MAY 30, 2007
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Our goal, from day one, has been to give Canadian racers the exposure they deserve and bring the sport in Canada to a new level. For 2007, we have created the Racer X Canada Factory Rider for a Day program, which gives a different up-and-coming racer a chance to experience a factory-like experience with all of the exposure and attention the boys in the big rigs normally receive. There is no way we could get this project off the ground without the support of our sponsors and supporters. Ignition Racing, who is best known for developing their noise reducing dB dawg, has signed on as the title sponsor, and Maxima Oils, Dunlop tires, Pro Wheel, Ride Industries, Universal/TCI, Lime 9 MX, Destroyer Films, and Ogio have made sure our team will be using the best products in the industry each weekend.
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Ignition Racing/ Racer X Canada's Factory Rider for a Day, Jeremy Medaglia. |
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Jason T. Griffiths |
The opening round of the Monster Energy Motocross Nationals was a
hugely anticipated event for the Racer X Canada crew. Not only were we
keen to see our Canadian MX family again and to see how the action
would pan out in the MX1 and MX2 classes, but our Factory Rider for a Day
program would also make its debut at Ste-Julie. After watching
MX101/Yamaha Canada’s Jeremy Medaglia kick some butt at the last few
Ontario Provincial rounds, we knew the kid had something special this
season. Having a chance to highlight Jeremy’s talent at Ste-Julie was
awesome and he certainly proved that he belongs alongside Canada’s best
in the MX2 class.
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Brett Dailey put in a hard day's work. |
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Allison Kennedy photo |
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Medaglia's MX101/Yamaha was transformed with custom RXC graphics. |
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Allison Kennedy photo |
Since it was our first FRFAD weekend, we weren’t quite sure what to expect, but thanks to Buddy Ford and the CMRC, we scored a sweet spot in the pro pits, which was exactly where we needed to be. Jeremy was pitted right across from his brother, Tyler, who has a ride with the Suzuki OTSFF team. What could be more motivating for an up and comer like Jeremy than watching your brother finish second overall on his first race with a factory team?
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Jeremy has the perfect inspiration in his brother Tyler. |
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James Lissimore photo |
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Tyler showed Jeremy some love, running the 181 shield on his helmet for the motos. |
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Dan Stenning photos |
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Jeremy doing some video work with the Destroyer Films crew. Check out the awesome video they posted about his day here. |
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James Lissimore photo |
Jeremy didn’t need us to put him on the radar with the factory teams, with his 13th overall finish in the pro class and his hard-charging and smooth style, he did that all on his own. We'll be watching and cheering for him throughout the rest of the season, and I have a feeling all of the team managers will be doing the same. This kid is determined and talented, and we’ve already seen that pay off for his older brother Tyler.
We sat down (well, actually we stood in the pouring rain) with Jeremy and Derek at the end of the day to see how Ste-Julie went from their perspective.
RXC: Give us a rundown of how the day went for you.
Jeremy Medaglia: Practice was really good. The track was way better than on amateur day and then first moto, I was a little tense and I didn’t get the greatest start. I was kind of on an incline and I spun a lot and then just got pushed to the back. I wasn’t aggressive enough in the first few laps but I worked my way up to 14th. It wasn’t a bad race but if I was more aggressive early on I could have maybe worked my way up to the top 10 … we’ll see.
And the second moto?
I had a really good jump and I thought it was going to go good. I was maybe fifth or sixth into the first corner and then as soon as I hit the greasy stuff, I got on the gas too soon and my front end just spun out and then everyone just passed me, so I was really disappointed about that. I went around, passed a bunch of people and I think I worked my way into about 11th or 10th and then I pulled my goggles off. We switched goggles mid race and I got passed by a couple of people … dad wasn’t on the ball for that one [laughs] but once I got back going, I went up a hill and realized that my tire was flat and spinning a bit … but that’s life. I caught up to a few more people and finished thirteenth, so that was a better moto. I still would have liked to do better overall.
You scored a few points at Ste-Julie last year, but you’ve really made a huge jump this year. What do you think has made the difference?
I scored two or three points here last year and this year, I think I got twelve. Just riding with my brother has been a big help; he’s helped me get a lot faster and, overall, I think my speed has gotten a lot better. I learned a lot of stuff when I went down to Georgia this year too.
What’s your approach heading to Gopher Dunes?
Gopher Dunes, I am not a big fan of the sand but I guess I am just going to do the same stuff during the week; do my motos, practice a lot, and try to hit up a sand track so I can get ready for that. I’ll do the amateur day, do all the races and hopefully get some good finishes, and then hopefully get some good starts at the nationals and hopefully crack the top 10.
Like most successful racers, Jeremy Medaglia has the unwavering support of his father, Derek. We asked Derek a few questions about what makes his youngest son tick.
RXC: What did you think about Jeremy’s ride today?
Derek: His riding was good. His lap times were good; he should have been top 10 with his speed but it didn’t work out that way, but that’s racing and you live with it. I think that if he can get up with those faster guys, he’ll adjust quickly to their speed, but he needs to be a little more aggressive. Blizzard and him just smashed into each other for one lap, cut each other off, banging into him. Blizzard didn’t want to get beat by someone with those yellow number plates on. So he just has to learn to be more aggressive, and he will. Give him another year.
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Medaglia battles with Blizzard in the first MX2 moto. |
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Allison Kennedy photo |
What qualities do you think Jeremy has that will help him in the pro class?
His dedication and his focus. In this sport, you need three things: you need to sacrifice something to get something, you need dedication—he has to have a regimen and he’s going to follow it, and then the commitment—he gives everything he’s got all the time and he never quits. That’s his good quality; he’s never going to give up. Even if he’s 18th or 29th, he’s just going to keep trying, and keep picking off guys.
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Stop by the RXC Factory Rider rig at Gopher Dunes and meet this week's rider, Kyle Stephens. |
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Allison Kennedy photo |
A huge thanks to the Medaglia family for being our first round Factory family and a huge thanks to our sponsors: Ignition Racing, Maxima Oils, Dunlop tires, Universal/TCI, Pro Wheel, Ride Industries, Ogio, Lime 9 MX and Destroyer Films. Watch for the RXC Factory Rider for a Day rig at Gopher Dunes. Come by and meet this week’s rider, Kyle Stephens.
Click on the Racer X Canada Factory Rider For a Day sponsor links below to show your support:
