Frid’Eh Update #19 Presented by FXR Racing

By Jeff McConkey and Billy Rainford

Week #19 belongs to Idaho rider Morgan Burger. – Bigwave photo

Welcome to Week #19 of the Frid’Eh Update, this week presented by FXR Racing. For 2016, #19 goes out to the rider we’ve gotten to know pretty well over the past few years. Idaho’s Morgan Burger has been traveling our country for the past few summer and has had some solid success along the way.

In 2015 he surprised us all by showing up with the #9 on a 250F racing the MX2 class. Here’s a look at how his summer went:

He finished 8th overall, just 6 points behind Brad Nauditt in 7th and 19 ahead of Jess Pettis in 9th. We spoke to him last week for the Monday Morning Coffee column in what became our first, “Hey, what are you doing this summer…?” column. Here’s what he had for us:

Hey, Morgan Burger, what are you doing this summer?

Idaho’s Morgan Burger showed up under the radar last spring and lined up in the MX2 class, to the surprise of most people. We hadn’t heard from his in some time again this winter so I got int touch with him to find out what his plans are for the 2016 summer racing season.

Just been super-busy with school this off season. I got Supercross off my bucket list last year with finally making a main and getting 14th. With that done, I decided to start that next step towards the afterlife of motocross, man. By no means am I done, I just wanted to start getting the train rolling on stuff like that.

I am planning on coming back up this summer, though, and traveling with the Brough brothers and the RMX Series squad. Mountains Edge Cycle and Sled hooked it up with a bike again this year and I purchased my practice bike. Right now I’m just dialing in the suspension with Devol and stoked with the motor on the new Yamaha after putting in my Rekluse torq drive. So now that I got a couple of those sponsor plugs out of the way, it’s looking to be like another good summer this year!

A few people I also wanted to thank for last year and in advance are:

Strikt
Insiduous Designs
The Barnett Family
OTW Safety
Scott Motorsports
Acerbis
Bell Powersports
Knobby Underwear

He hung up before I had the chance to confirm what class he was planning to race, so I called him back…

I had fun on the 250 but it is back to the 450 this year!

It looks like it’s ‘Morgan Burger Week’ here at Direct Motocross! We grabbed him for a slightly more in depth chat today for the Update. Here’s what he had to say this time:

Direct Motocross: Hello, Morgan. We just chatted with you earlier in the week to talk about your 2016 racing plans, but we’ll get to that. For those who may not be familiar with you, can you give us a brief introduction?
Hey there, my name is Morgan Burger, I am 24 and from Nampa, Idaho, just outside of Boise. This year I decided to go back to school over the winter and am currently finishing up my first year at college of western Idaho (CWI).

I know your dad is a military man. Does that mean you moved around a lot as a kid or have you always been in Idaho?
My dad was in the Air National Guard when me and my brother (Kameron) were kids. So with that meant that he never got re-stationed anywhere so that helped a ton. He still got deployed a number of times and fought overseas and just actually retired this year after 20-some-odd years out there at the guard. With that said, I just want to say thanks a ton for not only what he did for our family but our country as well.

How did you get into MX in the first place?
My dad had always ridden as a kid but kind of got out of it as he got older. But when me and Kam were born a family friend of ours, Brian Bird, had talked him into getting a bike and us bikes. So the rest is sort of history after that as the cliche saying goes (Laughs).

What did your amateur career look like?
A lot like my Pro career (Laughs). By that I mean being just outside the limelight and not really getting the opportunity from any teams. With that said though my family provided me with the best they could offer and I couldn’t have asked for any more from them. I had won a few Novice championships, but I was 13 so that was cool. Then I had some top 5’s in the Intermediate at Oak Hill and the best being a 5th at Loretta’s. I battled with guys like (Joey) Savatgy and (Jessy) Nelson, to put it into some sort of perspective.

What year did you turn Pro? What did you do that first year?
I had turned Pro/Am in 2012, I believe, and went to Loretta’s and had a horrible year with bikes blowing up and getting knocked out. Then in 2013 I was going to give it another shot at Loretta’s and missed my regional from just some more bad luck. With that we just headed north to Kamloops and raced the west coast on a 250 putting me 5th in the series before I had to bow out due to lack of funds for east, which gave me 12th overall and #26 for the following year.

My first year I only did west but I had a blast, man! Obviously you guys haven’t gotten rid of me since (Laughs). I loved coming up here and finally getting a little bit of recognition and hanging out with all you friendly folk!

Morgan will be back in Canada in 2016 racing a 450 again in the MX1 class. – Bigwave photo

You went for it in Supercross last year. Can you tell us how that went?
I had tried Supercross for a little while but just kept having injuries here and there preventing me from actually giving it a go in a stadium. The last two winters I finally rounded up some money and sponsors to go after it and made some night shows my first year and finally made a main last year with a 14th. Supercross is no joke, man, just super-stressful and is like basically learning how to ride all over again. But it was so fun finally getting it off the bucket list!

You’re also going to school. What are you taking and what’s your future plan, work-wise?
Right now I am just getting the core general courses out of the way. Eventually though the plan is to either get something in physical training or a radiology tech would be ideal.

OK, so now you’re heading north again. Can you tell us what you’re riding and what your goals are for 2016?
Yea man, got another great hook up this year with Mountain’s Edge Cycle and Sled and they are helping me with bikes and tired and a few other miscellaneous things. Goals for this year are hard. I always like to say I want to be top ten but seeing how I have had a couple 4ths I definitely would like to be back inside that top 5 at some point.

Thanks for chatting with us again today. Good luck this summer and who would you like to thank?
Thanks for the interview, man! I’d like to thank:

Mountains Edge Cycle and Sled
Garry Brough and the RMX Series
Strikt
The Barnette family
Insiduous designs
Devol engeneering
Scott Motorsports
Acerbis
Rekluse Motorsports
Flo
OTW Saftey
Mom Dad and who ever else I know I’m forgetting, I apologize!

This week, the Frid’Eh Update is brought to you by FXR Racing. Give them a click to see their new product line.

Jeff McConkey

Hi, guys.  Happy Friday! It looks like Mother Nature has finally figured it out. Spring is here, and that means some great spring riding conditions are here as well. Last Saturday Bigwave Billy and I made the trip to Motopark up in Chatsworth, Ontario. Leading into the weekend, I had heard a bunch of crazy stories, basically saying that the entire region was under water. I really didn’t think much of it until we got closer and closer to Chatsworth. As I looked in the fields along the highway, I couldn’t help but notice the crazy amounts of water and that the majority of the fields were still under water. I was honestly worried that our first ride of the season was going to be a mudder.

We all know that I’m a serious fair weather rider and mud just isn’t my thing. Thankfully, when we rolled into Motopark, we were blessed with a perfectly prepped track. Iain Hayden, Zeb Dennis, Carl Bastedo and crew had busted their butts and the place looked great. Ryan Gauld had his AMO set up and then Donna Stephens replaced him with the CMRC trailer. The rider turnout was very impressive for a practice day. I was smiling ear to ear. Victoria Hett and the great people at Husqvarna Canada had set us up with the new 2016 FC250. Like I’ve said before, I was never really a white bike type of guy until now. Dang, that thing looks cool.

Our pits were buzzing all day long with people dying to learn more about the fresh white Husky. It gets even better, our good friend Andy White had shipped us a fresh batch of FXR gear, and Aaron Barsanti from Mica Sport/ Scott-Sport Canada had me taken care of, like always. And let’s be serious for a moment…Looking good is 4 quarters of the battle. Don’t worry, I will be putting up a full report on the bike very soon. But let me tell you, I don’t think I have never ridden a 250 this good before. I’m still smiling!

Jeff digs into his box of fresh FXR gear before hopping on the new 2016 Husqvarna FC250 at Motopark last week. – Bigwave photo

MMRS MX School and Practice Weekend

This coming Saturday, I will be loading up the FC250 Husqvarna and heading East to the MMRS School and Practice Weekend. This is an amazing time to get out and have a good time while learning some serious bike skills that could really help you out. I’m expecting to see riders from 4 years old all of the way up to seniors, as the MMRS crew has a spot for everyone. This isn’t just a school for us riders, John and Jean Maquire also run a flagging school to ensure the safety of everyone. Now that’s a pretty cool idea. I was out at John’s personal track Muttco Mountain this past Sunday, and was able to have a nice chat with John about the upcoming season. He mentioned how he was excited to team up the the AMO and Ryan Gauld and how the pair were really looking forward to growing motocross in Ontario.

Press Release:

M.M.R.S. MX SCHOOL,PRACTICE WEEKEND APRIL 23, 24 2016

Ready to ride ?  New to motocross ? No better way to get started then with the MMRS School and Practice Weekend.

 All beginner and novice riders are encouraged to attend this school. It will involve instruction on all aspects of riding and will be held at different stations throughout the track. Students will be divided into appropriate groups based on their ability level and size of bike. A great way to get the season started. Lots of seat time and great tips.  Following the school, the track will be open for practice.

The 50 riders who are just beginning will have their own track to practice on. Any 50 riders who have raced before will have the option of joining the 60’s on the track.

Please note: Tyke riders ( beginners just learning to ride and not yet ready to race ) will have a section available on Sat. during the school. There is no cost for this.

Sunday will be an all day open practice for motocross bikes.

No membership is required for the school or the practice.

Gates will open Friday Apr. 22 at 5:00 p.m.

Apr. 23/16

7:30 a.m. Sign � In

9:00 a.m. – noon MX School

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. open MX practice

Cost: $ 50:00 for 60’s, 80’s and big bikes.  $30 for 50 riders not using the main track   $20 afternoon practice only

* regular gate and camping fees will apply

 Apr. 24/16

8:30 a.m. Flagging Instruction – we have flagging positions available and anyone who would like to flag at any of our events this year should plan to attend this session. We will also have positions available for flagging during practice, following the instruction. Please email if you are interested on working this year or during practice on Sunday so I can reserve you a spot. info@mmrs.ca

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Open MX Practice

John also mentioned a plan for some payback races for the Pros that don’t head West. I honestly think this is an incredible way to stay sharp and earn some cash for the riders not able to head West for the first 4 CMRC Pro Nationals. This is where I’m going to call out guys like Nathan Bles, Westen Wrozyna, JC Bujold, Tommy Dalliare, and Guillaune St-cyr. This is a great tune-up for the East Nationals guys. Be sure to get in touch with John Maguire and see how you guys can make some money and get prepared. Anyway, I hope to see as many of you as I can this weekend – you won’t be disappointed.

Supercross

The Monster Energy SX Series will be making a stop at the world famous Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. This will once again be an early race. So far in the 250 East, we have had a crazy series, to say the least. From Martin Davalos and his Visa issues, to Jeremy Martin and his inconsistency, to the super steady Malcolm Stewart, followed by the rise of Aaron Plessinger. It looked like nobody really wanted to step up and take over during the last few weeks, and that allowed the points race to get very exciting. Malcolm Stewart heads to Gillette with a very slim 1-point lead over Plessinger. Not to be completely counted out is 2-time National Champion Jeremy Martin who has a long-shot at the title sitting 16 points back. As seen all season long, anything can and probably will happen in this wild 250 East.

Saturday
April 23, 2016

Doors Open/Practice & Qualifying – 9AM
Opening Ceremonies – 3:30PM
Racing Starts – 4PM

In 450 action, Ryan Dungey has been a winning machine in a very deep field. In recent weeks, Ken Roczen has really stepped up and is pushing Ryan like nobody else has been able to this season. It looked like Marvin Musquin was going to be a podium threat every week, but a big crash later and Musquin has slowed up a little. 2016 seems to be the season of ‘what’s up with’ riders like Justin Barcia, Trey Canard, and Eli Tomac just to mention a few. These are guys that expect to be fighting for wins and landing on the podium every week. For some strange reason or another it doesn’t seem to be happening. Maybe a fresh stop on the tour will be the magic these guys are missing? Here are my predictions for the Boston round.

250 EAST

Holeshot: Dakota Alix

1st Aaron Plessinger
2nd Jeremy Martin
3rd Malcolm Stewart
4th Martin Davalos
5th R.J Hampshire

450 CLASS

Holeshot: Ken Roczen

1st Ken Roczen
2nd Ryan Dungey
3rd Trey Canard
4th Jason Anderson
5th Justin Brayton

Well, that’s it for me this week. I need to go get all “OCD” with my goggle prep and my gear bag. I hope to see you guys this weekend at the MMRS School. Come say hi and check out the beautiful Husqvarna FC250. Have a great weekend and always #smileforBC!

Billy Rainford

Thanks, Jeff. I had such a great time up at Motopark last Saturday, too. However, I’m embarrassed to say that my right forearm took until Wednesday to stop hurting! Apparently, I was going with the old ‘death grip’ riding technique. It had been quite a while since I’d actually ridden a bike, so I wasn’t quite as relaxed as I maybe could have been. It sounds counter-intuitive but if you want to get a job in the industry, be prepared to have even less time to actually ride…unless your job is a test rider, of course.

We posted a whole bunch of photos from that day, so if you haven’t had a chance to see what people are riding this year, go check it out HERE.

Adam Cianciarulo on James Stewart

From Adam Cianciarulo‘s Facebook page:

RTBA Casey Keast Video

This sport will always have those certain riders who move up from the little bikes, skip Junior, and then dominate the Intermediate classes…and the rest of us mere mortals will always secretly hate them for it. Yes, I’m kidding, but it really shows how different this sport can be for different riders. Heck, some of us will never even get any faster than Junior level while others will rocket all the way to the top of the Pro class. Their only challenge seems to be staying dedicated and focused to realize that potential.

Check out this video that Matt Koeleman from RTBA Films put together of one such rider from Kelowna, BC’s #217 Casey Keast:

Mitch Cooke Escapes Disaster

Just the day before, I remember seeing a post from Nova Scotia’s Mitch Cooke showing his shiny new Freedom Cycle Kawasaki 450. And then this…

Caption: Lucky to make it out of this one alive.

Thanks a lot everybody, just a hurt leg and ego but I will be back in no time!

Glad to hear you’re OK, Mitch.

Racer X Canada Hats

For those of you who expressed an interest in one of these Racer X Canada hats my buddy stumbled on to at a Salvation Army store here in London, I haven’t forgotten about you. I’m just having a hard time finding…the time…to do anything about it! I bought all 36 of them and my intention is to send them out to those who want them.

I will have to go over the first requests and then let everyone know how many are left. Send an email to billy@diretmotocross.com if you’d like one of these things set aside.

NB: They are all SM/M

No, I haven’t forgotten about those who expressed an interest in one of these collector’s items.

Road Trip!

If you don’t like driving, don’t get into the motocross industry. It’s as simple as that. We’re about to do it again! I’ll be hopping into the DMX Van and heading out almost as soon as this Update goes to ‘print.’ And get this, our old buddy Sean Bowker is riding shotgun. If you’ve ever wondered why I sometimes type “Google it, Bowker!” in my photo reports, he’s Bowker. I tend to enjoy reference humour and Sean always says he has to have Google open to keep up with the references. Anyway, we’ll be heading east on the I-90 this evening and driving all the way to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough Stadium.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter @DirectMX and on Instagram @directmotocross for behind the scenes updates throughout the day. I’ll try to give you something more than simple results.

Live Streaming Video Coverage of Nationals through Conx2share

Stallybrass Promotions Inc. is excited to announce a new partnership with Conx2share for the 2016-2018 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals presented by Motovan. By downloading the Conx2share app, you can now see all ten rounds of the national series via live streaming video on your mobile phone. This also automatically registers you as a member of Conx2share with access to view the races on your computer. Just log in on their website – www.conx2share.com.
For each round, the live television coverage on Conx2share will tentatively begin at 11:45am local time with the gate dropping at 12:10pm. You will now be able to watch the racing as it unfolds through the cameras of Hill’s Video Productions, the national series’ television production company, and listen to the commentary of the best motocross announcer in the business, Brian Koster. Podium and pre and post-race interviews will give you up-to-the-minute coverage of each round, in a series that will host the most talent-filled field of Pros ever to compete in Canada.

Full Mobile Live Stream coverage of the entire event throughout the weekend from the first gate dropping to the final awards on the podium will be provided by Conx2share. You don’t have to miss anything!! The best part is it’s free! All you have to do is download the Conx2share app on your mobile phone. Once downloaded from the App or Google Play store the app will open on the “Discover” tab on the menu. Tap “Groups” to search for “CMRC Racing” and follow us. This will be the platform to view the live streaming coverage throughout the summer. You will receive notifications on your phone when the live stream begins.  Missed the race live? Not a problem, the races will be archived for the week following each respective event on the app.

Dependable live streaming video coverage has been on the radar for some time and now we’ve found it through our new partner, Conx2share. Not only will this allow Canadians to follow each lap of each race, motocross fans worldwide can now watch what the excitement is all about at Canada’s pro motocross series. The opening round of the Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals presented by Motovan takes place June 5th in Kamloops, BC. Take the time to download the app, join the CMRC Racing group, and discover all of the incredible social media features offered on the Conx2share app.

Motorcycle Stunts Video Under Investigation

Credit: Topher Ingalls/YouTube

Direct Motocross Poll Results

There’s just no other way to end this week other than let Prince and his guitar make you smile, get goosebumps, and maybe even shed a tear. Fast forward to 3:30 if you don’t want to watch the whole thing. #talent #RIP