Good Morning and let me begin by asking everyone a question. Raise your hand if you were at the 2022 Walton TransCan all week and today you woke up and can barely see straight. Well, I can say without a shadow of a doubt this is how I feel this morning as I sit down at my computer. Thankfully my family and I only had a short hour drive home last night from Walton and to be perfectly honest I cannot even begin to fathom what it would feel like if I woke up today and had to face a long drive back out west or even to Quebec or the east coast. For those riders and families that had a long drive to Walton from their home, I applaud your effort and desire to travel to the greatest week in Canadian motocross and I hope you get home safe.
So I think everyone will agree that what we all just experienced during the past week was one of, if not the best Walton TransCan we’ve ever been a part of. From the absolutely stunning weather that Mother Nature blessed us with to the incredible track conditions from Wednesday afternoon on, everything was great. Unfortunately, like always there were a few crashes and injuries during the week so I’d like to start by saying that I hope everyone is okay and will heal up fast. But as I mentioned above it was a great week and it’s been a while since we spent that long at Walton Raceway without experiencing at least one day of rain. In years past we’ve seen the track get pretty dusty sometimes in the later motos when the sun has been shining and baking up the Walton Raceway clay. However, with the sand that the Walton crew added to the track for this week, the conditions remained excellent all day long. Even during the pro day yesterday there was very little dust throughout the four motos. I know the track crew faced some adversity this week with breakdowns and some people losing their crap after the opening practice sessions on Wednesday, but I feel like they all deserve a big pat on the back for all of their hard work. I also feel like the track crew proved a lot to themselves that in the future they can get by without their high-maintenance tiller (I don’t know the official name for it) as yesterday they managed to keep the track in great shape with a set of discs and a rotary thing on the back. Anyway, whatever the track crew did all week it most certainly worked as the conditions were the best that I’ve ever seen at the Walton TransCan.
As far as the racing goes I guess I will begin with yesterday as the final round of the 2022 Triple Crown Series took place. Both the 250 class as well as the 450 class provided some excitement as there were some interesting storylines. Obviously, the biggest questions heading into yesterday were whether or not Ryder McNabb could clinch his first ever pro title in the 250 class and also would Dylan Wright be able to keep his perfect season alive against the visiting Zach Osborne. In the end, the answers to both questions were a resounding ‘Yes’ as McNabb was able to get it done in the 250 class and Dylan rode perfectly all day long to keep his streak in tacked. Osborne, who out-qualified Dylan to begin the day was really no match for our three-time 450 Champion as Dylan’s speed and fitness were just too much. Early in Moto 1, Dylan was leading and Osborne was able to get himself into second place. At that moment the large Walton Raceway crowd erupted as they were about to get exactly what they wanted. However, a few laps later Dylan’s pace was too much and Osborne not only lost the rear wheel of Wright but also allowed Tanner Ward to get around him. Then unfortunately Zach went down and hurt his thumb and that was pretty much his day. He lined up for moto two but retired after the opening lap as he was struggling to hold on to his Husqvarna. Zach mentioned after the race that he really enjoyed his time at Walton and that he’d like to come back next year and ride all week long. He is a great guy and everyone enjoyed his company at Walton Raceway.
So to no one’s surprise, Dylan was able to complete the first-ever perfect season in Canadian motocross and honestly, it couldn’t happen to a better athlete. Dylan has earned every ounce of success he’s gotten over the years and yet off of the track he’s still the same nice kid he’s always been. To complete a perfect season is just incredible and I cannot wait to see what the future looks like for Dylan. From what I’m hearing he’s going to relax for a few weeks before he ties the knot with his longtime girlfriend Jade. After that, he’ll begin preparing for the MXON next month. From there I hear he might be racing for one of the Honda Teams in the new FIM WSX Series that takes place in October in Wales and Australia. Once those races are completed he’s going to have some work done to his knees so he can be ready to go in the early spring of 2023. I think we’ll see him racing the Triple Crown Series next year and beyond as he’s not only making good money here but also there really aren’t a lot of options for him outside of Canada. Right now there is very little money in the MXGP’s unless you’re on a top team and unfortunately the good teams in the USA don’t do outdoor-only contracts. However, their loss is our gain and personally, I look forward to watching Dylan race in Canada for the foreseeable future. Another interesting question is what brand will Dylan be racing in 2023 as he will once again become a free agent this fall. I’m sure that Honda will make him an offer to return but I’m also sure that other teams will as well. After this outstanding perfect season, Dylan is most certainly in the driver’s seat when it comes to determining what he’s worth. But true to his character he is a loyal guy so I’m assuming that it would take a pretty large offer from another team to pry him away from the GDR Honda group. Stay tuned I guess to see what happens but in the meantime, I think Dylan is going to have a breakout ride at Red Bud that is going to leave a lot of teams around the Globe wanting his services in 2023.
If Dylan does remain with the GDR Honda Team it sounds as though he could have a new teammate as Ryder McNabb might be headed south for 2023 and beyond. Ryder, who turns 17 at the end of September could be riding a Honda in the USA next year on a deal that will see him race Supercross Futures, the new Combine races, as well as other major Amateur events in the Pro Sport class. It will be sad if we don’t see Ryder here next year defending his 250 title but if a bigger stage is calling him at his age, this is the perfect time to take the plunge. Ryder is an elite talent and we’ve been lucky to have had him here for so long. His riding under pressure yesterday was superb and it’s been a pleasure to have watched him all summer long. I think it’s been Ryder’s goal this entire time to eventually find success in the USA and by the sounds of it, he will finally get that opportunity. As I said, Ryder rode great yesterday, and really from Round 4 on, he’s been the best 250 riders on the track. Like his teammate, Ryder deserves all the success that has come his way this summer, and congratulations to him, his family, as well as his entire GDR Honda Team. And what might you ask did Ryder do a few hours after winning his first pro championship? He first jumped in his van and went to Tim Horton’s and then returned to Walton Raceway to sit by a fire with his girlfriend and just took it all in. Oh to be 16 again! Finally, if Ryder isn’t back with the GDR Honda next year what do they do to attempt to fill that spot in the 250 class? Jacob Piccolo? Marco Cannella? Or even talented rookie pro rider Tanner Scott? All these are very talented 250 riders who are capable of living up to the expectations put on them. But in my opinion, all three would have to make some adjustments to their current program to find success under the ultra-strict and focused GDR Honda Team umbrella. I guess we’ll see what happens in the coming months.
It was great summer of Triple Crown Series MXTour racing and in a few weeks we’re taking things indoors for six rounds of Supercross. Obviously, we saw some incredible stand-out rides during the series and it was fun to not only watch the riders at the front of the pack but also the riders who were doing everything they could to get there. Riders like Sebastien Racine, Quinn Amyotte, Daniel Elmore, Chris Blackmer, Tanner Ward, and numerous other determined riders were so fun to watch this summer. Now it’s time to reset and either get ready for Supercross or the dreaded off-season.
So the Walton TransCan has come and gone for another year. It’s hard to believe that we’ve had to experience this ‘morning after’ empty feeling thirty times now. It was an incredible week and congratulations to not just all of the class winners and award winners, but to everyone who competed, helped out, and played a role in making this event possible. Finally, I want to join in and send a big thank you to Brett and Melody for going that extra mile to make sure everyone who drove through the gates had the best Walton TransCan possible. What an amazing 30th Anniversary of this iconic event it was this past week. In closing, I want to take this opportunity to say how proud I am of my son Ayrton as well as all of the other riders this past week who had a rough beginning to TransCan and then fought back to end the week on a high note. It’s not easy to turn things around in a matter of 24 hours but a lot of our talented kids did and I think that it was just awesome. So if you’re on your way home from Walton Raceway please travel safe and we shall meet again somewhere down the road. Thanks for reading and here is a link to all of the 2022 Walton TransCan results.