Five Minutes with ... Kyle Beaton
JULY 12, 2007

Kyle Beaton chats it up with Ryan Gauld on the second MX2 podium.

 

By Danny Brault
Photos by James Lissimore

Kyle Beaton climbed onto the national podium for the first time in two years at Wild Rose MX Park in Calgary last weekend. The Yamaha Canada rider finished fifth in the first moto and then put on an incredible charge to pass Ben Evans on the final lap for second place after falling down early in the race. Beaton’s riding much more consistent this year and he seems happier to be on the bike. In fact, he couldn’t stop smiling throughout this whole interview. Here’s hoping we see him back on the box next weekend at his hometown national in Nanaimo.

RXC: Kyle, congratulations on your second place in the final MX2 moto!
Kyle Beaton: Thanks.

Is that your best national finish?
No, I got second at Mission when Dusty [Klatt] was racing, in 2005. I finished second overall there. Yeah, it’s been the best in a couple years, that’s for sure.

You look pretty happy about it.
Yeah, it’s been a long time since I’ve been up there and I’ve been struggling the last couple of years. It’s good. I think things are starting to turn around and I’m having fun again and it’s all just working out.

I missed the first couple laps, so what was your start like?
I moved up to second and then crashed.

I saw that.
Yeah, typical thing to do—for me [laughs].

But you got back up and put on one heck of a charge. I wasn’t sure if you were going to catch Ben Evans after you slid out in the corner before the whoops.
That scared me. I was like, ‘Oh no!’ But I held on and my Michelin tires [laughs] had enough traction to keep me up. I knew I could get him again on that step-up section in the back. I was being patient and waited to make my move there.

Beaton will race Nanaimo and then live a 'normal' life until the East/ West Shootout at Walton in August.

That track looked tough out there today, with the chop and long ruts, especially through the mechanics area.
Yeah, I was definitely a bit of a sissy going through there, but I stayed on my bike in that section and wasn’t losing any ground to anyone else. I’m just so happy right now.

That’s great; you deserve it. Probably after battling with Chuck Mesley all weekend in Raymond got your speed up [laughs].
That definitely helped [laughs]; Chucky was pushing me hard. We had some good battles and it definitey paid off with that battle at the end.

I heard that this year was the first time you’ve ever lost a Youth moto.
Yeah, I think that’s true. Chucky got me. I ended up getting third overall because I screwed up that last moto, but whatever, it’s just a fun race and I always enjoy my time in Raymond.

It was entertaing watching you and Mesley go back and forth in pretty much every race.
It was good with Chuck and [Johnny] Montes coming out. Chuck definitely gave me a run for my money; it was hard to keep up to him on that 450. I was on my practice bike, my 250F, but it made me work hard and we battled it out.

It looked you were riding with some pride on the line. Raymond is sort of like your home turf.
Oh, for sure—I gotta stay King of the Hill!

Going back to the nationals, you’ve been riding well and consistent and had it not been for that yellow flag incident in Morden, you might have been second in the points.
Yeah, that bummed me out and I let it get to my head and I was worrying too much about the rest of the rules and the crap they were changing in the rulebook. But I’ve forgot about that now and I’m focused on what I got to get done.

I believe your sitting fifth in points. With one round to go in Nanaimo this weekend, is it going to be all or nothing?
I will go out there and do the best that I can. I might ride the 450 there too, in the second moto. We’ll see how it goes this weekend.

Are you planning on racing the final three eastern MX1 rounds?
No, I’m going to take the rest of the summer off, I guess you could say. I’m going to go out for Walton, but other than that, nothing else. I’ve been down in California for seven months and only at home for a week, so I want to go home for a bit and live a normal life for a little while; not have to worry about going riding everyday or traveling or getting to the races. Stay on the couch and be lazy for a week or two [laughs].

You deserve it, you’ve been riding well.
Thanks.