Behind The Lens Presented By Motovan- Round 3 In Calgary
As the riders entered Round 3 in Calgary all of the riders were looking forward to the final Western round of the 2023 Triple Crown Series. The Wild Rose MX track is a favorite among the riders, so it was great to see this venue back on the Series schedule for the first time since 2019.
In the 250 class, Ryder McNabb picked up right where he left off in Kamloops and took the overall win. It wasn’t easy, though, as his teammate Kaven Benoit chased him to the finish in moto one, and Mitchell Harrison got the better of him in moto two and won his first moto of the year. So far, McNabb has had the best raw speed in the 250 class, so it will be interesting to see what adjustments the rest of the field makes before Round 4 at Gopher Dunes.
In the 450 class, Dylan Wright once again took the overall win after challenges from Jess Pettis and Shawn Maffenbeier. Pettis won the opening moto and was leading moto two until Wright tracked him down and made the pass. There were some entertaining battles in the 450 class as the top four riders were all close in speed, much closer than we expected. With two weeks off, all of the riders will be going to work and trying to improve their racecraft heading into Round 4. Once again, James Lissimore was in Calgary and sent us these incredible photos. See you at Gopher Dunes!
It felt great to be back in Calgary for Round 3 of the Triple Crown Series.So far Benoit’s comeback tour has been a success! After a tough start to the 250 series Mitchell Harrison was pumped to win the second moto in Calgary. Wyatt Kerr looked good in practice but sadly had a big crash in moto one. Shawn Maffenbeier was loving the deep ruts in Calgary. Once again we saw some great battles in the 450 class at Round 3. As well as the race there was an airshow going on in Calgary. The riders faced a little bit of everything as far as the weather on Sunday. It hasn’t been easy but Dylan Wright is still getting things done. Ryder McNabb has been the best 250 rider thus far in 2023 and he’s still not 100%. Quinn Amyotte had a great first moto going in Calgary until a freak crash resulted in a gruesome finger injury. The Wild Rose track definitely has the best scenery on the circuit. For Round 3 the GDR Honda Team ran some replica Blackfoot Racing graphics on Dylan Wright’s bike. Tyler Gibbs had another solid day in the 450 class and now has decided to race the Eastern rounds. At Round 3 Austin Jones was looking for a top ten finish and that is what he got. Tyler Medaglia rode well in Calgary but was unable to match the speed of the top three 450 riders. Josiah Natzke made it through the west rounds in good shape and now he’s looking froward to the tracks of the east. Although Sam Gaynor dominated the Pre-Mix class in Calgary he struggled with his starts in the 250 class and ended up 17th OA.Yes, there were a few ruts at Round 3. After three rounds Ryder McNabb has many reasons to have a smile on his face. Tanner Scott had a solid western swing and currently sits 14th OA in the 250 class. The KTM duo of Benoit and McNabb have gotten 6 of the 7 holeshots so far in 2023.
With the rain and soft dirt the Wild Rose track was very challenging for Round 3. Noah Viney has been a great addition to the 250 Series and at Round 3 he finished 7th OA. Tanner Ward had his best race of 2023 at Round 3 and hopefully this is a sign of things to come. We think all of Canada wants Maff to win at least one moto this summer. Don’t worry, it’s coming soon as he’s been riding great in the 450 class. Your 250 class podium from Round 3. Your 450 class podium from Calgary.