MXP: Hey Newf! Are you ready for Christmas? It looks as though you’re going to have a white Christmas and then some!
RL: Yes, we are all ready to go! Randi is all in when it comes to Christmas and has everything taken care of. It’s almost like I just show up and go through the motions (laughs). It’s been an interesting week here in BC. We got like 15 feet of snow on the ground, and it’s -20, which is not normal for us. If you followed my Instagram stories on Tuesday, you would see what kind of disaster we are dealing with. It’s supposed to warm up to plus 10 on Saturday and rain for the next ten days so that will be another mess. I will say it is cool that we did get some snow, so the kids were able to experience some of the fun things winter offers.
Heading into 2023, it looks like the 450 class could become much deeper with some young talent. There is talk of a few riders possibly moving up to the 450 class, including Tyler Gibbs, Jeremy McKie, and even Marco Cannella if he can find some support. Of the three riders, I just mentioned, who do you see adapting to a 450 the best?
This is a good thing, as I think we would all agree that the 450 class was a little weak as far as the depth went in 2022. We had a lot to say about Marco Cannella on the Canadian Motocross Unfiltered Podcast a week or so ago as far as do we even see him race in 2023. He replied with an Instagram story showing that he wants to do whatever he can to be back behind the gate. The series needs Marco, and that made me happy to see that the fire is still there. Personally, I would like to see Gibbs and McKie say in 250 as I don’t feel that they are ready for the next step, and they showed some positive improvement in 2022. Obviously, they need to do what they can to keep support in 2023, so it will be great to have them in either class. As far as adapting best, I feel Cannella is the most ready for the 450 class, and he would be a top-five guy.
With the new year fast approaching, can you give us your best memory or memories of this past season?
This is always a tough question as each year it seems I’m able to make a lot of great memories with racing as well as my family. We had a great 2022 season and we made some incredible family memories along the way. As I said, narrowing them down is hard, but here are three of my best.
1: Being able to travel the country with my wife and kids. Camping, racing, and spending time with friends and family is always a highlight and something we are already looking forward to again in 2023
2: Meston getting on the podium in the third moto at the TransCan. He struggled with confidence all week but overcame it and rode like he knew how to and got second in the final moto. Seeing the joy on his face while being interviewed brought back memories of my first time on the Walton podium. Randi and I both were so proud of him.
3: Being part of GDR and winning a double championship was incredible. It was also great to be a part of Dylan Wright’s perfect season. It’s family over there for me, and working with the guys is something that a lot of people wouldn’t understand unless you get to do it. The highs and lows that come with it make it so rewarding for the team when we win. Dig, Colt, Brayden, Justin, and Bannon are all winners, so it’s so awesome that I can share my passion with those guys.