Frid’Eh Update #47 | Blair Nauta | Brought to You by KTM Canada
By Billy Rainford
Here we go for Week #47 of the DMX Frid’Eh Update this week presented by KTM Canada. I’m currently down at Gatorback Cycle Park near Gainesville, Florida, so this is going to be another short Update.
The week started out pretty cold down here, relative to normal expected Florida weather, that is. However, it’s supposed to hit 27C today. The racing has been good this year and they have hit another record level of entries at this crazy event. It’s huge!
Blair Nauta is #47 for 2022. Blair grew up racing across the border in the USA, simply because the tracks were just closer to where he lives in Wainfleet, Ontario. I’d always been familiar with his name but didn’t really get a chance to see him until he made the decision a few years ago to focus on Canada.
He headed out west and did the entire Canadian Triple Crown Series MX Nationals for the first time this past summer. He and his better half, #3 Malia Garant, spent the summer cruising the country. Malia is currently down here in Florida racing.
Here’s a quick look at Blair’s 2022 season:
We got in touch with Blair this week to talk about his 2022 season and find out what his plans are for the future. Here’s what he had to say:
Direct Motocross: Hello, Blair. I’m down at the Mini O’s and Malia is racing, so I really thought we’d be doing this in person. Where are you and why aren’t you down here in the palm trees?
Blair Nauta: Hey, Billy. Ya, I wish I could be down there watching her race! I am at home working away in the freezing cold. We actually just had huge snow storm, but Malia has been telling me it’s been cold there too!
(Shh, don’t tell Blair it’s 27C here today…) Let’s talk about the 2022 season. You went all the way out west to do the Triple Crown Series this summer. I assume that was your first time out there? How did you like it when you got out there to race Round 1 at Whispering Pines in Kamloops?
Ya, I did all the rounds this year. It was amazing travelling the world and getting to experience the other half of Canada for the first time! Round 1 looked and felt like a video game, with being in the middle of mountains and the dirt was really good.
What were your travel arrangements?
Me and Malia drove the van to all the rounds. Definitely logged some hours this year but it was fun and now I can say I drove across Canada!
How did the western swing go for you?
They went good. The second round I had bike problems and it was in a valley so I had to push it up the hill, plus I had to push it up the road and after that when I got back my moto was pretty much starting again so I didn’t get to go back out, but the other two went good. I scored points at both so couldn’t complain.
You also went east but I see a gap in the results. Can you tell us the eastern story?
Ya, I ended up getting really sick with a bad fever. I tried going out but just couldn’t hang on to the bike.
You ended up 20th in the 450 MX class. Were you happy with your results?
I mean, yes and no. My goal was top 15 this year but with missing some rounds and struggling at others it made it hard and I had some really good rounds that made up for the bad ones.
What is it you do for work?
I install countertops.
What are your plans for this winter?
My plan is to become an electrician over this winter. I just got accepted into the electrical union and working on becoming fully unionized and going to the Bruce Nuclear Power Plant.
And what about next summer? Will you chase the entire series again?
Well, we’ll have to see. If I don’t fully unionize then ya I will go back out west again. I had blast and the tracks were amazing!
You came up through the amateur ranks spending most of your time in New York. Did you do any of the big Amateur Nationals down south when you were younger?
The only big national I ever did down there was Loretta Lynn‘s. All the other races in America was just local stuff because it was closer to go race there than in Canada.
What are your goals in the sport? What does your future look like?
Well, honestly, as of right now we will see. I’m gonna be starting a really good work gig soon, but after a long winter of working I’m gonna be fired up to race again. I’m deciding on racing the 450 for another year or maybe racing the 125 class!
Malia had a mechanical in her last race in SX down here. Are you following along on RacerTV? How is she going to do in the MX portion?
Ya I know, and she was killing it too! She told me she’s ready to go and is fired up and gonna get me a top 5! Ohhh ya, I’m watching. I had to stop work to her moto, all the guys I work with are into it as well, so we watched her and were cheering her on from Canada.
Awesome. OK, thanks for taking some time with us, Blair. Good luck and is there anyone you’d like to thank?
Thank you, Billy, you as well. And yes, there’s lots of amazing people I would love to thank: my dad, mom, Malia, FXR, Bell Helmets, Just Revive It, Scott goggles, Ryno Power Canada, Guts Racing, Mika Metals, Mobius, Titan Racing, ODI, Dunlop, Twin Air, Royal Distributing.
Future West Moto Arenacross Resumes this Weekend
Preston Masciangelo and Julien Benek Injured at SOB MX
It’s been a tough start for the Supercross training for the two Canadian riders on the Partzilla PRMX team at South of the Border MX in South Carolina.
#40 Preston Masciangelo came up short on a triple and broke both of his wrists, requiring surgery. #12 Julien Benek crashed and did some liver damage. We’ll be sure to speak with everyone personally to get more details and let them tell the stories. Until then, heal up, guys.
GDR Makes it Official
Here are our nightly short video clips from down herre:
Sunday:
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Watch it all LIVE at RacerTV.
Live timing and scoring HERE.
And now back to the races…
Have a great weekend.
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