Frid'Eh Update #34 Presented by Orange Motorsports

Aug 20 2010 - 5:58pm - James Lissimore

Frid'Eh Update #34 Presented by Orange Motorsports

Hey folks, Steve is off getting his hounds waxed or something so he asked me to post the update today. I'll quickly pass things off to him (funny how the digital age works) before jumping back in to pull this all together. All I can say is it's been a long week, it's hard to believe the 2010 season is already over and after being on the road for the past 3 weeks I've sure got a lot of stuff to catch up on. The great week known as Walton always leaves you in a bit of a daze. Ok, take it away Steve.....

Hey everyone, thanks for reading the DMX Frid’EH Update brought to you by the fine folks at Orange Motorsports who just wrapped up third OA in the MX2 class with Jeremy Medaglia.

The folks there obviously support the sport and know what’s up with racing at the highest levels. What makes you think that they can’t handle your racing needs?

Check them out at orangemotorsports.ca and they can hook you up with the best KTM deals out there and what if you don’t ride a KTM? It doesn’t matter kemosabee because they’ll get you anything else you need for your bike and body. Check them out and just tell them that Deer Hunter Derek said ya!

Buy stuff from Orange Motorsports and you too can finish on the podium in the MX2 class

James Lissimore Photo

This is the 34th edition of this column and we’d like to dedicate it to 2010 CMRC national number 34 and that would be none other than American Bobby Garrison. Garrison was a motohead who turned to the desert racing for a little while and would dabble in the AMA motocross scene here and there. He came up to Canada last year and rode pretty well at times but I didn’t see the speed that enabled him to get an AMA national number all that much but that’s ok, he’s a desert guy now.

Always a friendly guy, we’d like to thank Bobby for coming up and racing up north!

Off-road star, Bobby Garrison(928) raced three CMRC Nationals last season and earned number 34.

James Lissimore Photo

Well Walton is in the books and I’m glad I went, it was a good time and I loved the ride by our MX1 champion Dusty Klatt in the first moto. That’s what motocross is all about!

But at the same time, I’m happy to see Bobby Kiniry win a title. He’s a good dude as anyone who has ever talked to him can attest to. He deserved to win a race for sure.

Even though it's only August it basically signals the end to another great year of Canadian moto. Man, did the year ever fly by! But I suppose we get that feeling every year... Most of the pros will take some time off, such as Dusty Klatt, who probably won't even look at a dirt bike until the Montreal SX and instead spend time building BMX jumps and raising his pugs. Others will start preparing for Montreal, some will go back to work (IE Kyle Keast), and Keast, Benoit and JerBear will begin preparations for their first dance at the MXoN in Colorado on September 25.

Nice guy, Bobby Kiniry, took home the King of Walton sword on Sunday

James Lissimore Photo

For sure it's too early to speculate who will be riding for who in 2011 (remember this is Canada, so we won't know team lineups until a week before Round 1), but I can't help but ponder about the future. Will Kyle Beaton remain on Blackfoot, or a Yamaha? Considering his muddled results in '09, and unfortunate crash/injury at the Kamloops opener this year, I'm guessing BF will be forced to retire young Beats. It's not that he doesn't deserve the ride, but it's time for someone else to get an opportunity with Canada's top team. My guess we'll see Beats on a Leading Edge Kawi (BC dealership, BC kid), alongside Maier and possibly Rife, or else KTM's Andy White will scoop him up.

As for Beats teammates-Klatt, Facciotti and Tyler Medaglia--I'm sure they'll stay where they are, unless budgets say otherwise. You'd be crazy to dump TM or Dusty after winning titles, or Facciotti who is a two-time champ and undoubtedly the fastest guy in Canada right now. But ya' never know. If they do hire a second MX2 guy to replace Beats, it would be cool to see BF bring Tyler's younger brother Jeremy on board. He finished third in the series, had some podiums and would surely fit in with the work ethic of Joe Skidd, Andrew McClean, Jason Mitchell and the rest of the Yamaha team. Then again, his KTM brother Kaven Benoit won a moto and an overall...

And what about the "Timbit Titan" Kyle Keast? He once again showed grit, speed and podium potential on his Machine Racing backed Honda. He's got to be on major teams' shortlists for '11, but then again, after a dismal season with OTSFF Suzuki in '09, maybe Keast fares better when there is less pressure, less bossman and more Honda. I know he'd like to get on the BF team, but how would he deal with the strict program and direction? Regardless who he rides for, it would be interesting to see what the blue collar racer could do without working and taking time off to train down south. Racing a handful of local events and hitting the gym isn't quite enough when compared to the guys beating him. I bet we see him back where he has the most fun, and will continue to be a consistent podium contender and fan favourite.

Will Billy Whitley return with his Monster Energy Kawi program? Hard to say at this time obviously, but judging by his constant smile and heartwarming recaps from each weekend, I'm sure Billy will do everything he can to come back to Canada. And I hope he does, the Canadian series wouldn't be the same without him. As I mentioned in Obs from Walton, I was surprised by his riders results this year. I thought Demuth wouldn't have done as well, and Adams better, but after going through the motions this year, I think they would be a stronger title threat next year. Unless of course Facciotti is back and Dusty is on it ... then only a superhuman racer like Tim Ferry could take'em down.

Troy Adams and the Walton racetrack are not the best of friends

Lissimore photo

KTM Canada had a funky year--but one that ended on a high note with Nemeth capturing 2nd overall in MX1 and winning the overall at SDL--and I'm not sure who or what we'll see under their tent next year. 2008 MX2 champ Eric Nye rode injured all year and couldn't quite find the speed (or starts) necessary to challenge Maier or Medaglia; fellow MX2 rider Kyle McGlynn spent too much time on the ground and Ryan Millar dropped way back in the results after a great debut in the MX1 class in '09. McGlynn and Millar are still relative newbies to the national game, so these struggles could be part of the character building process. We'll have to wait and see.

After JerBear and Benoit finished 3rd and 4th in MX2, you'd think they would be shoe-ins for the MX2 positions. Maybe we'll Michael Willard return and race the 350 in MX1? Granted there were a few issues with the bike in the final two rounds, but with a winter to test and prepare the all-new motorcycle properly, Willard having previous podium success in MX1, and considering the smaller, tighter tracks of the Canadian circuit, it could be a good mix.

And then we have Andre Laurin's OTSFF Rockstar Suzuki effort. Despite lacking the budget of other teams, they had very respectable results in MX1 this year--and Heidi Cooke won them the Women's Eastern title. Kiniry seemed comfortable with their program and came this close to winning the title, and the late-addition of Karrle got another Suzuki challenging for podiums and top-fives.

But like I said, none of this is confirmed or hearsay really, just me thinking out loud and trying to give you bench racers same ammo.

Neither of the Medaglia's better change teams for next season or else Mom's going to have to make a new shirt.

Lissimore Photo

Oh and if you haven't already checked it out, not only did I make it out to watch Walton, I “Observed” it as well which you can check out here.

Thanks, Steve. It was nice to see you and CTI Trevor ironman it on Saturday night to get to Walton. Anytime members of the DMX crew can make it out it's a good time and hopefully next year there will be a few more chances to come to a race.

Well, that's it. I'm finally home after spending the past three weeks on the road closing out this 2010 season. Walton is always bittersweet, as the event itself is awesome and everyone has a great time but you know that the little community you've built up over the course of the summer is about to all go their separate ways so Sunday night and Monday morning are always weird, knowing that you're not heading off the next weekend to the next round. Still, I had a great time and the ritual Monday morning breakfast at the Walton Inn is always a good send off.

I have to give a huge thanks to Brett Lee and Melody Hodgson for letting myself (and Big Wave Billy) crash with them all week. They were so hospitable and made us feel right at home. It sure makes a long week like the Trans-Can that much easier when you have a place to come home to and can get cleaned up and get a good sleep. Thanks so much guys and sorry for leaving so much stuff there! Also big thanks to the whole Lee family for putting on such a great event and welcoming me in like family, Walton was the first big road trip I went on in 2005 and it's still the event I most look forward to coming to every year. It's a constant reminder to me about how motocross people are the most welcoming group of people I've ever met.

Brett Lee: When he's not lending a couch he's grabbing a hose - OK, that didn't sound right

Lissimore Photo

Well, I made it home on Monday and now the real fun has began as I try and make sense of the thousands of photos I shot over the course of the week. Don't worry, I'm still working on putting up some photos from the Amateur portion of the event, I just have to get them all sorted out first. I do have all the pro stuff up on my site now so if you haven't checked them out yet you can here: http://jkliss.photoshelter.com/gallery/2010-Walton-National/G0000BvwK4Hbm.eA/P0000lbK65ZbQcXk

Or if you want to check any other photos out from the summer, my entire archive of photos from the 2010 Nationals lives here: http://jkliss.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/2010-CMRC-Nationals/P0000lbK65ZbQcXk

The amateur stuff will be up as soon as I manage it into some kind of order that makes sense.

I won't get too much into the racing aspect of things as there's already a lot of talk in this update about it but I do have to say I'm pumped to see my buddy, Dusty Klatt, win his second MX1 title. He was pretty bummed after Edmonton when he scored zero points but luckily for him he just kept plugging away and when Colton went down with an injury he was there to capitalize. Who would have thought he'd end up clinching it a round early after everything that happened earlier? What a crazy year. And definitely a bummer for Colt, his two crashes were ugly and hopefully he'll heal up and come back as fast as ever. He's certainly showed that he's got the speed to do some damage and hopefully he'll get a chance to use that speed down south.

The new champ gives a TV interview while eating an ice cream cone. This is what makes Canadian moto so awesome.

Lissimore Photo

As far as the MX2 class goes, that was one of the best title battles I've ever seen. Tyler Medaglia and Teddy Maier both wanted that number one plate so bad and neither one would give an inch. The two of them consistently just ran off from the field and were so determined to win, it was a treat to watch two riders give it absolutely everything they had every moto. Other than Shawn Rife (who when you look back either was on the podium or DNF'd) and Benoit at Ste. Julie, no one was able to match the pace that the two laid down. My hat is off to both of them and it's awesome to see Tyler Medaglia clinch his first title. He's long been one of Canada's most promising riders but it looks like it took a pairing with the Blackfoot Yamaha team for him to find that extra bit of mojo. Congrats to him!

Also, it was good to see Kyle Beaton get on the podium in the final moto. It was a heartbreaker to see him break his thumb before the season could even begin but at least he showed he still had the speed to be in the mix. We've still got the Montreal Supercross coming up and maybe he'll defend his win from last season, he's definitely got a good chance but I'm sure his teammate will have something to say about that...

The Beets made it back on the podium at Walton

Lissimore Photo

Ok, well that's it for me this week. I've still got a lot of stuff to get finished up here from the Trans Can so stay tuned to DMX for more features that are in the works. I'll throw this over to Chris Pomeroy now who was also out at Walton this past weekend...

Hello everyone!! Glad you could all join us for this week of our popular Friday Update. So another Canadian National Motocross season (Pro and Amateur) is the books, and as I have always maintained, man time goes by fast. I spent most of last week at Walton providing updates, writing press releases and handing out water to the top 3 finishers in each moto. I honestly had a blast and it was great to see all the Amateur’s ride so well all week, there was battles in almost every moto. Also, I think lost in all the quasi death threats, wishes for utter failure and then back tracking, was just how good a job Kyle Carruthers and Ami Houde did on the mic. I mean, you have to give credit when it’s due. As I said last week, even when someone is doing a good job, sometimes change is needed to freshen things up.

I'm going to keep running this photo of Klatt's second moto victory salute cause it makes me laugh.

Lissimore photo

So, when it was all said and done on Sunday afternoon, Tyler Medaglia and Dusty Klatt are your 2010 MX2 and MX1 champions. Both riders are worthy Champions and deserve what they achieve. For Tyler, it took him having to go backwards a bit from the MX1 Class to the MX2 class. But, when you have a Blackfoot Yamaha waiting for you, it is hardly a bad career move. Considering what Tyler has been through earlier in his career with injuries, how can you not be proud of this kid.

As far as Dusty goes, he is living proof that when you stand up for yourself and make changes that you know you need, great things will come your way. Klatt’s riding got better and better at each round, and even though he couldn’t beat Colton when Colton was there, sometimes just staying healthy is the most important thing. Congratulations to both Tyler and Dusty!

I hope everyone read my behind the scenes with the Cernics Kawasaki Team from Walton, it was fun and it worked out good. Billy Whitley and the Cernics Kawasaki Team had a new sponsor for Walton, Blue Mountain Resort came on board for one race to see how it would go. This is a great sign for the sport up here as hopefully more companies (other than Energy Drinks) get involved in Motocross. So remember, if anyone goes skiing this winter at Blue Mountain, just tell them you had never heard of the place until you saw their logo on the Cernics bikes at Walton.

Go to Blue Mountain and tell them Billy sent you

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Just before I say goodbye for another week, I just wanted to say thank you to all the riders, Teams and personal around the track for being such gracious hosts to James and I each weekend at the Nationals. Also, to the Team Managers for taking our calls every Monday morning to get their thoughts on the previous days racing. You guys were very forth coming, whether your riders won or DNF’d. Don’t worry, you just have one more call from us on Oct 4th. Between James’s perfect shots every weekend, wordsmith Steve’s observations, my tweets from the 5 rounds I did attend and the numerous interviews and stories that we did all summer at DMX. We enjoyed every minute of bringing you the in’s an outs of the Canadian Nationals. Talk to everyone next week.

Thanks Palms, now here’s Angie Parker with her musings:

Thanks Steve, While everyone was watching the final MX1 moto at Walton, I was riding a BSA at the Ormstown Vintage Offroad Festival. Last year I brought my '07 Honda and rode it on the MX track after the races were done. This year, after taking 1000+ plus photos over two days of vintage racing, I was convinced to mount a BSA (I can't remember the year of the bike, but I know it was entered in the pre-1965 class). It was the first time I rode a bike pre-1980s. And then I rode my own bike. What a difference.

Now, I'm not very knowledgeable in regards to the mechanics of bikes, but this is what I do know about that BSA: It wasn't tall (my tall 5'1 3/4" height was able to touch the ground without tilting the bike); the foot shifter was on the left side, the back break on the right foot; the clutch was made for Jeff Smith death grip hands (apparently you don't need the clutch to shift, which is great since I could barely move the clutch); the gas tank was large and annoying (I kept trying to ride up over the handle bars, but that honking tank prevented me from moving up); I found out later that on these older bikes that you're not suppose to ride them like newbies and ride back on the bike instead of forward. I also learned that this BSA is heavy, however very stable on straightaways, and I could really feel the weight as I turned. And lastly, the BSA doesn't absorb impact as nicely as my CRF.

Helmut Classen rips it up at Ormstown

Angie Parker Photo

These vintage racers are crazy to race these old beaters. Although, I've already looked on Craigslist at a couple of old-school rides. I guess I'm a little crazy too.

Can-Am was the featured bike this year at the event and Jeff Smith was the guest speaker. Damn that man is funny. His speech on Saturday evening at the dinner had everyone laughing with tears. From stories of his first time on a 500cc to racing snowmobiles, he had plenty to say. My mom and I had the honour of sitting next to Jeff Smith and his wife at the dinner and I learned so much about his history around bikes. Poor man couldn't finish his dinner, my mom had so many questions. Helmut Classen was last year's guest speaker and he was there again this year, entered into the hare scrambles and motocross races, finishing second in the 1976+ expert class (hare scramble) on Saturday.

Saturday and Sunday both had vintage trials, hare scrambles and motocross (old-school grass track). It was great to see riders entered in all three events. The vibe was so amazing and everyone was helping each other out; swapping bike parts, pushing bikes (there were more than a few stalls that weekend) and carrying hot full exhaust pipes out of the forest trails.

I want to thank Steve Tucker, Joan Darlington and Eric Pritchard for hosting another amazing event. I'm already looking forward to next year's vintage fest.

I will have two Ormstown features on DMX very soon. Angie

Thanks Angie!

One of Canada's most respected moto-journalists and former RacerXCanada Senior Editor, Allison Kennedy made the trip to Walton on Sunday to shoot and catch up with everyone and she sent through a little bit for today's update...

Ah Walton. The bittersweet ending to another Canadian moto season. 2010 threw bad luck at almost every rider in the field, with a staggering amount of DNF's and some heartbreaking crashes for key riders... like Colton Facciotti. Despite all the uncertainty and all the chaos, somehow, Blackfoot Yamaha managed to add two more titles to their already impressive list. No matter how you slice it, this year's titles were both won on consistency and determination. If you have any doubts at how long and hard these riders worked for this, you needed to look no further than Tyler Medaglia's ear to ear grin when he was handed the Macs Shootout money and his number one plate. The crazy thing about motocross is that it's such an emotional trainwreck. I can only imagine how the entire Medaglia family was feeling, seeing Tyler (along with Jeremy) on that stage Sunday afternoon. After all the years on the road, all the long race days making sure those boys ate right and stayed hydrated, of picking them up and putting them back together after some very serious injuries, the Medaglia family got to watch the first of their boys bring home a pro title. Was it worth it? Judging by Tyler's grin, and by Derrick and Leanne's quiet respect as they watched their son become a champion, I'm going to say yes.

Heidi Cooke congratulates her boyfriend, Tyler Medaglia, on his first Canadian title. Now's he only got to win about 7 more to catch up to her.

Allison Kennedy Photo

And then there was one-time Canadian moto golden boy Dusty Klatt, winning his first title since 2006. This 2010 title was a much different scenario than '06. 2006 was an exclamation point title, a holy-smoke someone can beat JSR title, where this 2010 title was one earned by a more experienced, solid, consistent and quietly confident Klatt. Some will call it an asterisk title (* a key title contender was injured afterall), but in a season like 2010 it is a last-man standing title and one to be equally as proud of. I'm sure Dusty will be working hard this winter to prove that he can go head to head with Facciotti next season. Just like Facciotti will be working hard to claim another title of his own... sorta makes you wish the gate drop wasn't another 10 months away eh...

Thanks Allison for sending that through. Judging by all the response your photo report has garnered (Which if you haven't already checked out you can take a look at here, it's a must see) I'd say you've been well missed these past few seasons.

James Lissimore, Dusty Klatt and Allison Kennedy with DK's shiny new plate. Yes, I'm sporting a Nordiques hat - long live old, defunct hockey teams.

Sean Bowker photo

And congratulations to Frank Watts who was this month's contest winner for the slick pair of Forma Performing Boots courtesy of Marco Dubé. Thanks for all who entered and look for more great contests right here at DMX.

Oh and one last thing here before I wrap this up for Steve. I want to thank Kevin Lepp for hauling all my stuff back from Walton for me. Kevin is from my hometown here in Abbotsford, BC and he raced the entire season as a privateer on his Clearbrook Yamaha YZ250F. It was a cool experience for him and he did pretty good. Despite having a bad weekend at Walton he finished things up in 18th overall in MX2 and earned National number 38 for next season. Now he's off to Alberta to work on the rigs so he can try and do it all over again in 2011. Best of luck, Kevin! Him and his dad, Tim, are good people...