Frid’Eh Update #28 | Sam Gaynor | Brought to You by RP Race Performance
Week #28 of the DMX Frid’Eh Update belongs to Sam Gaynor from Flesherton, ON and is brought to you by RP Race Performance.
By Billy Rainford
OK, I’m finally on my way east toward Sand Del Lee which sits just southwest of our nation’s capital, Ottawa. I seem to be starting these things with an update on some new problem I’m dealing with. Well, this week is no different.
We’re going to be late and short this week.
So, I head out for a ling mountain bike ride last week. I notice as I pull away from my place that my left shoe may be a little tight across the top of my foot, but then it stops bothering me and I press on for a 3-hour ride.
A couple days pass and I notice my foot is getting increasingly sore. Hmm, I wonder if it had to do with that MTB ride? I’d been on other rides since that one but it sat in the back of my head that my foot hurt a bit off the start of that particular ride.
I woke up on Tuesday morning and I couldn’t really stand on my foot! Oh great. Emily was heading in to work and saw the pain I was in. I’ve had sore knees since I was a little kid, so I know what pain is and I can say that I can take an abnormal amount of it. Not unlike most MX racers, I’m sure.
We go in to the hospital and I get my foot looked at. I kept mentioning the bike ride and the tight shoe because that was all I could think of that stood out with this foot. The doctor wasn’t really having it. In fact, she said, “You’re really fixated on this bike ride.”
She sent me for x-rays (nothing was broken, of course) and then decided I had some sort of infection and prescribed me some antibiotics.
I have to take these things 4 times a day and so far nothing has improved.
Why am i telling you all this? Well, I’m now on the road until after MX Deschambault and I really don’t want to lose a foot! Lol Nah, I’m joking, but I worry about how mobile I should be on this thing at the races. Actually, I know I’m not supposed to be mobile at all, but that’s not happening!
I’ll spend most of my time this weekend on the saddle of my Scott MTB, so don’t accuse me of slacking! Ha
Sam Gaynor is career #28. We’ve all known Sam since he was a little hot shot years ago, and now he’s a big hot shot. He’s the defending FXR PreMix East Champion and is racing the class again this summer. His last couple years have not been without troubles, as a wrist injury has been really slowing him down.
He won Round 1 at Gopher Dunes this past weekend, and I see no reason this week should be any different.
Here’s what Sam had to say when we contacted him this week:
Direct Motocross: Hey, Sam. We’ve known you for a long time but let’s give you the full treatment for anyone new who hasn’t. Tell us how you first got into Moto. It’s very rare that a parent wasn’t the catalyst.
Sam Gaynor: Hey, Billy! My dad used to road race back when dinosaurs roamed the land! He would show us his old racing videos and I always asked when he jumped. He would tell me that he didn’t then I’d just walk out of the room! Lol. Then I got a PW-50 that I would take to the local fair grounds and the rest is history!
How come you chose #28? It’s even in your email address.
It’s my dad’s old racing number. 2 being my dad’s favourite number and 8 being my mom’s, so they came up with 28 and I just kept with it!
You’ve had a rough spell with this wrist injury. Can you let everyone know what you’ve been dealing with?
Yea, it’s been rough for sure. I broke my scaphoid 2-and-a-half years ago at ClubMX. I had surgery right away but the screw backed out and the bone didn’t heal. So this past March I had a bone graft surgery from my leg to my wrist but unfortunately that didn’t work either. I just this past Wednesday met with my 2 surgeons to come up with the next plan of attack. I’m supposed to be going back under the knife at the end of September for another bone graft surgery from my other leg!
You were even thinking about racing both PreMix and the 450 class this season! Where do you see yourself battling in this 450 group?
I’m not too sure! The class is super stacked and those guys are going super fast. With how injuries etc. have been going I would aim for top 10, but you can’t take away how fast they are going.
And you raced the OCMC money race this week. I saw the podium was you, Jack Wright, and Daniel Elmore. Can you tell us how that racing went?
OCMC gives us a super cool opportunity to get to meet a ton of people and get to race and try to make some cash! First moto got a half decent start and just avoided all the carnage and was able to win the first moto. Second moto I got the holeshot then Quinn Amyotte passed me and showed me the way around the track! Aha. So I went 1-2 for first overall which I really didn’t expect, but it was a ton of fun!
If your wrist was 100%, would you now be a 450 guy full time? Are you done with the 250 class?
Yea, I feel like I’m done with the 250’s. I ride a 450 much better and I feel very comfortable on it. The plan is 450 for the future once I’m healthy
You were always a 2-sport athlete with being a hockey goalie as your other passion. How far did you get in hockey and do you still play at all?
I played AAA hockey for 4 years in my younger years then as I got older i just went back and played local BB hockey to give me more time for racing. I played until I aged out and won the OMHA championship my last year playing hockey! I don’t play hockey anymore, just a bit of shiny as an out player!
Hey, take us through this Pro Treatment thing you have going on too. How has it been going?
Yea, me and my dad came up with this “Pro for a day” program! People had to apply in the spring and they were picked and so far we have done 6 rounds! My dad is the mechanic, gives mechanical advice, advice as a racer dad, and then I give riding tips, and racing/mental advice. It’s been super cool to meet some amazing families and be able to give back to the sport a little bit.
How much longer will you chase the Nationals and what is it you do for your 9-5?
I’m not too sure. I would like to race as long as I can but I also need to get my body healthy. It’s sometimes hard to balance life, racing and work etc. but it’ll all work out. I was framing houses before my surgery but since surgery I wasn’t allowed to do anything for about 3-and-a-half months and now I’m just racing Premix. I haven’t gone back to work, as I know I have to go back for another surgery, so I’m just dying to enjoy my summer this year!
The PreMix class seems to be caught between one for former Pro riders looking for some fun at the races and youngsters who haven’t moved up through the ranks yet. How would you describe it and its future?
The 2-strokes are a ton of fun to ride, they are easy to throw around and you can hang it out there pretty good which makes it a lot more enjoyable for the older guys. It’s great for the younger racers to get the opportunity to race on the same days as the pros and get the experience of racing with the banners around the track and have some fans there. I hope that the premix class sticks around and continues to grow! I also think everyone loves the smell/sound of the premix class! Ahah
Who has impressed you most so far this season in the 250 and 450 classes?
In the 250 class, Drew Adams has impressed me a lot. Kaven Benoit has also been doing us Canadians proud! In the 450 class, both factory KTM’s have been a lot of fun to watch!
Here’s the most important question: Nickelback played in the park here in London on Wednesday. If you were in town would you be there up front or would you avoid it like grim death?
I would be front row screaming every song! I love Nickelback.
Wrong answer. Fortunately, this interview is over. Haha. OK, thanks for chatting with us this week, Sam. It’s always great to see you and your dad at the races. Good luck the rest of the series and who would you like to thank?
Thank you! I appreciate it! I couldn’t be doing this without everyone behind me: AVL RacingTeam, gasgas, Steve Simms Racing, Tory Lee Designs, 80 grit woodworking, Reloaded AMO, Guaranteed MX, CMXU, Hall Race Fuel, Heavy equipment and rentals, TCD, DND moto, Countershox, Atlas, Country Corners, Seco seat covers, my mom and dad, girlfriend and everyone else behind me! I appreciate everyone!
GDR Honda to Sit Dylan Wright While He Recovers
The Honda Canada GDR For Racing team has decided to sit defending champion Dylan Wright for at least the next couple rounds as he recovers from his big crash at Round 2 in Raymond, Alberta.
Dylan’s list of injuries include cracked ribs, a bruised lung, a bruised heart, and a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder, which is the injury hampering his performance at the races the most.
I spoke with team owner Derek Schuster after the announcement and he said they don’t know what this means exactly for Dylan’s return to racing. At this point, they can confirm he will miss Sand Del Lee and River Glade, but will then have to reassess his condition for the final couple rounds at Motocross Deschambault and Walton Raceway.
At this point, there is no rush to move 250 rider #5 Tyler Medaglia up to the 450 class, but Derek admitted that is something they will likely consider if Dylan’s condition doesn’t improve closer to the season’s end.
Here is their post on Instagram:
Gopher Dunes Recap Video
OK, I told you we’d be short and late this week. I’m still only in Peterborough, so I have to get going if I’m going to see Derek Medaglia‘s place in the daylight!
Have a great weekend, everyone, and I’ll see you at Round 5!
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