Frid’Eh Update #26|Presented by Royal Distributing
By Jeff McConkey and Billy Rainford
Week #26 belongs to Utah rider, #26 Riley Brough|Bigwave photo
Welcome to Week #26 of the DMX Frid’Eh Update, this week presented by Royal Distributing. It’s hard to believe, but #26 means we’re halfway through 2016 already! Where does time go? Anyway, #26 for 2016 belongs to the quiet Utah rider who has become a staple in the top 15 here in the MX1 class. Riley Brough is one of three brothers who are currently spinning laps across Canada. Riley’s younger brother, #71 McCoy, is a contender in the competitive MX2 class and their younger brother, #617 Gavin, looks to be following in their footsteps, as he showed up to race at the Wastelands in Nanaimo, BC and took 4th in the Supermini class on Amateur Day.
Riley’s first 3 rounds results:
Kamloops: 12th (10-14)
Nanaimo: 15th (10-17)
Calgary: 11th (11-11)
He currently sits in 12th spot with 83 points, 79 behind Davi Millsaps out front. We caught up with the friendly Utah…ite as he was doing the mind-numbing drive from Calgary to Regina with #19 Morgan Burger riding shotgun. Here’s what he had to say:
Direct Motocross: Hello, Riley. We’ve gotten to know you up here in Canada over the past couple years. Can we back up and ask you what made you decide to head north in the first place, and when was that?
Riley Brough: I grew up watching Canadian nationals on TV as a kid. I liked the tracks I was watching and decided to make it a goal of mine to head north once I was 18.
What was that first experience like? Had you ever been to Canada before?
My first trip to Canada was quite the experience. I had never been out of the US before and on top of that I had never taken a boat to a dirt bike race! It was back in 2012 when round 1 was in Nanaimo. That race was also one of the most gnarly mud races I have ever been a part of, but I did get 19th in the second moto so it was exciting to score a point at my first race.
What is it that keeps bringing you back to Canada?
I love the atmosphere up here, everyone at the races is so friendly and easy to talk to. I’ve made a lot of friends up here over the years and that is what makes racing so much fun. The racing itself is great, too. I love being up in the mix for top 10 finishes.
Let me ask you about last summer. You finished with national #26 for this year. How would you sum up 2015?
2015 was by far my best year up here. 11th in points and #26 are accomplishments that I’m pretty proud of. When Teddy (Maier) dropped out with his wrist injury, I thought I could grab that big number 10 but it didn’t work out. 11th was still really cool for me.
Riley started coming to Canada to race after watching our series on TV as a youngster|Bigwave photo
What was the highlight of last summer for you?
Walton was probably the highlight of 2015 for me. I was sitting in 13th in points coming into Sunday. I finished 9th in the first moto and came from dead last to 15th in the second moto to secure 11th in points, so that was definitely an exciting day.
What was the low point?
The low point had to be Moncton. I got off to a great start in moto 1 only to DNF due to a derailed chain. That set me back in the points quite a bit and was a super-frustrating point of the season.
Were you happy with how it all went last year?
All in all, I’m really happy with how 2015 went. I had some great rides inside the top ten and had a lot of fun as usual traveling the country.
What did you do right after Walton last year?
Right after Walton, I headed straight for Indiana to race the Lucas Oil Iron Man National. I didn’t make the motos but had a blast on that track. After that, I raced the Glen Helen MXGP. That was definitely the most amazing thing I’ve ever been a part of. Lining up next to all those Europeans was something I’ll never forget. I even finished 20th in moto 2 so I have a MXGP point to my name.
What did you do for training/racing over the winter?
Over the winter my brother McCoy and I hit the gym for strength training and headed south to California to ride as much as we could. We made a lot of progress to be ready for this season.
You raced the Lucas Oil Motocross Series before heading north, right? How did that go for you this spring?
Hangtown went great for me. I missed timed qualifying by only 2 spots but I won the LCQ race to get into the motos. 31-29 gave me 32nd overall on the day which I’m happy with. Glen Helen didn’t go so well though. A crash in practice left me with 2 broken ribs, which I’m still recovering from.
What are your goals for this summer?
My goal for this summer is to be in the fight for those 8, 9, 10 spots. I believe I belong there and I want a single-digit number on my bike for next year.
Riley’s goal is to keep fighting to be inside the top 10 this summer|Bigwave photo
You’ve gone 12-15-11 so far this year. What’s it going to take to get inside that top 10, and do you feel you have it in you?
Putting 2 motos together is what I need to figure out right now. I’ve finished 10th in two motos so far this season but I’m still looking for doing that 2 motos in a row.
OK, I know you’re currently enjoying the exciting drive from Calgary to Regina so we’ll let you go. Who would you like to thank? See you in Regina!
I would like to thank my parents for running our local race series while I’m up here racing (www.rmxseries.com), Chris Hymas at Pocatello Powersports, Kameron Burger at Insiduous designs, the entire Burger family, Fly Racing, Scott USA, Vortex Racing, Ride Engineering, Rocky Mountain ATV, Cache Valley MX Park, and No Weak Links Clothing Co.
Good luck with the rest of the season, Riley. We’ll be watching your progress into the top 10.
Week #26 is brought to you by Royal Distributing. Check them out online!
Jeff McConkey
Hey, guys, Happy Friday. The weather has been fantastic here in Southern Ontario. I sure hope it continues for the 4th and final West round this weekend in Regina. The racing so far has been pretty good in all 3 classes.
Women’s West Nationals
So far in the Women’s West Nationals, 3 riders have really stepped up and pretty much run away from the pack. #50 Shelby Turner leads the way, going 1-2-1 in the first three rounds. Defending champion #1W Sara King is 9 points back, and mx newbie #151 Lexi Pechout is 3rd and sits 27 points behind the leader.
#50 Shelby Turner has a 9-point lead over #1W Sara King heading into the final round this weekend at Moto Valley|Bigwave photo
This past weekend in Calgary, I was impressed with all 3 and think all 3 are deserving of the title. Shelby has been the most consistent, but I feel Lex has the most raw speed. Heading into this final round for the women, I’m going to put my money on Turner for the title.
For the overall, I’m going to go out on a limb and pick a newcomer to the series for the overall. A little birdie informed me that Kennedy Lutz will be lining up on a borrowed bike. No disrespect to the others, I just like to shake shit up, and adding Kennedy to the mix will no doubt do just that.
Kennedy Lutz is rumoured to be racing this weekend in Regina on a borrowed bike|Bigwave photo
All in all, the Women’s West was a success. There was a poor turnout of 21 in Nanaimo, but you can’t blame the girls. The cost to get over there to ride a gravel pit with banners is insane. When are they going to get rid of that place and go somewhere that makes sense for the racers and fans. Anyway, here are my predictions for Regina:
Women’s West
1st Kennedy Lutz
2nd Shelby Turner
3rd Sara King
4th Lexi Pechout
5th Dominique Daffé
MX2
In MX2 action, it has been ‘The Cole Thompson Show.’ Cole is the most-seasoned and decorated in the small bore class and it truly shows. I just think Cole has too many tools for the rest of the pack to contend with. Barring injury, we shouldn’t see the red plate change hands for the remainder of the year.
Can anyone stop #4 Cole Thompson in MX2 action this year?|Bigwave photo
#15 Shawn Maffenbeier has different ideas, and is going to do his best to chip away at the 11-point lead Thompson has going into round 4. Unfortunately, it looks like we may lose 3 of the top 5 in points as we head East. That’s pretty sad, but it will give others a chance to step up in an already weak MX2 class. We generally see a few more faces once the series hits Gopher Dunes. Let’s hope this continues, or we will have half-full gates. Heading into Regina this weekend, ‘Little Muff’ will no doubt be the fan favourite in front of the hometown crowd. Will that be enough to knock down Cole Thompson and the red plate? We will have to wait and see. Here are my predictions for the MX2 class:
Round 4 Regina – MX2
1st Cole Thompson
2nd Shawn Maffenbeier
3rd Brandan Leith
4th Dylan Wright
5th Mark Worth
MX1
Can anyone touch #118 Davi Millsaps in MX1 action? Lately, ‘The Duke’ has looked to be in complete control. #800 Mike Alessi had his best rides of the season in Calgary, but still couldn’t keep Davi in check. The thing I like about Mike, he truly believes that he can beat Millsaps straight up and he’s going to bust his ass trying until he does.
#118 Davi Millsaps is proving himself to be the odds on favourite in MX1 competition this year|Bigwave photo
#3 Brett Metcalfe looks to be heading in the right direction, finally, after a not-so-great start. Then you have #1 Matt Goerke. This guy is such a competitor. I’ve never seen a guy so disappointed after a great come from behind ride. It just shows you how much he wants and expects to win. It’s not a bad thing.
After Regina, we head East to the sandier tracks. Nobody really knows how Davi will take to the sand, as it has been some time since anyone has seen him ride it. You can bet your butt that Goerke, Metcalfe, Alessi and #2 Colton Facciotti will be looking to expose any weaknesses possible in the #118. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, we still have to get through Regina. Here are my picks for the 4th round:
Regina Round 4 – MX1 Class
1st Davi Millsaps
2nd Mike Alessi
3rd Matt Goerke
4th Colton Facciotti
5th Brett Metcalfe
Motopark/Yamaha 250 2-Stroke/Pirelli
Back home here in Ontario, I will be making the drive up to Motopark to put some laps on the new Pirelli MX32 Pro. I’ve got them ready to go on our Yamaha YZ250 2 stroke, and on a new 450 Honda. I’m really excited to see how the 2-stroke and 4-stroke handle with these great tires. Equally exciting is the thought of riding the new Motopark layout. I’ve seen one quick video of Motopark ace Davin Grosse going huge on one of the biggest jumps I have seen. My excuse is that you can’t test tires in the air, so I will not be attempting this massive booster.
That’s it for me, have a great weekend and we’ll see you next week, and remember to #smileforBC!
Billy Rainford
Thanks, Jeff. For starters, it’s pretty cool to see that Saskatchewan’s own, Kennedy Lutz, will make the effort to line up at the final round in Regina even though she’ll need to do it on a borrowed bike. All of her stuff is down south at Real Deal MX so she’s going to line up on an unknown bike and just go for it.
I’ll have to agree with Jeff that this race should be hers to lose. She just seems to be circulating at a higher level than the rest right now. But this is why we drop the gates, isn’t it. Anything can happen in moto and the off-road riders, Shelby Turner and Lexi Pechout, have been showing some serious speed. Sara King is just 9 points down on Turner, so she will be going for it to try and make up that difference. I think Sara will also be looking forward to a little redemption on Kennedy as Sara took the title last year when Kennedy was forced to miss the final round due to a practice incident that forced ACL reconstruction. Sara will want to prove that she has what it takes to beat her straight up.
There are a whole bunch of reasons to pay close attention to the Women’s West racing at Moto Valley this Saturday! Now let’s just hope the rain stays away and we can have some quality racing…
Here’s a look at the points as we head into the final round Saturday:
Jeremy Medaglia Update
Unfortunately, the hard fall on the first lap of the first moto at the Wastelands in Nanaimo, BC has cost #14 Jeremy Medaglia his shot at an MX2 title for 2016. Heading into the season, Jeremy was on everyone’s list of possible championship contenders but it will have to wait until next season.
The team has decided to wait until the series heads east to Gopher Dunes, July 10 to re-evaluate Jeremy’s condition. With these types of injuries, everyone’s recovery is a little different and it’s difficult, if not impossible, to put a solid return date on it.
Here is what Derek Schuster at GDR had to say on Instagram:
gdrhonda After feeling the effects of his first turn crash in Nanaimo, MX2 pilot @jeremymedaglia was unable to race this past weekend in Calgary.
The team has made a group decision to keep Jeremy home this weekend to allow for a 100% recovery so he’s ready to come out and battle for wins in the East.
Good luck, Jeremy. We’ll be watching for you when the series makes its eastern swing.
#14 Jeremy Medaglia to sit out Regina this weekend|Bigwave photo
Michael DaSilva Update
Calgary has not been good to #32 Michael DaSilva. In 2013, his first year west, he broke a shock in Shaw Valley on the sight lap. In 2014, he suffered a rear flat tire. Last year, he got hit so hard in the stomach with a rock that it caused a DNF (I’ll let him give you the gory yet hilarious details on that one!). This past Sunday, he was practicing starts early in the day and when he was setting the front end down to head into the left turn, he was thrown hard to the right and came down in a heap. At the time, he was worried about both his wrists but still lined up for the first moto.
He did the first 3 laps with some tingling in his hand and when he crashed again and was out of the points, he decided to head back to the pits to regroup.
During the 2nd moto, he was in 19th and going for a pass into 18th in the off-camber left after the International Jump when his bike quit on him. It took him a while to get re-fired and he decided that would do it for another trip to Calgary.
He went to get checked out and the result is a broken scaphoid in his wrist. He’s been told it will be an 8-12 week recovery period. If it hasn’t healed properly, they may need to do surgery on it. However, when I spoke with him, he was at a Tim Horton’s in Regina and will be there to watch the races before heading back to Quebec.
Good luck with your recovery, Michael. Hopefully, it sets properly and no further attention is needed. Maybe Calgary will be off the schedule in 2017 for you…
Calgary has not been good to #32 Michael DaSilva, and it has taken him out of the 2016 season|Bigwave photo
JC Bujold Heading to Regina
Last year’s standout Intermediate rider who competed in a few of the 2015 Rockstar MX Nationals Pro/Am class was JC Bujold. As I was speaking with Michael DaSilva, he told me that JC will head to Regina this weekend to compete in the MX2 class. #42 showed up out in Kamloops, BC for round 1 and had a great first moto, taking 14th. He had troubles in the second and and is scored a 14-36 for 22nd overall.
JC is a hard worker and we should see some good things from him this weekend at Moto Valley. His father, Eric, will fly out and be his mechanic/man friend for the races.
Good luck this weekend, JC.
#42 JC Bujold returns to racing this weekend at Moto Valley in Regina, SK|Bigwave photo
Canadian AX Tour Championship – Year 2
After an impressive first year of competition that saw the AX Tour go from Ontario to BC to Alberta in 2015, the series returns with a new and exciting list of venues for 2016. We can only hope both 2015 champ, Jacob Hayes, and Cole Thompson are on board to make the racing as exciting and competitive as it was last season.
Lucas Oil Pro Motocross
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Series heads to Muddy Creek in Tennessee this weekend. With #1 Ryan Dungey out, this is starting to look like it will be #94 Ken Roczen’s championship to lose. MX SPorts puts out the great stats sheets for us to pore over. Since I’m about to hit the road for Regina, I don’t have time to put these into my own words, so let’s just leave it to them here. If you’re a statistics person, you’re gonna like this:
450 Class
250 Class
MXGP Heads to Mantova in Lombaria, Italy
Poll Question Results
Flagging has gotten a lot of attention already this season. We realize it is usually a thankless job that only gets recognized when something goes wrong. Sorry about that, flaggers. But believe me, there are a lot of jobs that come under that exact same scrutiny. The question for the last DMX Poll was: How Can We Improve Flagging Positions?
The results are in, and here is what you thought:
We’ll have another Poll Question up on the site for this coming week.
OK, that will do it for Week #26. Thanks for reading. Be sure to check us out this weekend in Regina on Twitter @directmx, on Instagram @DirectMotocross, as well as on Facebook @Direct Motocross. We’ll try to keep you up to date as things happen at round 4 at Moto Valley outside Regina, SK. Please do a little ‘dust dance’ for us!
We’ll let this idiot say it this week…
See you at the races…
