MXP: Hey Newf! There was definitely a lot going on this past week as far as Canadian riders signing contracts, not signing contracts, and also changing teams. I want your thoughts on Dylan Rempel moving from the Walton Kawasaki Team to the Partzilla PRMX Kawasaki Team. This one took me by surprise. What did you think?
RL: Yes, I was surprised too, and didn’t see that one coming. There is no question that the PRMX guys have an attractive-looking program, especially on the USA side of things, and that would make a team like this make sense for a young kid. I feel confident that this is the main reason for the team switch. Either way, the Walton Kawasaki will be fine, and I hope it works out for Rempel as he gets his feet wet in the States.
MXP: There is an AX coming up in Alberta. Can you talk briefly about this new event and what we can expect
RL: Yes, for sure. Four rounds on back-to-back weekends in Rimbey, Alberta, just west of Red Deer. It’s in an equestrian building with a dirt floor and indoor pits. Todd Mcbride and Les Nemeth are the promoters, and both are passionate moto guys who ride themselves and have younger kids who ride. All in all, I think it should be great. I have schools for Friday and Saturday mornings of bother weekends, and the response has been great. Meston and I are flying out, and I have a bike lined up for myself from Dale Hiebert, so I have to thank him for that. A couple of families from BC are driving, so they will take Meston’s bike for us, so that’s a huge help. The only kicker is I’m getting the pressure put on me to race pro from Les and Todd. We will see if I have 12 laps in me after not riding for two months.
MXP: This weekend is Anaheim 2 and the final west coast race for a few weeks. This is also the first Triple Crown Series event of 2023. Will Jett Lawrence and Eli Tomac still be able to dominate on Saturday night?
RL: Have you looked at the track Map for this weekend? It looks really cool, so hopefully, the build turns out pretty close. From what we have seen in two races, no one will touch Jet. His starts are good, his speed is better than everyone else, and I don’t even think he’s pushing super hard, to be honest. Triple Crown races are tricky with three starts which can always cause havoc, but I feel that Jett will win regardless of his starts. The only thing that will keep him from winning is for something to go terribly wrong. As far as Eli goes, he and Webb have already separated themselves from the rest of the field. Eli looks better than last year, which is crazy to think, and the 2023 Yamaha looks unbelievably good. Like Jett, his starts have been good, and I just don’t see anyone beating him straight up for the overall win this weekend. Maybe he doesn’t win all three main events, but what’s the worst he’s going to get without a big crash? Maybe a 2nd or 3rd at worst? Everyone else in this class either doesn’t have the speed to run with Eli, or they’re making too many mistakes.