Frid’Eh Update #20 | Jeremy McKie | Brought to You by GasGas Canada

Frid’Eh Update #20 | Jeremy McKie | Brought to You by GasGas Canada

By Billy Rainford

Welcome to Week #20 of the DMX Frid’Eh Update, this week presented by GasGas Canada. It’s actually been a very busy couple weeks without any travel to speak of. I checked out the team intro for the Honda Canada GDR Fox Racing team over at Gopher Dunes and then the hung out at Walton Raceway on Tuesday for the WLTN Kawasaki Seven photo day.

There have been a couple pretty big announcements this week, too.

#84 Tanner Ward will move down to the 250 class after looking very strong up in the 450 class last season. The team signed #891 Justin Bogle to come up and race the 250 for them but with his wrist and back injury, it is still unsure when he’ll be back to 100% and able to race to his full potential.

#84 Tanner Ward to Race 250 Class in 2023

At the team shoot for the WLTN Kawasaki Seven MX racing team on Tuesday at Walton Raceway, it was learned that #84 Tanner Ward will drop back down to the 250 class for the 2023 Canadian Triple Crown Series.

Tanner moved up to the 450 class for the 2022 season and was going to stay there with teammate #20 Jeremy McKie while #891 Justin Bogle would race the 250 class for the team.

Unfortunately, Bogle’s injury will have his struggling to get back into race condition in time for the start of the season at RAD Torque Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, on June 3rd.

With the team needing to field a rider in each class, they decided to move Tanner to the 250 class for the season.

The plan is to have Justin come to Canada when he is fully ready and then decide which class to have him race depending on what the team may need at that time.

Tanner finished 4th in the 2021 MX season on a 250 and took wins at the first two rounds. He was 5th in the SX/AX portion of the series with one win, placing him 3rd in Triple Crown points.

The team was forced to make the decision to bring a rider down to ensure they had a rider competing in both classes. #20 Jeremy McKie is the 6’2″ 183 pound rider who will make his rookie appearance in the 450 class leaving Tanner to head back to the 250 class. In fact, he mentioned there was talk in the off season of him doing this anyway, so he’s actually excited about dropping down and making the 250 class even more entertaining.

Meanwhile, over at Red Bull KTM, it has been decided that #126 Kaven Benoit will not be racing the new EFI 250 2-stroke and will instead ride the race-proven 4-stroke at the Canadian Triple Crown Series MX Nationals.

Here’s the statement we got from the team this week:

#126 Kaven Benoit to Race KTM 250F in Canadian Triple Crown Series

After months of anticipation and excitement that would have seen 2-time Canadian 250 MX National Champion #126 Kaven Benoit return to racing aboard a 250 2-stroke in the 250 class, it has been decided that Kaven will, in fact, ride the time-tested 250 4-stroke in the 2023 Canadian Triple Crown Series MX Nationals.

Kaven spent time training in South Carolina at Club MX this past winter on the all-new 2-stroke machine, but encountered a few hurdles with the new platform. Instead of risking testing the new bike at the races, the team has decided to go with the 2023 KTM 250F platform.

Said Red Bull KTM RacingTeam Manager Matt Deroy: “At the moment, our 2-stroke program is not as competitive as our 4-stroke 250 program.” He added, “The bike being so new, we need more development on it. Therefore, Kaven and the team decided to race the 4-stroke.”

He confirmed that Kaven will still compete in the entire MX National season for the team.

Speaking of Jeremy McKie, it’s Week #20 this week and that means we would have been grabbing an interview with the rider from Beloeil, Quebec, anyway, but since we sat down with him on Tuesday, we can use that to get caught up with him.

After watching Jeremy on the 450 a couple times now, I can say that I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do in the big bike class this summer. To be honest, that class is the one that needs an injection of riders and he should be a rider who’s battling with the likes of #25 Daniel Elmore trying to fight his way onto the podium.

Here’s what Jeremy had to say earlier this week:

Podcast:

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After a week of in the MXGP action last week, we’re back this week with the MXGP of France. Canadian Kate Kowalchuk is over there traveling the circuit and sent over this update from the Portugal and Spain rounds where quite a bit has happened at the top of the field:

MXGP Report | Kate Checks in from Europe

By Kate Kowalchuk

After a weekend off let’s go over the last two Grand Prix’s before we return to action this weekend at Villars sous Ecotin at the MXGP of France. A lot has happened in both Portugal and Spain GP weekends. Championships have been lost, records were broken, seasons have ended, and battles have just begun… where to even start?!

MX2

Portugal was a return to action for a few different riders in the MX2 class. Top riders such as Yamaha Factory rider #93 Jago Geerts had a few off weekends, but bounced back in Portugal going 1-1-1 collecting 60 points in his championship hunt.

Following behind him on the podium for the first time this year, Factory Nestaan Husqvarna had both MX2 riders on the podium. #39 Roan Van De Moosdijk and teammate #74 Kay De Wolf pulled off some incredible last lap moves in the second moto almost catching the leader Geerts to land themselves on the podium by just one point difference back to 4^th place. Unfortunately, after an incredible showing in Portugal.

Factory Husqvarna riders struggled a little bit in Spain. For the first time this season Factory Gas Gas rider #516 Simon Laengenfelder found himself right where everyone expected him to be this year going 1-1 taking the overall in Spain. However, due to a small practice crash following this dominant performance he has broken his arm and cannot defend his performance this coming weekend in France.

Following him on the podium in Spain were the top two in the MX2 Championship, Factory Yamaha’s Geerts and Factory KTM rider #80 Andrea Adamo.

Later this past week there was another unfortunate practice injury in MX2 resulting in Factory Yamaha rider #44 Rick Elzinga breaking his collarbone.

There is currently a 48 point difference in the MX2 Championship which we all know is not a very big lead with the amount of points up for grabs this season with the qualifying races.

MX2 – World Championship Classification

Pos Nr Rider Nat. Bike Total ARG SAR SUI TRE POR ESP FRA LAT GER INA INA CZE BEL FIN SWE NED TUR VIE GBR 1 93 Geerts, Jago BEL YAM 319 10 25-25 10 22-25 8 14-20 7 25-14 10 25-25 10 22-22 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 2 80 Adamo, Andrea ITA KTM 271 9 20-20 3 16-15 6 20-22 8 22-22 8 22-16 6 16-20 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 3 74 de Wolf, Kay NED HUS 263 5 15-11 9 25-22 9 22-18 3 16-18 5 20-22 7 18-18 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 4 516 Laengenfelder, S. GER GAS 259 8 13-16 8 20-14 0 16-16 10 12-25 9 16-18 8 25-25 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 5 198 Benistant, T. FRA YAM 247 6 22-13 7 18-20 10 18-25 9 18-16 3 8-13 5 20-16 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 6 39 Van De Moosdijk, R. NED HUS 219 4 18-14 2 13-16 7 25-13 5 15-15 6 18-20 4 11-13 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 7 72 Everts, Liam BEL KTM 187 7 16-8 5 12-13 5 13-15 6 20-20 7 0-10 1 14-15 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 8 24 Horgmo, Kevin NOR KAW 173 2 12-22 6 14-12 0 12-14 2 10-13 0 9-15 3 13-14 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 9 96 Coenen, Lucas BEL HUS 154 3 0-12 4 15-18 0 15-5 4 14-12 2 12-14 9 15-0 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 10 253 Pancar, Jan SLO KTM 134 0 11-9 0 9-11 3 11-12 0 8-11 4 15-11 2 5-12 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

MXGP

There were major changes in the MXGP class these past two weekends, some history breaking and others just heart breaking.

Unfortunately, Factory Yamaha rider #959 Maxime Renaux had a mid-week practice crash going into Portugal with an injured shoulder and doing everything he could to salvage points for the championship hunt.

Factory KTM rider #84 Jeffrey Herlings went 3-1 in Portugal to tie the world GP wins record recording his 101st GP win.

Following him on the podium was Factory Kawasaki’s #3 Romain Febvre and Factory Gas Gas rider #61 Jorge Prado.

The points gap between the top 4 riders was quite close going into Spain. Unfortunately for a few riders, it did not stay that way. 

Saturday was not the best day for two of the championship riders with the MXGP qualifying race getting a red flag start taking Factory Kawasaki’s Febvre out of the weekend with a huge start crash knocking him unconscious. After the second start, making some big moves to the front Renaux put his foot down to save himself from falling resulting in a broken foot/ankle taking him out for what is to be expected to be the rest of the season.

This one race took out 3 and 4 from the championship hunt giving a big break in points to both Herlings and Prado. Febvre is expected to return this weekend in France for his home GP. 

Speaking of the top 2 in points, there were some big moves made by none other than Jeffrey Herlings. In dominating fashion the #84 went 1-1 on current red plate holder Prado’s home track to break history and not only surpass the GP wins record with 102 but also close the points gap from 17 points down to 6.

Even though Prado had a rough second moto, his teammate made up for it. #101 Mattia Guadagnini would go on to have his best weekend of the year getting his first ever MXGP podium after moving up from MX2 last season.

It was an emotional podium on Sunday with Herlings breaking the wins record, Guadagnini getting his first-ever MXGP podium, and rounding out the podium was Factory HRC rider #70 Ruben Fernandez showing up for his home fans.

MXGP – World Championship Classification

Pos Nr Rider Nat. Bike Total ARG SAR SUI TRE POR ESP FRA LAT GER INA INA CZE BEL FIN SWE NED TUR VIE GBR 1 61 Prado, Jorge ESP GAS 294 10 25-15 10 25-15 10 25-20 1 25-20 5 25-15 10 22-16 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 2 84 Herlings, J. NED KTM 288 1 18-22 8 22-22 8 15-18 4 12-25 9 20-25 9 25-25 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 3 70 Fernandez, R. ESP HON 224 7 16-25 5 0-10 2 16-13 8 20-14 10 14-22 4 16-22 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 4 3 Febvre, Romain FRA KAW 214 6 22-16 6 10-18 9 20-22 10 9-18 6 22-20 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 5 959 Renaux, Maxime FRA YAM 202 8 20-12 0 18-20 6 22-25 9 22-22 0 8-10 0 0-0 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 6 10 Vlaanderen, C. NED YAM 191 5 10-11 3 20-16 4 18-14 0 15-9 8 13-16 2 14-13 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 7 259 Coldenhoff, G. NED YAM 190 4 14-7 9 16-25 1 13-1 2 13-15 0 18-14 5 18-15 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 8 91 Seewer, Jeremy SUI YAM 187 0 4-20 4 15-14 5 1-16 7 5-16 7 16-18 8 13-18 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 9 101 Guadagnini, M. ITA GAS 186 9 11-13 2 11-9 0 12-9 3 18-11 3 15-13 7 20-20 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 10 303 Forato, A. ITA KTM 151 0 12-8 0 13-12 7 9-15 0 16-6 0 12-6 6 15-14 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

It was quite special to witness what happened in the MXGP class on Sunday. With so much happening and points gaps closing it will be exciting to watch this upcoming weekend in France.

Thanks, Kate, have fun this weekend!

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We’ll actually get the opportunity to ride some Yamaha power-assist bicycles next week up in the Copeland Forest across from Horseshoe Valley Resort near Barrie, Ontario. Historically, I’m against the idea, especially in non-mountainous regions, but I’ll check them out with an open mind. I’m old and don’t handle change very well. Lol.

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Team PRMX Ready for Triple Crown Series

It looks like the riders are getting ready for a summer of racing over at Team PRMX. Josiah Natzke will ride a 250 and young Julien Benek will move up to the 450 class. Here are a couple posts from their Instagram pages:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Josiah Natzke (@josiahnatzke_)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Julien Benek (@julienbenek50)

The team and Preston Masciangelo have parted ways, however. Preston was to compete in SX Futures this winter but his injury kept him from being ready. The next plan was to race the 250 for the team this summer, but Preston has said that won’t be happening.

At this point, he won’t be heading west to start the season but said he will pick up the season when the series goes east. I told him we could throw a bike on the back of the DMX Van!

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Well, Emily just got back from Italy last night and she was happy to see that I hadn’t managed to burn the house down. We both were. Have a great weekend, everyone.

I actually broke my first bicycle chain last week and I can confirm that you shouldn’t mix SRAM chain/cassette with Shimano. I tried to put a new SRAM chain on the old Shimano stuff and it slipped. I tried to use the same new SRAM chain on a new Shimano cassette and it seemed like it was going to work until I hit my first uphill and had to push. Nope, it slipped again. 2 rides ruined for this lesson. Nobody said I was smart!

(Let me point out that the first shop I went to didn’t have the Shimano chain when I went the first time, so I thought I’d try it. What do you think I am, an idiot?! Don’t answer that.) Anyway, I’ve got it all matched up and the Scott Spark 29er is ready for another trip to the west. Thanks for reading.