Catching Up with…Davey Fraser
By Billy Rainford
In case you missed it in the Frid’Eh Update…
Week #36 belongs to Halifax, NS’s, Davey Fraser | Spikman photo
#36 for the 2016 season was one of the most popular riders to throw a leg over a dirt bike. Halifax, NS’s Davey Fraser is a down-to-earth guy, a hard worker, and therefore a crowd favourite. With an additional round added to the Maritime schedule, Davey felt the love from the crowd even more than usual.
We grabbed him for a quick chat today to talk about his season and what the future holds for 2017 #21. Here’s what he had to say:
Let’s see what 2016 Davey Fraser had to say (This is a shot of the 2007 version) | Bigwave photo
Direct Motocross: Hello, Davey. Thanks for taking the time to chat with us today. Let’s start by asking you about the 2016 season. You wound up 9th in the MX2 class with a bunch of 7th overalls. How was the series from your perspective?
Davey Fraser: Hey billy, the season went pretty well. I had some good rounds and a couple that weren’t great. I had 5 DNF’s this season which hurt the end result but that sort of thing happens. I’d say my best round was Pleasant Valley. Not only because I had good results but because the support I had from the hometown crowd was unreal!
There were 2 rounds out in your neck of the woods this year. How did they go for you, and did you feel more hometown support there?
Having the 2 rounds close to home was awesome in more ways than one. Like I said, the crowds were great but it also made the travel part easier for me. I even got to sneak a week of work in.
What was your favourite track to race this year?
I’d say my favourite racetrack was probably Ulverton. The track layout with the hills is pretty awesome.
You raced the Husqvarna 250 2-stroke all summer. Do you feel that was an advantage? Would you do that again?
I think the 2-stroke is an advantage for me because I’m able to be competitive on a stock bike. I don’t think it’s the fastest bike out there but it also doesn’t have $20 000 into it. I’d do it again, for sure. I have fun riding the 2-stroke.
Davey is a crowd favourite wherever he goes | Bigwave photo
Speaking of that Husky, are we allowed to talk about the fact that it was a 2014 model? Can you explain the situation?
Yeah, I was on ’14. It was a new leftover that Freedom Cycle had. Same bike as a ’16, just different forks.
You had one round I’m sure you’d like to not count. Can you tell us what happened at Gopher Dunes? (40-DNF)
I had an air filter issue. Bike sucked some sand in the morning and then only made it 5 laps into moto 1. That’s the hard part about doing the whole series on 1 bike.
You famously pulled a holeshot at River Glade a few years ago and gave a fist pump down the start straight. You did it again this year at Deschambault. Has this become your trademark and will you now have to do it every time you get the holeshot?
(Laughs) Well, it was too easy at Deschambault with a jump right there. There are some tracks that would be a little trickier but I’ll always give it my best!
How did you like the series going back to RJ’s in Barrie? Was it good to end the series there?
I actually raced there at the national in ’04 as an Intermediate. Mind you, my memory isn’t that good so it felt like a first time for me. I wasn’t sure what to think when I got there Friday and the place was dry as a desert. But the weather man helped us out and the track was great for racing on Sunday. I enjoyed it and had fun.
Then you stayed west and raced the TransCan and the Pro Open. Can you tell us how the week went for you?
I’m glad I stayed. It was a fun, relaxing week. They got crazy amounts of rain and the track stayed great all week, thanks to the track crew. Sunday seemed a little disorganized but that’s too be expected with a first-time event. At the end of the day, I think it all went good.
What have you been up to since then?
I just got back into the work life this week.
What are you plans for the rest of the summer/fall?
My plans are too keep working. And I’m currently working on a deal with Kourtney Lloyd at Cycle North to do some Arenacross races.
Are you planning on hitting the entire series again in 2017?
No idea what next year will bring, yet. It would be fun to do it all again but that’s still a long time away so we’ll have to wait and see what comes up.
Where will the carpenter be next summer? It’s tough to say, but he may just hit the road again! | McConkey photo
Can you tell us what you do for work and what your daily work routine is?
I’m a carpenter. I do mostly residential work. I’m currently building a scoring tower for a track near my house. Just living the normal life now…get up, work, sleep and repeat.
OK, we’ll let you get back at it. but first, who would you like to thank?
I’d like to thank everyone who helped make this year possible. Dave Butler was the biggest part in making it all a reality and it wouldn’t have happened without him. Randy at Freedom Cycle was another big help. All the people along the way that gave me a place to stay or a cooked meal, thank you.
