MARCH 26, 2008
By Danny Brault
Ever since the World Supercross GP started visiting Canada in December 2004, its provided not only a chance for Canadian fans to watch the world’s best supercross talent, but also for our own riders to break through on an international stage. The Lites class has been the primary stage for Canucks to strut their stuff; it’s a one-off race and they aren’t competing against a deep field of SX regulars. Whether or not a rider is rewarded with a factory ride, a good result at Toronto will no doubt build confidence for the upcoming season. Let’s take a look back and see which Canadians impressed in past Toronto WSXGPs….
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Can Ryan Lockhart duplicate his podium finish from 2004 this Saturday? |
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photo: Tim Dailey |
December 2004
The first ever WSXGP in Toronto provided quite the test for Canadians. For many of them, it was the first time they had ever ridden a full-on AMA Supercross track. Oddly enough, it was our “B” riders who showed up to compete, rather than the factory teams. Blackfoot, Richmond, KTM and Suzuki didn’t see the importance in racing WSXGP, since it wasn’t in their budgets and they didn’t want to lug all of their belongings into Toronto for one race.
Springhill, Nova Scotia’s Ryan Lockhart saw WSXGP as a huge opportunity, however. “This opens doors,” said Lockhart before the race. “This weekend could make a Canadian’s career. You just don’t know until you try….”
Lockhart’s determination and positive attitude led him to his first SX podium. Riding a Yamaha YZ250F, Lockhart finished third behind KTM’s Nathan Ramsey and New York’s Bobby Kiniry. Did the result earn Lockhart any recognition? Well, that spring, he signed on with Richmond Racing Kawasaki for the Canadian nationals.
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Pierce Chamberlain's eighth-place finish at the `04 Toronto supercross isn't indicative of how well he rode. Chamberlain returns to WSXGP this weekend after a two-year absence. |
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photo: Dailey |
Another Canadian who impressed was Machine Racing Yamaha’s Pierce Chamberlain. Like Lockhart, “Pico” realized the importance of WSXGP and the limitless opportunities from a solid performance. Heading into the race, Pico booked in a week at the Millsaps Training Facility to get his feet wet before diving into the deep end of supercross. It paid off. Pico looked more comfortable than most Canucks, learning the track quickly, skimming the whoops, and qualifying easily. Despite a first lap crash that left him a lap down, Pico charged all the way back to eighth-place. The following spring, Chamberlain signed on with the Royal Distributing KTM Canada Team.
Journeyman Doug DeHaan had a great night as well. Riding an Inglis Cycle YZ250, DeHaan finished 10th in the Supercross main event. He too earned a ride with Butler Brothers Honda for AMA Supercross.
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Many probably predicted Dusty Klatt to be the top Canadian in Toronto `06, but it was actually Klatt's Blackfoot teammate, Mitch Cooke, who took the honours with a sixth-place finish. Cooke won't be in TO this time around; he's playing in the giant Dubai sandbox. |
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photo: Jason T. Griffiths |
With supercross becoming more competitive than ever, many of the American Lites riders took advantage of the Canadian rounds for extra track and race time before their series’ kicked off in the U.S. It was a smart decision, as Honda’s Davi Millsaps won Toronto, followed by the AMA Eastern Region SX Lites championship.
The big headline of the weekend, for Canada, were the entries of Blackfoot Honda’s Mitch Cooke and Dusty Klatt. It would be the first time either rider had raced supercross, other than Montreal. With their prior results, and the backing of Blackfoot, expectations were high. Sadly, Klatt’s night ended before it began; he hurt his shoulder in practice after flying over a berm and onto the concrete. His teammate Cooke (the guy who hates supercross) was top Canadian with an impressive sixth-place finish behind Michael Willard.
Kawasaki’s Brady Sheren also came out of his shell to finish seventh, just ahead of Suzuki OTSFF’s Ryan Lockhart. Machine Racing Honda’s Kyle Keast rounded out the top-10 ahead of Justin Thompson and Jason Burke.
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Tyler Medaglia is becoming a seasoned indoor rider. Since October, he's raced (and won) the Montreal SX, the U.S. Open of Supercross, and has raced four rounds of the East Coast series. |
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photo: Allison Kennedy |
December 2006
Experience counts for more than anything in SX. Now that our men had battled against the best, on the most technical tracks, they were ready to make a bigger impact in WSXGP. Kyle Beaton, Tyler Medaglia, and Sheren led the Canadian contingent that also included Davey Fraser, Zeb Dennis, Thompson, Gauld, and Scotty Maidman.
Clearbrook Yamaha’s Kyle Beaton had something to prove in Toronto. The talented indoor rider had already won races in the BC Arenacross Series, raced events overseas, and competed in the now defunct BooKoo Arenacross Series. His next goal was to showcase his ability in front of 40,000 fans inside the Rogers Centre. Everything was going well for KD Beets until he lost it over a tricky tabletop-to-single combination—while running fifth—putting an end to his night. (Fortunately, Beaton remounted in Vancouver to finish fifth.)
After scoring his first outdoor podium at the Sand Del Lee national, Tyler Medaglia earned a ride with Suzuki OTSFF and was ready for a breakout ride. Medaglia had spent some time training and riding on GPF’s SX track before Toronto and it was evident. With limited indoor experience, Medaglia surprised many with his sixth-place and top Canadian finish in the Lites main event.
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The Toronto supercross kicks off in just three days, so visit www.supercrossonline.com now to order tickets! |
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photo: Griffiths |
March 2008
So who will have a breakout ride in Toronto this year? Will KD Beets, Medaglia or Sheren take the confidence they’ve gained racing AMA Supercross to the winner’s circle? Will Ryan Lockhart return to the podium on his Royal Distributing KTM 250 SX-F? Or what about Machine Racing Honda’s Kyle Keast, who raced and qualified for five Toyota AMA Arenacrosses this winter? I guess we’ll find out on Saturday!
