As the 2015 Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals presented by Motovan lie in wait for the next wave of action at Round 5 in Gopher Dunes., now is the perfect time to take a look at the top five in the MX1 points standings to see what each rider’s strengths and weaknesses have been thus far. Each rider in the top five must be happy with their position as the series prepares for its most gruelling stretch of races. Most experts feel that the results of the next three races at Gopher Dunes, Sand Del Lee and Deschambault will go a long way in determining which riders will come out on top this summer.
1. Matt Goerke – Rockstar Energy OTSFF Yamaha – 207 points
Strengths:
When you’re leading the points after just four races, things are obviously going well and your strengths are far exceeding your weaknesses. So far in 2015, Matt Goerke’s biggest strength has been his consistency in the MX1 class. With three second place finishes in the first four rounds and one moto win, Goerke has done a great job of maximizing his points at each round. When you display the kind of consistency that Goerke has you naturally end up being the rider that capitalizes on other riders’ mistakes. There has also been times during the first eight motos of 2015 where Goerke has shown us the speed and heart that led him to the 2012 MX1 Championship. At the last round in Regina, Goerke held Brett Metcalfe at bay for 25 minutes and never seemed to blink once. There’ no doubt that moto gave Goerke a ton of confidence as the series moves East to one of his favourite tracks, Gopher Dunes.
Weaknesses:
As I said, when you’re leading the points it’s pretty hard to find any inherent gaps in a rider’s program. So far Goerke hasn’t shown too many cracks in his armour, and with three sand races coming up in a row, Goerke’s superior sand skills will serve him well. The only weakness I see, and I suppose it’s the same for everyone, is that at the high level that Goerke is currently riding, things can go wrong in a hurry. If you take away Goerke’s moto win in Regina a few weeks ago, overall he’s been a little off the pace of Brett Metcalfe. While he did hold Metty off in Regina, up until that point Metty has been the fastest rider. However, I would expect a no holds bar battle in the coming weeks between these two sand monsters.
2. Colton Facciotti – Honda Canada GDR – 200 points
Strengths:
When the 2015 series kicked off in Kamloops last month, I’m not sure if Colton even thought that he’d be sitting in second place in the points as we head into the final six rounds. Although I’m a huge fan of Mr. Facciotti, I really don’t know him that well and I certainly don’t know what he was really thinking before the gate dropped in Kamloops. However, I do feel like I’m a very keen observer and I did feel at the opening round that Colton was worried. For a rider that makes a 35 minute moto in the heat look like he’s sitting in a rocking chair drinking lemonade, Colton obviously knew that, due to his off-season injury, he was not at the level of preparedness that his competition was heading into round one. However, since that opening gate drop, Colton has done a masterful job of slowly and methodically racing himself into shape while scoring maximum points. At round two, he was more than likely going to win a moto until he stalled his Honda. The following week in Calgary, he came up short of winning the second MX1 moto, then again in Regina he rode strong and kept Metcalfe honest in moto one. As I said, Colton did a great job in the West by staying in the hunt, but with a few weeks off to prepare for Gopher Dunes, he should be ready to go in front of his newly adapted hometown crowd.
Weaknesses:
Again it’s very hard to criticize anything Colton does; off the track he’s a gentlemen and on the track he makes it all look like a walk in the park. However, if Colton wants to hold on to that #1 plate this summer he must find a little more speed, and at times extract himself from his comfort zone. For a smooth and precise rider like he is, getting out of that ‘zone’ that you like to ride in is sometimes the hardest thing to do. Dropping your lap times by even half a second can make things feel like they’re happening too fast. This will be Colton’s biggest challenge in the final six rounds. If he does win this championship, I believe it will be his greatest accomplishment of his hall of fame career to date.
3. Brett Metcalfe – Monster Energy Thor Kawasaki – 195 points
Strengths:
Even though Brett Metcalfe looks cool and calm on the outside, he must be reeling on the inside that he isn’t the MX1 points leader after the first four rounds. Without question, Metcalfe has been the fastest rider on the track. If it wasn’t for his DNF while leading the first moto in Calgary, he would more than likely be holding a substantial points lead heading into Gopher Dunes. But, he isn’t, and while it’s unfortunate for Metty and his team, I guess it’s exciting for the fans and media alike as he will now have to ride extra hard to make up points on Colton and Goerke. Like 2013, Metcalfe’s strengths have been his fitness and his innate ability to find speed where few others can. I’ve been watching each MX1 moto like a hawk and I’ve noticed that Metty always seems to have one or two fast lines on the track that no other rider sees. In Nanaimo, he was using a high line in the corner before the hard and slick rollers to get a better drive than anyone else. In Calgary, it was his line before the finish line where he passed three riders during his second moto charge to the front. His sheer determination to get to the front of the pack has been unmatched. He will definitely have to continue this type of riding in the East if he hopes to win this championship.
Weaknesses:
You have to look very hard to find any issues with Brett Metcalfe’s program on or off the track. However, if you had to pick something, I would say that, like 2013, his starts are inconsistent. The reason why he’s so exciting to watch is because he rarely gets the holeshot, and in most races he has to charge from behind. During the second moto in Regina, Metty did get a decent start, however he was unable to pass Goerke for the win. I believe that if Metty had started that moto in front of Goerke then he would have won. In 2013, we witnessed some epic charges from Metty on route to his MX1 title. This time around he must figure out a way to start every moto at least in the top three as he now has some points to make up.
4. Cole Thompson – Royal Distributing Fox KTM – 193 points
Strengths:
Having Cole Thompson back in the series this year has been very exciting. Not only is he fast, as he proved with his overall win in Nanaimo, but his buttery smooth riding ability definitely adds to the diversity of styles in the MX1 class. Cole’s strengths have been his starts and his knack for just hanging in there during each moto. Rarely do you see him make a mistake on the race track, and each week he appears to be getting more and more comfortable racing against his talented competitors in the MX1 class. Cole also did a masterful job of getting great results out West on four tracks he’s never seen before. Each time he drove to a track on Saturday morning, it was a new journey for him. As an athlete, that isn’t easy to do as it just adds to the mental workload of the weekend. With his familiarity of the Eastern tracks, look for him to be even stronger in the coming weeks.
Weaknesses:
Cole has shown very few weaknesses on the track. As I mentioned, he’s proven to be a great starter so during the opening laps of each moto the #148 is always in the top three or four. The only area Cole may struggle with in the next few rounds is the same as Colton. These two have very similar riding styles in that they like to put the motorcycle exactly where they want lap after lap. When they’re riding how they want to ride they can do this all day long and it’s a beautiful thing to watch. However, in the final six rounds, the pace at the front of the pack is going to be incredibly intense, and at times riders like Cole are going to have to hang it out if they want to stay up front. On these next three rough sand tracks, precision is a word that will be rarely used in describing how these riders are making their way around the tracks. Their machines will be sideways, their bodies will be thrown in every different direction while they do their best to maintain speed and forward momentum. This type of riding is a tough adjustment for a smooth rider like Cole so it will be interesting to see how he does. If he can figure it out and stay out of trouble, then I believe he has a great shot at his first pro championship this summer.
5. Tyler Medaglia – Parts Canada Husqvanra – 169 points
Strengths:
Tyler Medaglia has been very fast, but also a little inconsistent. At round one in Kamloops he gutted out a podium finish and things looked great for the remaining rounds in the West. However, Tyler then ran into a few roadblocks, which included a few track surfaces that he doesn’t enjoy riding on, and also a very fast pace at the front of the pack. However, Tyler has been down this road many times and he knows exactly what he must do in the remaining rounds if he hopes to finish on the podium once again. Tyler is a master, takes each moto as it comes, and makes the most of it. His mental fortitude rivals that of a Navy Seal and the word ‘quit’ never enters Tyler Medaglia’s mind. The East is where Tyler shines and if he can continue to get good starts then I feel he will have us all cheering for him as he battles for wins in the MX1 class.
Weaknesses:
As with all of these awesome riders, it’s hard to pin point one or two things that they need to work on. I’m sure if you asked Tyler what he needs to work on in the remaining six rounds, he’d probably say his speed during the second half of the motos. It’s definitely not a fitness thing as Tyler is one of the fittest riders in the World. We also know it’s not a mental thing either. If the saying ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going’ was on a billboard, there would be a picture of Tyler Medaglia featured. I think out West it was more a question of line choices and fighting with the hard packed tracks. In the first three rounds of the East, this won’t be an issue as perfect line choice is overshadowed by will and determination. Look for Tyler and his beautiful, white Husqvarna to be very good to make this a five way battle for the 2015 MX1 Championship.