--press release--

Torrential rain and the subsequent calling of a 'state of emergency' in Calgary nearly wiped the third round of the CMRC Canadian Motocross Championships completely off the schedule before a wheel had even turned at Wild Rose MX Park last weekend. Team ALDO KTM Royal arrived in Alberta looking to build on some promising performances by American chargers Jimmy Nelson and Kris Keefer in the MX2 West series while Quebec's Marco Dubé joined the rider line-up to campaign his KTM SXF250 in MX1.

Wild Rose MX Park took a drenching on Friday with 65mm of rain piling down on the track turning it into the ultimate mud-fest. More of the same followed on Saturday and Rett Lee, head referee for the event, had no choice but to can the day's activities. Sunday, it was hoped, would allow for some serious MX action.

What a difference a day makes! Sunday morning broke and the sun was shining while the track was slowly beginning to dry out. All three KTM riders were on top of their game in practice, no doubt eager to hit the dirt and put in some laps following the lengthy rain-delay. Marco Dubé was first up in competitive action, qualifying for MX1. He duly grabbed the holeshot and pulled away from the pack, the old Dubé form timed perfectly once again.

In MX2 Keefer and Nelson skipped qualifying on the basis of being in the top twenty in class so their first time out was in Moto 1. Both riders launched cleanly at the start and raced on without incident. Jimmy Nelson equaled his best finish of the year with a sixth place finish. Kris just missed out on a top ten score, battling to 12th at the end of the moto.

Their results mirrored perfectly the first moto from Round 2 at Nanaimo a week earlier where they captured KTM's first double-finish of the year.

Moto 2 was to prove more dramatic! Jimmy nailed the holeshot on his Pirelli's and led the opening sprint round the Wild Rose track. Pushing all the way he couldn't fight off the attentions of a charging Jake Weimer and eventually, around the half-way mark, series leader Dusty Klatt passed Nelson to drop him back further. Despite surrendering the lead, Jimmy looked good for a strong finish only to taste bitter disappointment once again with two laps to go. A snapped upper shock bolt cut short a great performance and he was classified 34th at the flag.

Contact between Kris Keefer and Colton Facciotti in the early stages of the race put paid to the young American's chances of fighting at the front-end in the second moto. Keefer went down hard but he picked himself back up again, as he had done in Nanaimo the previous week, and worked his way up to a credible 18th place finish.

In MX1 Marco Dubé got straight into the thick of the action and put in a strong, consistent performance on his return to CMRC National action. He posted a 13-14 record over the two moto's for a 14th overall finish.

Thrilled to see a Team ALDO KTM Royal rider lead a National moto for the first time this season, Team Manager Andy White enthused:

"I'm really happy with the progress made this weekend, the KTM's were awesome! We went back to head office during the week and tested some new settings. I think everyone can see from Jimmy's results that we did our homework and as a result we've made progress with our overall performance. Jimmy and Kris have been working well and it was great to see the old Dubé in action, proving to some of the younger guys he's still got it. He's going to be with us again in Regina.

"It's still very much a learning year for Team ALDO KTM Royal and we're still blighted with some bad luck, Jimmy seems to be baring the brunt of mechanical issues, but all things considered it's been a promising, productive weekend. Thanks again to everyone for the great support and we look forward to seeing what we can achieve this weekend!"

Round 4 of the CMRC Canadian Motocross Championship heads to Regina Moto Valley in Regina, Saskatchewan this weekend, Saturday 25th - Sunday 26th June.

Team ALDO KTM Royal hits the track this season thanks to support from the following partners; ALDO, Royal Distributing, Axo, FMF, Protech Suspension, M2R, Pirelli, Polisport, Regina Chain, Renthal, Twin Air, Motorex, TAG Metals, Ogio, Mechanix Wear, NelsonMX.com, TriStar, SDG, SFB Racing, Universal, Arnette, DRD, One Industries, LRP, Furios, Hinson, E-Line, Cycra, Excel, Works Connection, Atpac, Aussie/Sport, Jagg448, Sponsorhouse.com and SBS Brakes.