Hey guys! I am glad to be doing another column this week on mxpmag.com so I can give you a recap of how the west coast swing of the series went for me and what my thoughts are going into the Thor WMX East Series.
Coming into the Thor WMX West Series, I was excited to be able to live this experience differently this year than last year. In 2022, I was flying back and forth every weekend (most of the time overnight) to go back and do a full-time internship at home during the week. That was a lot, and it didn’t give me much time to rest and prepare myself for the races. This year, I was able to stick around between the rounds and slowly travel from one place to another with my dad (I was driving the team van, and he drives the team rig), which was super nice! It allowed me to look at the tracks before the weekends, rest and workout, sightsee a little bit and adjust to the time change!
Coming into the first round, I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect. Obviously, we’d all heard that the track at RAD Torque would contain some SX parts… but what did that actually mean? No one really knew. I also knew Avrie Berry would be there and ready for battle. Considering it’d been four years since I had raced her, I had no idea what to expect. However, slowly but surely, things came together for me. I adjusted well to the track, rode great, and started off on a solid note with a 1-1 finish. I can’t say the weekend went as well for the rest of my team, but that’s something that’s been talked about quite a bit already, so I won’t get into the details.
For me, Round 2 (Saturday) was the hardest round of the West Series. Although I had expected that the 20mins+1 lap moto format would be my hardest challenge, it actually turned out to be my biggest blessing after I hit the ground twice in the first few laps. There was actually a moment when I was so far back that I thought I wasn’t going to make it, but I was able to pull through, regroup, and get back to where I needed to be! Fortunately for me, the Sunday round at Kamloops, as well as the final round in Calgary, went in a much smoother fashion, which I really appreciated. It was the perfect way to end this four-round championship!
Even though I was able to clinch my 9th title in an undefeated fashion, I can’t do this column without tipping my hat off to all the other ladies who raced that series. I was really impressed with how fast the top girls were riding and how I was challenged by someone different every weekend! Before each round, it was impossible to predict who would finish in which position because everyone’s speed was so close, mine included. I know I wasn’t the only one impressed by it, so it is amazing to see how well this class is coming together! I can only hope this trend will follow on the east coast because it is doing our sport and the WMX class a world of good.
Moving on to the east coast, I am excited for the challenge waiting for me with Jamie Astudillo and Avrie Berry coming for redemption. I know I have put in a lot of work to be ready for this championship, and the only thing I can do now is focus on what’s ahead and keep a positive mindset. No matter what, I just want to have fun, show the people some great racing action and stay safe!
See you on the gate this weekend at Gopher Dunes!