Frid’Eh Update #44 | Max Filipek | Brought to You by RP Race Performance

Frid’Eh Update #44 | Max Filipek | Brought to You by RP Race Performance

Week #44 of the DMX Frid’Eh Update belongs to Max Filipek from Grimsby, ON and is brought to you by RP Race Performance.

By Billy Rainford

Welcome to Week #44 of the DMX Frid’Eh Update brought to you by RP Race performance. We’re coming to you this week from the 40th Annual Dubya World Vet Championships and World Cup of Nations at Glen Helen Raceway.

I got to Ontario International Airport east of Los Angeles in the Inland Empire. Sammy Hagar‘s voice greets you at Baggage Claim. I guess he’s from the area and really wants you to enjoy your stay. If you’re asking me which Van Halen I prefer, I stand on my statement that if you don’t prefer the David Lee Roth years then you really can’t say you’re a Van Halen fan, can you? They went from an interesting, talented band to a middle-off-the-road “dad” band when Hagar came in.

Anyway, I was at this event for the first time last year and it was a blast! Ryan “Skippy” Mobbs takes this whole thing very seriously and the team riders have everything anyone could ever want when they participate in the event. It’s the same thing this year.

They were all at the track riding when I landed at 3:00pm, so I grabbed an Uber to the house where we’re staying on the side of a mountain in Riverside. To my surprise, dude shows up in a Maserati sedan to drive me. It would have been cool if it wasn’t bumper-to-bumper traffic so we could have let the car go a little.

It took us an hour-and-a-half to get to the house, and when we rolled into the driveway the guys who were out there sort of stopped and stared, thinking it must be the home owners showing up to check on them. Nope, it was just me in my fancy ride.

I grabbed a beer and went straight into the hot tub to join a few of the guys I got to know pretty well at the 2023 event. It was a great way to settle in for what should be a very busy but enjoyable weekend covering the team.

I’m now trackside at Glen Helen and a full day of practice has come to an end. There are lots of stories to tell from Friday, so be sure to check in later. I’ll post photos and tell some stories in a post on its own as soon as we get back to the house. Plus, the cell service went down the toilet once everyone got here this morning, so I couldn’t hotspot to my laptop all day.

Max Filipek is #44 for the 2024 season. He’s been a fixture on the circuit for the past few years but 2024 wasn’t business as usual for the friendly KTM rider. He crashed hard before the series started and didn’t head west. He picked up the series when we got to Gopher Dunes, but it still wasn’t a normal summer for him. We’ll let him explain in our interview.

Here’s a look at his abbreviated 2023 season:

We got in touch with him this week to see how he’s been doing and find out what his plans are for his racing future. Here’s what he had to say:

Direct Motocross: Hello, Max. We didn’t see you as much as we’re used to this summer. We’re going to have to ask you, why didn’t you head out west this year?

Max Filipek: Hey, Billy! It’s expensive to do the whole series, so I was saving up to hit all the rounds once they headed east. I also had a pretty bad get off at Gophers (Gopher Dunes) in the spring, so that side-lined me for a few months, and it was tough trying to get in race shape when the series headed east. 2 weeks off the couch and straight to Gopher isn’t easy. Haha

What’s been the scariest crash you’ve ever had? Was that it?

Definitely, one of the scarier ones I’ve had!

Another one at Poorboys CMX was a bad one with my close friend Kyle Brown. We were on 80’s and collided in the air over the finish line table top on the first lap. They had to red flag it. You can checked it out on Kyle’s YouTube:

 How long did it take you to get back to 100%?

I think I got back on the bike after 3 months. I had some severe vertigo for a while after the crash. I was feeling really good at the  Gopher Dunes National, almost 100%, but only had a couple weeks on the bike. I ended up taking another spill there. LOL

OK, so, you showed up at Gopher Dunes and finished 20-22 for 24th. Can you take us through how the day actually went?

The first moto was tough. It was my first time lining up since the crash, so I definitely had some nerves. I rode really well in the second moto, I was sitting 15th with 5 minutes to go. My mind was still fresh but my body couldn’t keep up. Haha. I ended up swapping and spraining my ankle pretty bad, which is why I wasn’t able to make Sand Del Lee. The ankle really hampered the rest of the season and it’s still not 100%.

Oh, OK. Then you raced Riverglade (18th) and Deschambault (23rd). How were those ones for you?

Mediocre, for sure. I felt good at River Glade, but I went down a bunch. Deschambault, I had a bike malfunction. It was really nice visiting with the Halsteads while we were out east.

Ya, they’ve got a great set up put there! How come we didn’t see you at Walton Raceway to close out the series?

I was just struggling. I ended up tweaking my knee and ankle and called it a season.

What have you been doing since then?

Just working. My fiancé and I just got a place, so we’ve been busy renovating as well. 

What is it you do for work?

 I’m a plumbing apprentice under Jason Burke at Journey Plumbing.

How’s the winter looking for you?

I’m just going to train a bunch. A few of my friends are signing up for the Muskoka 70.3. I also got a 150 that I’ll be building over the winter.

And what about racing for next summer? Do you know your plans yet?

Definitely hit a few of the East Coast rounds. I can’t miss Gophers, that’s my favourite.

OK, who’s the greatest Canadian racer of all time, in your opinion?

Ross Pederson. He was an animal.

Who was your favourite rider growing up?

Dusty Klatt on the Canadian side, James Stewart was my favorite growing up.

If not Motocross, what sport would you have competed in?

 I played basketball growing up, never really had the height though. Haha.

What kind of student were you?

 Honour roll student. My parents were pretty strict about keeping up my grades. 

OK, thanks for taking some time with us for Week #44. Good luck and who would you like to thank?

My family, Sunguard Awnings and Patio, Simply Moto Canada, Journey Plumbing and Mechanical, OGs Optics, Ryan and Gary at Peak Powersports, KTM Canada, Fusion Graphix, Dirt Tricks Sprockets, Fasst Company, Steve Simms Racing ,  MP1 Suspension, Troy Lee Designs, Barry Cullen Chevrolet.

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Round 3 of the Australian Supercross Series This Weekend

Cole Thompson is back in action this week for Round 3 of the 2024 Australian Supercross Championship at Win Stadium in Wollongong.

SX 2 Points:

1. Shane McElrath 38
2. Cole Thompson 36
3. Brodie Connolly 34
4. Noah Ferguson 33
5. Ryder Kingsford 32

SX 1 Points:

1. Joey Savatgy 47
2. Dean Wilson 45
3. Luke Clout 42
4. Jed Beaton 32
5. Aaron Tanti 32

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AMO Arenacross in Chilliwack

The AMO Arenacross Championship is closing i at Chilliwack Heritage park in Chilliwack, BC. The 4-round series will run Nov 22-23 and then 29-30.

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OK, I’d better get to the photos and video from today before it’s tomorrow! Racing goes both Saturday and Sunday here at Glen Helen.

Have a great weekend and don’t forget to turn your clocks back for Sunday!