Frid'Eh Update:Presented by Royal Distributing
JUNE 6, 2008By Danny Brault


Racer X Canada readers, after you're done reading the Frid'Eh Update presented by Royal Distributing, be sure to click on the cover below or this link to check out our second online issue. Take the time to read through all of it and let us know what you think of the new issue by sending us an email to letters@racerxcanada.com. This issue is even more interactive than the last one; keep your eyes peeled and go slow! And don't miss the cool "Droppin' In" video by Destroyer Films in the Ryan Lockhart feature, "Second Chance." By the way, if you missed the last issue, just click here.

Suzuki/OTSFF/Rockstar Energy Drink's Tyler Medaglia earned his second RXC cover after winning the Gopher Dunes national and taking over the points lead in the MX1 class. Check out that berm blasting shot snapped by James Lissimore. What a beauty!

After two “Monster” rounds of the Monster Energy CMRC Motocross Nationals, everyone now has a weekend off to recharge the batteries before the war continues in Morden, Manitoba on June 14-15. I was looking forward to a weekend away from the racetrack, maybe take in a canoe trip or something, but the great racing we’ve witnessed so far has motivated me to get out on the track and do some racing of my own. If you’re not busy this weekend, and in the Ottawa area, stop by the Ontario Provincial at Sand Del Lee to catch the 2-5-9 Sturgess Cycle Kawi in action. Hey, someone has to shut down the Medaglia train!

I won’t be the only one spending the weekend in Munster; Kyle Keast, Chuck Mesley, the Medaglia brothers, Jason Burke, Kerim Fitzgerald, and a host of other local pros (and amateurs) will be there too. MX101’s Jay Moore tells me with the rain they’ve received this week that the track will be in tip-top shape. I can’t wait!

What is everyone else doing with a weekend off? KTM’s Ryan Lockhart is holding a riding school out East; Eric Nye is back home in NorCal; Marco Dubé, Simon Homans, the Benoit Brothers, Marc-Antoine Genereux, Tim Tremblay, and JSR are probably attending the Quebec Provincial at Deschambault; Kevin Urquhart is staying out in Manitoba with the FXR crew, getting in as much seat time as possible before Round 3; Colton Facciotti is resting up his shoulder for his return after pulling out of Gopher; and PerformX Racing’s Todd Schumlick checked in today, telling me that Kyle McGlynn is back on the bike, putting in laps at the Green River track in Pemberton, BC, and working hard for his debut next weekend in Morden.

The guys definitely deserve some time off, especially after the grueling Gopher Dunes national. I think the Dunes gets rougher every time we go there, and even though Derek Schuster disagrees, I’m sure that finish line jump is bigger than ever too.

Blair Morgan is now fourth-place in the MX1 championship after a strong ride at Gopher Dunes. His young Blackfoot teammate, Colton Facciotti, fell back to seventh after pulling out of Gopher due to his shoulder/collarbone injury.

photo: James Lissimore

Where are we at with two rounds in the books? Well, I think everyone would agree that Suzuki/OTSFF/Rockstar’s Tyler Medaglia is the revelation of 2008. I know I pegged him to win an MX1 moto here and there, but not to be on the box in every race and win a moto and overall four motos into the series. I’m glad he proved me (and others) wrong. I remember Blackfoot’s race director, Joe Skidd, telling me that Medaglia needs more meat on his bones to handle a 450. I don’t think TM has put on much more mass, but with his corner speed, determination, and will to win, does he need to? While I’m sure things may have been different at Gopher Dunes, had Colton Facciotti raced, it was nice to see a new guy winning.

As I wrote in our June issue’s Cover Me, I feel privileged to have watched Tyler and his brother Jeremy’s journey from their humble beginnings to motocross stardom. They deserve it. I can still remember the first time I saw Tyler ride. It was at the Mono Centre in 2001, he was on a YZ85 with mismatched gear and could barely touch the ground. I didn’t know anything about the kid, but the #117 rider really stood out. You know how you see someone ride or race, and you just know they’re doing to do something one day? I had that feeling watching Tyler race every weekend from then on. I will admit—I didn’t have the same thoughts about Jeremy. He was racing in the 65cc class at the time and he was more focused on scoring goals in hockey than becoming a factory racer. Tyler’s success overshadowed Jeremy and it wasn’t until Jeremy moved up to the intermediate class in 2006 that I started realizing he had a future in the sport. Fast-forward to 2008, both brothers are now sitting under the factory Suzuki tent and are contenders in their respective classes.

Tyler indicated that he was an MX1 championship contender, after leading the first moto at Ste-Julie before finishing with 3-2 scores for second overall behind Facciotti. He then proved he’s a championship favourite after holding off “The Dozer” Kyle Keast for the win in the final moto at the Dunes. Again, who knows what would have happened if Facciotti was racing, but as Matthes says, “If ifs and buts were candies and nuts….” I’ll tell you what, though—I can’t wait to see what goes down in Morden!

It looks like Tyler has a new nickname, courtesy of Alberta’s Dustin Heikkinen and his fiancé, Krystle. “I am so pumped about “Funky Cold” Medaglia’s first CMRC National win! Mostly because I get to use my cool nickname for him in conversation, but he is also a great kid with a slick riding style,” wrote Krystle in an email this week. For the life of me, I couldn’t understand where Funky Cold came from, so I asked her to explain it to me. “My fiancée thought it up, Dustin Heikkinen. He is from the 90’s era back racing with Lane Oslanski (LOC) and Jason Frenette.  So whenever we talk about the Nationals (he is the BIGGEST Canadian motocross guru) he always busts out into the song from the 90’s, “Funky Cold Medina” by Tone Loc, because Tyler is so smooth and a such a ladies man!”

Dusty Klatt’s 1-3 for second overall at Gopher moved him up into second in series, 12 points back of TM. I also found it interesting that Keast’s 2-2 at Gopher moved him up to third in the standings. Actually, maybe that’s not as interesting as I think, seeing as how he’s my “buddy” and all. I know Keast is racing Morden and Regina, but can’t afford to stay out West for Nanaimo and Edmonton. I’ve suggested that he leave his bike with someone after Regina, fly out to Nanaimo and stick around for Edmonton the week after, but he says no way. I’m not sure I can change his mind (maybe if he does well enough at Morden and Regina he’ll stick around?). How about if all you team managers out there tell Keast that if he scores a top three overall in the series, he gets a tryout for `09? That might motivate him to race all of the rounds.

Schrader's Yamaha's Shawn Maffenbeier (85) earned $400 from Royal Distributing for two MX2 holeshots at Gopher Dunes.

photo: Lissimore

Anyhoo, enough of my little “world view.” Let’s give it up for some Western boys who have rode well so far! The first one that comes to my mind is Saskatchewan’s Shawn Maffenbeier, who grabbed both Royal Distributing MX2 holeshots on his Schrader’s Yamaha YZ250F. I’m sure the privateer could use that extra $400. While Maffenbeier ended up finishing 17-22, he surely built up confidence running inside the top five for quite some time in both motos.

Alberta’s PJ Stratton must have spent time on the rough Temple Hill track before coming to Gopher Dunes because he, too, ran up front in both MX2 motos. Normally, first timers to the Dunes struggle, but Stratton rode well, finishing 18-7 for 13th overall.

It’s Millar Time! Ryan Millar “Lite” rode his Orange Motosports/RTR Performance backed KTM to 7-12 scores for seventh overall. Following a dismal weekend in Ste-Julie, it was great to see Millar rebound, along with his teammate, Kris Foster, who finished eighth in moto two at Gopher. Be sure to check out Doug Engstrom's Gate Pic photo of Millar in our June issue. It's killer!

Let’s give it up for Team Quebec. Dubé, Tremblay and Homans were battling hard for top-10 positions in MX1, while Kaven Benoit and Genereux held their own in MX2. Unfortunately, from what I’ve heard, the only French Canadian we’ll see in Morden and the Western rounds is Dubé—and, of course, Tremblay with the factory KTM team.

Alberta's PJ Stratton rode his CRF250R to a 13th overall at Gopher Dunes.

photo: Lissimore

The real Mitch Cooke was at Gopher Dunes. Well, that’s what he told me before practice on Sunday morning anyway. I’m sure people expected more than a sixth-place from Cooke at the Dunes considering his time spent training and riding in Dubai, but I watched the #16 closely and he looked good. He was pushing hard in both motos, but mid-pack starts and the fact that everyone else is riding really well, kept him from the box. I checked in with Cooke while OTSFF was loading up on Sunday night and was surprised to learn that he’d been drowning his sorrows following the loss of his two friends a month ago. Understandably, Cooke is still missing his friends and mourning their loss, but I found it surprising that a guy who very, very rarely drinks was using alcohol to escape his pain. He’s done some soul searching in the last two weeks, however, and realizes that’s not the best way to deal with this difficult time. I think that’s a lesson for us fans. While these guys look superhuman on a motorcycle, they are people too and are not impervious to life’s obstacles.

No shocking news here, but the Sand Monster caught a few guys off guard last weekend. KTM’s Jeff Northrop told us on the Moto Show from Ste-Julie that he likes the sand and was looking forward to playing in the Dunes. His tune changed a little following the first moto, however. “Man, I just want to get this moto done with and get the heck outta here!” he said while recovering in the KTM rig. I talked with Beaton, the Allison brothers, and a few other riders afterwards, and their comments went like this: “I’ve ridden sand before—but it was nothing like this!” Yep, that’s Gopher Dunes!

Our second Racer X Canada/Destroyer Films Moto Show from Gopher Dunes turned out awesome. We added in more race footage, riding footage from the Roost Clothing Ride day, and we caught up with Evolved Nutrition’s Drew Robertson, Keast and Beaton for some great interviews. Hopefully you readers are enjoying our weekly shows because we’re having a blast putting them together. Oh, also, I know that my 661 hat is too big for me and looks goofy—that’s the idea. Everyone always praises the Canadian series for being laidback and fun and we’re trying to show that off in our videos. If you have any suggestions, ideas or comments for the Moto Show, shoot an email off to dannyb@racerxcanada.com. As we noted in the intro from Gopher Dunes, we're looking for more companies to get involved with the Moto Show. A big thanks goes to our current sponsors OTSFF, RG3 Canada, 661 Canada, and Monster Energy, and also our upcoming sponsors, FXR Racing, Schrader's Yamaha, Riverside, Toys for Big Boys, and Ignition Racing. We couldn't do this without all of your support!

Suzuki riders, Jocelyn Killough (left) and Jolene Van Vugt (right), made it onto the Ladies national podium for the first time this year. KTM's Jacqueline Ross (middle) has a commanding lead in the series, with Killough in second and Van Vugt in third.

photo: Lissimore

Burt Reynolds made it out to the first two rounds of the Monster Energy ... oh, wait, no - that's Ryan Lockhart!

photo: Lissimore

Don’t forget to check out James Lissimore’s flawless photos in the Gopher Dunes Race Report and interviews with Tyler Medaglia and Eric Nye for more race coverage. Oh, if you haven’t done so already, listen to this week’s Canadian MX Radio show, featuring guests Tyler Medaglia, KD Beets, and Jo Jo Keller.

As I was typing out this Frid’Eh Update, I received this email from off-road enthusiast, Stephen Shannon….

Hi Danny,
I would like to be writing this letter to commend you on a great magazine and website, but I can't honestly say that's how I feel anymore.  Last time I checked in the world of motorcycle racing, there's more than just motocross.  Racer X and Racer X Canada have never marketed themselves as motocross only magazines, yet your magazine caters pretty much exclusively to motocross.  As an avid off-road rider and racer it's very disappointing to pick up an issue and see 98 percent motocross and maybe 2 percent off-road coverage.  Don't get me wrong, I still go out and pound laps on the motocross track from time to time and enjoy watching the pros, but it's sad to see such limited coverage for the rest of the off-road motorcycle world.

I went to Chile for the 2007 International Six Days Enduro and am going again in 2008, this time in Greece.  I don't even think there was a whisper at RXC (both the now defunct magazine and the website) of Geoff Nelson who was the top finishing Canadian.  All twelve of us racers, plus another twenty support crew paid our own way to compete at the highest level of enduro racing.  We struggle every year to get sponsors to help lighten the load on our bank accounts, and in part I believe it's due to a lack of media coverage.  Sure, we aren't finishing at the very top, but every single one of us works full time while trying to pursue a racing career.  Our results are still very respectable.  I believe if the magazines such as yourselves at RXC would start covering the thriving off-road scene, the racers would find it easier to secure support and in turn have better results.

Yet another example of your lack of coverage is Cory Graffunder's astounding finish at Erzberg this year. 18th at the toughest race in the world is pretty damn impressive, especially considering it was Cory's first try at the Iron Giant.  If that's not newsworthy, I don't know what is.

The following is a list of people and events that I believe you should be covering.  Please note I've only included Western Canadian events and people as I'm not too familiar with the scene back East, though I hear it's great.

Cory Graffunder
Shane Cuthbertson
Bobby Prochnau
Marty Halmazna

CMRC Alberta offroad race series (www.albertadirtriders.com)
Pacific Northwest Motorcycle Association Offroad Series (www.pnwma.com)
Okanagan Harescrambles Series (www.pnwma.com)
Corner Grass (www.cornergrass.com)

International Events that Canadians are attending:
-International Six Days Enduro (www.isde2008.gr) - there's a trophy team and 1 club team going to Greece
-Erzberg Rodeo (Cory, Marty, Noel Boslo, Jared Thomas all raced it)
-Red Bull Romaniacs (Shane Cuthbertson will be racing it)
-AMA Endurocross Series (Bobby Prochnau, Dustin Eliason)
-Red Bull Last Man Standing (there will probably be lots of us there this year)

Again, I'm sorry if I sound harsh in this letter, but I do believe Racer X Canada needs to change.  The lack of off-road coverage is down right insulting.

Thanks for listening,

Stephen Shannon

Now, I’m not going to go all postal on you here, Stephen, but your email couldn’t have come at a worse time.

In the last two weeks, I’ve received emails from industry folk and readers almost every day and saw threads on mxforum.com criticizing everything from our Moto Shows, to womens racing, to us being too “buddy-buddy” with pro racers. I assure all of you that we at RXC are doing our absolute best to cover all Canadian racers and the various forms of off-road racing. I will admit, that motocross takes priority and always will. But we’ve made a valiant effort in exposing our long list of top Canadian off-road talent. We were there for the two World Enduro Championship rounds in Parry Sound; we’ve featured Graffunder, Marty Halmazna, Shane Cuthbertson, and many other Westerners in our magazine and website from the WEC, the Red Bull Last Man Standing, and Erzberg. Stephen, I don’t know if you’re aware of this or not, but we’re working with limited resources—heck, all of the magazines are. It’s impossible for us to be everywhere, but I can say that we have coverage planned from the Cornergrass Endurocross event on June 21-22 and we’re doing our best to mention off-road accomplishments as they come in.

I appreciate your email, Stephen. It means that you’re reading and you care. However, we can barely afford to cover one discipline of off-road racing, but you want us to fly all over the globe? Rather than sending me an email complaining about the lack of off-road coverage, why don't you use that energy and send me an update on what's going on out West? 

Now is probably a good time to check in with Steve Matthes and liven things up, instead of listening to me rant all day.

Thanks, Danny. As I write this, I'm sitting in my hometown of Las Vegas waiting to board my flight to Dallas, Texas. The third round of the AMA Nationals is coming up and it's the second year for Tony Miller and his Freestone track. It's a hard track to watch from, mostly flat, so my "observing" might not be so hot.

James Stewart has led every lap so far in the 450s and there's no reason to think that we're going to see anything different this weekend. Maybe the fact he's never raced there before might hinder his attempt at a perfect season? Uh, never mind, probably not. The battle for second will be the one to watch and Tim Ferry, Davi Millsaps and Mike "Camelback" Alessi seem to have an edge there. My prediction is that Andrew Short breaks out this weekend; he won a moto there last year and it's his adopted homestate. He needs to do something here soon because he’s struggling.

The Lites class could end up being a runaway also; Ryan Villopoto was on fire last weekend and looks to have found his mojo. I hope not for the racing's sake but RV could be on a mission after losing the SX title. The action is always good in this class; if the leader is gone you just have to find a battle somewhere behind him. It's easy to do in this class.
 
I've been following the Canadian series and so far it's been great. Tyler "T-Dags" Medaglia is on it and I spoke with Dusty Klatt's mechanic, Glenn Hobson, this week. He said that Dusty realized after Ste-Julie that it's not going to be a runaway and he has been riding more than ever. Add in Faciotti, when he heals up, and it should be some great racing in the coming rounds. Too bad for me that I won't be able to make it to my home province for Morden next week. I've been there that last couple of years and after last year’s disaster, the fans deserve some good racing and should get it.
 
How about that Moto Show? Man, what a great thing to watch after each week. I wish it was longer but I know from my "Bottom Line" show on motocross.com that it's a ton of work editing and getting everything set. Kudos to the Destroyer Films boys for all that they've done for Canadian motocross.
 
I didn't hear anything from KD Beets after St Julie. My phone was on all week but strangely it never rang nor displayed any messages from the little guy. I think he was pissed at his Ste-Julie race and locked himself down all week running sand hills with his Gaerne's on. After Gopher we spoke and the little guy's in a better frame of mind now. All I keep hearing from everyone is that he's the fastest guy on the track every week. Hopefully he puts it together soon for his rabid fan base. Speaking of the MX2 class, how about Ryan Gauld on CMR saying that Eric Nye had the "softest" 1-1 ever? Wow! With those kind of statements Gauldy's going to find himself getting some emails and calls, trust me on that one. Canadians are sensitive people.
 
Marc Travers? Thanks for the call the other night to put some things into perspective and and let's work on that "project" in the coming weeks!
 
Just got word the other day that I'm going to Regina! Not just to check out the World's Tallest Grain Elevator but also to watch the National and help with the Moto Show. Look for me there and come say hi—I'll be the guy stalking out Beets' pits all day.
 
And congratulations to Eugene Spreutels for winning a pair of Scott goggles in the "Listen to Matthes' Podcast to the end and win something" contest. Eugene, I haven't shipped them out yet, but I will soon! Anyone out there that wants to donate some prizes, email matthes@racerxcanada.com and we'll get you on board.
 
Got this email after Hangtown Obs:

“And despite that, I still heard a rider tell me that his practice was “stacked.” When I pointed out the new rule, he said, “Yeah, but DV was missing from the other practice.” So now we’re attacking the AMA for DV getting hurt. Now I know why a guy like Duke Finch grew a ponytail … so he could use it to strangle riders.
Single best line of 2008. LMAO! I think you may have had the previous one also. Something about Nick Wey, if I recall
Anyhow, another great read Steve. I think you’ve grown your balls back. You know the ones I accused you of losing at the Indy Trade Show [laughs]!
 
Denny Stephenson

"Observations,” the column that 1990 125 East Coast Champions read!

Thanks, Steve. I always appreciate your contributions and I can’t wait to share Moto Show hosting duties with you in Regina—just try not to steal the spotlight too much.

Bow Cycle Kawasaki's Jessica Foster tried two wheels on the pavement for the first time this week.

photo courtesy of Foster

Jessica Foster is looking to become the Danica Patrick of road racing. Check out this email we received from the #4 Kawasaki rider:

Earlier this spring I was delighted to find out that, due to our Sales Manager Reegan’s pregnancy, I would be taking her spot at these Bow Cycle’s Ladies Track Nights. Trust me, no sane woman would give up a fun night like this for any other reason.  I got to ride the new Kawasaki EX250 Ninja.
 
I have to admit I was pretty nervous going into the event.  I had no road bike experience, and I am fairly competitive.  I HATE not being good at things.  So I was pretty scared that I might, A: crash the bike Bow Cycle and Kawasaki were allowing me to Demo (I’m sure pavement hurts more than dirt, and just plain did not want to crash my boss’ bike); B: make a fool out of myself and ride like a total goon; C: not catch on and be frustrated.  None of the above happened!  Well I’m not too sure how well I caught on, that would be for an instructor to decide, but I was comfortable, and I sure did have an AMAZING time.
 
The atmosphere is very friendly and One Track Mind brings out instructors to show you the steps on how to ride.  They even guide you around the track.  At first I got to team up with Rachel our Business Manager.  Riding with her was really nice and calmed me down a lot.  I was almost as nervous as I am at the motocross nationals.  We rode around together for a few laps with our instructor., and then in our next practice, I got to open it up and get a good feel for the bike and the track.  I’m used to motocross where you have a wide choice of lines to choose from that change from lap to lap.  On the road you have to try and perfect the one fast line.
 
All in all, I can’t say thank you enough to Reegan and Rachel for getting me out there, and Kelly from One Track Mind for organizing the events.  It was an experience I will never forget.  I can’t wait for the next track night, and I am excited to have this new passion.  I really loved the bike too!  It handled great and had just the right amount of power.
 
For information regarding the scheduling or organization please visit:  http://www.one-trackmind.ca  for details. I fully encourage any ladies whom have a bike to get out there.  This taught me so much about braking, line choice and throttle control.

Thanks, Jess.

In industry news this week, we learned that KTM Canada’s Marketing Communications Manager, Florian Burguet, is no longer with Team Orange. He says this decision has nothing to do with KTM; he’s viewing it as a new challenge and it’s time to change things up. His new position will see him as Ski-Doo’s marketing manager. From the incredible job he’s done with KTM, I’m thinking we’re going to see a lot more sleds on the trails! Good luck with your new venture, Florian, and if you need any help testing sleds for durability, you know who to call.

Man, those Destroyer Films guys are good and I’m not just saying that because they put up with my antics every weekend. Check out their latest Northern Exposure piece with New Brunswick’s Johnny Montes. The video makes Montes look like a rockstar, and I’m sure he’s already emailed the link to his Facebook and MSN contact list. Montes checked in last week and let me know we’ll him racing the final three East Coast rounds on his Atlantic Motoplex YZ450F.

Okay, my ride to SDL has just pulled in so it’s time go racing. Thanks for reading!

George Halmazna sent along a few pics from the Erzberg Rodeo in Austria two weeks ago. Here his son Marty's KTM sits waiting to attack the Iron Giant.

I believe this year marked "Party for Marty's" third time climbing up, down, over, and around the massive mine.

BC's Cory Graffunder continued his roll of off-road accomplishments at Erzberg, finishing as the top Canadian in 18th.

photo: Charla Cuthbertson

Jared Thomas filled in for Cornergrass Husaberg's Shane Cuthbertson at Erzberg. Cuthbertson, unfortunatey, had to pull out of the event after he broke his ankle two weeks before the "tough guy" event.

  You're not done yet! A free 2009 KTM 250 SX-F would be nice, wouldn't it? Check out www.royaldistributing.com to find out how you can win one!