We’ve had a look at the action from the 250 class at Round 2 of the shortened 2020 Rockstar Energy Triple Crown Tour MX Nationals at Walton Raceway, now let’s have a look at the 450 class.
#9 Dylan Wright is the rookie in the class but he’s already shown he’s the one to beat this season in the premier class.
The riders were thrown a curve ball when the skies opened up and thunderstorms rolled in on Saturday night. With one moto done Saturday, the riders would have to get through 2 more in tough but classic Walton conditions.
Here’s a closer look at some of the 450 action.
Would defending Triple Crown champion, #54 Phil Nicoletti, be able to put an end to the streak? That was the question we were all wondering.It’s great to see #380 Kevin Lepp back at the races. He was 27th in moto 1 but stayed away from the mud on Sunday. He’s now a BC real estate mogul and MX trainer. #43 Ryan Derry is a full-time engineer but he and his dad, Peter Derry, just love this stuff too much! He cracked the top 20 with 19-17-23 motos.I just caught the end of it, but #33 Yannick Boucher took one hell of a hard crash at the end of the Commandments on the first lap of moto 1. 36-13-18 for 17th was extremely impressive after that. I was also impressed with the riding of #317 Cooper Larche. He got out to a great start in the mud and I kept noticing him out there. 14-18-16 put him 15th and he should be happy with how he rode.I’m pretty sure I saw #76 Bryan Cormier battling Nicoletti for the first moto holeshot! Bryan is fit and was a consistent 18-15-15. These rides should add to his confidence out there, moving forward.OK, here’s your new favourite rider. #208 Logan Leitzel is here from Pennsylvania on his own. He’s only got one bike and said he struggled mentally with the longer motos. He’s a new Pro, so he will continue to learn. Watch for him this weekend. 12-12-14 put him 13th.#36 Parker Eales is a BC rider who should probably get more press. Wait, is that my job?! He’s very close to having a break-out ride. Keep an eye on him. He finished 12th (13-10-12).I really liked what I saw from #10 Keylan Meston this weekend. He’s usually the guy in a higher gear but this week he looked and sounded more aggressive than I’ve ever seen him. He says he wants to “be an animal” this season and I’m sure this ride is what he means. 7-14-10 put him11th. He had some issues but he rode great.#64 Liam O’Farrell is the other South African KTM rider who had a good weekend (Google it, Bowker!). This vet rider can start last and still fight for top 10’s, any day of the week. 11-11-7 put him 10th.#28 Sam Gaynor is the rider who got caught flinching at the start of moto 3. I didn’t even notice until I watched the DMX Highlight video that he had a dead-engine start on the restart. He’s another rider that can start anywhere and end up fighting into the top 10. 8-7-11 gave him 9th. #26 Josh Cartwright needs to duplicate that Sand Del Lee start from last year and run up front with these guys. He’s been strong late in the motos but poor starts have hurt him. 9-9-8 put the Florida rider 8th.#50 Bobby Piazza was the rider who had to rip back to his pits to refuel on that restart. He could use a man friend! He’s been one of the shining stars of the series, so far. 10-8-6 put the US rider in 7th.#3 Shawn Maffenbeier also needs to be more consistent off the gate. He’s a rider who wants to be battling for podiums but it won’t happen coming through the pack, or hitting the ground like he also did in Walton. 5-6-5 for 6th.You really had to feel for #16 Cole Thompson this weekend as he would get great starts and then inevitably fade late in the motos. Hopefully, they can get his health sorted out because the podium needs him in the battle. 3-5-9 gave him 5th.You can just never count this guy out. #5 Tyler Medaglia got tangled up off the start in moto 1 and came back to 6th, pulled the holeshot in moto 2, and then led moto 3. It was an interesting round for the Nova Scotia rider. 6-4-2 gave him 4th.#54 Phil Nicoletti made things tough on himself when he hit the ground a couple times. He grabbed the moto 1 and 3 holeshots and just needs to put it all together to run with Dylan at the front. One thing we know for sure is that he will not give up. 2-3-4 motos for 3rd.#2 Matt Goerke seems to be regaining his past form. He had consistent finishes and was 2nd overall (4-2-3). They’ve been making bike changes to get him more comfortable and it looks like they’re closing in on a winning package.Would anyone get a Ray Stevens reference if I used on here? Anyway, #9 Dylan Wright is on a “Streak” and I don’t see any reason why it won’t continue. He’s on another level this year and is looking great. What else can I say? 1-1-1 for first overall. Like I said in the DMX Highlight Video, I kinda wish there wasn’t a red flag in the final moto to see if he could have won it from last place.450 podium: Dylan Wright (1-1-1), Matt Goerke (4-2-3), Phil Nicoletti (2-3-4).Tyler Spikman says, “See you at the races…” (I think I skied with that guy back in the ’80’s!)
