Frid’Eh Update #50 | Crayden Dillon | Brought to You by RP Race Performance
By Billy Rainford
Welcome to Week #50 of the DMX Frid’Eh Update brought to you by RP Race Performance. We’re now in the depths of the off-season here in Canada, especially since now the AMA Arenacross Championship in Chilliwack, BC has come and gone.
I’ve actually been enjoying some time at home hanging out with Emily, Olive the Aussiedoodle, and my hometown buddies this holiday season. We even all met at the Western Fair Raceway this week for some dinner and horse race betting.
I tried to just push my way through and expected some special treatment. After all, I AM the 1987 Western Fair Arenacross Intermediate champion! I shouldn’t have had to point that out to them and should have just automatically received an extra portion of prime rib! No?
Oh, why not?!
While I’m taking this walk down memory lane. I grabbed these photos from our album and happened to see this one from the 1985 Junior Nationals at Motopark. My dad had just been admitted into the hospital because he couldn’t figure out why he was so tired and thirsty all the time. Yep, the blood sugar levels were at the point where he should have dropped dead.
He still asked if he could just come back in on Monday. They said he wouldn’t be doing ANYthing Monday if he left. OK, so I was going racing without him for the first time.
Also, I can’t remember the details but I had to borrow a bike for this race. I ended up on Mark Allen‘s Yamaha 125 for the weekend. All I can remember was that I had the worst weekend ever and didn’t even make it into the motos.
Oh, I bring this up because in one of the start photos I’m rubbing elbows with #317 Cooper Larche‘s dad.
I got started on this trip down memory lane today when I went looking for some old photos of this week’s Update Honouree. I always like sending out old photos of people when they aren’t expecting it. I always send the photos along with the message, “Incoming randomness!” If you received one of these today, I hope they brought back some good memories for you.
My old racing buddy Al Strickert is spending the next few months riding tracks all around the south on his mint 2002 Honda CR250 2-stroke. So far, he’s been to Monster Mountain and this weekend he’s riding at MX191 just outside Pensacola, Florida, in a little town called Milton.
We’re asking him to give us little reports from each track he hits. We’ll use it as a bit of a guide to tacks down south to help people make a decision on where they’d like to spend their limited time when they head south to train.
He absolutely loved the track and the owners of Monster Mountain, so we’re off to a good start. MM is in Tallahassee, Alabama, so be sure to check it out.
From Al: “Kieth and Monster are kicking butt. I found out Shorsey (Steve Shore) did some lessons hear and he is praised around here, even from a moto mom.”
To pull the two stories together, Al finished 2nd at that Western Fair race. I got out front early and my buddy who was flagging an area kept telling me to slow down (In hindsight, maybe he was better friends with Al!). I eased up and on the last lap I even fell.
When I crossed the line, Al was about to make the pass but ran out of time. Thanks for telling me to slow down!!! Lol
OK, that’s much more than enough about me…
Crayden Dillon is rider #50 for 2024. I’m happy I got to know Dillon and his family a little better this past year. He’s a 2-sport Pro Athlete. He’s the current Pro Lites Champion in the Amsoil Snocross series in the USA. Yes, the big one!
He’s likely best known up here as #96, as that was his number as he came up through the ranks. He travelled the series with Tanner Scott last summer and it sounds like they had a great time.
Here’s a look at his results from 2024:
He was within 5 points of breaking the top 15. He’s always had the potential and racing snowmobiles in the winter is obviously a great way to stay fit and race ready for the MX season.
Here’s what he had to say when we contacted him this week:
Direct Motocross: Hey, Crayden. Thanks for talking with us this week. Where did we find you?
Crayden Dillon: Clear Lake, Minnesota, getting ready for the upcoming racing season.
Well, I don’t think we’ve ever done one of these things with you, Crayden, so we’ll have to take it from the top. Where are you from, how old are you, and how did you get into MX in the first place?
I’m from Zephyr, Ontario, I’m 18 as of Tuesday the 10th. I got into Moto because of my dad. He got me on a bike when I was 3 years old and the rest is history really.
Happy belated birthday. Who did you come up through the ranks battling?
I came up through the ranks battling with a bunch of guys because I’m born the worst time of year for motocross, but from what I can remember it was Bobby Gravel, Cole Pranger, Thomas Munro, Blake Davies…
You’re one of a few 2-sport Pro athletes we have in our sport. You’re the defending Amsoil Snocross champion! Did you start both sports at the same time and do you prefer one over the other?
I started racing a sled first when I was 3 turning 4 but I was on a bike that summer before, so it was within months of riding both sled and bike. I love both very much but I’ve grown so much in the Snocross industry that it’s hard to not love it more.
Which of them is the most demanding on you?
Snocross is definitely the hardest thing I’ve done physically. Our motos are only 10 minutes but they feel like 25 at Gopher Dunes.
Who was your hero growing up, a snow or dirt guy?
My hero growing up in Snocross was Iain Hayden. And I was a big K Rock (Ken Roczen) fan growing up as well.
Hey, here’s something I didn’t think I’d ever get to say: The Tanner Ward Ride with Me cycle last year came down to you, me, and Marvin Musquin for the sprint finish. You’re a pretty strong cyclist! It was funny that the next day you said you were already training for next year’s ride. Have you been on the bike much? Do you do road and MTB?
Yeah, I love to cycle but I don’t get around to it enough and I think I got you covered next year. Honestly, that was probably my 7th time riding the road bike that year. I don’t mtb, pit bikes are way cooler.
Shots fired! You and Tanner Scott travelled the series last summer. Did you learn a lot about yourself and each other on that adventure? Was it fun?
Yeah, me and Tanner weren’t planning to go out but we ended up deciding around 1.5 weeks before round 1, so it was a bit rushed. We had fun, lots of ups and downs on the trip, but it was a good learning experience for both of us. I didn’t really learn much about myself but I did learn that Tanner doesn’t like when you talk to yourself all day… It was a great time was happy to go out and experience it, but was also very happy to leave and head back home.
You finished 19th in the 450 Canadian Triple Crown Series this year. How would sum up your performances? Your best was a 14th at Round 3 in Pilot Mound, Manitoba. There was a really tight race to break into the top 15, actually. You were only 5 points out!
I could have been a lot better with the right preparation and more time on the bike, and I feel like my performances were not the best really. The 14th at Pilot Mound was fun. I found a groove and rode decent for once that year.
You’re the defending Snocross Pro Lites champion. Will you defend that title or move up to the Pro class and go after fellow Canadian Jordan Lebel and lest year’s champion Emil Harr?
I will stay Pro Lite and I will defend the title. The plan is to give the big dogs a run for their cash next year.
Did you spend all your Snocross winnings racing dirt bikes last summer?
No, I didn’t spend all my Snocross savings racing bikes this year. Yamaha has a great program with the Factory Ride Award and I got to use one of their YZ 450’s for the year and I would like to give a huge thank you to Ryan Gauld. He helped me out with a bike when mine blew up and I don’t think I would have made most of the rounds without his help. Also, huge thank you to John Nelson at St. Onge for helping me out with parts for my blown up bike.
Nice. With such a busy schedule, what do you do to get ready for MX in the summer? Can you even go south to train or is there good enough transfer from Snocross to Motocross?
I go from round 16 of Snocross to home and back on the bike the next day to try and get ready, but I was a little burnt out of training and riding all day everyday so I took some time off and I didn’t prep enough for round 1 of MX with only 5 hours on the bike before gate drop. The transfer is pretty easy for me though, I’ve been doing it my whole life.
Is Blair Morgan the GOAT of Snocross?
Blair Morgan is the goat 🐐 at Fort Nite and the OG goat of Snocross.
What are your plans for MX next season?
Plans for next MX season are to come out smokin’ fast in the 2-stroke class and hopefully run for a title in that. I would also like to do a few 450 rounds as well!
Last question: Are you going to let a 57-year-old beat you on a bicycle next summer?
I’m gonna do 8 rides before Walton and smoke you, pal!
I love it! OK, thanks for taking some time with us this week, Crayden. Good luck this winter. Who would you like to thank?
Thanks for the opportunity to do this. I would like to thank my mom and my dad and my grandparents for helping me out for all these years and giving me the opportunity to live the dream of a Pro MX racer and Snocross racer.
Also, huge thank you to Jim and TJ Scott. They helped me out a ton this year with going out west and I couldn’t have done the west without them.
Massive thanks to Ryan Gauld for the bike rental all year even though I blew it up at a round! Much appreciated.
And my sponsors: FTA, ST ONGE, YAMAHA CANADA, POORBOYZ RACING, DBR, AMO, DARIY QUEEN
My key takeaway from that interview is that I’d better not let up on the cycle at all heading into next season! It was pretty cool to ride up beside none other than Marvin Musquin to chat late in the ride and ask him who that was up at the front. Neither of us knew so I rode up beside him to find out it was Crayden.
No, it’s definitely not a race. It’s an amazing fundraising event, but the riders all get pretty jumpy as soon as we get started. In fact, Tanner took us out faster than we’ve ever gone out last year! I just sit behind the few riders at the front and then cover their moves if they come. It’s just a ton of fun and I’m looking forward to seeing a fit and fast Crayden Dillon next August.
RIP Scott Burnworth
If you grew up racing in the 1980’s, you knew Scott Burnworth. He passed away from a heart attack yesterday and will be greatly missed. Cycle News did a nice piece on him that you can read HERE.
OK, the afternoon totally got away from me and now I’m even late getting this interview up. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend.
No comments!
There are no comments yet, but you can be first to comment this article.