Monday Morning Coffee

By Billy Rainford

Not a whole lot to say this week, being Boxing Day and all other than I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and is enjoying a Happy Holiday season. With the big day falling on a Sunday this year, it means students will be off all week and then some. I’m sure it seemed strange going to school right up to the day before Christmas Eve, but now they will reap the benefits and enjoy some time off.

We did our usual trip north to Kirkland Lake, Ontario, and are actually now stuck here an extra day because of a crazy ice storm that hit in the early morning hours. We were going to give driving south a shot but when I took a look at the 1/2 inch of ice covering the car, I decided it would be a horrible idea to add to the probable chaos out on the one highway out of here.

This is the boyhood home of the recently deceased Alan Thicke. At Christmas dinner last night, someone was talking about how talented he was *cough* and my dad said, “No, the greatest thing to ever come out of Kirkland Lake is the highway south to North Bay!” Good stuff.

“No, the greatest thing to ever come out of Kirkland Lake is the highway south to North Bay!“

2016 Most Influential People in Canadian MX | People’s Choice | RESULTS

The results are in for our 1st Annual Most Influential People in Canadian MX | People’s Choice.

We put it in your hands and asked you to vote for any person you feel worthy of this award for 2016. Judging from the results, the fact that this is to be an annual award was missed, but, no matter, you cast your votes and we have the results. So, without further ado, here is the Top 10 as chosen by you:

TOP 10 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN CANADIAN MX | 2016 PEOPLE’S CHOICE

ROSS PEDERSON – the most decorated racer in Canadian history
RYAN GAULD – runs the AMO racing series and his online blog, Guaranteed MX
AUSTIN WATLING – Intermediate racer from Corunna, Ontario
BRENT WORRALL – runs Canadian Moto Show and announces races in the west
CARL BASTEDO – multi-time head of Team Canada MXON and former Motopark owner
CHRIS LEE – former owner of Walton Raceway and founder of the Parts Canada TransCan
KYLE THOMPSON – former racer and head of Frank Fit Canada
JSR – multi-time Canadian champion and head of KTM Canada’s racing effort
STEVE MATTHES – Pulp MX and Racer X
STU MCQUEEN – head of MCQMX in the west

Thank you to everyone who participated and cast their vote. We got a very long list of nominees but these are the top 10. It was actually very close from 1-10.

Let’s all pay attention in 2017 and do this again next December. Thank you for reading the site and we hope everyone has a great 2017!

Faces at the Races | 2016 Recap

By Billy Rainford

Photos by Jeff McConkey and Billy Rainford

Take a trip from Round 1 in Kamloops, BC all the way across Canada to Round 10 in Barrie, ON in this ‘Faces at the Races‘ look at the 2016 Rockstar Energy MX Nationals.

It’s a long trip so get comfortable!

Budds Creek MX Park in Trouble

It’s long been talked about that the beautiful track and facility at Budds Creek MX Park in Maryland has been in financial trouble ever since hosting the MXON back in 2007. Well, unfortunately, the stories bear fruit. A GoFundMe account has been started to try and make one last 11th-hour save for the beloved track.

SAVE BUDDS ! 1st Merry Christmas, Hanukkah or whatever flavor you believe.
Yesterday the IRS showed up for the 1st time in my life and he was here for three hours. It was about a $31,000 tax bill from 2007 MXDN! You all think I a millionaire, in land only. Sept. 22 I went and paid the property tax from two years ago, I made it by eight days and $600 to my name or I would have lost the track.
We are letting the water soak in instead of pushing today. Spend Christmas at home, we will plow the track tomorrow night, it will be muddy tomorrow, then perfect until Jan 2nd from 11-5.
Both Caterpillar’s need tracks, still a year behind in property tax and barley have enough to by my kids Hanukkah presents.
PLEASE SHARE, we are open every day until Jan 2 for $40 to ride and the I’ve worked 43 years giving you perfect conditions, as many as 78 strait hours.
The reason I started opening every day since Sept was for this reason. You all heard this was my last National, I saved it by eight days. PLEASE CALL every rider and come next week, I need your help, have them call every one they know….
I Love all of you, we have the only Fraternity which I ever belonged. Jonathan E. Beasley

2017 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Preview Show | Racer X

We’re closing in on the 2017 Monster Energy AMA Supercross series. If you’re chomping at the bit to get the racing going, give the Racer X Films: 2017 Supercross Preview Shows a click for your pre-season SX fix.

The week between Christmas and New Year’s has always been my favourite 7 days of the year. When I was younger, a band called ‘White Punks on Funk‘ used to play at Call the Office in London every Boxing Day night – it was tradition. All the kids who’d gone away to school would be back in town for the holidays and we’d all meet up that one time a year to catch the band and talk about old times over a game of pool and a couple malt beverages. Unfortunately, the band has since moved on and members live all over the world, making this annual reunion gig a thing of the past.

Anyway, enjoy the rest of your time with family and friends. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the days are getting longer already! It’s time for us to start posting our ‘Best of 2016’ articles that we always have fun doing. Watch for those here on the site.

Thanks for reading and we’ll see you at the races…

I’ll leave you with this classic old Supercross race from the Pontiac Silverdome back in 1983. I was a young racer watching from the stands at this one. Oh, and has anyone ever raced as fast as Bob Hannah with less natural talent? Man, he just forced his way around tracks!