Frid’Eh Update #34 | Ryan Derry | Brought to You by KTM Canada

Frid’Eh Update #34 | Ryan Derry | Brought to You by KTM Canada

By Billy Rainford

Welcome to Week #34 of the DMX Frid’Eh Update this week brought to you by KTM Canada. As I type this I’m sitting at the press conference before the final round of AMA Pro Motocross at Ironman MX. As a former “tri geek,” my heartrate increases every time I either type or say the word “Ironman.” It’s happening again! Breathe 2, 3, 4…

Anyway, I’m here on Friday to check out the Moto Combine that will see Canadian #800 Preston Masciangelo in action again. He raced the other Combine at Red Bud and will battle in the intense humidity we’re experiencing here in the Indianapolis/Crawfordsville, ID area. Let me tell you, it’s seriously rough!

I can tell you now that Preston qualified 19th today heading into the 2 motos. I’ll have to hurry back to the track so as not to miss any of the action.

Ryan Derry is #34 for the 2023 season. We’ve gotten to know Ryan and his parents very well over the years and his is a pit I always drop in on in search of good conversation and maybe a beverage.

He’s an educated Engineer and works full-time during the week and then heads to the races on the weekends. I’m always impressed with our riders who can still race at the Professional level while putting in the Monday to Friday hours off the bike.

Here’s a look at his MX season:

Direct Motocross: Hello, Ryan. Thanks for chatting with us for Week #34. You came into this season with a plan to fly in and out each round, but you were able to change that, right? Can you tell us how you made this racing season happen while also working a full-time position as an engineer?

Ryan Derry: Hey, Billy! Ya, until the middle of May that was the plan. We couldn’t find anyone to team up with and take my bike so we decided to load the pickup truck and head west. Thankfully, my boss was really cool and let me work remotely for the week between Edmonton and Kamloops (the days we drove I took vacation). The head office of the Firm is in Calgary so I ended up going into the office that week. It was a struggle balancing both, definitely took away from the vibe of the trip but it was better than missing the racing! This is actually all I’ve ever known, balancing the racing with Engineering.

The progression I’ve made as a racer over the years has always been with very little time on the bike. No big trips south in the winters, no development years, I’m happy with my progression though! This year I stuck with one bike and from early April to this moment I have 38 hours on my KTM 450 SX-F. It’s been an incredible bike.   

You’ve been around quite a while now. What’s it like to still be able to do this with your dad at your side as your mechanic/man-friend? I have to assume it’s both good and bad?

It’s a really cool experience, and we’ve created so many great memories. We slowly built our involvement in racing over the years. He was never a psycho mini dad, we would race the odd CMRC event but never went hard at the racing thing. It wasn’t until my Intermediate year that I started to really push. I think this is one of the reasons we’ve been around for so long. I will say that it is BRUTAL trying to sleep in the same vicinity as my dad. All of those motel nights out west were killer. He may be the loudest snorer in history. 

Looking at your results, you seemed to be anywhere from 10th to 21st at times. How would you sum the Motocross portion of the series up for you?

It was good! My riding trended better each round. The overall results show up and downs but it was a season of terrible starts and coming from behind every moto. I really struggled in the ruts out west but it was really fun.

You were 10th at Sand Del Lee with 13-13 motos. Was this your best riding of the summer?

I would say Sand Del Lee and River Glade were my best rides. It was the most ‘present’ I felt on the track, probably because I was hitting the 20 to 25 hour mark on the bike by then.

What track do you look forward to every summer?

I enjoy Sand Del Lee and Deschambault the most. 

And then, which track do you dread the thought of having to do 2 30 +2’s at?

I used to dread Gopher (Dunes) but in recent years I love it. This is the first year I’ve enjoyed every round. 

You’re one of a few fast guys racing the entire series while still working a full-time job. Was that a battle within the battle? Did you ever think of it that way against guys like Parker Eales, Andy Truyts, and Yanick Boucher?

Ya, every year it’s one of the ways I measure my progression and whether I’m riding better or not, sort of like a proxy. It can be deceiving though. I like to believe every year we all get a bit better, so in theory If my riding was plateauing I would notice, losing touch in terms of lap times and finishing position, but I seem to be ever so slightly closing the gap in those areas so it’s a win for me! 

What have you been doing the past couple weeks since we wrapped up the series at Walton?

Trying to be a better employee. Lol. Every year I almost feel guilty during the race season, productivity takes a hit for sure….. 

You won our Most Improved Rider award a couple years ago for the way you picked up Supercross. Will you race the Gopher Dunes round or maybe even more?

I’ll be at Gopher SX for sure! I’m looking forward to it. Another chance to up the riding level. Unfortunately, that will be it for this year though. I thought about doing the other rounds but I only have the one bike and need to save money for next year so I’m going to stay here and enjoy some fall riding. Unless someone has a bike I could ride out there. Haha!

After being able to sit back and reflect on this summer, is this something you’d try again like this or are you winding down with chasing the entire series?

I’d love to do this again. I’m in my prime years now and don’t want to waste that! Ideally, I double or triple my riding time in 2024, run two bikes, maybe even do a pre-season trip south, I could make some serious gains. The limiting factor is money (as it is for everyone) so we’ll see what sort of program I can get sorted out for 2024. 

Not that you’re walking away or anything, but if you were to look back over your years, what stands out for you?

Gopher SX in 2020 and my year in 2021 when I was a fill-in for Steve Simms was a turning point for me. It definitely re-lit the fire inside. I realized then how much personal satisfaction I get out of chasing this. I’m having way too much fun.  

You know what you should do? You should take a trip to France to experience the MXON in Europe when we have such a strong team! What do you think of that idea?

Ya, I probably should! 

OK, thank you for taking some time with us for this week’s interview. Good luck in the future and who would you like to thank?

I’d like to thank Weldershelper for their support over the past couple years. They’ve made it possible for me to chase the full series. Also, the great people at Hudson Motorcycles, Kyle from OG’s, Adrian at Ride Engineering, The Newf (Matrix Concepts Canada), SECO Seat cover, SIDI boots, PWR Graphics, Steve at Twenty-Six suspension and my dad!

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Red Bull Outliers this Weekend in Alberta

I was at the event last year for the first time and was so impressed with what those riders were able to ride than anything I’ve ever seen in my many years of dirt bike history. I’ve said it a million times now but when I saw the course last year I couldn’t imagine a bike traversing some of the hills I saw. And I’m talking up OR down!

I won’t be there this time, but Noel Flatters is there and will be keeping us updated from both days of action in Alberta, so be sure to check into our Instagram page for updates from all over the place!

More information on the event can be found HERE.

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Watch for some photos and video from the Moto Combine today when I manage to get myself out of this stifling heat. Seriously, it’s so gross here at the track today that I can’t even describe it. Tomorrow is supposed to be 25C and feel like 25C. In other words…PERFECT!

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Oh, I assume if you’re reading this that you likely follow us on Instagram and/or Facebook? We’ve also found #485 Devin Smith here to try and qualify for his first-ever 250 moto at an AMA Pro Motocross National here at Ironman MX.

I posted a bunch of interviews up on our pages, os head over there and check it out.