Monday Maniac #33

by Gauldy107

The biggest week in Canadian Motocross is finally upon us. Thousands of racers, families, sponsors and fans will flock to Walton’s Trans Can GNC. It is the crucible of our sport in Canada and it looks to be one great week. So many things on tap, whether it be contests, giveaways, fun for the kids, Scott parties, radio shows, photos, videos, the Jason Blain concert Friday night and of course the finale of the Monster Energy Motocross Nationals on Sunday. Most of us work our butts off for this very week. It’s a good time had by all and this year’s looks to be one of the best yet. Good luck to everyone that qualified and we will see you all Tuesday at the track.

The National tour had one more stop before heading to Walton for the last four motos. Sand Del lee played host to an amazing race yesterday. The MX101 crew and supporters really do know how to show us a good time. Kevin Tyler, Johnny Grant and their band of merry men and women made us all very happy after another long day at the office. The track was mint, maybe a bit one lined in some spots but still mint. Weather was totally on our side all day, which was a big help. I believe that was the biggest crowd at that place had since it started in 2006 (some people like to argue that). When I was on stage it was a sea of passionate, screaming race fans. It was a great view.

It kind of sucks when a rider clinches the title before the actual end of the series but I’m thinking Monster Energy Leading Edge Kawasaki’s 2012 MX1 Champion Matt Goerke is just fine with it. Matt has had an up and down career but the work he put into his 2012 season was unmatched by any one of his fellow competitors. Bobby Kiniry kept Matt honest all year, but the dominance Goerke showed right from the very first gate drop in Nanaimo through to the second moto yesterday at Sand Del Lee, where he clinched the title, was amazing to watch. His worst finish of the year so far has been a  third in a moto but has still managed to be 1st at all rounds but two (Calgary 2nd and Ste-Julie 2nd). I really like Matt as a Champion. He’s pretty quiet and not the most personable character but the effort he puts in off the track and on is what I enjoy most. This day and age you need to be sellable off the track with personality and charisma. What Matt may lack in that department he makes up for on the track, and any young star wanting to be a champion, Matt Goerke is the perfect role model. He now joins US based riders like Mike Jones, Doug Dubach, Sean Hamblin, Brad Hagseth, Josh Woods, Jimmy Nelson, Michael Willard, Kyle Chisholm, Donny McGourty, Randy Valade, Evan Laughridge, Paul Carpenter, Eric Nye, and Teddy Maier who have all won CMRC titles. Our series certainly has some amazing notoriety from these great names that visited us throughout the summer. Matt Goerke is the next US ambassador to carry his Canadian title back home to the US. Wear it proudly Matt, you deserve it. Congrats to the Monster Energy Leading Edge team and all their amazing sponsors (insert team affiliate Pam Moore with the sponsor pit board, LOL ) that helped them get on top of the MX1 championship box. Big congrats to our series title sponsor Monster Energy for getting their first title with a team since 2007. Hopefully that means more money for us next year!!!! Ha

Okay, so the word “Ironman” comes to mind with two riders yesterday. When I looked up Ironman in the dictionary this is what it said: a man of unusual physical endurance. Well, I have two men that match this exact statement from MX101 yesterday: Bobby Kiniry and Jerry Lorenz. Let’s start with Bobby K. The dude is the poster boy for the word Ironman. He is so much of a fan of racing that he raced Saturday in Southwick, one of the toughest tracks known to the sport, then drove all night (even though his beautiful wife Brittany offered to help, he would have none of that) to make it to Sand Del Lee for the morning. He plans to do the same this weekend from Unadilla to Walton. How can you not be a fan of this type of athlete? Just so hungry to race because he knows the best way to get better is to race. Astonishing to see the drive a rider can possess when he wants to. Bobby Kiniry is one sick dude. The other man I want to mention is Jerry Lorenz from Michigan. This dude rode all four motos yesterday. Now that would not be such a big deal say 15 years ago or even 10 years ago, but now, the show schedule literally gives the riders a 30 minute break between motos, if that. How Jerry Lorenz rode all four is a feat in itself then to finish 6th in MX2 and 11th in MX1 is even more of an eye opening demonstration of sheer desire to get better. Both these riders should get the equivalent of the army’s Purple Heart if we had something like that in motocross. Honourable mention also has to go to Nicky Beatty. Though his results were not as good as Lorenz’s or Kiniry’s, he still rode all four motos and crossed the finish in all of them; he actually grabbed 20th in MX1. Boys, to you all, I applaud you, I cheer for you, and I will forever treat you as an elite athlete because what you did was amazing to racers, to fans and for the sport. Because what you did there shows all those naive people that say “the bike does all the work.” Well, basically what you did makes that saying sound about as misinformed as the people that said it. Cheers boys. Beers on me!!!

Here the proper top 20 results from yesterday:

MX2

1. Jeremy Medaglia – KTM 1-1

2. Kaven Benoit – KTM 3-2

3. Teddy Maier – Kaw 2-3

4. Topher Ingalls – Hon 5-4

5. Richard Grey – Yam 10-5

6. Jerry Lorenz – Kaw      7-8

7. Parker Allison – Ya 6-9

8. Jared Allison – Yam 12-7

9. Spencer Knowles – Yam 9-10

10. Stanly Clair – Kaw 8-11

11. Dylan Kaelin – Yam 4-DNF

12. Nathan Bles – Hon 11-15

13. Brad Nauditt – Hon DNF-6

14. Eric Jeffery – Kaw 16-13

15. James Roberts – Hon 17-14

16. Zach Deiana – Suz 14-17

17. Dylan Wright – Yam 33-12

18. Kade Walker – TM 18-16

19. Aaron Pfrimmer – Kaw 15-19

20. Michael DaSilva – KTM             13-DNF

MX1

1. Matt Goerke – Kaw 1-1

2. Dusty Klatt – KTM 3-2

3. Bobby Kiniry – Yam 2-3

4. Josh Clark – Hon           4-4

5. Tim Tremblay – Kaw 5-6

6. Tyler Villopoto – Kaw 7-7

7. Shawn Maffenbeier – Yam 6-9

8. Morgan Burger – Kaw 8-10

9. Gavin Gracyk – Kaw 14-5

10. Ryan Lockhart – Yam 10-12

11. Jerry Lorenz – Kaw    9-15

12. Davey Fraser – TM 13-13

13. Liam O’Farrell – TM   DNF-8

14. Jason Burke – Hon DNF-11

15. Ryan Millar – Hon 11-DNF

16. Jared Stock – Yam 15-18

17. Willy Shatrau – Hon 12-28

18. Alexandre Morin – Yam DNF-14

19. Tyler Rayner – Yam 18-17

20. Nicky Beatty – Yam 16-20

I’m not too sure why the scoring system has done what it does the last couple of weeks but it is super frustrating. These are things that shouldn’t happen but they do and we have to roll with it. I could pull my hair out many times when I don’t have the answer for all you fans that want the info right away. The points will need to be updated as well. Stay tuned for all that info to come ASAP from CMRC.

Okay, that’s all I have this week as I have a crap load of other stuff to do today to get ready for the 21st running of the Trans Can. It’s going to be an amazing week.