Location, Location, Location
Heading into round three of the 2014 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals in Calgary this weekend the points battle in both classes is just starting to heat up. Now that the riders in both classes have had four hard motos to get acquainted with each other, competitors are beginning to know where they fit in. Other than the high potential for rain on Sunday, all the riders are looking forward to lining up at one of the best tracks in Canada.
From the moment they get to the Calgary area, life is good for the series regulars. The city, the people and the surrounding scenery make everyone happy to be in Alberta‘s largest city. Also, the one unique feature of the Wild Rose MX Park is that the track is literally minutes from downtown, making this round a promoter and spectator’s dream. Any major outdoor series in the world would love to have a round in such proximity of a large city. Another convenient part of this round for the teams is that the hotel where everyone stays is two minutes from the front gate of the track. Other than staying at the Roger’s Centre Hotel for the Toronto Supercross, it doesn’t get much better than this!
I love this James Lissimore shot from last year in Calgary. Not only does it show how close the track is to the city, but it shows how good the dirt can be on race day.
The Track
As I mentioned before, almost every rider loves this track. With its loamy, clay- based soil and intense elevation changes, the Wild Rose track is a lot of fun to ride; however, it’s a challenging track to race. Not only does it get very choppy but the ruts get very deep, a condition which can rob a rider of energy. Not to mention that since the city of Calgary sits at over 3000 feet above sea level, the oxygen becomes uncomfortably thin : If you recall last year at this round, Bobby Kiniry, Teddy Maier and Brett Metcalfe went toe to toe for 35 minutes and left nothing on the table. On the podium after the race, these three warriors were exhausted. They all mentioned that they felt the thinner air, especially in the latter part of the moto when they really needed oxygen.
Another advantage that will help a rider be successful this weekend is a good start. With the big jumps and deep ruts, passing can sometimes be a problem in Calgary. As always, riders need to get off the gate well. This weekend, they have their second and final cement starting pad. Having to start on cement does involve a little more strategy as some riders will opt out of taking a hot lap (especially if it’s muddy) so their tires don’t get dirty. I’m on the fence with this practice as racers can miss out on a great opportunity to look at the different lines. However, if they keep their tires clean and grab the holeshot, they’ll have a clear vision to check out all the lines. We saw last year, Brett Metcalfe, in moto two of the MX1 class, put on one of the best rides ever in Canadian moto, coming from outside the top 15 to win. It was an incredible ride during which he used lines that no other riders had even seen during his charge to the front. Will we see the same type of ride from Mike Alessi or Colton Facciotti this weekend? And we can’t forget that Bobby Kiniry always does well here also.
In 2013, Brett Metcalfe put on a charge in moto two that was one of the best I’ve ever seen. photo by James Lissimore
If the rain does hold off, we’re in for a great weekend of racing. If the rain does come, all bets are off and it’s anybody’s race. Whatever happens, Calgary is one of the best rounds of the series. Everyone is very excited for the gate to drop on Sunday!
Here are the points standings heading into round three:
MX2:
1. Kaven Benoit 88 pts
2.Shawn Maffenbeier 72 pts
3. Vince Friese 66 pts
4. Austin Politelli 65 pts
5. Topher Ingalls 62 pts
MX1
1. Colton Facciotti 95 pts
2. Josh Hill 82 pts
3. Mike Alessi 82 pts
4. Teddy Maier 68 pts
5. Bobby Kiniry 66 pts