10 Things We Learned at Rounds 1 and 2 in Alberta

Now that time has passed, let’s reflect on what we learned at rounds 1 and 2 of the 2025 Canadian Triple Crown Series MX Nationals in Alberta

By Billy Rainford

We’ve now finished our short, western swing for the 2025 Canadian Triple Crown Series MX Nationals in in Alberta. Round 1 was at Wild Rose MX in Calgary and Round 2 took us to Cold Lake MX for the first time.

We now find ourselves on an early break until June 29th when we’ll head back to Ste Julie for the first time since 2012. Now that some time has passed, let’s reflect on 10 things we learned at rounds 1 and 2.

1. Preston Kilroy rides the 250 calmly and smoothly:

    #80 Preston Kilroy is originally from Wyoming but calls St. George, Utah, home now. He raced our 450 class for the MX101 FXR Yamaha team last summer, and you could tell he was getting more comfortable as the summer went on. He’s dropped to the 250 class for 2025 but it still sounds like he’s in the 450 class… almost!

    He seems to keep everything in line and in check as he goes out and sets fastest lap times. He’s never bouncing off the rev limiter or the seat. He’s calm and focussed and it’s paying off.

    He’s got the red plate heading into Round 3 in Ste Julie.

    2. Ryder McNabb is riding like his old self:

    It doesn’t take long to see that #6 Ryder McNabb is feeling comfortable back in his home country. This 2-time Canadian 250 champion is back home on the Honda Canada GDR Fox Racing team and looks to be ready to win.

    He made a couple errors early but it won’t stop him from gaining momentum as the series moves east. He’s full of confidence after his strong moto 2 win in Cold Lake, but we have to keep in mind that Kilroy went down early and was left chasing.

    These 2 riders are the ones to watch, for now…

    3. Dylan Walsh is picking up steam:

    WLTN Kawasaki rider #54 Dylan Walsh is from New Zealand and suffered multiple vertebrae breaks at the final rounds of Monster Energy AMA Supercross in Salt Lake City. He seemingly shrugged that off and lined up in Calgary just 3 weeks later!

    Obviously, he couldn’t be feeling 100% and it showed with his performance at Round 1. Yes, he finished 3-3 but he was 27 seconds off the pace.

    Move to Round 2 and he stayed with Kilroy in moto 2 as they tried to chase down McNabb out front. In the 250 class, he’s the one who will gain the most from this break before Round 3.

    4. Wyatt Kerr is one tough customer:

    Raise your hand if you’d be lining up to race a Pro National shortly after having your knee cap screwed back together. I didn’t think so.

    Priority GasGas rider #64 Wyatt Kerr from Cambridge, ON has been trying to meet his potential the past couple years, but has suffered a couple injury setbacks.

    He’s back on the bike now, full time, and should be ready to show what he’s capable of once the series fires up again.

    5. Jared Allison is the feel-good story of the summer, so far:

    James Lissimore came up to me in Calgary and said, “You’ll never guess who’s here to race.” A few names ran through my head and then he pointed to where I should walk to find out for myself.

    I saw a couple #102 Hondas in the back of a pick-up but those digits didn’t mean anything to me. It wasn’t until I looked at the side of the truck and read, “Allison Brothers Farming” that the lightbulb went off. Really? One of the Allisons is going to race a National again?!

    The first bike did’t have a name on it but the second one did: Jared Allison. Wow.

    He’s been getting great starts and then joked to me that “the youngsters are beating up on me!” He sits 11th in points after 12-8 overalls. But here’s the even cooler part:

    Jared will get the support of the Honda Canada GDR Fox Racing team for Ste Julie, so we haven’t seen the last of him.

    6. Cole Pranger is the stand-out rookie, so far:

    Priority GasGas rider #93 Cole Pranger (time to update the IG handle) is from Newbury, ON. This guy has been on our radar since he was on 65’s but his trajectory seemed to flatten a little the past couple years. Well, it’s pointing skyward again!

    He came out lukewarm at Round 1 with 13-11 motos and headed into Round 2 with little fanfare, but he came into Cold Lake ready for action.

    He finished 6th place in moto 2 and looked very comfortable spinning those fast laps. I think, as always, the confidence he gained from running up with the faster riders will give him exactly what he needs to do it on a regular basis.

    It was his first trip to race in the west and he will be much more comfortable on the eastern tracks, so let’s see what he can do on those to solidify himself as a front-runner for ‘Rookie of the Year.’

    7. Jess Pettis looks good with the #1:

    MX101 FXR Yamaha’s #1 Jess Pettis is carrying the weight of the #1 plate with relative ease. We all thought that he would be hard-pressed to defend the plate against the returning 5-time Canadian champion, Dylan Wright, but he’s been doing just fine, thank you very much.

    His return to Yamaha and the family feel of Kevin Tyler‘s team appears to be sitting very well with him. They’ve also got the services of mechanic Cale Foster again which I’m sure is also a huge comfort.

    Jess will always get a great start and that is going to make it very difficult for the rest to play catch-up every race. He is moving around on the tracks looking very comfortable going at these top speeds. He’s also said that he’s more comfortable on the eatern tracks, so this isn’t going to get any easier for anyone.

    8. Dylan Wright will win or die trying:

    You have to respect a rider who will put himself on the edge for 30 +2 every time he’s on the track! There aren’t many riders who you can watch and say, “Wow, this looks like it could go terribly wrong at any minute,” but then it usually doesn’t.

    Honda Canada GDR Fox Racing rider #9 Dylan Wright is a rider who wears his effort on his jersey sleeve. There are riders who you wonder if they’re giving it 100% out there… and then there’s Dylan. You know what you’re getting every damn time he’s out there and it’s amazing and terrifying at the same time.

    Dylan will win or die trying and that’s a fact.

    He’s dug himself a hole coming into Round 2 with that elbow injury and then suffering a moto 2 mechanical DNF after going wheel-to-wheel with Pettis. In our post-race interview, Dylan basically said he was setting up to pass for the win before he had to quit the race, and I’m ready to believe him.

    9. 3rd place in the 450 class is up for grabs:

    So far, WLTN Kawasaki rider #29 Phil Nicoletti looks to be the 3rd fastest 450 rider on the track, but it’s not a foregone conclusion.

    #84 Tanner Ward looks like he’s poised and ready to continue to fight for the podium. He and Phil can usually be found going bar-to-bar at some point in every moto and it’s great to watch.

    Behind them, #14 Quinn Amyotte seems like he’s just a hair off their pace but stays very close off their rear fenders. He could get in there with them in any race moving forward, so let’s watch for that.

    #25 Evan Stice will be better in the east as he gets more comfortable on the Compass Rose International Motorsports Triumph. He was having troubles with his clutch in moto 1 in Cold Lake and then didn’t look like he was ready to push it in moto 2, but remember how good he looked early in the 2nd 450 moto in Calgary.

    10. Ending on a sour note:

    What’s wrong with our sport in Canada? Where is everyone?

    Someone commented on our Calgary coverage that “It must suck to race for photographers and mechanics.” I really wanted to argue this cynical comment, but then, after watching it on TV, I realized that I couldn’t! We couldn’t even get people to come watch live at our one track that is set inside the limits of our 3rd largest city! What’s going on?!

    We always complain when some town that is in the middle of nowhere gets a National, but after seeing what happened in Calgary I guess it doesn’t make a difference!

    Not only that, but the track prep has been less than OK at both rounds. When a local rider squeaks in for the final qualifying position and then decides to sit the race out due to how bad the track is, we have a problem. And when racers’ parents are out on equipment and manning hoses until 10:30pm the night before the race day, we have a problem.

    And could it be there might also be just too much different racing on a Sunday? I feel like we’ve lost touch with what the Premix class is all about. Is it for Vet riders looking to have some fun? Is it for young up-and-comers looking to get some TV time and experience on a 125/150? Is it for 13-year-olds on Superminis? Is it for beginners on 2-strokes? Is it for current Pro riders who could top 10 a 450 National?

    Of course, there are tracks that are run by volunteers because they are club-promoted and then there are those that are owner-promoted. We are leaving the land of club races and heading into the land of owner races, so let’s see it that makes a difference. I think we already know the answer…

    You have to believe me when I say I want this series to thrive as much or more than anyone else.

    Tell your friends the races are coming!

    Wait, I can’t end it like that. Let’s end it like this:

    BONUS: #377 Daniel Elmore is a bad ass, non-quitter:

    AVL OG’s Husqvarna rider #377 Daniel Elmore from Telkwa, BC raced the last several laps of 450 moto 1 in Cold Lake with a flat tire and salvaged 9th place points. It could be these hard-earned points that secure him his place in that battle to get himself inside the top 5 when this series is finished.

    There, I feel better about that.

    See you at Ste Julie!