DMX Frid’Eh Update #1 Presented by Fox Canada

DMX Frid’Eh Update #1 Presented by Fox Canada

By Jeff McConkey, Dawn McClintock, and Billy Rainford

 

Welcome to the first Direct Motocross Frid’Eh Update of 2015. 2014 was an amazing year for us here and we’re looking forward to keeping the ball rolling as we move into the second half of the decade.

 

As we’re sure you’ve noticed, the site has been fully re-designed and redone for 2015. It was a lot of work and we toiled over possible designs and ideas. Like we said before, whenever popular websites change, there is the fear that the changes won’t be seen as positive by the masses. Well, fortunately, we’ve had nothing but positive feedback on our new site designed and built by Jas Romain at Amplified Creative Design and we feel great about that.

 

There is always a learning curve involved and I hope most of you have been able to navigate your way around without much frustration. We have also heard a few things that are great advice as to how we could tweak things a little and make it even better. We appreciate those constructive criticisms as much as the praise, so thank you.

Week #1 for the Update is brought to you by all the great people over at Fox Canada. Jay Moore and the crew in Calgary have been great supporters of us and we look forward to all the future possibilities with this icon brand of our sport.

 

With all the changes in the ownership structure over at Fox Head, the future looks very bright as we head into 2015. Be sure to have a look at all the new stuff they have to offer over on their site HERE.

 

Week #1 is the Update every racer wants. It means you have won the Rockstar Energy MX Nationals here in Canada and, as the champion, you get the honour of going first. 2014 was a great year in Canadian moto. Honda Canada TLD GDR rider Colton Facciotti fought tooth and nail with #800 Smartop MotoConcepts rider Mike Alessi.

This battle heated up as soon as the gate dropped at round 1 in Nanaimo as the two took turns putting the other gently on the ground. By the time we got to the final round at Walton Raceway, Facciotti was in control and the partisan Canadian fans were thrilled to see the MX1 title back in the hands of a Canadian rider.

 

As most know by now, Colton and his wife Jocelyn welcomed their first baby into the world 2 months ago. It goes without saying that we all know what that means Colton has been busy with since we last saw him on the track. However, we gave him a call to catch up and talk about Keagan and what he has in store for the rest of the winter as we head into another season of Canadian Motocross that, on paper, looks like it could be another chance to say it’s going to be “the greatest mx season ever in Canada!” Here’s what he had to say:

 

Life with a Newborn

Hello. It isn’t too much different, really, other than planning my days around him. It’s been OK because Jocelyn gets up when he wakes up in the middle of the night (laughs). I sleep right through it. It’s been pretty good. Some of the days are boring and now they’re filled with new excitement watching him grow and play and things like that.

 

Since Walton

I haven’t really been doing too much, motocross-wise. We rode until the first week of December because the weather was pretty good. I got some good testing in for next year, so we’re quite a bit ahead of where we were last year, which is good. I’m definitely going to need it with some of those US guys that are coming up. It’s going to be pretty stacked next year.

 

We had the baby so we’ve just been enjoying that and taking a little bit of time off. I’ve still been doing my gym training and all that kind of stuff so when I get back on the bike I won’t be out of shape. It’s been a nice change just watching Keagan grow up and go through all these little changes. The last few days he’s been sticking his tongue out and smiling so it’s been pretty cool.

 

On the 2015 Honda 450

It’s a lot better, actually. I didn’t think they were making too many changes but the changes that they did make made a big difference. The biggest one would probably be the motor. I think the motor stock is almost as quick as my race bike last year so that will be awesome having a good solid motor and with Proven as well, it should be good.

 

There have been a couple upgrades on the suspension as well that are going to help. The bike is super-solid.

 

Winter Plans

I’m just getting ready to head out to BC this weekend. We’re going to go see my family and spend two weeks there. I’ll also be at the bike show out there as well. We’ll get that done and then fly back here (Aylmer, ON) and be here for a week or so and then head down to Georgia once I get everything ready and sorted out. I’ll load up the trailer and head on down there and go from there.

On New Teammate, Jeremy Medaglia

I’m looking forward to it. He’s definitely matured a lot since I first knew him. We got into it a few years ago (laughs). Ever since then, it’s been good. We’ve trained together down at GPF over the last few years and I’ve been able to get to know him. Him and his family are awesome and so is Tyler. They’re great people and I couldn’t be happier to have him as a teammate.

 

I have a trailer with a shop in the back so I’ll be taking that down. I think his brother will be staying with him down at GPF. It’s not like it’s a huge mansion or anything so there’s not enough room for me. I don’t think he wants a crying baby in there either. I might have to shove the old lady in the back in the garage (laughs).

 

Jocelyn is off work so she’s going to come down with me. We’re going to see how it goes. It will be good to go down there as a family and that was I don’t have to be away from the little guy very long.

 

On the Competitiveness of the Upcoming Season

Ya, who knows? Maybe we’ll see old Bubba (James Stewart) up here too! (Laughs) You never know! It’s going to be an exciting year. It’s going to be a good group of rider and we’re going to push each other. I think that’s what motocross needs. Nobody really wants to see one or two riders going at it. They want to see five or six guys going at it. It’s going to make it exciting. It’s going to make it a little tougher on us riders, but all in all I’m looking forward to it.

 

The Thank Yous

I’d like to thank all the normal people. Everyone who helped me out this year: GDR, Honda Canada, TLD, we got a new sponsor on board called Hit Case, Oakley, You can throw Joey in there (Joe Skid from SSS), and Proven.

 

Jeff McConkey

Hey, guys. It’s Friday and  I have a huge smile on my face – Supercross is back!  A1 wasn’t the greatest race of all time, but it was still good racing and we only left with one major casualty. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Wil Hahn took a vicious digger in the 1st timed session and looks to be out for the remainder of SX.  Wil has been steadily getting better season after season and was a top 10 guy in my eyes. Let’s hope Wil heals up fine and we see him on the gate for Hangtown. ‘Kenny the German’ won easily, but I don’t see him running away with this title just yet. I was shocked to see some of the big names outside of the top 10, but it’s a long season and you can’t win the championship at round 1, but you can certainly set yourself up to lose it.

It was really cool to see Jamie Little back on the mic for SX.  She and Jenny Taft are true professionals and make the series better.It’s too bad the rest of the crew isn’t up to par. Here is a quote from a tweet earlier this week.  A respected  insider wrote, “Now if they’d only lose “dat poppin ass” Miss SX.” I couldn’t agree more.  This isn’t WWE wrestling and we don’t need sex to sell the sport. True  fans don’t watch the races to see this crap. It’s giving young girls the wrong idea, and the wrong females to look up to for the wrong reasons.

Back to the racing: Round 2 takes place in Phoenix this Saturday.  I feel we may see a different top 10 this week. There is just so much talent in the 450 class this season. Watch for a better week from guys like Davi Millsaps, Eli Tomcac, Chad Reed and Dean Wilson. In 250 action, I don’t think there will be many surprises. Cooper Webb will definitely push this week to show everyone that he is the fastest in the West. I like how Zach Bell looked last week and he could be a dark horse podium pic for week 2.  Here are my predictions for Phoenix:

250 West

1st: Cooper Webb
2nd: Justin Hill
3rd: Tyler Bowers
4th: Jesse Nelson
5th: Zach Bell

450 Class

1st: Trey Canard
2nd: Ken Roczen
3rd: Eli Tomac
4th: Davi Milsaps
5th: Jason Anderson

Here is a little update I received from women’s racer #7 West Dominique Daffe and her bf National #32 Jared Petruska. It was written for last Friday’s Update, but we didn’t run one last week. (Sorry, Dominique). Anyway, here it is:

Hey!

So, our SoCal trip is going way too fast but it’s been a blast so far and I wish we could stay longer. I love it here. I’m pretty greedy with my Cali time (haha). It’s supposed to only be about 8 degrees today and tomorrow – crazy! Last year when we were down for Christmas it was in the mid to high 20’s almost every day. I’ve been wearing a toque a lot; I’ve never done that here before!

 

Jared and I have only gone riding 3 times, but it’s been a nice relaxing family holiday and that’s what we needed! We’ve been to Elsinore, Cahuilla Creek (my favourite!!) and Milestone for riding and they have all been crazy busy. We are both on new bikes so it’s been good just getting used to them and hanging out with some friends from Calgary at the tracks. We saw (Ken) Roczen on the Supercross track at Elsinore last week. He looked awesome, for all you Roczen fans out there. I pick him for the win this weekend in A1 and Jared just said he picks Tomac…Maybe we should put some money on this? Anyways, hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year…And FYI there’s a winter snow storm watch in effect here in Cali for tomorrow. We brought the Canadian weather with us I guess. Cheers!

Well, that is it for me the week. Be sure to check out this week’s featured ‘Out Of The Blue‘ lady racer Nikki Voorhees and Ontario’s Ty Rahm in ‘On The Radar.’ Have a great week and always remember to #smileforBC!

 

Dawn McClintock

We thought this was pretty interesting and deserved to be included this week to get us all on board with the follow-up story on the adventure:

 

Hi Dawn,

Figured I should follow up on our conversation from yesterday so you can maybe throw out a quick blurb about our upcoming trip (and subsequent article that will follow).

We are going to attempt to drive down to the Steel Shoe this year from Grande Prairie (almost exactly 3000kms one way) with a team of four riders. Team Lyons Production/Powerstroke Well Control/Mitas Canada will be leaving Wednesday for the race on Kettle Moraine Lake (Campellsport, Wisconsin) next Sunday. We’ve gotten plenty of support from local businesses who are going to keep fuel & transport costs in check. At this point we are all planning to solo the 3hr race because…we are all out of shape & not used to riding on AMA legal screws. So what could go wrong? Hahaha.

Riders competing will be Frank Barry, Clayton Dyer, Jesse Dyer and myself. By all accounts the locals in Wisconsin are excited to have us down there so hopefully we can adapt to the slightly different style of racing (my team last year finished 19^th overall in a group of 72 teams/180+ riders). While down there, we are going to work on a few of the AMA pro riders to see if we can convince them that being punished at this year’s 24hr Numb Bum Endurance Ice Racing World Championship is a good idea. Last year there were no takers…speaking of: if we can track down anyone from out east that wants to try it there is an open seat waiting for them. It’s been a while since a notable rider from Ontario or Quebec has made the trip and we would love help in keeping the legend alive.

That’s all for now, we’ll talk again in a week or so.

Cheers,
Jarrett King

IDEAS Industrial Design Ltd.

 

Billy Rainford

Thanks, guys. This is an exciting time of year. I can’t wait to put all of our new ideas into action this coming season! I couldn’t be happier with this new site platform and Jas at Amplified Creative Design. He is a moto fan and really knows his tech website stuff. I won’t go into detail, but, believe me when I say, it is so much easier on the back end of this site to get content up. Things need to change and evolve and we feel this had bee n a great leap for us…we may even start walking upright soon.

 

‘Shawn Maffenbeier’s British Customs Adventure or Why You Should Check you Passport before You Travel’

I’m going to waste no more time and get right to the story that involve Rockstar OTSFF Cycle North Yamaha Marine rider Shawn Maffenbeier‘s mis-adventures over to Germany for the ADAC Dortmund SX. Let’s let him tell you what happened. Actually, I will preface his story by saying that Colton Facciotti told me he almost had the same thing happen to him a few years back when he showed up in England with a passport that had gone through the washing machine. They told him they’d let it slide that time but that he would be turned away if he tried again with a faded passport. (Feel better, Shawn?):

DMX: Hi, Shawn. What’s new?

Shawn Maffenbeier: Hi. Not a lot, not a lot. Just a pretty ordinary day…

 

You had everybody worried!

I know. Everyone thought I was dead!

 

Well, everyone is sorry to hear about your troubles. We were all excited about you getting the chance to race in Europe.

I know. I was excited too.

 

I’m sure you’re sick and tired of telling this story, but would you mind doing it again for us here now?

It was all good. I mean, I’ve gone through the states with this passport before for a few months now with no problems at all. Nobody questioned it at Air Canada or anything. Basically, I just rolled up to customs (in London, England) and the guy looked at it and said, “Oh, it’s kind of faded.” I found out afterward that this was the guy’s 2^nd week on the job so he was going right to the book. If something was wrong, you were pretty much out, type of deal.

 

He questioned me a lot and I brought a lot of ID with me because I thought that if they questioned me I brought my birth certificate, y driver’s license, my health card, and I even brought my old passport. I took everything just in case they did give me a hassle. It didn’t really help, to be honest.

 

He told me there’s nothing the matter with you, yourself. It’s just that your documents are off. Meanwhile, I didn’t even realize all that stuff in France was going on! I hadn’t heard what happened so there was a whole room stuffed with anybody that looked suspicious and we were put into this holding cell, basically.

 

They put me in this room and interviewed me. They went through a bunch of stuff and when they came bike I figured it would be all right after they reviewed it and they’d let me go through. They came back and said, “OK, your flight is tomorrow at 8am and you will be escorted to a detainment centre, you’ll sleep there overnight and we’ll bring you back in the morning.”

 

I thought, “Ah, shit…whatever. This is what it is and I’m not going to be able to change it.” They took me away and it was like a full-blown prison! I was like, “No way!” Full-on 50-60 foot high fences with barbed wire on them. 4 gates to get in with all these guards.

 

I got there at like 1 in the morning and the guy there was like, “Shit. I haven’t seen a white guy here in probably like 5 or 6 years! This is a first in a while. You f!@#$d up, didn’t you!” I told him there was just a problem with my passport and he said that that will happen.

 

He throws me in a full-blown cell – a jail cell – and there’s this big guy sleeping so he told me I got top bunk. I couldn’t believe I had to deal with this guy all night! Safe to say that I did not sleep. I got the hell out of there at 8 in the morning.

 

They drove like a Sprinter Van down the runway and parked it right beside the gate and escorted me onto the plane. They treated me like a terrorist, so I don’t know if you should really be talking to me right now (laughs).

 

Were you scared or were you joking with the guy and acting like the whole thing was ridiculous?

Ya, I was like, “Are you kidding me right now?!” My passport is a little faded and I have all these pieces of ID. I thought they’d just let me go sleep in a hotel until the morning. I wasn’t going to run away!

 

What’s next for you now?

I don’t even know. I’m going to go home, I’ve got to go see Passport Canada tomorrow and see what I can do about this. If I can get back then I will. We’re trying to figure that all out right now.

 

Wrong place, wrong guy, wrong time.

 

Wow, what a great story! Like I told Shawn on the phone, he may not retell a story of his top 3 finish at the 2015 Dortmund SX when he sits down with his grandkids, but he’ll surely tell them of the night he spent in London prison on the top bunk of a jail cell! What you have to like and admire about Shawn is that he already sees that side of the ordeal.

 

Just Giver Productions North American International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Video

Mitch Goheen sent over this video showcasing some of the things seen at the SUPERSHOW in Toronto last weekend:

2015 International Motorcycle show from Just Giver Productions on Vimeo.

 

Cycle North’s Ross Johnson in Germany

It feels somehow cruel to talk about the Dortmund race now, but Cycle North TLD Motorfist Honda rider Ross Johnson did make it to Germany and will be competing in the ADAC Dortmund SX (albeit, without Shawn Maffenbeier). You can watch the racing live HERE. Good luck, Ross!

 

Amsoil Arenacross Series Kicks Off in Cincinnati Saturday

The Amsoil Arenacross Series gets started this weekend in Cincinnati, Ohio. Pro racing is Saturday and then there is a full day of amateur racing Sunday, which should see a number of Canadians lining up. Watch for results posted here as soon as they are available.

Also, Rockstar OTSFF Yamaha riders, Bobby Kiniry and Matt Goerke, will be lining up to compete this season, so be sure to check the results to see how these two Canadian Series Racers fair.

 

Here’s a recent PR from www.arenacross.com for the upcoming series:

 

 

2015 AMSOIL Arenacross Season Features Wide Open Field of Contenders for Vacant Title

15-Round Season Kicks Off Saturday Night in Cincinnati

ELLENTON , Fla. (January 6, 2015) – After months of preparation, the world’s most formidable arenacross riders are ready to battle through 15 rounds of intense competition in hopes of ultimately being crowned the 2015 AMSOIL Arenacross, featuring Ricky Carmichael’s Road to Supercross, Champion. With four-time champion Tyler Bowers, now competing in Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, the deep and talented field of Arenacross Class competitors are eager for their run at the vacated title.

 

The U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati will host the season opening round. Fans in attendance can expect to see an all out fight to the finish as riders attempt to make their presence known early in the championship hunt. The showdown, which takes place this Saturday night, January 10, will highlight the top riders in the world in both the premier Arenacross Class as well as the opening round of the Eastern Regional Arenacross Lites Class Championship.

 

With Bowers’ transition into supercross, some talented new faces have emerged in AMSOIL Arenacross and they will look to achieve success in the highly competitive environment.

 

Multi-time championship-winning Team Babbitt’s Monster Energy Kawasaki is always among the top teams in AMSOIL Arenacross. The team that helped Bowers achieve so much success through his career has reloaded in its quest for the championship. With veteran frontrunner Zach Ames returning to the team, following his most successful season a year ago where he earned five Main Event wins and finished 3^rd place in the championship, their future looks bright. Ames is close friends with Bowers and the pair trained together while teammates at Babbitt’s, which suggests that the Ohio native will be considered a favorite to follow in his friend’s footsteps in 2015. Babbitt’s has also enlisted the services of Bowers’ number one competitor from a year ago, Jacob Hayes. The second-year rider turned a lot of heads last year with a breakout season that saw him claim six Main Events. With a full year of competition under his belt, Hayes has the talent to be even better in his second season.

 

To round out the team, a pair of veteran Monster Energy Supercross riders will turn their attention to AMSOIL Arenacross in 2015. Both Chris Blose and Matt Goerke are familiar with running alongside the world’s elite and both have cut their teeth in supercross. While the transition to the more technical and intimate world of AMSOIL Arenacross is sure to require some adjustment thanks to faster lap times, more intense racing and unmatched aggression, the duo is experienced enough to adapt quickly and provide a very intriguing element to the 2015 season.

 

Husqvarna TiLUBE TUF Racing has always been in the AMSOIL Arenacross elite, winning three consecutive titles from 2007-2009. Last season, TUF Racing returned to the forefront of the sport with Hayes at the helm along with former Monster Energy Supercross rider Kyle Regal. While Hayes has moved on, Regal returns and hopes to build off the fourth-place finish in the championship he enjoyed a year ago..The team’s move from Honda to factory support with Husqvarna is another intriguing part of the upcoming season and appears to be a step forward for the TUF team.

 

Flanking Regal this season will be two-time Australian Supercross Champion Gavin Faith. Growing up racing indoors as an Iowa native, Faith is no stranger to AMSOIL Arenacross. He has tremendous raw speed and has matured into a great rider. While he hasn’t embarked on a full time season of AMSOIL Arenacross in several years, his familiarity with the discipline makes him a surefire contender and creates a formidable tandem at TUF Racing.

 

The ThermoTec Yamaha FMC Racing team may be a newcomer to AMSOIL Arenacross, but is owned by  multi-time AMSOIL Arenacross champion mechanic and veteran of the sport, Junior Jackson. Looking to  put his team in the thick of the hunt for this year’s title, Jackson will rely on Mike McDade as his lead rider. The perennial front-runner has been a factor in the championship since coming to AMSOIL Arenacross in 2013, earning a pair of Main Event wins last season. While injuries have ultimately proven to keep McDade from truly battling for the title, he’s feeling better than ever coming into 2015 and is on arguably the best equipment since joining the championship. That bodes well for a potential breakout season.

 

Joining McDade at ThermoTec is another Monster Energy Supercross veteran, Bobby Kiniry. The New York native has been a fixture in the Canadian Motocross Championship in recent years and has supercross experience that dates back all the way to 2004. Kiniry is known for being aggressive when he needs to be, which should play favorably in his adjustment to AMSOIL Arenacross. If there was ever a dark horse in this 2015 season, one could argue that Kiniry is it.

 

Spinechillers Racing is one of the longest-running AMSOIL Arenacross teams in the pits and it will once again bring a talented effort into the 2015 season. Willy Browning has been is considered to be one of the most consistent riders in the sport. He finished sixth in the final championship standings a year ago and hopes to earn some Main Event wins this season while once again contending for the title. Alongside Browning is former Arenacross Lites Class Champion Dave Ginolfi. The New Jersey native is always one to keep an eye on when the gate drops and the 2015 season will be no different.

 

TZR Woodstock KTM has made a name for itself in AMSOIL Arenacross thanks to consistently strong outings by Travis Sewell and Scott Zont. This year the team has enlisted the services of Club 57 trainers Brad Jerominiski and Drew Whitehead, who they hope will assist in putting them over that edge they’ll need in order to make a run at the 2015 AMSOIL Arenacross Championship. The team is also expanding this year by welcoming Cody VanBuskirk and Erik Utech. Zont has come close to winning a title in the Arenacross Lites Class and the experience both he and Sewell bring to the team should be beneficial to the development of the young talent of VanBuskirk and Utech.

 

A couple riders who will embark on the 2015 AMSOIL Arenacross season on their own but still are more than capable of challenging for victory are Cory Green and Gared Steinke. Green is one of the most experienced riders in AMSOIL Arenacross and he enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career in 2014 by finishing fifth in the final championship standings. He’ll look to put his Babbitt’s Suzuki at the front yet again throughout the 2015 season. For Steinke, he’s shown consistent progression since joining AMSOIL Arenacross full time, highlighted by an eighth-place finish in the championship last season. He’ll ride for Motosport.com/Fly Racing/Haeseker KTM in 2015 in hopes of building off his success a year ago and once again challenging for the title.

 

This elite group of competitors could produce incredible parity this season, with virtually every one of the aforementioned riders capable of winning on any given night. Consistency will be the key to success and peaking when the Race to the Championship commences at Round 10 could ultimately be what pushes someone to the title. Motivation is high all around and the desire to succeed under such wide open circumstances makes for what should be a truly exciting opening round in Cincinnati on Saturday night and a unpredictable battle for the championship.

 

The opening round of AMSOIL Arenacross kicks off this Saturday night, January 10^th, from Cincinnati’s U.S. Bank Arena. Racing begins at 7 p.m. ET.

 

Tickets for each round of AMSOIL Arenacross are on sale now!

 

Motosport Arenacross Tour Heads into Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Check out the animated track map for Round 6 this weekend in Tennessee:

 

Thanks for reading and we hope you all have a great weekend. We are enduring ‘Snowmageddon 2015’ here in my neck of the woods (London, Ontario), so I’d better go grab the shovel again and get to it. Drive safe for all you racers heading anywhere to line up for any of the races taking place this weekend.