Frid’Eh Update #11 | Davey Fraser | Brought to You by Dirt Care
By Billy Rainford
Welcome to Week #11 of the DMX Frid’Eh Update this week brought to you by Dirt Care. Since I was down south for 2 weeks, we’ve actually lost all of our snow here in London, ON. Let me tell you, we had a lot of snow this year so this is a big deal! When I left, there must have been at least 3 feet of snow in the middle of the lawn. And that doesn’t tell the whole story of how high the snowbanks were.
Today, the temperature is supposed to actually hit 18 degrees Celsius! That’s around 65 degrees Fahrenheit! Not bad for March 14th. My plan is to dust off the Scott Foil and hit the roads later this afternoon.
I managed to get out on the gravel bike yesterday for a slow cruise around the bike path that cuts through the entire city here. I bumped into an older gentleman who it turned out had been to Port Stanley and back and was about to cross the 100K barrier as we rode together. I was impressed, considering we haven’t really been able to ride outside this winter.
We got to chatting and I told him that I seem to always get a flat tire when I ride my gravel bike. We rode together to the centre of the city before we went our separate ways.
I timed it so I was out for about 1 1/2 hours and as I was on my way back I saw someone with a grocery cart and a bunch of stuff strewn across the entire path. No, they hadn’t just been to the grocery store. Anyway, I rang my bell and rode around them onto the grass. As I did so I had the horrible sense that I’d just gone through a freshly broken bottle they’d discarded without any care.
I kept rolling along and enjoyed the warming weather.
Al little farther down the path I got that tell-tale sensation that the rear wheel wasn’t tracking straight, it was starting to swerve around on each pedal stroke.
Yep, I was getting yet another flat tire on this bike. Seriously, it’ around 60% flat tire for me riding this thing!
I rode as far as I could until it was clear I was riding on the rim, so I jumped off and started walking. I was in my MTB clip in shoes, so I knew my right knee wasn’t going to enjoy this long walk home. I tried to walk in the grass while keeping the bike on the pavement to make it as manageable as I could.
It worked but I was still at least a 45-minute walk back to the house so I send Emily a message. SHe was almost done work for the day, so she messaged that I stay put and she’d come pick me up. I was at the dog park so I just stood there and watched all the familiar dogs while I waited.
As I stood there, I thought about the next time I bumped into this other rider to tell him that I did in fact get yet another damn flat on this bike.
Emily showed up pretty quickly and we went home to have leftovers for dinner.
I posted it on Instagram and received all the usual messages about going tubeless like I always do. With Dirt Care, it looks like I’ll be setting at least 2 of my bikes up that way.
Davey Fraser is the rider who still lays claim to the #11 as a career number. It looks like this will be the last time he does so. His life has simply gotten too busy to keep chasing the dream. He’s just had his 2nd baby!
He’s actually dealing with a colicky baby, so he told me he did as well as he could with the questions I emailed him. We’ll cut him some slack this time.
Direct Motocross: OK, for starters, was your last Triple Crown race really Kamloops in 2023? You went out with all 1’s! Well, 11-11 for 11th for the #11. That’s pretty wild, actually. Are you happy with that?
Davey Fraser: Yeah, that was the last one. I can say I’m pretty happy with that. It was solely just for the fun and enjoyment and I think I did pretty good. Especially considering those were the only 30-minute motos I did the entire year! Haha. It was also my first and only national as a dad.
So that means this really IS our final Update Interview then! We’d better get serious. There comes a time when everyone hangs them up from competitive racing. What was it that tipped your scale that way?
I got to race for a really long time. A lot longer than most people typically get the opportunity to. I met my now wife and I was in a good spot to start a family. It just felt like it was time to settle down and shift my focus towards my family.
What kind of parent do you see yourself being? Will you let them make their own mistakes or will there be a parachute involved?
That’s a tough one. The goal is to always let them make their own mistakes but it’s also so hard to stand back and watch at times, but I try my best.
Have you guys thought about what sports or activities you’d like to expose them to?
My son, Jack, seems to really love any sort of bike to the point where I actually don’t remember when I was able to ride a bike without him. We’re fortunate here we have an indoor BMX track for a couple of months here in the winter, so we’ve been getting laps in on the Strider and it’s been a lot of fun. And for my daughter, Grace, hopefully she sticks to lots of barbies. Lol. But I have a feeling she’s going to follow in her big brother’s footsteps and share his love of bikes.
What are you doing for work these days?
Still swinging a hammer, building houses.
And where is home now?
Sumas Mountain in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
I guess we need to go down memory lane a bit here. How often do you get back to Halifax?
Not nearly enough. Life’s been a lot different these days having 2 kids now makes things a little more challenging. But hoping to make more trips back home because I have a lot of great family there.
You did nearly 20 years of Pro competition. What was it that helped keep you going that long? Is there a secret?
Just the drive to race my dirt bike when and wherever I could because I really enjoyed racing and I wanted it enough to make the sacrifices I made to do it for as long as I did.
I have to ask you what your best racing memory is.
Definitely have a lot of cool memories from over the years. I’m very fortunate that I have a lot of really great memories to choose from. One that always sticks out for me is Riverglade 2013. I had a really great day in front of a really great home crowd.
You tried some Supercross even. How did that side of the sport go for you?
It kinda goes back to that want to race my bike as much as possible, and getting the opportunity to race Supercross is something I’d always say yes to. It was always pretty challenging as I never got the opportunity to practice and train on Supercross. I more just showed up and raced. But it was always a really cool experience.
But remember how good the DMX Afterparties were?!
I go back far enough that I remember the RXC afterparties!
Me too! Do you have a bike right now? Do you ride ever?
I’ve still got a Husky 450 and a couple pit bikes. I got out about 10 times last year but hoping to ride a little more this year.
And now MTB riding has filled the moto void, right? How into it are you?
I haven’t gotten out as much as I’d like to but I’m hoping to change that. I just bought my wife a new e-bike so we’re hoping to get out as a family more this year.
Are you the kind of guy who will walk away from the sport completely or will you still show up from time to time, even if only to watch?
I definitely don’t plan on being the person to completely walk away. I haven’t been there as much as I would like but I really love motocross and it’s a huge part of my life. I hope to share that with my family now as we grow.
What was your worst injury in all those years?
My wrist in 2008 is definitely my worst. I lost 70% of my movement in it and with it being my right wrist, it made riding more difficult and possibly caused more injuries along the way.
Looking back, do you have any regrets?
No, I couldn’t be happier about the way everything has turned out in my life.
Last week we spoke to Keylan Meston who is in a similar position. What has racing moto taught you that you think will help and influence you for the rest of your days?
Hard work, dedication and commitment.
OK, I could fire you questions all day long, but we’d better let you get back to your busy life. Thanks for all the great memories. Would you like to thank some people first?
All of my supporters and friends that iIve made along the way that have helped me shape my life and made it what it is now.
It’s a week off in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series before it resumes the following Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama, with another Triple Crown race. Here’s a look at the current point standings:
250 East
1 1 Tom Vialle 79 17 18 22 22
2 31 Max Anstie 78 25 22 16 15
3 56 Seth Hammaker 68 18 5 20 25
4 24 R.J. Hampshire 67 4 20 25 18
5 41 Nate Thrasher 53 14 17 14 8
6 10 Chance Hymas 51 16 16 18 1
7 59 Cullin Park 48 15 11 13 9
8 34 Daxton Bennick 43 -5 22 0 15 11
9 92 Maximus Vohland 40 -3 1 13 17 12
10 60 Carson Mumford 40 12 14 11 3
11 47 Levi Kitchen 39 13 25 1 N/A
12 83 Austin Forkner 35 5 15 5 10
13 55 Henry Miller 33 11 12 10 0
14 87 Hardy Munoz 31 9 10 12 0
15 89 Trevor Colip 21 6 9 6 0
16 50 Cameron Mcadoo 20 20 0 0 N/A
17 75 Gage Linville 20 10 8 2 0
18 192 Jack Chambers 19 3 7 9 0
19 195 Lance Kobusch 8 8 0 0 0
20 350 Chandler Baker 8 0 0 8 0
250 West
1 38 Haiden Deegan 129 17 20 25 22 25 20
2 23 Julien Beaumer 117 22 25 22 18 16 14
3 100 Cole Davies 104 14 18 20 20 15 17
4 30 Jo Shimoda 102 25 15 16 12 18 16
5 37 Coty Schock 90 16 16 17 14 22 5
6 19 Jordon Smith 85 20 22 18 25 0 N/A
7 93 Michael Mosiman 79 7 13 15 17 20 7
8 36 Garrett Marchbanks 73 13 14 N/A 16 17 13
9 63 Hunter Yoder 56 9 12 12 8 11 4
10 52 Anthony Bourdon 54 15 11 13 15 N/A N/A
11 65 Lux Turner 52 11 0 11 11 13 6
12 302 Parker Ross 43 5 7 10 13 8 0
13 25 Ryder Difrancesco 35 18 17 N/A N/A 0 N/A
14 91 Tj Albright 35 8 6 8 10 3 0
15 61 Cole Thompson 34 12 10 0 3 9 0
16 54 Jett Reynolds 34 0 9 9 4 12 0
17 101 Dylan Walsh 24 0 3 4 7 10 0
18 115 Gavin Towers 21 3 4 7 0 5 2
19 166 Enzo Lopes 19 N/A N/A 5 0 14 N/A
20 98 Drew Adams 14 N/A N/A 14 0 0 N/A
450
1 2 Cooper Webb 193 18 20 14 22 22 25 25 22
2 4 Chase Sexton 178 25 16 18 25 17 20 20 17
3 94 Ken Roczen 167 22 18 22 20 1 22 22 25
4 32 Justin Cooper 144 15 11 16 9 18 17 18 18
5 27 Malcolm Stewart 140 12 15 13 12 25 18 13 16
6 21 Jason Anderson 136 20 9 20 15 20 16 11 14
7 51 Justin Barcia 129 16 14 12 10 16 15 16 12
8 46 Justin Hill 114 14 8 7 16 12 12 17 15
9 7 Aaron Plessinger 105 13 0 0 13 14 13 15 20
10 14 Dylan Ferrandis 82 0 13 6 11 0 14 14 10
11 12 Shane McElrath 82 9 5 5 8 13 10 9 11
12 3 Eli Tomac 80 17 25 15 18 5 0 0 N/A
13 17 Joey Savatgy 80 1 12 11 7 15 9 12 13
14 1 Jett Lawrence 71 10 22 25 14 N/A N/A N/A N/A
15 49 Mitchell Oldenburg 71 6 3 9 5 11 8 10 9
16 96 Hunter Lawrence 62 11 17 17 17 0 0 0 N/A
17 45 Colt Nichols 56 -5 0 4 8 6 10 11 7 7
18 57 Benny Bloss 48 0 6 10 3 9 0 5 6
19 86 Mitchell Harrison 34 5 0 0 0 6 6 6 5
20 11 Kyle Chisholm 32 2 2 0 4 7 5 2 3
Speaking of Supercross, Canadian Team Solitaire 250 West rider, #61 Cole Thompson, had a rough night at the 250 East/West Showdown in Indianapolis. The good news is that it wasn’t worse than it ended up being.
Cole crashed in the tight, left-hand, first turn in the LCQ at Lucas Oil Stadium. He hit his arm so badly that he thought he’d done some major damage and immediately rode back to the start, picked up his mechanic and headed back to the pit to get checked out.
I spoke to a team member on my way to the van at the end of the night and he said he didn’t think it was anything bad. I spoke briefly with Cole this afternoon to confirm, and here’s what he said:
“Yea, I’m all good, just hit my arm in the funny bone & went numb. Frustrating night but sometimes that’s the way she goes.”
Canadian Results at 2025 James Stewart Freestone Spring Championship
#710 MALACHI TEICHRIB
AUSTIN, MB
| 22nd #710 |  | 65cc (10-11) Limited | M1: 20thM2: 22nd |
| 21st #710 | | 65cc (10-11) | M1: 21stM2: DNF |
#630 MASON MURDY
NORWOOD, ON
Sponsors
Lynks Racing, OGs, Nifty5, T-Rex Moto, Dirt Lab Concepts, Orange Motorsports, , JPM Mechanical, Rock Products 2017 Limited, TNT, Twin Air, TCD Racing
| 8th #630 | | 85cc (9-12) Limited | M1: 4thM2: 11th |
| 9th #630 | | 85 (9-12) | M1: 7thM2: 12th |
| 20th #630 | | 85cc (10-14) | M1: 12thM2: 19th |
#518 PARKER HATT
CALGARY, AB
Sponsors
Husqvarna Canada, Fox Canada, Hatt Automotive, BFD Moto, CJR Suspension, Matrix Concepts Canada
| 14th #518 |  | 85cc (9-12) Limited | M1: 6thM2: 14th |
| 8th #518 | | 85 (9-12) | M1: 11thM2: 8th |
| 14th #518 | | 85cc (10-14) | M1: 11thM2: 13th |
#150 LOKLAN TEICHRIB
AUSTIN, MB
| #150 | | 85cc (9-12) Limited | M1: 17th |
| 32nd #150 | | 85 (9-12) | M1: 33rdM2: DNF |
#99 EVAN THALMAN
WEST ST PAUL, MB
Sponsors
Thalman Logistics, ProWide Parcel Service, Sigvaldason Referigation, New Image Graphics
| 16th #99 |  | 85cc (10-14) | M1: 6thM2: 20th |
| 11th #99 | | Mini Sr 1 (12-14) | M1: 10thM2: 12th |
| 10th #99 | | Mini Sr 2 (13-16) | M1: 11thM2: 10th |
#94 KIANA KURTZ
ARISS, ON
Sponsors
Zdeno cycle, Renthal, HMX moto co., Husqvarna Canada, Brian Kurtz Trucking
| 5th #94 | | Women’s 12+ | M1: 6thM2: 5th |
#11 ANI FERGUSON
ILE DES CHENES, MB
Sponsors
HUSQVARNA, FOX CANADA, HEARTBEAT HOTSAUCE, CHUDDS POWERPOSRTS, MATRIX CONCEPTS, 100% GOGGLES
| 10th #11 | | Women’s 12+ | M1: 10thM2: 11th |
| 18th #71 | | 250 C (12+) | M1: 19thM2: 18th |
#75 ASHER BROWN
PORT ALBERNI, BC
Sponsors
Akers Racing, Browns Outdoor, Factory Connection, Beaver Fever forestry
| 22nd #75 |  | Schoolboy 2 (12-17) | M1: 12thM2: 21st |
| 18th #75 | | 250 B (12+) | M1: 10thM2: 17th |
| 13th #75 | | 450 B (12+) | M1: 19thM2: 12th |
#26 ETHAN DARRACH
MONCTON, NB
| 34th #26 | | Schoolboy 2 (12-17) | M1: 14thM2: DNS |
| 23rd #26 | | 250 B (12+) | M1: 14thM2: 22nd |
| 24th #26 | | 450 B (12+) | M1: 18thM2: DNF |
Full results HERE
And now riders are over at Oak Hill for the Motoplayground Spring A Ding
You can follow along with the live timing HERE
Zach Ufimzeff Update
Zach Ufimzeff from Lake Country, Alberta, fell victim to a mysterious illness that saw all of his energy disappear. He’s been through the ringer chasing down the source of the problem but now it looks like he’s got more of a handle on it and is moving forward.
He’ll ride for the newly formed Guaranteed Comfort Hanover Honda team in 2025. I asked him today how he’s doing and he said, “Slowly making progress with getting back on the bike and handling a bit of workload. Goal is to be ready for round 1 and do the whole series.”
Great news!
Hayden Cusworth | Being Deaf Is Just Another Obstacle on the Motocross Track
Riding and racing Motocross is one of the most physically demanding and mentally taxing activities you can take on. Now imagine doing it with one of your senses missing. Hayden Cusworth from Simcoe, Ontario, began riding doing just that as a deaf person.
Born deaf, hearing isn’t something that was taken away after riding for years developing the skills to cope. Instead, Hayden had to ride as a complete beginner without the ability to hear what shifting through the gears sounded like. That must have been tough.
Today, he’s continuing to move forward with his riding. He’ll move to the more competitive AMO series with hopes of making it to the TransCan at Walton Raceway. But his ambition doesn’t stop there, though.
We spoke with Hayden to get to know him and what he’s been up against a little better.
Hello, Hayden. First off, can you tell us where you’re from, how old you are and how you got into Motocross in the first place?
Hayden Cusworth: I started to ride at 4 years old on a Suzuki 50cc just for fun around at the house.
Interestingly, you were actually born deaf, thought, right? Do you remember what that was like when you first ride to ride a dirt bike? It must have presented some challenges.
Yes, I was born deaf and got surgery on my cochlear on my head metals and started ride dirt bike at 4 years old. I want to become a pro racer as a career.
Can you feel what the bike is doing to let you know when to change gears?
When I was on an 85cc, Trevor McKee helped teach me that when I feel the vibration of the dirt bike to gear up and follow 1 2 3 4 5 6.
I have to assume you look up to Ashley Fiolek? She actually took my good friend to the ESPY Awards with her and her dad, Jim Fiolek, is a huge Tragically Hip fan! Was she your inspiration?
I know who Ashley Fiolek is but I’ve never met her. I would to like meet her and train with her but it’s just too far for me.
Before I forget to ask you, would you consider riding an electric bike? That would take all the sound out of the equation, no?
I rode an electric bike before but it’s kind of hard for me. I only love 2-strokes!
You took a bit of a break from riding and racing during the COVID years, right? How was it to get back to riding and racing again?
I took a long break during COVID-19. It was a long time not to practice or race and when Gopher Dunes finally opened in the summer I went to practice and it was fun on my Honda 150CRF. I got a Yamaha YZ 125 to race the new season and it was great. I was 2nd in the summer season and 1st in the fall season.
You got another ear implant, right? Has that solved the sound issue or is it still the same challenge to ride a dirt bike?
I got an ear implant but now it’s not working because it has expired. I’m getting a new ear this year so I was just feeling the dirt bike.
Right now you’re concentrating on racing the TVR series, correct? What classes do you race and how did you do last season?
I had raced TVR for many year and I’m in MX C. It was great and fun to race, but I’ll move to Amateur Motocross Ontario (AMO) this year.
What did you get up to over these cold winter months? Do you ever get to head south to train for the upcoming season?
Winter time I never go south. I really wanted to go there and maybe next year I could go to get some training time in.
Do you still go to EC Drury School for the Deaf in Milton? What are your career goals?
I used to go to school at EC Drury School for the Deaf. My goal is to race dirt bikes as a Pro career and I’m in school at Mohawk College now.
I know you really want to race the TransCan at Walton Raceway in 2025. What are your racing plans this coming summer?
I plan to go to the TransCan this summer, yes. If I’m doing well in AMO with points then yes I will go there for my goal to get a championship for the deaf.
What advice would you give someone who wanted to get into racing but is also having to overcome some challenges?
No harm in trying something that’s good for them and just dive in. Never be afraid to get into something that you never know you may like. That’s how I was when I first started.
OK, thanks for telling us your story and chatting with us. I’d like to wish you all the best achieving your goals. Good luck this season and we’ll keep an eye out for the #267 this summer.
Thank you.
We’ll end it with this bombshell Brett Lee and the gang over at WLTN Kawasaki just dropped on us. We knew he’d been in talks with Phil Nicoletti, but I didn’t think they were going to be able to meet on terms. Well, it appears they have and Phil will make his return to Canada in 2025.
Phil Nicoletti Signs with WLTN Kawasaki for 2025
Phil Nicoletti signs with WLTN Kawasaki for 2025.
From WLTN Kawasaki:
“It’s going to be a Filthy summer.
“Welcome back to Canada, Phil 
”
There goes the neighbourhood…again!
Thanks for reading, everyone, and have a fantastic weekend. I’m actually going to see the band that I’ve seen more than all other s combined: The Forgotten Rebels here in London Saturday night. If you’re in town, come on out! Jeff Campbell, the guitarist, was an avid motocrosser, and Micky DeSadist (you heard me), the lead singer, in an avid MTB rider.
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