’re all going to be riding in the near future.
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This is the future of motocross. |
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photo: James Lissimore |
More Canadians spotted at Glen Helen: Manitoba/BC’s Nick Dunn is down in California with mini rider Darion Poisson from BC. Nick has made the off-season switch from KTM to Suzuki, though still through the same sponsor, Greg’s Custom in Manitoba.
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Nick Dunn and his protégé, Darion Poisson. |
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photo: James Lissimore |
And last but not least, it looks like the end is in sight for Kyle Beaton and his quest to obtain a Supercross license. After personally calling Steve Whitlock on Monday and not getting very far, things were not looking good for Kyle. Luckily Mr. Factory Mechanic turned FMF guy and RXC columnist, Steve Matthes stepped in and got the ball rolling. Matthes contacted Factory Yamaha Team Manager Jim Perry who agreed to write a letter of recommendation for Beaton pending the endorsement of Yamaha Canada’s John Bayliss or Peter Swanton. So with any luck, Beaton will have his SX license in the near future and we’ll see him on the line at Seattle and possibly Vegas.
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We should be seeing this guy soon on the Amp’d Mobile Supercross starting line. |
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photo: James Lissimore |
I’m off to Anaheim again this weekend. Man, it’s starting to feel like Groundhog Day with all of these Anaheim races.
Thanks for the update James. That’s all for this week. It’s time for me to slip into my cool Shift leathers, toss on my balaclava and head out onto the ice.
[Evening update: well, since that slacker, Brett Dailey, hasn’t posted my Frid’Eh report yet, I’ll fill you in on my day on the ice…]
Allison Kennedy and I headed out to the ice racing course in Lavaltrie today. Buddy Ford was kind enough to loan me his son, Shawn’s YZ450F for the afternoon to get in some laps before the big show tomorrow. It’s been a long, long time since I rode on the ice. Ironically, my first two-wheeler ride ever came on the ice, but that ended quickly when the throttle kept sticking and I eventually found my way into the woods, upside down.
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Check out my trick SHIFT leathers! What do you mean there's no front brake? |
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photo: Allison Kennedy |
Anyhoo, despite my nerves, I knew I had to get out there and live up the nickname, Giver. “Just pull the choke and take your time,” was Buddy’s advice as he raced out of the park in his truck, leaving the bike sitting on the stand for me. Oh, great, thanks Buddy! Doesn’t he know what I did to Davey Coombs’ bike at Steel City? Once you forget that you’re on ice and just trust the studs, you realize it’s not that scary.
After a few motos, I was starting to get the hang of it and then Buddy returned to give me some real advice. He showed me how to turn into the corner, instead of letting it drift out, and to keep the gas on a little harder through the corners. (He really motivated me to go faster when he said I would get lapped tomorrow in the Junior 450 class.)
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Buddy, did you just pull my goggle strap down? |
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photo: Allison Kennedy |
As my confidence improved, so did my lap times. I felt like a little Steve Beattie out there until my last practice session when I once again lived up to my name by loosing control and nailing a snow bank with my legs flying off the back, superman-style! Be sure to stay tuned next week for a full photo report from our Motos Sur Glace adventure (if I make it out of here alive)!
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I started getting the hang of it by the end of the day (other than that slight mishap where I plowed through the snowbank, WFO, but who's counting?). Wish me luck for the races tomorrow! |
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photo: Allison Kennedy |
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