Frid’Eh Update #4 | Kiana Kurtz | Brought to You by Dirt Care

Frid’Eh Update #4 | Kiana Kurtz | Brought to You by Dirt Care

Frid’Eh Update #4 belongs to WMX rider Kiana Kurtz from Ariss, Ontario, and is brought to you by Dirt Care.

By Billy Rainford

Welcome to Week #4 of the DMX Frid’Eh Update brought to you by Dirt Care Cleaners and Lubricants. We’re in the middle of a deep freeze here in Southwestern Ontario. In fact, it was -17C this morning for our walk in the dog park with Olive the AussieDoodle. She didn’t seem to mind the cold or the 50kph wind, but she ended up with balls of snow the size of crocks (what we used to call the big marbles back in elementary school) in her paws that we had to remove before each loop through the woods we did.

We contacted WMX #4 Kiana Kurtz this week for an interview, and I’ll say right now that I’m glad we did! She gave a really good interview. I guess it makes sense when you read what kind of student she is. She finished 4th in WMX East this past summer so we got in touch with her.

The 18-year-old is currently training down in Florida and is just off her most successful year of racing in 2025. Here’s what she had to say.

Direct Motocross: Hello, Kiana. We have never done one of these Update Interviews with you so let’s take it way back to the beginning and let people get to know you a little better. Can you tell us how old you are, where you’re from, and how you got into Motocross in the first place?

Kiana Kurtz: My name is Kiana Kurtz. I’m 18 years old and I’m from Ariss, Ontario. My love for the sport came from my brother. When I was young, I was always at the track watching him ride, and one day I asked if I could try it too.

One night my dad came home from work and surprised me with a CRF 50. I started riding around and did pretty well at local races on 50s and 65s. After that, I think a bit of fear set in and I backed away from racing for a while.

When I got a 125 and started racing the ladies classes, I realized I was better than I thought. From there, I started training and fell in love with the sport even more.

What other sports or activities were you into when MX came along and do you still do other sports?

Lacrosse has always been big in my family, my dad plays, and I wanted to start too, but my weekends were always spent at the track, so it was hard to commit. I also played some rugby, but again, weekend races made it tough to make games.

I don’t play any other sports competitively now, but I did school sports and I love being outdoors. We have a cottage, so I do a lot of water sports and snowmobiling, all just for fun.

Is there a story behind your race number, #94? How did you choose that?

I was a Ken Roczen fan, and whether it was planned or not, my first KTM 50 came with the number 94 on it. Ever since then, it’s just stuck, and I’ve never had a reason to change it.

I have to assume Eve Brodeur is a bit of a hero for you? Is that true or are there others you look up to in our sport?

I’m really inspired by Eve Brodeur’s dedication to the sport. Winning so many years in a row and never giving up is huge, and she always seems to keep a positive attitude no matter what’s thrown at her. That’s why I look up to her.

I’ve never really been one to “fan girl,” but another big inspiration for me is Lala (Lachlan Turner). I’ve been racing in the States a lot, and the speed she has is incredible. I watched her race the B classes at Loretta’s and she was right up there with some big names in the guys’ classes.

She proves that when people say, “you’re just a girl,” that doesn’t mean anything if you put the work in. Her fitness also really inspires me. I’ve seen clips of her in the gym and she’s no slouch there either. Her dad once told us he wouldn’t let her race the guys until she got bigger because those classes can be rougher, but she’s clearly put the work in and it’s paying off. She’s a constant reminder that if we work hard, we can be right there with the guys.

Your name is on the list of riders looking to rise to the top of Canadian WMX now that The Queen has stepped away. I assume that’s your goal?

Honestly, last year was my first real season racing the WMX series. I did Walton on my 125 as an eye-opener a few years back and raced a Gopher Dunes round two years ago, but I wasn’t fully into it yet.

Once Eve stepped down, we realized that I could be what’s next. Some of the girls are older than me, and I still consider myself pretty young in the class. I think with a few more years, I can definitely be up there, and that’s my goal.

Last year taught me a lot. This year I want to give it another solid shot and see where I line up.

You travelled south of the border last year to race all over the place. What did you think of the competition down south? Like all classes, the American WMX scene is a real eye-opener!

I really enjoy racing in the States. One big thing for me is lining up with new people, you don’t know anyone, you’re nervous, and it takes expectations out of it. You just go race your race on a new track and see where you stack up.

Now that I’ve raced there more often, I’ve gotten to know a lot of riders and I think my name is starting to get around a bit. There are more girls racing down there, and with the larger population, you get full gates of really fast riders.

I also started racing some C classes, which I used to be scared of, but I realized I can actually run with them and have competitive battles. The extra seat time at bigger events helps a lot. Racing in the States is definitely fun, and I think the growth of American WMX will help push Canadian WMX forward too.

Do you think racing the top level like that will help you achieve your goals here in Canada? I know it can either motivate you or chase you away. Side note: It chased me away. Lol 

I think racing at the top level has actually made me enjoy racing in Canada more. In the States, I’m a smaller fish in a big pond. In Canada, it’s a smaller pond, and I’d like to believe I’m one of the bigger fish.

I have more girls to battle with and learn from, and that helps me grow as a rider and stay motivated. I always try to have fun with the sport, that’s a big reason I go south of the border. Those events feel new and exciting, and they keep something that could feel like a job feeling fun.

Are you a good student and do you plan on continuing your education? 

I can confidently say I’m a good student. I graduated in the summer and won all the academic awards and a few scholarships at my school. I had the highest grades in both Grade 11 and Grade 12. Even with training daily and racing on weekends I still made sure my schooling was prioritized. 

School has always been something I enjoy. I love math, it’s always come easily to me. I also grew up in the country doing a lot of hands-on work, so I want to find a career that combines both.

I’m taking a gap year right now, but I’m thinking about either civil or architectural engineering. I want to be sure about what I want before I head off to school.

Great answer! What are your training plans this winter?

I’m currently in Florida doing some training. I stay here by myself and focus on my routine, and my parents will come down for March break.

I’m hoping to race the American Spring Nationals again in Texas. It’s a lot of travel for my parents, so we’re still figuring out what we can make work.

What are your racing plans for 2026?

We’re still figuring things out, but the plan right now includes Spring Nationals, Loretta’s, and Canadian WMX. We’re not sure if we’ll be able to make it out west, but we’re trying.

I haven’t raced ECAN before, but with the schedule changes this year, we might be able to make ECAN, Loretta’s, and Walton work. It’ll be busy and tough on my parents, but we do our best. I love all the events and hate having to give any of them up.

You race WMX as well as the C classes in the USA. Can you talk about the different approach to each or is there one?

Yeah, I mentioned it a bit earlier, I was originally scared of racing the guys’ classes. So, it started with needing more seat time at new tracks. At some events, the first practice is timed qualifying, so it’s tough to learn a track quickly.

I’d race C class before Women’s to learn the track, and once I realized I was competitive, I stopped shying away from it. I mostly use the C class for fun and learning, and the women’s class for more intense racing.

I try to approach both with the same mindset, even though the environments are different. I focus on riding my own race and learning from every experience.

Oh, and you won the Travis Pastrana Pro Challenge! Can you sum that experience up for us?

That race was pretty sweet. I heard about it after following the Dirty 100 Series last year. Midway through the season, I saw a post saying I was second in points and was surprised. I ended up doing most of the races and actually won the Dirty 100 rankings.

The Pro Challenge wasn’t far from home, so we went. There was a WMX class and a Women’s 12+ class which is nice that we had 2 classes to race, and I ended up winning both. Neither were easy, I had good battles every moto and really had to work for it.

Holding an AMA #1 plate was something I never dreamed of, but now that I have, it feels amazing. Hopefully, more to come. I’d recommend that race to any Canadians. It’s close-ish, has good payouts, and it’s a full AMA event.

Your experience at Loretta’s this year wasn’t what you were hoping for. How’d that one go?

I went into Loretta’s this year with higher expectations for myself. My first year, I had none, I was just starting American racing and didn’t know where I’d stack up, and I did really well in the girls’ class.

Last year, I made the women’s class and was definitely nervous. Loretta’s is huge and highly publicized, and everyone feels that pressure. This year, I felt more prepared and had more training behind me.

In the first moto, I got a great start but tipped over in the second corner. I came from last and still raced well, but it made things harder. In the second moto, I tangled mid-air with another rider and started last again. I was pretty banged up, and that kind of ended my week.

I didn’t have the luck I needed and put too much pressure on myself. I learned a lot from it though; bad races teach you just as much as good ones. It happens to everyone, and I’ll try again next year.

When you’re not riding or racing, what do you like to do to relax and have fun?

I love spending time with my friends and family. I don’t sit still very often, I like to always be doing something. In the summer, I try to get to our cottage and spend time on the water. I’ve been getting better at wake surfing and was close to landing a 360 last summer, so I’m excited to try again.

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In the winter, I love snowmobiling. I got one trip in before heading to Florida and hope to get out again before the snow melts. I’ve grown up in a big family and was the second youngest for a long time, but now I have two little cousins. They keep me busy and are always begging me to come home and ride with them since they got themselves 2 little snowmobiles.

OK, we’ve asked you enough. Thank you for doing one of these with us. Good luck with your upcoming races. Who would you like to thank?

Thank you for having me, I’ll see you guys around! I’d like to thank my mom and dad for everything they do for me (this is actually a surprise for them, so they’ll probably be reading this very happy).

I also want to thank Kenzie from HMX. He’s a huge reason I’m where I am with my riding, Zdeno Cycle, Brian Kurtz Trucking, Market Fresh, RLB, Allscapes All Season, Drake at 38nMotion, Brad at Club 57, and anyone else who has ever helped me out. It all means so much.

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AMA FIM Arenacross Memphis Round Cancelled

I didn’t know what to think after seeing they’d cancelled this weekend’s round of AMA FIM Arenacross Championship in Memphis, TN. I fired Shawn a message and asked him what the reason was for this latest cancellation. He sent back a photo of the weather forecast and told me it was the venue that made the decision. Check this out:

OK, it makes some sense now. I just realized that they’re expecting some really bad winter weather for a huge part of North America in the next few days!

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Cole Thompson Racing Anaheim 2 on a 450!

With the cancellation of the Arenacross this weekend, the door opened wide for #66 Cole Thompson to ride his Heartbeat Hot Sauce Yamaha 450 at Anaheim 2 Saturday. He’s been back at The Shoals putting in the laps and it will be great to see him up in the premier class where he can use his smoothness to even more of an advantage.

Also on the entry list for A2 is his newest rival #200 Ryan Breece. The 2 of them have drawn a lot of attention to the AX series with their heated battles at seemingly every round so far this season.

Will they find each other on Saturday at Angel Stadium? I know we’ll be watching to find out!

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Anaheim 2 Storylines and History

1. Obviously, our 3 Canadians – Preston Masciangelo, Blake Davies, and Tyler Gibbs – racing the 250 West class.
2. Tyler Gibbs actually had a slow-speed fall on Wednesday and word out of his camp is that his elbow is twice the size it should be. At this point, he’s a game-time decision for A2. He’ll get it checked out and make a decision. Good luck, Tyler.
3. Cole Thompson steps into the 450 class due to the Memphis AX cancellation.
4. Will Max Anstie go for some payback on Haiden Deegan?
5. Will Cooper Webb go for some payback on Chase Sexton?
6. Will Eli Tomac make it 3 in a row?
7. There have only been 5 Anaheim sweeps in the 26 years of multiple Anaheim rounds.
8. Ryan Villopoto was the most recent sweeper of Anaheim and that was 14 years ago in 2012!
9. The first A2 was back in 1999 and Ezra Lusk won both.
10. Did you know, 65% of the A2 winners (17 of 26) have gone on to win the 450 title that season? However, Cooper Webb and Jett Lawrence failed to do so the past 2 years.
11. Marty Smith won the first Supercross in Angel Stadium in 1976.
12. Mike Healey won the first 250 SX in Anaheim back in 1985.
13. The winner of A2 has won the 250 West regional title 62% (16 of 26) of the time.

Points after 2 Rounds:

250 West:

1. 1W Haiden Deegan 43
2. 61 Max Anstie 42
3. 29 Chance Hymas 38
4. 23 Michael Mosiman 37
5. 34 Ryder Difrancesco 35
6. 47 Levi Kitchen 34
7. 19 Max Vohland 29
8. 42 Dilan Schwartz 25
9. 57 Avery Long 23
10. 142 Cameron McAdoo 22

23. 800 Preston Masciangelo 4

450:

1. 3 Eli Tomac 50
2. 94 Ken Roczen 42
3. 96 Hunter Lawrence 40
4. 4 Chase Sexton 32
5. 32 Justin Cooper 32
6. 1 Cooper Webb 29
7. 21 Jason Anderson 28
8. 7 Aaron Plessinger 27
9. 26 Jorge Prado 26
10. 17 Joey Savatgy 26

Round 1 of the 2026 SMX Next Championship:

SMX Next Entry ListEntries: 25
#	BRAND	RIDER	HOMETOWN	TEAM
2	KTM	Jeremy Fappani	Scottsdale, AZ	Fappani Racing
9	YAM	Ryder Malinoski	Wyoming, MN	ClubMX Yamaha
10	KTM	Wyatt Thurman	Temecula, CA	KTM Orange Brigade
14	YAM	Kane Bollasina	St. Louis, MO	Altus Motorsports Blu Cru Yamaha Amateur Team
17	SUZ	Kannon Hargrove	Montgomery, TX	Suzuki Factory Racing
23	HQV	Landon Gibson	Peachtree City, GA	Rockstar Energy Husqvarna
26	YAM	Nate Abbott	Thousand Oaks, CA	Toyota Redlands BarX Yamaha
27	KAW	Vincent Wey	Murrieta, Ca	Monster Energy Team Green Kawasaki
29	YAM	McKayden Fitch	Elbert, CO	Altus Motorsports Blu Cru Yamaha Amateur Team
41	KAW	Nate Freehill	Rescue, CA	Roseville Motorsports Racing
48	KAW	Trinnytie Batchelor	Mountain Home	Hunter Racing Kawasaki
49	HQV	Brennon Harrison	Jacksonville, FL	Factory Husqvarna Amateur Team
50	KAW	Chace Lawton	Clermont, FL	Hunter Racing Kawasaki
57	YAM	Jesson Turner Jr	Chesterfield, SC	ClubMX Yamaha
79	HQV	Max Shane	Anaheim, CA	Shane Racing
82	YAM	Caden Dudney	Athens TX	Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
93	YAM	Seth Dennis	Brooksville, FL	Future MX
99	YAM	Kayden Minear	Perth, Australia	Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
105	YAM	Franklin Bowsher	Cornelius, OR	Bowsher Racing
177	KAW	Kade Johnson	Hideaway, TX	Monster Energy Team Green Kawasaki
180	YAM	Landen Gordon	Bradfordville Fl	Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
199	TRI	Deacon Denno	Fort Worth, TX	Triumph Factory Racing
343	YAM	Cole Timboe	Calimesa, CA	Toyota of Redlands BarX Yamaha
480	YAM	Ashton Oudman	Sedro Woolley, WA	Carls Towing, M9 Suspension Backed Yamaha
550	KTM	Cole Forbes	Richmond, VA	MotoBros

Race Day Live 10:00 – 12:30 PT / 1:00 – 3:30 ET

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Guillaume St Cyr Update

A month ago, Guillaume St Cyr announced he had signed to race for Beta Canada and race the entire Canadian Triple Crown Series in the 450 class. I knew he was down in Florida getting ready for some Supercross, so I asked him how things are going:

Hey, Guac. How is training on the new Beta going down in Florida? What’s your racing schedule?

Guillaume St Cyr: Hey, Billy! Been good. I rode some outdoors a little bit and was already feeling comfortable on the 450 being my first time ever on 450’s. Unfortunately, I had some bad luck with my bike that set me back to start my SX training.

I’m presently waiting for a new 2026 RX450 to be sent down here in Florida at WW Ranch to start riding and get ready for Daytona Supercross in 450 class that would be my only Supercross race this season.

After, I’ll be getting ready to race the whole Triple Crown Series outdoors in the 450 class. I haven’t done the full series since 2017, so will be fun and interesting to be back!

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RIP Piper James

From her dad, Todd James, on Facebook:

Our hearts are shattered as we share the tragic loss of our beautiful daughter, Piper. We will always remember her infectious laugh and her kind spirit. I admired her strength and determination to go after her dreams. She was glad I was on board for her trip to Australia. Lol, she said, ‘Because I’m 18, and you can’t stop me!’ Mostly, I loved hearing about and seeing the bonds and friendships she was developing as she grew into her beautiful self. She loved and was proud of her work at BC Wildfire Services. Piper would work hard so she could play hard. So many are going to miss you, my precious little baby girl. Maybe gone, but how can we ever forget you? The pain…RIP my baby.

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Enjoy the races this weekend, everyone, and good luck to all our Canadians!