Frid’Eh Update #7 | Bella Morgan | Brought to You by Dirt Care

Frid’Eh Update #7 | Bella Morgan | Brought to You by Dirt Care

Week #7 of the DMX Frid’Eh Update comes from the Detroit Supercross and belongs to Isabella Morgan, brought to you by Dirt Care.

By Billy Rainford

Brought to you by Dirt Care

Welcome to Week #7 of the DMX Frid’Eh Update brought to you by Dirt Care. I’m starting this Update on a train back to Port Huron, Michigan, from Chicago. I won’t get into details here but will probably spin some yarn in the upcoming Monday Morning Coffee, so if you’d like to hear about my latest adventure, check that column out after the weekend.

We’re headed to Ford Field in Detroit, MI for Round 6 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross series. It was also be the 2nd round of 250 East where I’m not sure if we learned anything at all at Round 1 in Tampa, Florida, last Saturday.

I think I’ll ask just 2 questions to as many riders as I can at Press Day. Those 2 questions will be: 1) What are your thoughts on sand sections in Supercross? and 2) What do you know about Canada?

I think it might be a fun way to talk briefly with a bunch of different riders and maybe even give us some useful insight into one of the more polarizing subjects in SX – obstacles like sand sections.

We don’t have a #7 in the Canadian Triple Crown Series Motocross Nationals, so I went to the 2024 WMX East/West Shootout at Walton Raceway results to find who finished 7th, and that was #92 Isabella Morgan from Barrie, Ontario.

“Bella” is a young racer who we’ve had our eye on for the past several years, as she’s shown potential to be a top rider in Canada. She’s suffered a few bumps along the way, but her racer’s mentality keeps her coming back and moving up the results sheets.

Direct Motocross: Hello, Isabella. Thanks for being our #7 this week. Let’s back it up and let people get to know you. How old are you, where are you from, and how did you get into Motocross in the first place?

Isabella Morgan: My name is Isabella Morgan, I am 16 years old, and I am from Barrie, Ontario. I was 2 years old when my dad got me a small pink quad. From there he chased me around with a rope till I was 3-and-a-half then he surprised me with a Honda 50. I was riding at Highway 90 pits and we met these people Adam and Christine. They told my dad about Burnt River when I got my KX 65. I was fortunate enough to start racing at 9 years old and ever since then I have always had a passion for motocross. 

Were you doing other sports as well? What other things do you do besides Moto?

I gave up gymnastics at 9 to focus on motocross and bettering myself. Throughout the years I have played school sports like basketball, volleyball,cross-country, football, and rugby. 

What grade are you in and what kind of student are you?

I attend Barrie North Collegiate and I am in grade 11. I think of school as a work place. I go in at 7:45 every morning and go till 2:20 giving the best effort I can. I hold a 75 average and try my best to keep 3 out of 4 of my classes at an 80.

Do you have post-secondary goals?

I take my grades seriously since I would like to get a scholarship post-secondary education to attend fighter-fighting school and trades school for welding (at local 46). 

You’ve had some pretty big injuries over the years. Any of them ever freak you out to the point you’ve considered walking away or is it always counting down the days until you could get back on the bike?

I have experienced 3 major injuries. My first major injury was my lower back. I got hit crawling off the track at Gopher (Dunes). I got a burst fracture. My second injury was a compression fracture to the middle of my back at Motopark (FIM). I stood up and wanted to keep riding my moto but due to the injury I had before the medic decided I needed to go to the hospital. The last major injury I received was braking my tibia and fibula. Both bones were almost ready to pop out of my skin. Once we made it to the hospital, they were going to wait till  morning to do my surgery but realized it was a lot more urgent than they thought. I got moved into surgery the same day.

Throughout my years I have gotten injured but I have always still wanted to ride and do what I do best. I feel lost in the winter when I cannot throw my leg over a bike and worry about nothing but me and God’s land under me. 

You did the eastern WMX series this past summer and finished 10-9-DNS-9. How would you say your races went? Which was your best race? I know you had some good battles at Gopher Dunes!

I was proud of myself for getting into the top ten but unfortunately not proud enough to say I’m happy were I am. I am excited to get back out there and push myself to finish in better positions than last year, since I know I am capable of finishing in a higher position. I would say one of my best races of the year was Gopher. I was running a smooth and confident moto and kept my pace. I do love the sand and it is one of my favourite places to put down motos to get prepared, since the sand is a demanding environment.

Did you guys just not want to go all the way out to Riverglade? 

I would love to go west to east and then back to Walton, however, that is financially not possible as my family is not from money. 

What have you been up to since the season ended?

I have been working on school and making sure to keep my grades up along with holding 2 jobs as a part-time employee. I also participate in rugby to keep myself strong and healthy for the season. 

What are your winter training plans?

I do rugby every Tuesday/Thursday and I workout in my home gym every other day to properly prepare myself for the upcoming season and battles that come with it. 

And what are the racing plans for 2025?

I am planing on doing a lot of training and racing. I cannot say what I am doing for sure since I may go into other events throughout the year, but I do know I plan to make it known I am there and ready to race with the best. 

Do you ever go south of the border and race?

I have not gone south of the border yet but I do plan on going down for a weekend or two. I would love to see what the competition is like over there and how the track conditions are compared to the ones in Ontario and Canada. 

Will you stay on a Supermini this year or move up?

I would love to announce I am on a mini and a 250 this year to go for the championships and wrap up my mini career on a good note. 

What are your thoughts on Eve Brodeur’s impact on Canadian WMX. With her retired now, did you get a chance to get to know her at all?

I have always looked up to her and I strongly believe she was a role model for a lot of young girls out on the track and off the track. I did not get the chance to become super-close with her but I did have the opportunity to get help and advice from her. She is one person I know I can go to for the proper help and advice I need. I do feel it is sad she has retired and I feel as if it gives an opportunity to the up and coming girls to fight for that number one spot. 

Who do you think is going to step up to fill her big shoes now?

I have no clue, since there are lots of girls who are up at the top and I know I will not be the one backing down from working my way up to get there. I have always wanted to be at the top spot and am working hard to contend with the top 3 girls. 

Good attitude! OK, thank you for chatting with us this week. Good luck, and who would you like to thank?

 I would like to thank Hudson Motorcycles, OG’s moto, Onewheelmafia, D&D moto, Hardcore Candy, Auto Trim Barrie, Motopark, Moto Mech, 6D Helmets, Haber’s MX Design, MD Distribution’s, Titan Motorsports, Marshall Race Fuels, and Eagle’s Nest MX.

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Vince Friese Is the AMA Arenacross Champion

Speaking of polarizing, MCR Honda rider Vince Friese jumped into the AMA Arenacross series and took over. Going into it we all knew he instantly became the odds-on favourite. And you had to think the tight, aggressive riding that comes with AX racing would suit his riding style to a T, and it did.

I have to think he was in everyone’s head before the first gate even dropped. Heck, he accomplishes that in the big leagues of Supercross whenever he’s on the line! Whether the other riders will admit it or not, we all know the truth.

This series also saw the introduction of the Stark Varg electric bikes, too. They had their own class and we allowed to compete with normal bikes in the weekly Dash for Cash races.

Michael Hicks proved to be the one to beat, even though Justin Bogle came in with most of the hype.

Here’s a look at the final standings:

AX Pro

1. Vince Friese HON 339
2. Ryan Breece HON 305
3. Michael Hicks YAM 292
4. Austin Plitelli YAM 282
5. Kyle Bitterman HON 175
6. Brandon Ray HON 148
7. Aaron Siminoe KAW 123
8. Chandler Baker HQV 117
9. Carson Millikan GAS 97
10. Noah Viney 93

X Pro

1. Michael Hicks 172
2. Justin Bogle 166
3. Kelana Humphrey 151
4. Mitch Ropelato 113
5. Trevor Stewart 95
6. Josh Hill 27
7. Josh Varize 24
8. Wyatt Hasil 23
9. Gabe Fink 13
10. Anton Nordstrom 13

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Well, as always seems to happen on these Supercross weeks, we’ve run out of time. I managed to get a couple videos up from Press Day today here at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.

I thought it would be interesting to ask the riders what they thought about sand sections on Supercross tracks and the replies did not disappoint. Logan Karnow hates them, Ricky Carmichael likes them, and Jason Weigandt was very analytical with his answer. Check it out:

After that question, I thought I’d have some fun and ask them the reverse of what they were expecting (they really weren’t expecting either way) and asked them all how they would like it if the USA became part of Canada. The results were varied and a lot of fun. Check this one out:

I’ll throw up a few photos and some video from Press Day when I get to the hotel. We may not have any Canadians in the pro classes, but I just met Mak Torque and his dad from Alberta on track walk (which was actually today at 5:00pm). He’ll be #4 in the KJSX race Saturday night. Have a great time, Mak!