After a heavy rainfall Saturday night, everyone thought the last stop of the western rounds of the CMRC Canadian Motocross Championships in Regina, SK was going to be another mud race. We awoke, however, to sunny skies. Considering every stop of the 2005 season had been hampered by nothing but rain and muddy conditions, it was great to finally see the sun. With the positive weather change, exuberance was definitely in the air. At this round the umbrellas were not required for stopping the rain, but the piercing rays of the sun.

As always, the Suzuki paddock was a beehive of activity. Everyone was pumped! With a 2nd and 3rd place podium finish in MX1, the results on the racetrack reflected that feeling. Team Suzuki OTSFF Motorsports’ Keith Johnson piloted his finely tuned RMZ450 thoroughbred to the ever-important holeshot of both MX1 motos of the day. In hard fought battles for position Johnson mixed it up with his Suzuki teammate Gavin Gracyk, Honda’s JSR, Yamaha’s Craig Decker and Kawasaki’s Evan Laughridge. When all was said and done KJ carded 3-4 motos that put him on the podium with 3rd overall for the day.

Gracyk – really having found his groove after a great 2nd overall finish last weekend in Calgary – again pulled out all the stops to card another 2-2 motos for 2nd overall on the podium. “Iron Mike” Treadwell, meanwhile, turned two mid-pack starts into 12th overall on the strength of 13-12 motos.

The MX2 West class saw Jake Weimer and Bruce Prochnavy on the line for Team Suzuki OTSFF Motorsports. After a solid 2nd place overall last weekend, Jake was ready to give defending champion Dusty Klatt another run for the podium. Due to an exhaust pipe problem, however, Jake was waved off the track and forced to card a DNF. Prochnavy shot out of the

gate mid-pack; riding a consistent race on the hard-to-pass track that netted him 12th at the checkered.

In the second moto, after hammering out of the start gate in a top three position, Weimer found himself banging handlebars with Blackfoot’s Klatt. The pressure was on! In corner four, both Klatt and Weimer slid out and went down with Jake being fed a 5th place. He would defend that position till the end. Coupled with his unfortunate first moto DNF, Jake finished 11th overall for the day. Prochnavy, meanwhile, saw his second moto cut short due to a DNF, leaving him out of the points and finishing 17th overall.

After the dust settled in Regina, signaling the end of the western leg of the Nationals Tour, Team Suzuki OTSFF Motorsports is pleased to be able to look back on a very successful western campaign that has Gavin Gracyk firmly anchored 3rd in the MX1 points chase and Kevin Johnson in 4th. Congratulations to Gavin and KJ for a job well done! Congratulations also go to Jake Weimer for his 10th overall finish in the MX2 West title hunt and to Bruce Prochnavy who finished top-20 with a No.17 ranking.

Team Suzuki OTSFF Motorsports extends a huge “thank you” to the riders, mechanics, team staff, and Brent Shury of Battleford’s Supercycle for their valuable support at the western rounds. We look forward to working together with you in the future. Last but not least a shout to the CMRC organization, the promoters, clubs and volunteers for making the western rounds a memorable occasion, rain and mud included.