Frid’Eh Update #25 | Cole Pranger | Brought to You by Dirt Care

Frid’Eh Update #25 | Cole Pranger | Brought to You by Dirt Care

Week #25 of the DMX Frid’Eh Update belongs to Cole Pranger from Newbury, ON and is brought to you by Dirt Care.

By Billy Rainford

Welcome to Week #25 of the DMX Frid’Eh Update brought to you, once again, by the good, Canadian people at Dirt Care.

It’s nice to be home again after that 2-week trek out to Calgary, Alberta, and Pilot Mound, Manitoba. I’d like to start by thanking Evelyn and Chris Bruno for their hospitality at their place in Ghost Lake, just west of Cochrane, AB. We went for a couple bike rides and the menu was fantastic. We even sat and watched an entire rom-com that we all agreed should never be spoken of again, so that’s all I’m going to say about that. OK, I’ll give you this: it starred J-Lo and Brett Goldstein, who we all know from Ted Lasso, and who is apparently the “it” actor right now.

I stayed at the world’s weirdest hotel again in Manitou, MB. I’m not even sure how to describe it, but it was $88/night including tax and the room was actually very clean.

After that, I headed to Milt Reimer‘s track for another FXR Ride Day just south of Winnipeg. I can’t remember for sure, but there’s a good chance the first time I was there I was driving ‘Carmen’ the 1989 Buick Electra station wagon! It’s been a while.

Thanks to Andy White for the new gear to wear. Unfortunately, a storm was threatening to make the road out from the track impassable for the #dmxdirtcarevan so I decided to high-tail it out of there before I found myself stuck. I’ll show you guys the hot lines next time…

I took the #2 highway home that you hit at Grand Forks, North Dakota, again. It’s sometimes a 2-lane highway but Google says it’s the same time as racing down and around Chicago, so I seem to take it more often than not. It’s a much more relaxing way to go, I find.

I used to laugh at my dad for saying he enjoyed the backroads and now I find myself doing the same damn thing! Every cliché you’ve ever heard is turning out to be true!

Also, on this route you are able to dip your toe into Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and Lake Ontario, if you want to, so that’s pretty cool.

Cole Pranger is the rider who has #25 for the 2026 Canadian Triple Crown Series Motocross Nationals. I guess like most of our top riders at the pro level, Cole is a rider we’ve all kept one eye on as he came up through the ranks with his #613 number plates.

A lot of riders can fall through the cracks without proper support and it almost seemed like this fate might happen to Cole, but he’s showing improved speed this summer and his future looks pretty bright with the support of the Priority MX GasGas team.

Round 1 didn’t go as planned for him but he regrouped and came out swinging at Round 2 and looked pretty comfortable running up front with the leaders for a while.

So far, his motos have been: DNF-11-7-8. It’ll be interesting to see how he does as the series heads east, starting at Ste Julie next weekend.

I don’t know Cole very well and I’m trying to fix that, so watch for him to get more coverage here on DMX as we move through the summer. He’s on the rise and deserves it.

Here’s what Cole had to say when we contacted him this week for Update #25:

Direct Motocross: Hey, Cole. Let’s just let people get to know you little bit off the start. Give us your hometown, age, height, and weight.

Cole Pranger: Hey, Billy. I am from Newbury, Ontario, 18 years old, 6 feet, and 165 pounds.

And how did you get into Moto in the first place? Is this a family thing?

Yea, my dad used to race and then he got me my first bike, a PW50, when I was 2-and-a-half and I’ve kept riding and racing ever since.

Did or do you play any other sports?

Yea, I’ve played competitive hockey since I was 5, up until last winter which was my last year playing. I do like to get out golfing with my buddies when I can. 

You were always a kid who we kept an eye on coming up through the ranks. What’s your best amateur memory.

My best amateur memory is getting chosen for the Rick Joseph Memorial Award at TransCan. I grew up watching and looking up to a lot of the racers that had won it previously, so it was a huge honour to receive it. 

You seem like you’ve taken a big step this season. What did you do this past winter to prepare for the the 2026 season? Where were you training and how dod pre-season races go?

This was my first full winter training down south and I was down at Sunshine State MX with my trainer Chris Whitcraft for 2 months, then went to Club MX for a month with my teammates Tanner (Ward) and Quinn (Amyotte). The preseason races went ok for me. Gopher (Dunes) was pretty decent but Auburn (Hills) wasn’t a great weekend. I made few mistakes and had some crashes that cost me better results there. 

Round 1 started off a little rough for you. Can you take us through how Calgary went?

Yea, it was a tough first round for me. The first moto was a mudder and I crashed a couples times, then the bike lost all its coolant so we decided to pull off. My second moto, I was just rushing the first lap and made a mistake and went down, then that just set the tone for the rest of the moto. 

Did you come home between rounds or did you stay out west?

I stayed out west during the week and rode at Calgary on Tuesday and then headed to Manitoba Wednesday.

You looked really good in Manitoba. You got good starts and were in the mix. 7-8 for 7th must have felt pretty good, no? Take us through how that went.

Manitoba was definitely better. I still feel like I didn’t ride my best but it was definitely way better than the first round and heading in the direction I want to be. 

When you were up there off the start, what do you need to work on to try and stay up there in the future?

I just need to ride like I do at the practice track and just minimize mistakes in the opening laps.

I assume you’re looking forward to heading east. Do you feel you’ll be faster on the softer tracks?

Definitely looking forward to the east. I’m excited to get on some softer soil so hopefully I go faster. lol.

What will you call a success when we’re leaving Walton Raceway in August?

I would really like to be top 5 in the series, so if I can get there I would call that a success.

And are you going to chase Supercross at all in the future?

If I ever get the opportunity, yea, I would definitely chase Supercross. I’ve never really ridden it that much but I think it would be fun!

OK, see you in Quebec. Good luck with the rest of the season. Who would you like to thank?

Thank you, Billy. I would like to thank the whole Priority Thor GasGas Team, Peter, Wendy, Justin, my mechanic Josh, and to all the sponsors that support and help the team, my mom and dad, and my trainer Chris Whitcraft.

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What We Learned after 2 Rounds of Canadian Triple Crown Series Motocross

Let’s break this down into the 3 classes and look at what we’ve learned from the top 10 in each.

WMX:

1. 1 Jamie Astudillo 90 – While we all looked at Jordan Jarvis to be the fastest, Jamie has quietly shown she continues to gain speed and seemingly equals that of Jarvis.
2. 301 Jordan Jarvis 89 – Jordan is really beating herself up by racing Frida and Saturday at the AMA WMX and then catching late flights Saturday nights to be in Canada for Sunday. It won’t happen every week and those are the races I feel she should show her true speed. We’ll see…
3. 2 Kaylie Kayer 81 – I saw Kaylie’s true speed at the FXR Ride Day. When she puts a race day together, she should be at the front with Jamie and Jordan.
4. 7 Brandy McLarty 69 – Brandy rode the motos of her life in Manitoba and finished 3rd. If she can continue to improve like this, the WMX sky is the limit for her.
5. 4 Kiana Kurtz 61 – I didn’t see Kiana get a good start last week, but when she does she should be in the conversation for the podium.
6. 1W Katrine Ferguson 57 – Katrine is battling a damaged right wrist. Assuming it’s not broken, she should be back to her old self as we head east next week, and that means fighting for podiums. Or, she may be done for the season.
7. 3 Hannah Cole 55 – Hannah needs better starts and to not get stuck in the gate. She hasn’t had any luck at the beginning of races and has dug herself a points hole.
8. 8 Amelie Croteau 51 – Amelie also needs to be herself and get up front off the starts to ride the pace of the front-runners.
9. 6 Tea Ferguson 45 – Don’t @ me but I get Tea and Ani Ferguson mixed up out there. Tea just needs to keep putting herself at an uncomfortable pace during the week and her race day speed will improve.
10. 11 Victoria Dillon I 45 – Victoria is out there on a 125 2-stroke. She’s young and doing so will only make her a better rider in years to come, and it will.

250:

1. 1 Preston Kilroy 90 – All I can say is this old cliché: If you want to be the champ, you have to beat the champ.
2. 31 Rider Malinoski 82 – Ryder showed what he can do in Manitoba. He rides at Club MX, so don’t look for him to slow down anytime soon. He will thrive in the heat and humidity of the east, as will the other top, young American riders.
3. 24 Dylan Rempel 74 – Dylan is the fastest of the Canadian 250 riders in the field. He had some rough luck with the first turn and some falls in Manitoba but still managed to finish 6-6 and sits 3rd in points. This kid doesn’t feel pressure so look for him to keep pushing for wins.
4. 227 Vincent Wey 73 – Vincent is the top AMA A class rider. He’s keeping a calm, cool approach to this series but is now 17 points behind the ever consistent Kilroy out front. He’s going to have to start clicking off some wins in the east. I think it should happen.
5. 177 Kade Johnson 72 – Kade is also capable of winning this title but there’s a chance he stays south after racing High Point this weekend. I think he’ll like what he sees up here in the east if he decides to return.
6. 64 Wyatt Kerr 61 – Wyatt showed he belongs fighting for podiums in the 250 class. The top few pulled away a bit later in the motos but Wyatt is capable of running that pace if he hangs it out.
7. 27 Josh Boaz 54 – Josh looked really good in Manitoba, too. There’s a big group of riders right in his area so watch for this 7-10 battle to continue to be hot in the east.
8. 247 Tegan Kortenbach 49 – Tegan got the opportunity to pit with Red Bull KTM with Crayden Dillon out with his shoulder injury. He looked really fast but was not happy with his 9-9 motos. I liek his attitude, so watch for him to improve.
9. 38 Zach Ufimzeff 44 – Zach is coming back from that weird energy-sapping illness. He seems to be having fun, so I think top 10’s for him this year are as good as podiums. Not wins, but podiums.
10. 25 Cole Pranger 37 – Cole dug himself a little hole with that first race DNF in Calgary. If he can continue to get starts like he did in Manitoba he will leapfrog a few riders in front of him and close in on his goal of a top 5 overall for the season.

450:

1. 9 Dylan Wright 100 – 4 for 4 from Dylan to start the season. With Jess Pettis out, we could really see another perfect season from him. I know Harri was close but all know Dylan has yet another gear to use if needed.
2. 151 Harri Kullas 84 – Besides Jess, Harri looks the most comfortable running the pace of Wright. I see him giving Dylan fits at a few races, but my money has to be on Dylan until Harri proves me wrong. But wait till you see how good he looks out there when he comes to a National near you. It’s impressive.
3. 12 Sebastien Racine 74 – Seb was supposed to be fighting Tanner Ward for 4th place, but with Jess gone he now becomes the rider who should be racking up 3rd places.
4. 84 Tanner Ward 61 – Tanner absolutely hates what I just typed about Sebastien. He knows he can run that pace and will be doing everything he can to prove it as we go east. This battle for 3rd will be good.
5. 377 Daniel Elmore 60 – Daniel seems to be able to finish 5th with his eyes closed. No matter what happens, I feel like I’m typing him in 5th place for the past few years. He needs to grab a holeshot and run the front pace to see what it’s like up there.
6. 14 Quinn Amyotte 57 – Quinn and Daniel had some nice battles last week, so let’s see if he can run the pace of the top 5 as we move to more familiar tracks.
7. 19 Noah Porter 53 – Noah was on a few people’s radar heading into this season. He’s young in this class but looks like he has a bright future. He drifted back off the leaders but watch for him to run near the front longer every week.
8. 15 Jess Pettis 44 – What can I say, I’m just gutted for Jess and his knee injury. He looked like he was going to give us all what we wanted to see this year and it’s been cut short. This also messes with Team Canada MXON.
9. 482 Teren Gerber 41 – I was surprised but not really to see Teren inside the top 10. I know he’s not planning on doing the whole series, so I wasn’t sure how hard he’d push. He looked good and maybe we can talk him into 6 more rounds?
10. 58 Blake Davies 37 – Blake is also very young in the 450 class and has yet to see his potential this summer. He won’t stay back in 10th for much longer.

Injuries:

#6 Ryder McNabb – We lost Ryder to mono for Round 2 in his home province of Manitoba. He said on the stage in Calgary that he’d been feeling sick, and I guess it was worse than he thought. It’s really too bad, too, because he looked good in 3rd place at Wild Rose MX.

#16 Tanner Scott – Tanner was the good story of Round 1 in the 250 class. He ended up 5th but had the pace to keep moving up from there. He had a big crash in moto 2 and limped his way through round 2. Hopefully, we see him at 100% at Ste Julie and beyond.

#15 Jess Pettis – Jess completely tore his right ACL in Manitoba dabbing his foot while leading moto 2. Ugh.

#150 Dexter Seitz – Dex raced his first Pro national and looked like he was heading in the right direction. He was coming back from a shoulder injury and then broke his wrist in Manitoba. He’s had surgery and is on the mend, but it’s been a long road for the youngster.

#1W Katrine Ferguson – She walked around all weekend with a wrap on her wrist with ice and still managed to race the motos. She’s worried it could be a scaphoid but hopefully it’s something else. She’s got an appointment this afternoon to get it checked out, so she’ll know more soon.

#55 Alek Guadagno – Alek is still out of 250 action with his shoulder injury. He was hoping to be back for the east.

Liam Dodds – Liam broke a bone in his foot and is hoping to be back in the east.

Crayden Dillon – Still out with his shoulder injury.

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AMA Pro Motocross Heads to High Point

This same thing happens every summer: Supercross and the upcoming AMA Pro Motocross Championship series are the biggest things on our minds as we go through the winter and into the spring. And then our Canadian series starts and I almost forget all about it.

We’ve had #800 Preston Masciangelo representing the Maple Leaf out there in the 250 class and we also had #269 Connor Stevenson who now calls Colorado home trying to qualify last week.

This week, #929 Payton Morningstar joins Preston and will try to qualify in the 450 class.

WMX 2nd Qualifyer Results

	Rider	Best Lap	Hometown
1	Lotte Van Drunen	2:09.263	The Netherlands
2	Lachlan Turner	2:10.126	Gardnerville, NV
3	Mayla Herrick	2:10.459	Thornton, CO
4	Charli Cannon	2:11.184	Maroochy River, Australia
5	Mikayla Nielsen	2:13.969	Riverside, CA
6	Jordan Jarvis	2:15.283	Clayton, NC
7	Taylah McCutcheon	2:15.737	Australia
8	Emma Milesevic	2:21.266	Australia
9	Jamie Astudillo	2:21.865	Gilbertsville, PA
10	Piper Bell	2:22.259	Sault Sainte Marie, MI
11	Lilly-Ann Pettus	2:23.352	Hanceville, AL
12	Ava Silvestri	2:24.619	Redwood City, CA
13	Hailey Vassallo	2:26.198	Woodford, VA
14	Sidney Wagner	2:27.045	Warsaw, IN
15	Hailey Johnson	2:27.116	Motley, MN
16	Taylor Herald	2:28.941	Yucaipa, CA
17	Adrianne Spiker	2:29.928	McHenry, MD
18	Laina Randolph	2:29.946	La Plata, MD
19	Lana O’Brien	2:30.213	Valparaiso, IN
20	Kylie Alvarez	2:30.700	Stockton, CA
21	Jaylie Gallacher	2:31.613	Redmond, OR
22	Shelby Rolen	2:32.511	Knoxville, TN
23	Carrie Killebrew	2:34.916	Wittmann, AZ
24	Rusti Tucker	2:35.243	Rainier, OR
25	Lauren Plate	2:36.034	York, PA
26	Lexi Weihe	2:36.683	Maple Valley, WA
27	Ariana Scovel Tavares	2:39.827	Apache Junction, AZ
28	Jenna Jansen	2:39.994	Watkins, CO
29	Gizele Spoor	2:45.056	El Dorado Hills, CA
30	Michelle Anaya	2:47.305	San Antonio, TX
31	Claire Parker	2:53.659	Washougal, WA
32	Dalaney Haines	3:15.387	Stevensville, MD
33	Destiny Slingerland		Cowley, AB

250 Class Provisional Entry List

Revised: June 18 2026 – 5:30 AMEDT

*Provisional Entry List is subject to change

Number	Rider		Hometown
10	Seth Hammaker		Bainbridge, PA
13	Julien Beaumer		Lake Havasu City, AZ
19	Maximus Vohland		Sacramento, CA
23	Michael Mosiman		Sebastopol, CA
25	Nate Thrasher		Livingston, TN
29	Chance Hymas		Pocatello, ID
30	Jo Shimoda		Suzuka City, Japan
34	Ryder DiFrancesco		Bakersfield, CA
35	Drew Adams		Chattanooga, TN
37	Cole Davies		Waitoki, Auckland, New Zealand
40	Parker Ross		Herald, CA
42	Dilan Schwartz		Alpine, CA
43	Lux Turner		Gardnerville, NV
47	Levi Kitchen		Washougal, WA
57	Avery Long		New London, MN
59	Casey Cochran		Portsmouth, VA
60	Hunter Yoder		Menifee, CA
61	Max Anstie		Newbury, England, United Kingdom
65	Marshal Weltin		Ubly, MI
71	Carson Mumford		Simi Valley, CA
73	Gavin Towers		Venetia, PA
74	Gage Linville		Lake Park, GA
77	Derek Kelley		Riverside, CA
82	Caden Dudney		Des Moines, IA
92	Enzo Temmerman		Visalia, CA
99	Kayden Minear		Western Australia
140	Russell Buccheri		Duxbury, MA
141	Nick Romano		Bayside, NY
142	Cameron McAdoo		Sioux City, IA
146	Hayes Edwards		Montgomery, TX
152	Cole Szestakow		Higganum, CT
158	Tre Fierro III		El paso, TX
159	Brock Bennett		Bakersfield, CA
172	Hayden Hoover		Lexington, OH
180	Landen Gordon		Murrieta, CA
199	Deacon Denno		Fort Worth, TX
203	Andrew Boccarossa		Redding, CT
226	Carson Wood		Zephyrhills, FL
235	Patrick Murphy		Clinton, IA
239	Bryson Raymond		Lilburn, GA
251	Kyle Czworkowski		Cleveland, OH
252	Zach Lahman		Martinsburg, WV
270	Vincent Wey		Murrieta, CA
277	Trevor Maley		North Canton, OH
298	Joey De Santi		Fort Lauderdale
313	Travis Beam		Shippensburg, PA
316	Ty Freehill		Rescue, CA
320	Cooper Geppert		Grantville, PA
347	Reece Wheaton		Wheaton Irwin, PA
367	Christian McCauley		Morgantown, WV
369	Nicholas Hunt		Fort Wayne, IN
373	Gavin Betts		Clifton Park
443	Cole Timboe		Calimesa, CA
462	Luke Fauser		Midland, PA
471	Lucas Reilly		Apalachin
486	Aden Keefer		California
505	Nick Peccarelli		Nutley, NJ
518	Matthew Mowery		St. Petersburg, FL
553	Cole Bader		Quakertown, PA
568	Justin Hushon		Bradford, PA
575	Tj Lanphear		Preston, CT
587	Noah Schuring		Portage, MI
603	Matt Jackson		Troy, PA
650	Trevor Hazlett		Hamburg, NY
729	Trey Beisheim		Fairport, NY
752	Jeremy Fappani		Scottsdale, AZ
775	CJ Benard		Peoria, AZ
777	James Harrington		Plymouth, MA
800	Preston Masciangelo		Brantford, ON
801	Kade Johnson	New	Hideaway, TX
809	Brayden Ehlermann		Westtown, NY
900	Keegan Rowley		Channahon, IL
951	Jadyn Serles		Granite Falls, WA
959	Axel Neff		Slippery Rock, PA
967	Ryan Langan		Natick, MA
990	Nico Israel		Santiago, Chile
999	Jesse Jacobsen		Weatherford, TX

450 Class Provisional Entry List

Revised: June 19 2026 – 5:30 AMEDT

*Provisional Entry List is subject to change

Number	Rider		Hometown
2	Cooper Webb		Newport, NC
3	Eli Tomac		Cortez, CO
7	Aaron Plessinger		Hamilton, OH
14	Dylan Ferrandis		Avignon, France
18	Jett Lawrence		Landsborough, Australia
20	Jordon Smith		Belmont, NC
24	R.J. Hampshire		Hudson, FL
26	Jorge Prado		Lugo, Galicia, Spain
28	Christian Craig		El Cajon, CA
31	Mikkel Haarup		Silkeborg, Denmark
32	Justin Cooper		Cold Spring Harbor, NY
36	Garrett Marchbanks		Coalville, UT
38	Haiden Deegan		Temecula, CA
39	Valentin Guillod		Switzerland
41	Mitchell Harrison		Lansing, MI
50	Lorenzo Locurcio		Venezuela
62	Grant Harlan		Justin, TX
63	Fredrik Noren		Lidköping, Sweden
69	Jack Chambers		Auburndale, FL
83	Justin Rodbell		Prince Frederick, MD
87	Jeremy Hand		Mantua, OH
89	Devin Simonson		Laurinburg, NC
96	Hunter Lawrence		Landsborough, Australia
106	Stephen Rubini		France
111	Larry Fortin		Tolland, CT
162	Whispern Smith		Midwest City, OK
164	Evan Johnson		Hollywood, MD
165	Jack Winland		Zanesville, OH
178	Justin Kurtz		Linwood, NC
188	Hamden Hudson		Danville, VA
193	Ryan Diezic		Streetsboro, OH
210	Bryce Hammond		Pleasanton, CA
215	Jason Neidigh		Carlisle, PA
216	Grant Hoffman		Canton, GA
217	Cory Gilliam		Thurmont, MD
230	Tyler Walborn		Jonestown, PA
257	Joey DeNeen		Bedford, PA
259	Daniel Bortolin		Venezuela
281	Cory Carsten		Bayville, NJ
299	Konnor Visger		Bellevue, MI
314	Tyler Stepek		Mount Airy, MD
330	Trevor Paine		Berlin Center, OH
365	Cody Wingardner		Zillah, WA
366	Blaze Cremaldi		Rochester, NY
368	Brock Stiener		Crownpoint, IN
384	Cody Penwell		Stoutsville
417	Cornelius Tøndel		Norway, Norway
437	Vincent Luhovey		Greensburg, PA
445	Noah Miesen		St. Paul, MN
470	Ethan Day		Twin Lake, MI
482	Hayden Justice		Newark, NJ
483	Bryton Carroll		Vineland, NJ
511	Jace Kessler		Eagle, MI
512	Austin Cozadd		Attalla, AL
529	Brett Heidorn		New Richmond, OH
536	Gavin Tilford		Pine Island, MN
537	Travis Mecking		Middletown, NY
548	Brandon Espe-Tiegs		Glenville, MN
556	Ethan Phalen		Dresden, OH
558	Brayden Karpulk		Pottsville
621	Bennett Mantooth		Danville, VA
703	Conner Mowry		Cattaraugus, NY
719	Vince Friese		Cape Girardeau, MO
721	Nathan Murphy		Mt. Airy, MD
722	Josh Carson		Pittsburgh, PA
727	Bradley Esper		Howell, MI
733	Steve Mages	New	Dana Point, CA
747	Robbie thomas		Reading, PA
797	Karter DeLong		Coloma, MI
808	Zach Gareis		Mars, PA
818	Ronnie Snyder		Lehighton, PA
831	Jacob Glenn		King William, VA
880	Mikey Corcoran		Yardley, PA
881	Noah Geyer		Fredericksburg, VA
912	Bryn Steffan		Erie, PA
929	Payton Morningstar		Fort Erie, ON
940	Evan Talbott		Danville, VA
942	Deegan Hepp		Fort Dodge, IA

How to Watch:

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Matt Deroy is Leaving KTM Canada

From KTM’s arm of Social Media:

Matt Deroy is the only team manager in the pits directly employed by a manufacturer, serving with KTM Canada.

He started with KTM Canada as Kaven Benoit’s mechanic and spent more than a decade working his way through the ranks to his current role. While it’s surprising to see him move on, opportunities like this don’t come around often, and when they do, you have to answer the call.

His departure is a significant loss for the Canadian motocross scene. Matt brought an unmatched level of knowledge, experience, and professionalism to the series, helping elevate everyone around him. We wish him nothing but success in his next chapter and hope our paths cross again down the road.

Moving forward, KTM Canada Red Bull Racing will lean on a Kaven Benoit 3 time 250 Canadian Champion, will step into the team manager role for the remainder of the season, while Darian Sanayei will join the effort in a support capacity.

Currently serving as KTM USA’s Amateur Racing Manager, Sanayei brings extensive knowledge and valuable insight that will help ensure a smooth transition as the team continues its pursuit of success.

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Thanks for reading and have a great weekend.