Well, just as it has for almost two decades, the Gopher Dunes National will take place this weekend. Besides the obvious challenges of racing on the Gopher Dunes track with its deep sand base and endless whoops, the Gopher Dunes National is unlike any other. Each year, Derek Schuster and his Gopher Dunes crew take great pride in making sure the track and the property look immaculate when you arrive. Over the years, Gopher Dunes has grown into a massive multi-functionally facility, and from the moment you drive into the gate, you feel like you’ve arrived at a motocross mecca. So whether you’re a fan, a rider, or a media person, when the Triple Crown Series releases its schedule each year, everyone circles the date of the Gopher Dunes National.
If you’re a pro rider, then the Gopher Dunes National is tricky to navigate, as the race usually kicks off the Eastern swing of the Triple Crown Series. Meaning not only do you have to prepare for the extremely difficult day of racing, but you also have to plan ahead and make sure you’re recovery is on point. Because, seven days after Gopher Dunes, you’re right back at it for three more rounds before getting a weekend off prior to the final round of Walton Raceway. If a rider isn’t careful, they could extend themselves so much at Gopher Dunes that they cannot recover for the following rounds. So, Sunday will be a balancing act between digging deep to push through the final ten minutes of each motos, without doing physical damage that could affect you beyond Round 4. I remember Brett Metcalfe, who stood on top of the Gopher Dunes podium in 2013 and also went on to win the 2013 450 class Championship, telling me that it took him almost three weeks before he felt normal after that race. As you may recall, in 2013, the track was not only very rough but also 40c with the humidity, and many riders didn’t even finish the second moto. That was also the day Kyle Keast had the second 450 moto in the bag before making a mistake and going off the track. It was also the day that Dylan Wright finished on the podium in the 250 class on a YZ250 two-stroke and as an Intermediate rider.
Each year, the Gopher Dunes National has provided many memories like the ones we mentioned above. Every rider will tell you that it’s all about preparation when it comes to finding success. This is where experience plays a big role in preparing for a challenging race like the Gopher Dunes National, as every rider is different, and what works one season might now work for the next season. The key is knowing your body and where you’re at, both physically and mentally, in the weeks and days leading up to the race. So while some riders will try and pound long sand motos until it’s time to go to Gopher Dunes, the consensus among some of the past Gopher Dunes National winners is to hydrate and rest. Just as it has been for the past 40 or so years, the best way to prepare for a tough day of national racing is to drink a ton of water, gets lots of rest, and allow your body to store energy. Because, at the 20-minute mark of your second moto on Sunday, those long motos you did on Wednesday last week won’t help when you’re body and mind are searching for one last bit of energy to get you to the finish line. But don’t take it from us. Let’s hear from four-time Gopher Dunes 450 class winner Matt Goerke with his top five tips for having a successful Gopher Dunes National.
1.Take it really easy this week and conserve energy. Getting good rest before Sunday is important.
2.Drink tons of fluids all week. Hydration is a key for success.
3.Only do a few fast laps of practice. Don’t waste precious energy on trying to get a fast lap.
4.If you get a good start in Moto 1, try to pace yourself and conserve energy. If you get a bad start or fall in the first turn, the rest of the day will be brutal. So hopefully you’ve done what I mentioned above so you have lots of energy.
5.When you start getting tired at the end of the motos, use the bumps instead of your leg muscles to stand yourself up exiting turns. This may sound strange, but it honestly works very well.
Thanks to Matt for sending us his top five tips. As I also mentioned above, Matt is a four-time winner of this event, and that is the most of any rider since Gopher Dunes began hosting a Pro National in 2005. That year JSR won the 450 class on his trusty Blackfoot Honda 250 two-stroke. If you like reading statistics, here are more from the folks at Gopher Dunes.
“Our 19 Canadian Pro Nationals at Gopher Dunes have seen ten different hero’s come out victorious in the MX1 (450) class from 2005 to 2012.
Who will it be this year?
2005 – Jean Sebastien Roy
2006 – Dusty Klatt
2007 – Paul Carpenter
2008 – Tyler Medaglia
2009 – Dusty Klatt
2010 – Colton Facciotti
2011 – Matt Goerke
2012 – Matt Goerke
2013 – Brett Metcalfe
2014 – Colton Facciotti
2015 – Matt Goerke
2016 – Matt Goerke
2017 – Mike Alessi
2018 – Tyler Medaglia
2019 – Mike Alessi
2020 – Dylan Wright
2021 – Dylan Wright
2022 – Dylan Wright
– Dusty Klatt was the first multi-time winner with Facciotti joining him at two wins
– Matt Goerke is a four-time 450 winner making him the winningest rider at Gopher Dunes
– Jean Sebastien Roy is the only rider to win the MX1 class on a 2-stroke
– Colton Facciotti has completed the most races at Gopher Dunes with 13
– Tyler Medaglia & Dylan Wright are the only riders to win in both the MX1/MX2 class at Gopher Dunes
– The race has been won 10 times by a Canadian and eight by an American
– Brett Metcalfe is the only non-North American to win the race
– Twice has the leader ran out of gas with JSR in 2007 and Mike Alessi in 2014
– The race has been won 7 times by Honda Motorcycles Canada, 7 times by Canadian Kawasaki Motors, 4 times by Yamaha Motor Canada LTD & 1 time by Suzuki Canada
– 2 of the last 10 winners are still currently active in racing the Canadian Nationals and will be competing at this years Gopher Dunes Nationals
Wins by a team:
5 – GDR
5 – Leading Edge
4 – Blackfoot
2 – OTSFF
2 – Huber
1 – Cernics”
It’s always fun to look back and see which riders were successful each year at the Gopher Dunes National. Looking ahead to this weekend, we suspect that both points leaders, Ryder McNabb and Dylan Wright, will be tough to beat at Round 4. Dylan, as you can see above, has won this national three times in the 450 class, while Ryder McNabb has one 250 class win to his credit in 2021. Both of these riders are at the top of their game and will be entertaining to watch on Sunday. Also, look for riders like Mitchell Harrison, Kaven Benoit, Jess Pettis, Shawn Maffenbeier, Josiah Natzke, and of course, Tyler Medaglia to all be very good at Round 4. Sadly, a few riders who began the 2023 Triple Crown Series out west will not be at Gopher Dunes this weekend, including Wyatt Kerr, who was injured in Calgary. Quinn Amyotte probably won’t be racing on Sunday after cutting off part of one finger at Round 3. Jyrie Mitchell won’t be racing either, as he injured his ribs in Calgary. Finally, rookie 250 riders Brennan Schofield and Josh Bryan won’t be racing at Round 4. Schofield crashed hard in Kamloops and again this past week and has decided to take a few weeks off. After a challenging start to his pro career out west, Josh Bryan has decided to take the rest of the summer off. Hopefully, all of these riders will be back sooner than later.
So, who is ready for the Gopher Dunes National this weekend? The weather forecast looks decent. We’ve seen everything forecasted from hot and sunny to rainy to overcast, with temperatures in the low 20s. Obviously, it’s hard to predict the weather, so we’ll just wait and see. The stage is now set, and Sunday should be fun. The riders are ready, the teams are ready, and of course, the fans are ready for the toughest race on the planet. See you at Gopher Dunes!
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