By Danny Brault

Do you remember Joel Saarits? He is a naturally gifted rider, from Hamilton, Ontario, who went from beginner to pro, all within two years. He rode for North Point Yamaha, Label It Yamaha, and Lightning Powersports, finished fourth overall in the 2002 MX2 East series, and was always a contender for wins in the CMRC Ontario Provincials. Check out this link to see him pulling a few holeshots on his B-Tec YZ250F.

Saarits last ride came at the Gopher Dunes national in 2006, where he finished eighth in an MX1 moto before calling it quits. Burnt out from racing, injuries, and bike problems, Saarits needed a break. After working construction for a year, Saarits bought himself a CRF450R and is planning to race again (for fun) this summer. “I wouldn't say it’s much of a comeback,” Saarits says. “I'll be working full-time so I won't be able to practice too much. I'm not like Keast—I have to practice a lot to be able to ride a long moto [laughs]!”

Known for his speed in the sand and effortless riding style, it will be a pleasure to see Saarits back on the track.

What does it take to compete in the world’s toughest rally? Find out first hand from someone who’s raced the Dakar Rally: Lawrence Hacking. The first Canadian to finish Dakar, Hacking takes us through his experience in his new book To Dakar and Back. If you’re in the Georgetown, Ontario area on March 1, be sure to stop by The Freckled Lion, where Hacking is offering to sign his book for readers. Hacking’s XR600 and other race memorabilia will be on display as well. For info on the book, and where you can pick it up, go here.

In last week’s Update, I mentioned how everyone goes crazy for Kyle Beaton qualifying for an AMA Supercross, but we’re disappointed when Dusty Klatt scores a top-15 or top-10 finish. I didn’t have a reason or reasons why fans jump on the Beaton ship for lesser accomplishments—and I still don’t. One reader, however, Jackie Schott has her reasons why Beets get the love.

I just finished reading this week’s edition of Frid’Eh Update and enjoyed the article as I do every week. In this week’s edition, you questioned the reasons behind fans’ overzealous support of Kyle in comparison to our criticism towards Klatt’s initial Supercross finishes. I don’t think there is a single reason behind our support of Kyle, but rather a plethora of reasons.
Primarily, I think that Canadians are backing Beets wholeheartedly because we know how hard he has worked to get where he is. He has heart, dedication and a fantastic sense of humour. Many people on the Lower Mainland have watched him grow up (well he never really grew) and followed his career through the years. Let’s face it—Kyle has had his ups and downs in Canadian motocross and hasn’t always been blessed with good luck. This makes it so much more commendable that he hasn’t given up. Kyle still shows up to the track with a smile on his face and devotion and commitment in his heart.

Secondly, while Klatt was supported by Blackfoot in his initial Supercross days, Kyle is in California on his own buck. Kyle is making huge sacrifices in his life to live his dream, which I feel makes the fans so much more supportive.

Another reason that I think Kyle is seeing the huge support, is that many Canadian motocross fans have a vested interest in Beats. Hammertime and so many others from the online forums have personally helped finance Kyle’s Supercross season. Of course they are excited to see some success from Kyle. You could consider it a return on their investments every time he makes a main.
Lastly, the kid is just lovable. He’s so little and cute. I’m sure there are more than a few of us that would like to put him in our pockets and take him home with us!
But whatever the reason (this is where I really want to quote a line from Dr. Seuss “His heart of his shoes.”), whether it be his ravishing good looks, his charming personality or his commitment to the sport, I think we should all be happy that Kyle is seeing some success. I can’t think of a better person to represent Canada south of the border. So good luck buddy, keep your stick on the ice and know that any support you are receiving is well deserved!

Thanks for that Jackie!

While I can’t comment on Beaton’s ravishing good looks, he certainly has shown a strong commitment to the sport he loves and he’s made a financial sacrifice to realize his dream. I’m sure everyone has their “guy” but let’s try to always support all of our riders every time they line up for an AMA Supercross. Whether you’re wheeling your bike out of a semi or pick-up truck, it’s never an easy feat making a main event.

Beaton got even more support in the form of a privateer profile over at Racerxill.com. Click here to read the Matthes interview.

One Canadian who needs some support and words of encouragement is Blair Morgan. After a trying season on his Blackfoot YZ450F, that included a few hard crashes, bike problems, and a broken ankle suffered at the MXoN, Morgan’s luck hasn’t gotten any better. “It’s been a tough year with everything,” said Morgan this week. “Actually, our trucks were on the road to Valcourt and they were in a white out storm in Michigan and ran into each other. So we lost one truck and trailer. We’re just having some crazy luck.”

That crazy luck, or lack thereof, has followed Morgan into snocross, where he has yet to hit the podium and he failed to qualify at Winter X for the second year in a row. “All the Ski-Doo riders are having a tough time with the new machine,” cites Morgan on part of the reason for his struggles. “Everything’s decent, but it seems like we test so much—we’re like guinea pigs—and I would rather just ride some finished product that’s proven. It’s hard on your mind, when you’re trying so hard with little results. It’s probably like what Ryan Dungey is going through [laughs]. He’s the clean cut, hard worker, and he’s getting beat by this rebel kid who doesn’t take anything seriously.”

Once everything is repaired to the team’s transport and sleds, the Blair Morgan Racing Team is looking forward to a more positive weekend in Valcourt, Quebec. It’s basically the backyard of their team sponsor, Bombardier, so they’re hoping for some good things to come. As for motocross, Morgan is going to return with Team Toyota Yamaha/BlackfootDirect.com/Fox Racing.

“I’m super stoked that they kept me around [laughs],” Morgan says. “They said they kind of owe it to me. I try to give them something more than just being on the track; I try to help out with the young guys. I’m a pretty good babysitter for Colton too [laughs].” Morgan’s eager to get back on the bike, and added that if things work out, he would like to join JSR and Facciotti in Florida at the end of March for testing.

To keep track of Morgan, his team, and the World Snocross Association, use these websites: www.wsaracing.com and http://www.bmrt.com/intro.cfm. Morgan’s site features a cool video from the snocross final at Winter X, where his young rider, Brett Turcotte, won the silver medal. Check it out!

When you’re surfing the net, be sure to stop by www.destroyerfilms.com. The Destroyer Films crew has redesigned their website and you can now download the full length film, This Is It, for only $4.95. However, to access the bonus features and its face-melting cinematography, you’ll need to purchase the hard copy, which is now just $19.95! And for those who purchase the downloadable format or DVD, your name is entered into a draw to win a GoPro “Hero” Helmet Cam. The contest runs until March 9 and the winner will be announced the next day on destroyerfilms.com. If you're at the Moncton Motorcycle show, stop by Destroyer Films booth and say hi to Chris and Cody.

One of the stars of This Is It, Simon Homans, is left without a chair for 2008. After a breakthrough year, which saw Homans collect his first moto win and overall in Nanaimo, he’s caught in a deep rut. Homans isn’t the only one left hanging, however. With the US/CDN dollar issues, all of the manufacturers have had to make cutbacks, and, as always, racing takes a back seat.

“Everyone is in the same boat; last summer we knew it was going to happen,” says Homans. “Yamaha told me at Walton they were really happy with everything, but they were caught off guard. They said they have a little bit of support, but it’s nothing compared to what I had.”

Homans didn’t really specify what level of support he will receive, but I’m guessing that it’s a couple of bikes and parts. Unless he’s able to secure some outside sponsorship, Homans says he won’t be racing the Western rounds. “I don’t want to go to the races to finish top-10; I want to be on the box. If you want to do it by yourself, it costs a lot of money to get bikes working well and to go training down south and do some testing. I don’t want to go out west, without enough support or the right equipment to win races.”

Homans was quick to add that he’s not upset with Yamaha Canada. They’ve shared a great relationship for seven years and he understands the bind Yamaha (and all of the mfgs) are in. “I will still be racing, no matter what,” Homans says. “If I don’t race the full series, I will stay race the closer nationals, provincials, and hold schools.”

We’re in an awkward position right now and I’m not sure how we get out of it, other than letting it run its course. The sport runs in cycles and we’ve been in recessions before. But with our great television package, title sponsor, and factory teams in place, it’s a hard pill to swallow when national numbers 4 (Dubé), 6 (Homans), 8 (Keast), and 9 (Lockhart), don’t have rides.

Dubé actually signed a deal with Quebec dealership Equipe Les Chutes recently. You can read more about Dube’s plans for the 2008 season here.

Rider signing! Rider signing! We finally have some silly season talk. It’s been rumoured for some time that KTM Canada was interested in Jeff Northrop’s services for the MX1 class. The ink finally dried last weekend, and we’ll see the number 10 KTM 450 SX-F on the line in Ste-Julie, Quebec.

“I’m pumped!” says Norcal. “I think it’s good so far. We’re trying to link up with KTM because they’re right down the street. I can help with production testing for them. Sleeter’s hurt right now, so it’s an opportunity for me to get in there and do some testing for him.”

With budgets being cut, and all of the big names signed, it’s a pretty good move by Royal Distributing KTM. Northrop’s always finished well in MX2, but proved his speed on a 450 last year with a moto win in Nanaimo, despite being on his own buck. KTM now has four riders ready to go in May: Northrop (MX1), Tim Tremblay (MX1), Mason Phillips (MX2), and Eric Nye (MX2).

You can hear more from Norcal right here.  

Last week I mentioned how quickly the Toronto WSXGP is sneaking up on us (March 29) and that I only knew of Kyle Keast and Chuck Mesley racing the Lites class. For some reason, I forgot about the Suzuki OTSFF/Rockstar duo of Tyler and Jeremy Medaglia, who are currently riding supercross and motocross at the Georgia Practice Facility. Derek Schuster, who was down riding at GPF a week ago, says that both brothers look great on the supercross track and he was surprised to see how well Jeremy is adapting to SX. Tyler put in a great ride for sixth behind Troy Adams in TO last December, so it will be interesting to see how he—and his younger brother—ride this year with more SX experience.

We heard from British Supercross promoter John Hellam this week with an update on the February 23 London Supercross round. After running an interview with Liverpool Lites winner Kris Foster a few weeks back, Hellam wanted to let us know that a record number of Canadian riders are making the trip to the O2 Arena in London. JSR, Colton Facciotti, Kyle Beaton, Kris Foster, Brock Hoyer and Lee Coutts are all on the roster, ready to square off against Mike Brown, South African's Neville Bradshaw and David Goosen, and Per Kristian Bakke. While Brown dominated the action in Liverpool, Hellam said plans were underway to get Facciotti a 450 to race in the Open class. Hellam hopes Colt will be able to give Brown a run for his money on the big bike. For more info on the London round, click here. 

We ran a Two Tribes with two of Ontario’s legendary moto dads, Randy Stephens and Richard Grey Senior. Ogio’s Jeff Williams passed along this note, that really sums up the role of parents and families in this sport.

“I think it was a pretty cool thing of the Racer X Canada crew to highlight the parents of the talent in this interview. This is one of the reasons why these two guys are so great to work with, family values. It may sound cheesy, but I think my relationships with the parents are as good as they are with the kids, making fireside debauchery nights so much more fun at Walton. It’s the family values and support from the parents that make these two guys and the racers in the whole industry for that matter so much fun and rewarding to work with. It’s true that these two dads are just as supportive most of the other parents in the moto industry; they’re just lucky enough to each have an extremely talented kid who will more than likely go on to become a Canadian champ. I’m equally as proud of the parents as I am of the kids. Great job on the interview Dailey, Griffiths and crew.”

To read the Two Tribes, click here

Most of the RXC crew has hit the long and dusty (or more likely long and snowy) road to Indy this weekend. While Indy is all about making industry connections and contacts, the RXC crew is undeniably excited about the Racer X Hockey Classic. Unfortunately, Team Canada took a huge blow to their roster late this week, when Steve ‘Muffin Top’ Matthes passed on this note: “Hey, it’s with great regret that I announce that I am not playing in the RXC game, I haven’t skated in like forever and my knee has been hurting.” Add to that the late scratch of Dan ‘The Fighting Irishman’ O’Shea and the team will have to pull together if they want another win against Team USA.

Good luck to Team Canada this weekend as they look to defend our national honour—and good luck to Campbell River’s Dusty Klatt as he makes his Cernic’s Kawasaki debut in the Supercross class at the Houston SX.

Have a great weekend…and don’t forget to enter to win at www.royaldistributing.com for your chance to win a 2009 KTM 250 SX-F!