Frid’Eh Update #27 | Felix Lopez Interview | Brought to You by Troy Lee Designs

By Billy Rainford

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Brought to you by Troy Lee Designs.
Week #27 belongs to Felix Lopez from Mexico (AMA #577). | Bigwave photo

Welcome to Week #27 of the DMX Frid’Eh Update this week brought to you by Troy Lee Designs. We’re heading back to racing this weekend and everyone is pointing their vehicles to the little hamlet of Courtland, Ontario, just outside Tillsonburg. Known as the toughest circuit on our…circuit, Gopher Dunes conjures memories of some legendary performances. Matt Goerke’s time here in Canada and specifically in the sands of The Dunes come to mind immediately.

I will forever quote John Nelson when he stood at the side of the track in awe and sarcastically shouted, “Someone needs to black flag him…I think his throttle is stuck!” I don’t think I’ll ever forget that, and I’ll see to it that you never do either. Lol

Lots of riders were on the track on Tuesday, as it was the final day they were allowed. I headed over and wandered the pits talking to riders. You can watch this edition of “Bigwave’s Walk and Talk” here:

Felix Lopez from Mexico is #27 for the 2023 season here in Canada. We haven’t seen him run the number as he’s currently making a solo run at the AMA Pro Motocross Championships down south.

He was at Red Bud last week and finished 22-37 for 32nd overall. He’s coming back from an injury but will line up again this week in the sands of Southwick, so watch for the #577.

Here’s a look at his 2022 Canadian season:

I got in touch with him this week to see how he’s been doing:

Here’s what the fast and friendly Mexican rider had to say this week. | Bigwave photo

Direct Motocross: Let’s back up and talk about you racing our series last summer. Was it what you expected? If not, how was it different? 

Felix Lopez: Yea, for sure, the series is very fun. I really like the friendly environment with the riders and the teams, and obviously the challenge of the high level racing.

Were you surprised at how fast our top riders were or was it as you expected?

I knew they were fast, but I was surprised, especially with Dylan (Wright). He’s world class.

I have to ask you about the Manitoba round. It was ridiculously hot and humid. I always use you as an example of how bad it was because if the guy from Mexico struggled, you know it was bad! You were really hurting by the end. How bad was that race?

Yeah, it was super hot, not even Mexico gets that hot. I was doing good in the moto and got too carried away running second place and the heat got to me. It was crazy because my body quit responding to what my mind told it to do. I even jumped off the track on the big table top… that definitely was not on purpose. Haha. 

Felix rode for Julien Perrier on his PRMX team in 2022. | Bigwave photo

You had a few 5th overalls and ended up 5th in the 450 MX Series. What was your best race that you remember?

I never really felt like any of them were super great for me. After the Manitoba round I don’t think my body ever fully recovered. Over all, I think my best race of the season was Sand Del Lee with a 4th in the first moto.

Did you have a favourite track?

Gopher Dunes was my favorite track, even though the suffer fest was no joke.

Was there a track that you hated?

I wouldn’t say I hated it, but Drumheller definitely wasn’t fun. I’m used to dry tracks, but that was a different type of dry.

Although this is how one of his motos ended, Felix lists Gopher Dunes as his favourite Canadian track. | Bigwave photo

What was the highlight of your visit to Canada?

My highlight was the excitement of the first round with the new team, and also driving through British Columbia. That was the prettiest scenery I have ever seen.

What did you get up to when the series ended?

I visited my mom for a week, then went right back to training in Texas for a full month to represent my country at the motocross of nations. 

I saw you at Red Bud last week. It looks like that was the first AMA National you raced. What have you been doing?

This year has been difficult with what has felt like a lot of adversity. At the first of the year I dislocated my shoulder which stopped my on-the-bike training for about 3 weeks, then I was stuck in Mexico for 2 months renewing my visa. Right after returning from Mexico I moved to Georgia. It has definitely been a different sort of season for me, but I’m thankful to have put it together with the help of a few people to show up at the races. 

32 (22-37) is your result from Red Bud. How did your races go?

I fell on the start and had to come through the pack. Same thing second moto, I was coming from behind and ran out of steam and fell. I can see the lack of pre-season training and testing with the bike is definitely showing. I’m regrouping this week and coming out to Southwick. 

What’s your plan for the rest of the season?

After Southwick the plan is to do two more races with the Tech Service racing team. If it wasn’t for them, i wouldn’t have done any. 

Good luck in the future, Felix. Here he is fighting the heat in Manitoba last summer. | Bigwave photo

Will we ever see you up in Canada again?

If the opportunity arrises, I would do it again for sure. 

Well, it was nice to chat with you again, and good luck with the rest of your season. Who would you like to thank?

I want to thank you, Billy at Direct Motocross, for reaching out to me. I would like to thank Jacinto Silva Tech Service Racing, AdventureMoto KTM, FXR Moto, Juan Carlos, Victor Serna, Invictus speed crew and the Masterpool family! 


Gopher Dunes National

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We’re heading to what is widely thought of as one of, if not the, toughest motocross race in the world – Gopher Dunes. We got a ton of rain on Thursday here in London and it washed the humidity away with it. Today it’s sunny and perfect for racing. The forecast is for 29C feeling like 30C, so the humidity looks like it’ll stay in check but 29 is still hot.

OUT

#441 Jyire Mitchell is out after a crash in the second moto in Calgary left him with some rib injuries. I spoke with Titan Racing this week and their hope is to be back for Round 5 at Sand Del Lee.

#14 Quinn Amyotte will not be racing this week due to his finger not coming around as quickly as he was hoping. You’ll remember he lost the tip in a crash in Calgary and had some skin reattached that doesn’t look to be taking very well. He doesn’t really know when it will allow him to get back on the bike, so we’ll have to keep an eye on his progress heading into Ottawa.

#4 Jake Piccolo is back on the bike and we saw him riding a turn track at Gopher Dunes during the week. He won’t be racing just yet though.

#19 Wyatt Kerr injured his back in Calgary and underwent successful surgery but is out for a while.

#173 Hunter Schlosser will not make the trip east to Gopher Dunes.

IN

#145 Grant Hoffman

#103 Nate Mason

#881 Jerry Lorenz

#226 Cameron Horner

#787/107 Lars van Berkel from the Netherlands. 17 (19-13) at Red Bud last week.

#718 Grant Taylor will be here ripping a 2-stroke Yamaha in the 450 class. He has had some porting done to the head that makes it ineligible in the 250 class. It also makes him a very honest racer and for that we wish him well!

Chad Goodwin has lent his set up knowledge and more to Julien Perrier and his Partzilla PRMX team heading into this week. Let’s see if it will rub off on the riders: #44 Dylan Rempel, #23 Josiah Natzke, and #26 Julien Benek.

I heard an amazing story about why #20 Jeremy McKie left Gopher Dunes early on Tuesday when I was there, but you’ll have to ask him. I’m sworn to secrecy…

Kyle Thompson said he’ll send over the finalized Entry List later this afternoon and we’ll post it up.

Everything you need to know for Gopher Dunes HERE.

250 PRO / AM POINTS
Place – Name
Number – Hometown
6/3/2023
Finish
6/11/2023
Finish
6/18/2023
Finish
Total Points
1st – RYDER MCNABB
#1 – MINNEDOSA, MB
2nd 1st 1st 141
2nd – KAVEN BENOIT
#126 – QUEBEC, QC
1st 4th 3rd 132 (-9)
3rd – JOSIAH NATZKE
#23 – NEW ZEALAND, 
3rd 2nd 4th 116 (-25)
4th – MITCHELL HARRISON
#8 – LEESBURG, FL
  3rd 2nd 85 (-56)
5th – SEBASTIEN RACINE
#12 – CASSELMAN, ON
5th 13th 6th 79 (-62)
6th – QUINN AMYOTTE
#14 – WETASKIWIN, AB
4th 5th 18th 71 (-70)
6th – TANNER WARD
#84 – WOODSTOCK, ON
11th 10th 5th 71 (-70)
8th – HUNTER SCHLOSSER
#173 – EL PASO, TX
6th 8th 14th 69 (-72)
9th – JYIRE MITCHELL
#441 – HAMER, SC
14th 6th 8th 64 (-77)
10th – TYLER YATES
#30 – DUNCAN, BC
8th 9th 13th 63 (-78)
11th – NOAH VINEY
#61 – CANADA, ON
  7th 7th 55 (-86)
12th – ZACH UFIMZEFF
#31 – WETASKIWIN, AB
7th 18th 12th 49 (-92)
13th – SAM GAYNOR
#28 – FLESHERTON, ON
10th 15th 17th 47 (-94)
14th – TANNER SCOTT
#33 – BC, BC
  11th 9th 41 (-100)
15th – DYLAN REMPEL
#44 – BERSLAU, ON
9th   15th 37 (-104)
16th – BLAKE DAVIES
#56 – MISSION, BC
12th 12th   35 (-106)
16th – AUSTIN JONES
#50 – , 
20th 16th 11th 35 (-106)
18th – CLAYTON SCHMUCKI
#43 – RED DEER, AB
13th 17th 16th 34 (-107)
19th – MARCUS DEAUSY
#53 – 150 MILE HOUSE, 
17th   10th 30 (-111)
20th – WYATT KERR
#19 – CAMBRIDGE, ON
15th 14th   28 (-113)
450 PRO POINTS
Place – Name
Number – Hometown
6/3/2023
Finish
6/11/2023
Finish
6/18/2023
Finish
Total Points
1st – DYLAN WRIGHT
#1 – DRUMMONDVILLE, QC
1st 1st 1st 142
2nd – JESS PETTIS
#15 – PRINCE GEORGE, BC
2nd 4th 2nd 127 (-15)
3rd – SHAWN MAFFENBEIER
#3 – KAMLOOPS, BC
3rd 3rd 3rd 124 (-18)
4th – TYLER MEDAGLIA
#5 – BROOKFIELD, NS
4th 2nd 4th 117 (-25)
5th – DANIEL ELMORE
#25 – CANADA, BC
7th 5th 8th 86 (-56)
6th – JEREMY MCKIE
#20 – BELOEIL, QC
6th 10th 5th 83 (-59)
7th – ANDY TRUYTS
#936 – WETASKIWIN, AB
10th 8th 7th 76 (-66)
8th – TYLER GIBBS
#22 – MISSION, BC
9th 7th 10th 75 (-67)
9th – PARKER EALES
#18 – MAPLE RIDGE, BC
12th 6th 9th 70 (-72)
10th – JULIEN BENEK
#26 – MISSION, 
8th 9th 12th 66 (-76)
11th – KEYLAN MESTON
#10 – CALGARY, 
5th   6th 62 (-80)
12th – BRENDAN SIPPLE
#771 – AUSTIN, TX
13th 14th 13th 42 (-100)
13th – BRENDAN MCKEE
#41 – LLOYDMINSTER, SK
11th 16th 14th 40 (-102)
14th – JOSH GEDAK
#170 – INNISFAIL, AB
14th   11th 33 (-109)
15th – ANTHONY SPADACCINI
#65 – CUMBERLAND, ON
16th 15th 15th 31 (-111)
16th – DAVEY FRASER
#11 – LANGLEY, BC
  11th   20 (-122)
17th – TODD MINNIE
#716 – PRINCE GEORGE, BC
  13th 18th 19 (-123)
18th – ADDISON EMORY IV
#538 – QUEEN CREEK, AZ
15th 20th 22nd 18 (-124)
18th – COLLIN JURIN
#476 – , WA
  12th   18 (-124)
20th – RYAN DERRY
#34 – THORNHILL, ON
18th 23rd 20th 13 (-129)

Mitch Cooke thought he could sneak into Ontario and podium something without us knowing! Thanks to Dan Stenning at Danstagram for drawing our attention to this.

Mitch apparently took 3rd in the Crankworx Summer Series Air DH up at Horseshoe Valley Bike Park.


AMA Pro Motocross | Southwick

These historical notes are always good to look over, so here ya go:


Thanks for reading and we’ll see you all over at Gopher Dunes on Saturday and Sunday. We’ve got Matt Huggett from Two Twenty Six Media at Southwick this weekend, so watch for all of his stuff too.

We’ll let this Red Bud enthusiast say it this week: “See you at the races…” | Bigwave photo
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