Frid’Eh Update #23 | Dakota Alix | Presented by KTM Canada
By Billy Rainford
Welcome to DMX Frid’Eh Update #23 presented by KTM Canada. Yes, I know it’s actually Saturday today, but I was busy up at Walton Raceway for the National Prep Day ride and Dakota was on the long drive home from Florida, so we thought waiting until today would be OK.
Dakota Alix is the rider who has stepped in and out of our series since we first saw him line up with the Pro field at Walton back in 2012. He’s had success at Loretta Lynn‘s in a stacked field and is always a threat to win when he shows up.
He has signed on to race with Al Dyck and the Sky Racing Kawasaki team out of British Columbia, so it will be interesting to see how he can do in the 250 class when he races every round in the upcoming revised schedule.
Here’s a quick look at his 2019 season in Canada:
450 MX:
250 SX:
Here’s what Dakota had to say when he finally made it home from Florida:
Direct Motocross: Hey, Dakota. We’ve got you as you’re driving home from Florida. What have you been doing down there in the heat?
Dakota Alix: That’s right, 12 hours down 11 to go… I’ve been training down at MTF for most of the year so far. I’ve had a few solid months of training and feel a lot better in that heat than I did when I got there, so I can’t complain. Haha
You’re now on a Sky Racing Kawasaki. How has the change gone for you? How do you like the bike?
I like the Kawi chassis a lot, especially on the tight, rutty tracks. I haven’t really tested or anything yet but I’ve been trying some stuff out, like a Rekluse clutch and Tusk wheels that make improvements. It’s been a while since I rode a stock 250f so that took a while to get used to, but I feel the bike fits my riding style well.
Do you know how fast Al Dyck was back in his day? He’s one of Canada’s greatest.
Now I do! That’s awesome.
You showed up in Canada last season and looked really good, going 2, 3, 8, 5, 3 in the 450 class. Were you happy with how things were going?
I was stoked to come out and lead most of the main event and finish 2nd in my first race of the season. I had never raced an AX before and it was my first time racing the top guys in the 450 class, so I wasn’t sure where I was coming in. I also ran duct tape numbers so that made it way better. Hahaha.
I also was stoked on the 3rd place in the Manitoba mud race because the conditions were just brutal, probably the worst mud race of my life so I was happy with how I approached the day mentally.
I was somewhat happy with the rest of the races, other than the 8th place but I had some bike issues that round so I’m not going to beat myself up for that. To get on the podium 3 out of the 5 races that I did on the 450 was solid for me considering it was my first time racing that class in Canada.
Where did you go after the Western swing ended? The east didn’t go quite as planned.
I actually had a first turn crash at Gopher Dunes and messed my hip up a bit and tore my MCL so I had to let that heal up. I was laid up and couldn’t do much for a bit since it was my left hip and right knee. I was off the bike for a few months.
After that, we didn’t see you until the final 2 SX rounds last season. What were you able to do during that period?
Not much, to be honest, since I was recovering I had time to check out some cool places and have some fun. I also learned how stickers are designed/ made and printed out thousands of those which was pretty cool but definitely a little less exciting than racing. Hahah.
I didn’t really do any training other than lots of swimming since my lower body injuries were still healing. I’m pretty sure I rode a 450 one day, maybe two on MX then a 250 one day on SX before lining up in Quebec so it was pretty last-minute.
But you still came back and went 3-5 in the last couple Supercross races. How were those for you?
I was stoked on the 3rd in Quebec. I was still learning the bike throughout the day but made improvements. I was down on lap 1 in the main and charged back to 3rd with a lap or two to go, so that almost felt like a win with how little prep I had coming into it. The 5th was a bummer because I got to ride a few more times between rounds so I was expecting to come out swinging, but I got bad starts and rode like a squid. No excuses there.
And then what did you get up to after the season ended up here for the rest of fall?
I let my knee heal another 5 weeks or so, so not much. I started to do some cycling, also built some mountain bike trails but mostly just had some fun hanging out with friends and family so that was nice.
Where were you when the coronavirus restrictions hit hard? How did it affect you?
I was in Cairo, GA. I was supposed to fly to California a week or two after it hit but I didn’t since California was basically on lockdown. Besides that and obviously the season being pushed back it didn’t really change much other than my girlfriend who was visiting me for a week ended up staying for 3 months since the college she attends in Vermont closed down due to covid-19. That’s what she claims at least. Hahaha.
When did you make the deal with the Sky Racing team? How has it been going?
I believe it was the end of December.
Do you know who your teammate(s) will be yet? I’ve heard a few names thrown around.
No idea.
What do you think of the newest revised Canadian MX schedule? Being a Vermont rider, it will cut down on travel for you!
I think it’s cool we’ll be able to race. The double headers will be interesting, also for me it’ll be nice not to fly out west at all. I think they’ve done a good job improvising and adjusting the schedule to what’s going on.
I assume you’re coming here to win the 250 class. Dumb question, but is that the goal?
Yeah, that would be my goal result-wise, why not. It’s going to be a stacked class so it certainly won’t be easy but the main goal for me is simply giving it my all every weekend, dig deep and have some fun, then the results will follow.
Do you want to race more AMA Supercross?
Most likely, I’ll race east coast next year.
And what’s this about you starting a kitten rescue business?
Yeah, we found 5 stray kittens in my backyard in Cairo last week. They’re about 5-6 weeks old. We found homes for them but all the people live in Vermont so I’m getting my Joe Exotic on and delivering some cats.
The best part is I’m allergic to cats!
OK, drive safe and enjoy ride. Thanks for doing this during your drive.
No problem. Thanks, Billy!
Oh wait, I may have asked this before, but can you explain your “Durroga37” email?
Long story… You don’t even want to know. Plus, I think there’s cat crap on my backseat that I’lI need to take care of! Thanks, Billy, see ya in July.
OK now I really want to know! Where do you think Dakota will finish this season? He’s got the speed and now he’ll have the support.
We’ll leave this week’s Update as just an Intro Interview. Thanks for having a read. Have a great weekend, everyone.
Here’s a little look around Walton from Friday:
