Frid’Eh Update #49 Presented by Troy Lee Designs Canada
By Jeff McConkey and Billy Rainford
Week #49 belongs to William’s Lake, BC’s Brock Hoyer. – Bigwave photo
Welcome to week #49 of the DMX Frid’Eh Update Presented by TDL Canada. It’s hard to believe we are this close to the end of another year. In 2015, #49 went to Williams Lake, BC rider Brock Hoyer. Brock made it out to only 2 of the Rockstar Energy MX Nationals last summer. As a long-time staple of at least the western rounds, it was strange not seeing the friendly rider at all the races.
It’s almost like a changing of the guard in Canadian moto when a rider like Brock is seen less and less at our nationals. But don’t worry about Brock. These days, he can usually be found tearing up the freshly blanketed mountains of the west on his Timbersled Yamaha snowbike. He’s at the forefront of this seemingly obvious movement and is reaping the benefits of being the first one through the door.
We caught up with Brock Hoyer in his ‘office’ this morning. – Brock Hoyer photo
We grabbed Brock for a chat as he was preparing to, yet again, head into the beautiful mountains of British Columbia. Here’s what Brock had to say:
Direct Motocross: Hello, Brock. We only saw you at 2 rounds of Canadian Nationals last summer. Can you tell us why and how did they go?
Brock Hoyer: I only made it out to two nationals this year because of my busy winters. So, I did two nationals. Yeah, the season went well. I felt strong for the first round, considering I was only on my dirt set-up for a month.
What did you get up to for the rest of the time?
I did local races and schools. And I also tried to camp a little more with family.
You and Jenni had a child recently. How is being a dad going so far? What’s the main thing you’ve learned?
Yeah, me and my wife, Jenni, have a son that is a year old. It’s got to be the coolest thing in the world to have a kid. No, he is able to come in to the shop with me and work on bikes. More like suck on wrenches (Laughs). The thing I have learned is patience.
You finished 8th in Kamloops and then 12th in Calgary. You’ve been racing a long time. How would you rate the current competition?
Yeah, I have been a Pro for a good time now and I think this is the strongest competition we have ever seen in Canada with factory teams bringing Americans up. Maybe support will get better for years to come.
Brock finished 8th at round 1 in Kamloops and 12th at round 3 in Calgary. He ended the MX1 series in 27th with 66 points and will be #54 in 2016. – Bigwave photo
What have you been up to this fall? I know you’re heavily involved with the whole snowbike movement.
Yeah, this fall I’ve just been getting bikes ready for snow and snow shows across western Canada. Now that it’s snowing, I play in the snow.
Will we see you in any more videos?
Yes. I already have videos lined up to film this season…and a couple other cool things in the plan.
Brock’s caption that went with this photo: “You need to try one of these!” Yes, I would agree. – Ron Peters photo
How is the racing side of snowbiking going? I know you’ve won a few big races. Is it growing and will you continue to pursue that?
The snow bike racing has been good and have some bigger plans for that in promoting racing. It’s growing and I love being a part of it. So, yes, I will be doing more.
What are your racing/training plans for this winter?
Well, racing and training plans…just riding right now and still running my own company is a lot of work. Racing starts in new year. [I’ll do] some in the USA some in Canada.
Watch for Brock at a motocross or Supercross race south of the border, too. – Bigwave photo
Will we see you at the Canadian MX Nationals again in 2016?
Yes. I will be attending some of the Canadian nationals. With such a busy winter, I have to find a little time somewhere to spend with family and that’s summertime now.
Thanks for chatting with us today, Brock. Who would you like to thank?
No probs. Yes, I would like to thank Yamaha Motor Canada. FXR Racing, Timbersled, RMR Suspension, Lime Nine, Devol, VP race fuels, Rekluse, Mongoose, Simmons skis, Fast Way, Big O Tires, Cariboo Steel, Seat Concepts, CTi, Atlas Brace, Sledge Hammer, 509 goggles, Limitless sled decks, Ice Age, Spectra Power Sports, Forma Boots, and MD Distributing.
See, just because we haven’t seen Brock at as many motocross nationals as we used to, there is definitely no need to worry about Brock and his family. They are doing just fine. We’ll watch for you this winter and keep our eyes open for one of these U.S. races you may turn up at.
This week’s Update is brought to you by Troy Lee Designs Canada.
Jeff McConkey
Hey, guys, It’s December 11 and we can still be riding outdoors in certain spots of Southern Ontario. The weather has been unusually warm, but I’m not complaining. The weather was certainly hot last weekend in the final 2 rounds of the Future West Arenacross Series. A huge congratulations to Ross Johnson and the entire Cycle North team. After reading Billy’s reports, it sounds like it was one heck of a weekend. Once again, congrats to all of the racers and sponsors on doing a great job as always.
Congratulations to Ross Johnson and the entire Cycle North FXR Racing Honda team on taking the 2015 Future West Canadian Arenacross Championship. – Bigwave photo
Ross Johnson Wins 2015 Canadian AX Pro Open Championship from Directmotocross.com on Vimeo.
AMA Supercross is Coming
Speaking of indoor racing, A1 is just around the corner and I couldn’t be more excited. Riders on new teams, new bikes, and more importantly, new gear. There are a lot of questions going into January 9th: Will Eli Tomac dominate aboard his new Monster Energy Kawasaki like he did the first 5 outdoor rounds of 2015 on his Geico Honda? Has Ken Roczen and his RCH team kissed and made up after the huge rant Ken’s father had going into the off season? Will Chad Reed be on the line at A1, and for what Yamaha team? Can anyone derail Ryan ‘The Diesel’ Dungey and his new found aggression? Only time can tell, but I can guarantee that it will be one heck of a season!
Who’s your pick to win A1 this year? – Bigwave photo
As a fan and a Canadian, we will have a few racers to cheer for this up coming season. Brigden Ontario’s Cole Thompson will be back under the lights racing in 2016. Cole is set to line up on the West Coast, which means we won’t get to see him line up in Toronto. But wouldn’t it be cool if Cole had a 450 prepared for Toronto? We all know Cole rides the bigger bike just as good or better than the small bore, so let’s hope someone else is thinking the same as I’m sure many of us Canadians are. We also have 2016 National #6 Cade Clason to cheer for. Cade will be racing the 450 class on a Team K1 Speed Honda. Cade is a young guy with a ton of talent, so be sure to have a look for the very likable Clason in the 450 SX class.
There’s also word floating around that former multi-time Canadian National winner Kerim Fitz-Gerald may be joining Team Rockwell to contest the 250 SX series. Did I mention that I was the spinning the T-handles for Kerim on the way to all of those wins? Yes, it is true. I was paired up with the super-fast South African and we did some serious damage in the MX2 class in 2009. No, I won’t be back with Fitz-Gerald in 2016, but you can bet your ass that I will be cheering him on like always.
Will we see Kerim Fitz-Gerald (shown here with our own Jeff McConkey back in 2009) racing Supercross in the USA this winter? – Bigwave photo
Well, that is it for me this week. Be sure to check out my ‘Out of the Blue‘ with Canadian off-road star Lexi Pechout and my ‘On the Radar‘ with young Blair Nauta. Have a great weekend, and always #smileforBC!
Billy Rainford
Thanks, Jeff. Yep, it’s still over 13 degrees Celsius here in my hometown of London, Ontario. That means people are still riding all over the place. You can tell because there are still boat loads of videos being posted all over social media from the area. For those Canadians who have never been fortunate enough to make a trip out to the west coast of Canada in the winter, aside from all the rain, it’s like this all the time during the winter months out there! Yep, you can literally ride outside all year long in the lower mainland.
I spoke to someone out west at the final round of the Future West Arenacross Series and they said they always get a kick out of it when they read all the Canadian moto media from back in Ontario talking about how the season is over – it never ends out there! Seriously, on any dry day throughout the winter, you will find people unloading pick-ups and trailers all over the place out there while we’re out shoveling our driveways dreaming about that upcoming week we’re going to spend down south riding. Trust me, there’s a reason most of our top-level Pro riders and champions have come from the west coast. More time on the bike=faster times on the track. OK, for those of you going over past results, just go with me on this one.
Future West Canadian AX Championships
Another season of arenacross racing on the west coast has wrapped up. I was able to get out to the final weekend of racing (thanks to Cycle North) and I was impressed with the Pro rider turnout and the number of fans in the seats. Normally, Friday nights can be a little empty in the Chilliwack Heritage Park barn, but last weekend was different. It was almost SRO!
If you watched the video from up in Jeff’s part, you would have seen just what it took for Ross Johnson to three-peat as champion. After crashing into a pillar in the Lights main, he staggered off the track with some help and tried to regroup for the Pro Open main, where he led by 18 points.
I’ve told this story already so suffice it to say it was one of the most impressive rides I’ve ever watched. I’m happy to say I was there for that one. It sounds like the end result was a broken scapula (shoulder blade). His right arm may not have been broken but it sure looked sore! Anyway, congratulations on another really satisfying title, Ross.
Final Point Standings
Pro Lights
1. 1 Ross Johnson HON 162
2. 474 Jake Anstett KTM 152
3. 18 Brad Nauditt YAM 148
4. 101 Ryan Lockhart KAW 127
5. 313 Kyle Swanson YAM 115
6. 96 Noah McConahy HSK 110
7. 39 Jess Pettis YAM 66
8. 55 Keylan Meston YAM 63
9. 222 Chris Howell HSK 57
10. 87 Kyle Springman YAM 54
Pro Open
1. 1 Ross Johnson HON 174
2. 101 Ryan Lockhart KAW 154
3. 18 Brad Nauditt YAM 150
4. 313 Kyle Swanson SUZ 111
5. 96 Noah McConahy HSK 111
6. 474 Jake Anstett KTM 105
7. 39 Jess Pettis YAM 76
8. 222 Chris Howell HSK 67
9. 176 Colby Wellings HSK 62
10. 51 Brock Leitner KAW 55
Final Round of AX ‘Faces at the Races’
Kyle Beaton quote: “Man, I miss the days when I had people to do this ‘stuff’ for me!”
Patiently waiting for his moto.
Is it just me or is it awkward when someone in a costume starts waving at you and you don’t know who’s on the inside?
Watch for Noah McConahy when A1 rolls around next month.
Ross Johnson after his Lights win and title clinch Friday night.
Noah’s teammate for SX will be Chris Howell.
Um, you kids realize this trailer was there for display purposes only, right?
#101 Ryan Lockhart asked #217 Casey Keast when he was born and then told him when he turned Pro. New school meets old school.
We have a piper down! Nah, these pipers sounded great opening the night program Saturday.
Yes, there is an acceptable mixture of naughty and nice.
Note to self: Never use a tool above a rotten garbage can…
The Washingtonians are attacking!
Graham Scott (centre) had some repairs done and will be back in action soon.
Psst, Troy Smith, turn the page on your calendar.
Brittany Danyluk showed everyone that she is very skilled on a 450 indoors. She killed it!
#782 Kris Foster made his return to racing after quite a few years.
#476 Collin Jurin with his water bottle full of Valley Motosports Husqvarna ‘Dash for Cash’ $1000 loot.
Mike Nichols and Ryan Lockhart checking out some lines.
Collin pretending to be on the phone to avoid me, I’m assuming.
Casey Keast raced his first Pro Am indoor race in Chilliwack.
FXR’s Ron Peters made the trip down the Coquihalla to check out the action.
Wondered what Kevin Lepp has been up to? Well, he’s still busy selling houses and has fully caught the mountain bike bug out in BC.
Ross and Kourtney Lloyd after the championship.
Ross’ mom with Greg ‘Big G’ Ball.
Party for one.
Ross and his dad. His parents showed up as a surprise and got much more than they’d bargained for.
Motocrosser-turned-fisherman, Kevin Urquhart, congratulates the champions.
Kourtney and the 3X champ’s bike.
‘Dub Dub’ didn’t have a great weekend but was happy to celebrate his teammate’s victory.
Laurie Waddell’s thought bubble: Who was supposed to be looking after Greg???
Casey Keast, Kyle Springman, and Wyatt Waddell.
These guys weren’t as happy to be sprayed with champagne as you think they might have been.
Then Rachel Springman just sat in the chair as people came up to have their picture taken with her…
It’s true.
See.
Now THAT is the face of a happy team owner/manager.
And THIS is the face of someone who really needs to see my credentials.
I’m crushing your head!
And anyone who doesn’t think this is hilarious…just don’t tell Lesley Reid!
But there was still some actual business to take care of. Brent Worrall handed out all the amateur trophies for the series. And that was it.
Application for 2016 Team Canada MXON Manager is Open
Think you’ve got what it takes to manage the team as they (fingers crossed) head over to Italy in 2016?
AX Tour Points after 2 Rounds
Kieran Doherty Living it up in England
Young Kingston, Ontario, rider, Kieran Doherty, has made it over to England where he is all set to compete in the Arenacross UK series. You can follow along with him on his Facebook page where he will be posting podcasts every Thursday and Monday talking about his experiences. He’s actually a natural at it! Check it out:
World Tour Episode 1:
World Tour Episode 2:
Good for you, Kieran. Have a great time and soak up the entire experience. This is something you’ll be talking about for the rest of your life. Oh, and good luck with the actual racing side of things, too!
“Get Yer Cole Thompson Tees Here!”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Justified Cultures Introduces Slaton Racing Apparel
Perfect for Christmas and just in time for Anaheim 1; Slaton Racing has collaborated with Justified Cultures for an all-new line of 2016 team apparel.
The first launch will feature Zac Commans and Cole Thompson rider tees!
Made of 100% pre-shrunk cotton, and printed inside tag for extra comfort; this release will be available in Orange adult sizes S – XXL.
Pre-Order today at www.justifiedcultures.com and show your favorite YP/Nuclear Blast/KTM rider support when the gate drops January 9th in Anaheim, California.
—WE DO SHIP TO CANADA—
Price: $25.00 – $26.00 USD
Sizes: S-XXL
Available ONLY at www.justifiedcultures.com
Make sure you stop by the Slaton Racing pits to meet Zac Commans (Instagram/Twitter: @zaccommans), Cole Thompson (Instagram/Twitter: colethompson16), and rest of the team when the 2016 Monster Energy Supercross season kicks off on January 9, 2016 in Anaheim, California.
More 2016 Slaton Racing team apparel including official team merchandise will be made available in the next few weeks and will be sold online exclusively at www.justifiedcultures.com.
For more information on Slaton Racing and its sponsors, follow us on Instagram, Twitter (@slatonracing), and Slaton Racing on Facebook.
2016 AMO Race Schedule and MMRS/TVR Partnership Announced
For Sale: 2015 Scott Solace 15 XL/58cm
Looking for an amazing full carbon bike but are afraid of what that usually means it would cost you? Of course you are. Well, look and fear no further. How about saving $2000 on a basically brand new 2015 Scott Solace 15? Are you over 6 feet tall and looking for that edge everyone is after when next spring rolls around? These things sell for $4500 retail. You can have this one for $2499.99. It has literally been ridden 8 times. Email: billy@diretmotocross.com for more details or just Google the thing, it’s awesome!
Like new 2015 Scott Solace 15 XL/58 $2499.99 CAD
Dylan Kaelin Injury Update
Dylan Kaelin suffered another setback two weeks ago when his handlebars went into his stomach in an arenacross crash out in Chilliwack, BC. – Bigwave photo
We’ve been checking in with Dylan Kaelin periodically since his crash to see how he’s making out. Emily is an emergency room nurse and as soon as I described what happened to Dylan she said, “That is serious!” Well, I guess she knew exactly what she was talking about because poor Dylan has been in the hospital ever since. Keep him company by wishing him well on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/dylan.kaelin?fref=ts
Here’s what Dylan had to say about his current situation:
“I still can’t eat but they have started me on nutrition bags through the PIK line they put in, so, hopefully, I level out at 140lbs. The issue is the blood clot/hematoma on my duodenum that isn’t allowing me to digest any liquids or foods. I have to get my stomach pumped every 6 hrs. If nothing progresses over the weekend, I have a CT scan scheduled for Monday to check on the swelling. If all else fails and it doesn’t heal it’s self then I will go back in for what will likely be a bypass surgery at the end of next week, into the weekend sometime. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that!”
At least he hasn’t lost his sense of humour. His caption to this Facebook photo: “Do you even IV?” We’re all hoping everything goes well for you, Dylan.
OK, that’s it for this week. Hard to believe we only have one left and then the 50th week actually falls on Christmas Day. Please don’t expect a whole lot from that one! Maybe we’ll have to give that one to Ryan Lockhart 😉 #50 is Jared Allison and he is too busy working to look over here at what’s going on on DMX these days.
Have a great weekend and be sure to get out there and enjoy some of this extended reasonable weather. But don’t forget to drain your power washer or put it somewhere that doesn’t freeze!
We’ll let MXGP.com have the final word this week.
