Frid’Eh Update #47 Presented by MP County Line

By Billy Rainford (Jeff is away on holidays)

Week #47 belongs to BC rider, Dylan Delaplace | Bigwave photo

Welcome to the 47th DMX Frid’Eh Update this week presented by MP County Line in Fountaine, Florida. It’s extremely difficult to sit here and type while the temperature creeps closer and closer to 20 Celsius outside my window! Week #47 belongs to the BC rider we’ve gotten to know quite well over the past few years.

Dylan Delaplace has always shown great speed right off the drop of the gate. When he feels good and keeps it on two wheels, he is a contender. In fact, he had his Jess Pettis moment from 2015 at Deschambault this year. Like Jess, Dylan got a great start and actually passed for the lead at the beginning of a moto. No, it didn’t last long, but it must have felt great!

In 2016, Dylan teamed up with fellow BC-er, Kyle Springman, and the two of them had a summer to remember as they crossed the country together racing the Rockstar MX Nationals. The year didn’t go quite like Dylan would have liked (he’ll touch on that) but I’m sure June-August 2016 will be two months he remembers fondly for the rest of his life.

The highlight of Dylan’s summer was his pass for the lead at Deschambault | Bigwave photo

Here’s a look at Dylan’s 2016 outdoor season:

We grabbed Dylan for a quick chat. Here’s what he had to say:

Direct Motocross: Hello, Dylan. Last time I saw you you were sitting on a tailgate chatting with Kyle Springman and Jeff McConkey at RJ’s. Let’s talk about the 2016 season, first. Can you tell everyone how you and Kyle came to be traveling the country together?

Mine and Kyle’s trip was pretty much thrown together last minute. Actually, my original plan to travel with a fifth-wheel trailer fell through and I was kinda looking for other options. So, later that week, I got a call from Kyle saying he wants to do the whole series and he had a trailer and I had the van so kinda just made it work; we jammed the trailer and van full and hit the road .

Tailgating with…Dylan Delaplace and Kyle Springman from Directmotocross.com on Vimeo.

What’s something you learned about Kyle over the summer and, more importantly, yourself! You guys were in pretty cramped quarters for a couple months.

Honestly, I didn’t learn too much more about Kyle than I already knew, except that he’s a little OCD and that he can’t really cook that well (Laughs). Living and sleeping that close to each other for that long went better than we both expected. Me and him were good friends coming into the season and we made it the whole time without killing each other.

What was your racing highlight from the summer?

I have to say, my biggest highlight of the season was at round 9 in Deschambault when I got a good start and passed for the lead. I wasn’t in the lead for very long but it sure felt good!

What was the lowlight, if there was one?

There were a couple low lights that came with the season. I was battling with a stomach sickness for the majority of the rounds and it forced me to DNF some motos and miss Pleasant Valley completely. [It] cost me a lot of points but we got it under control for the last 3 rounds and I was able to salvage some points.

Are you and Kyle still friends?

(Laughs) Ya, me and Kyle are definitely still friends. We needed a break from each other for a little while after the trip was done, but we still go ride together most of the time.

Dylan Delaplace Kyle Springman Erin Bates

Even after the long summer of traveling together, Dylan and Kyle Springman are still buddies (Shown here with Erin Bates) | Bigwave photo

You ended up 21st in MX2 and will be #45 (my first number) in 2017. Are you happy with that?

Ya, next year I’ll be running the number 45 witch I’m happy with, considering the luck I had all year. I just needed to get my health up to 100 percent and complete every moto of the season and I think I could have improved the 21st overall. But I’m happy with the way the season turned out and I learned a lot and hope to take the positives and head into 2017 more prepared.

What have you been up to since the final round at RJ’s?

I took a little time off once I got back from RJ’s but didn’t last long until I got the itch to ride again. I went down to Washougal for the 125 Dream Race and ever since then I’ve been riding the 125. I can’t seem to get enough of it, even raced the first two rounds of Arenacross on it. I was a little down on power, but I’d like to think it sounded the best (Laughs).

Will you race the last few rounds of the Future West AX series?

Ya, I’ll be at the last four rounds of the Future West AX. Chilliwack is local for me so I’m looking forward to it.

Have you caught the cycling bug like the rest seem to have out there?

Ya, I definitely have the cycling bug (Laughs). I haven’t been out too much lately and the weather hasn’t been the greatest but hope to get out in the trails again soon.

Dylan had stomach issues most of the summer but still managed to finish 21st on the season | Bigwave photo

What will you do for the winter for training and racing?

Well, the plan is to head down to Kevin Urquhart‘s again this year. He’s a great trainer and has a really good program that works well for me. So, hopefully get down there decently soon and be more prepared for the 2017 season than I ever have been.

Do you have plans for summer 2017 yet?

As of right now, all I know is I’m planning on doing all 10 rounds for 2017. But how I’m getting to each round and what I’m traveling in isn’t planned out yet.

OK, thank you for chatting with us today. Who would you like to thank?

Ya, like to give a big thanks to Ed at GA Checkpoint, Yamaha Canada, Fox, 100%, Rekluse Canada, Big O tires, JS Powersports, Renegade Fuels, Projekt, 2Under, Fusion graphic, FMF, Enzo, my trainer Kevin Urquhart, and of course, my dad.

Thanks for the chat. Dylan and his dad, Scott, are two of the great families that travel our series. If you see Scott at a race, go up and ask him if he has any apple pie moonshine. Tell him Bigwave sent ya and hate me later!

Week #47 is brought to you by MP County Line in Fountaine, Florida.

BILLY RAINFORD

Like I said in the opening, I’m sitting here looking out my window at the sunshine and 20-degree weather (that’s Celsius for those of you still running Farenheit, and it equals about 72). I’m doing all I can to stay seated and not go for a long cycle in this really abnormal mid-November heat wave! I’m not gonna lie, I’ll probably wrap this one up quickly and head out. It gets dark around here at 5:30 so I don’t have a lot of time!

I’m actually trying to get packed up for a week down in Florida and the 45th Annual Thor Winter Olympics so I really have very little time this week! I’m also going to hit the first round of the AX Tour in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Saturday night. I hit Google Maps and I can’t believe that Bowling Green is within 3 minutes of being exactly half way between London, ON and Gatorback Park! Weird.

Jeff McConkey was away on a birthday holiday in the Dominican Republic so he hasn’t really been online or able to give us an update this week. Hopefully, he’s all rested and raring to go as we get closer to another season of Supercross racing. I’m going to throw it out there again: think of a racer from the past 10 years and ask Jeff what gear he wore. I’m willing to bet he gets it right, from helmet/goggles all the way to gear and boots. It’s uncanny!

I was able to get in touch with him just now and he wanted to wish Cade Clason a Happy Birthday.

Happy Birthday to Cade Clason from Jeff McConkey | Bigwave photo

Cole Thompson Back in Costa Rica for Final Round of Nationals

I was talking with Cole Thompson‘s older brother, Justin Thompson, yesterday and he informed me that Cole is back in Central America racing the final round of their series. Cole had to miss a couple rounds and crashed out of another, so he won’t be taking the title (although he’s been the fastest when he’s there). They actually broadcast these things live online if you’re skilled at the Google machine.

The title will come down between Ben Lemay and Roberto Castro (only 5 points separate them).

Good luck this weekend, Cole.

Brock Hoyer Makes Winter X Games Snowbike Appearance Official

Is Aspen expensive…

Williams Lake, BC motocrosser-turned-snowbike-racer, Brock Hoyer, has played an integral part in getting the snow bike craze into the mainstream. This role has now culminated in getting the new sport into the coveted Winter X Games this coming January in Aspen, Colorado.

Of course, one of the riders at the top of the list to invite was our own Brock Hoyer.

We gave Brock a call this morning to get some of his thoughts on this historic event…and to find out if he was nervous! Of course, Brock was working but he was kind enough to take a few minutes to answer my questions. He said he was “pretty excited” and admitted he was “a little nervous” about the whole thing.

He realizes this is a bug deal for him and the sport in general. He said they’d been talking about getting it to the next level (X Games) for quite a while now and can’t believe it has become a reality. He said, “I never thought in my wildest dreams I’d get to do this!”

The fact that he keeps winning the biggest race of the season in Idaho means he does, in fact, feel some pressure to do well ie. WIN! He was also quick to thank everyone for getting on board this newest sport so quickly and is thrilled that he gets to keep doing what he loves.

He’s not sure who else will be on the line when it all shakes out, but pointed out that the entry list, so far, is all FMX riders, so it should be interesting.

Johnny Montes to be Inducted into Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame this Weekend

A little east coast bird named Dave Hewitson told us that Johnny Montes (AKA The Spanish Fly) will be inducted into the Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame in Petitcodiac, New Brunswick, Saturday. Dave will be in attendance and promises to send over a few photos for us to post, so watch for those.

Here’s the list of 2016 inductees from the www.maritimemotorsportshalloffame.com website:

Introducing the Class of 2016

Management for the Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame (MMHF) are pleased to announce the 10 new inductees who will comprise the Class of 2016.

From Nova Scotia:

Garfield M. ‘Skip’ Collier (Halifax) – Competitor/ Drag Racing

Blair & Gayle Crooks (Dartmouth) – Competitor, Builder/ Stock Car Racing

Deborah Miller (Bedford) – Competitor, Builder/ Sports Car Racing

From New Brunswick:

Club Ford Country Club (Moncton) – Club

Don Lavoie (Dieppe) – Competitor, Promoter/ Drag Racing

Johnny Montes (Rothesay) – Competitor/ Motorcycle, Motocross Racing

Ken ‘Apples’ Paley (Saint John) – Competitor/ Stock Car Racing

Adrian & Lorrain Van Egmond (Moncton) – Competitor, Supporter/ Motorcycle Racing

From Prince Edward Island:

Gordon ‘Gordie’ Paul Constable, deceased (Charlottetown) – Competitor, Builder/ Snowmobile Racing

Kevin Gallant, deceased (Bloomfield) – Competitor/ Drag Racing

Each will see their accomplishments in and contributions to Maritime motorsports officially recognized when they are formally inducted to the Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame at the 11th annual Induction Ceremony on November 19 at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Moncton. Tickets are $80 per person and include dinner along with the ceremony. A limited number of tickets are available and need to be purchased by October 1. A block of rooms has been set aside at the Crown Plaza Hotel for attendees; reservations should be made directly with the hotel no later than October 17.

Induction Ceremony tickets can be purchased by calling 506.756.2110.
Rooms can be reserved by calling 506-854-6340.

The dress code is formal for this occasion.

To learn more about the Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame (MMHF) please visit the MMHF museum in Petitcodiac or online at www.mmhf.ca

Congratulations, Johnny! Have a great day.

Johnny Montes to be inducted into Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame this weekend in New Brunswick | Bigwave photo

2017 MCQMX Snow Bike Nationals

This is happening, folks!

Future West Moto Canadian AX Championships Schedule

Ride 365 AX Tour Presented by FXR Schedule

Who’s Going Where in 2017 – The Top 20

Here’s what we ‘know’ at this point about the 2017 Rockstar Energy MX Nationals:

1. Davi Millsaps – Davi will race Supercross then stay south next summer

2. Matt Goerke – Matt will race Amsoil Arenacross and returns on the Rockstar OTSFF Yamaha team

3. Kaven Benoit – Kaven returns on the KTM Canada Thor Racing team

4. Brett Metcalfe – Brett’s racing future is not certain at this time but the OTSFF team would welcome him back

5. Mike Alessi – Mike will race Supercross then may be back in Canada next summer

6. Tyler Medaglia – Tyler should be back with Parts Canada Thor Husqvarna with an interesting race schedule

7. Cade Clason – Assuming Redemption Racing is back, Cade likely has a home after racing Supercross

8. Keylan Meston – Keylan returns with same sponsors as 2016 unless a team comes knocking

9. Morgan Burger – Morgan will probably be a springtime decision

10. Colton Facciotti – Colton returns on the Honda Canada GDR Fox Racing team

11. Cole Thompson – Cole will likely (99%) defend his MX2 title on the KTM Canada Thor Racing team

12. Shawn Maffenbeier – Shawn is currently looking for his best deal for 2017

14. Dylan Wright – Dylan has signed to ride MX2 for the Honda Canada GDR Fox Racing team in 2017 and beyond

15. Brad Nauditt – Brad is currently preparing for Supercross and will likely be a springtime decision

16. Jess Pettis – Jess is a free agent as of January 1 but likely returns on the MX101 FXR Yamaha team

17. Mark Worth – Mark will likely remain south in 2017

18. Dakota Alix – Dakota will do his Supercross deal and then start looking for summer employment

19. Hayden Halstead – Hayden likely has a home with the MX101 FXR Yamaha squad like in 2016

20. Kyle Swanson – Kyle will race Supercross on the Strikt Gear PR-MX team then head to Canada next summer

Very little of that is ‘official,’ so don’t get bent out of shape is some of it is off…

OK, time to vacuum and pack the van before it gets dark! Be sure to check in on our Twitter @directmx Instagram @DirectMotocross and Facebook for updates on how all our Canadians are doing down at the Mini O’s next week. Have a great weekend. Oh, and it looks like I’m getting out of Dodge in the nick of time. Enjoy the weather here!

See you at the races…

Frid’Eh Update #47 Presented by MP County Line