Gopher Dunes hosts July 5th national motocross races

Chris Abbott

Editor

Round 4 of the eight-race Canadian national motocross Triple Crown Series comes to Gopher Dunes on Sunday, July 5.

The Honda Canada GDR Fox Racing Team, based at Gopher Dunes (4385 Hwy 59, Courtland), has been competing in all three divisions – 450 Pro, 250 Pro, and WMX.

“We want to be competitive at the races,” said Derek Schuster, Honda Canada GDR Fox Racing Team owner, at the team’s media day leading up to the Triple Crown Series. “We enjoy seeing the athletes working hard, and putting in the time, and going out and getting the results that they are expecting and that we’re expecting of them also. It’s fun to get to enjoy that as a family together.”

“I look at the race team a little bit different than most people,” said Frank Schuster, who passed Gopher Dunes on to his son Derek. “These are athletes inspiring other riders.  Our lady riders, the numbers have grown, so it’s great to see somebody like Hannah (Cole) inspiring the lady riders. We’ve got a lot of young girls who are out riding right now.

“It’s a great team and it’s fun to watch this whole thing progress. I think getting back on track again is key, and with everything that’s happened now, I think we’re going to be back on track.”

Frank noted the challenge Gopher Dunes, one of the most physically demanding and sandy motocross tracks in the country, presents for racers.

“Being a sand track, the physical condition that the riders have got to be in, it’s got to be extreme. So it’s going to be one of those races where the ones who are most physically fit are going to do the best out here. We want to have that because that’s the kind of racing that we want to put on. We want that physical endurance.

“Dylan (Wright) has always been one of those kind of guys that has probably been the most extreme in physical fitness. No rider has more heart than Dylan Wright – he’s definitely got more heart than anybody. And that’s why all those No. 1 plates are on his bikes, from his dedication and that hard work.”

“As you’re building a team and bringing these young riders on, that’s something that is really important to us,” said Derek. “Just having somebody like Dylan (Wright) on the team that can mentor these young athletes… the rest of the team’s riders are between 15-20 years old, so I think having Dylan there, they can lean on him a little bit, ask him for advice. And he can be hard on them at times, too. He’s making sure that everybody’s doing their thing and staying in line, and that message isn’t always needing to come from Ryan (Lockhart) and myself. If they see another athlete doing the work and putting the time in, it’s hard for them not to do that as well.”

So far, Wright has led the way this year in 450 Pro, finishing first overall in each of the first three national stages.

Dylan Rempel in 250 Pro finished second in the opening round in Calgary, following that up with a sixth in Manitoba and third in Quebec.

Hannah Cole has raced 7th, 7th and 8th in the first three stages.

Gates open at Gopher Dunes at 8 a.m. on July 5. Tickets can be purchased in advance through the triplecrownseries.ca website. The event will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and streamed on the Ryde TV app.

Early morning 250, 450 and WMX practice and qualifying sessions will be followed by the Women’s MX Moto 1 at 11 a.m. The 250 Moto 1 is scheduled to start at 12:08 p.m., followed by 450 Pro Moto 1 at 1:03 p.m.

WMX Moto 2 is 2:03 p.m., 250 Moto 2 at 2:43 p.m., and 450 Pro Moto 2 at 3:43 p.m.

Round 1 - Wild Rose MX - Alberta

450 Pro

Dylan Wright (No. 9) – 1st overall (1st in Moto 1 and Moto 2)

250 Pro

Dylan Rempel (No. 24) – 2nd overall (2nd in Moto 1, 2nd in Moto 2)

Women’s MX

Hannah Cole (No. 3) – 7th overall (8th in Moto 1, 8th in Moto 2)

Round 2 - Prairie Hill MX - Manitoba

450 Pro

Dylan Wright (No. 9) – 1st overall (1st in Moto 1, 1st in Moto 2)

250 Pro

Dylan Rempel (No. 24) – 6th overall (6th in Moto 1, 6th in Moto 2)

WMX

Hannah Cole (No. 3) – 7th overall (6th in Moto 1, 7th in Moto 2)

Round 3 – Motocross Ste-Julie - Quebec

450 Pro

Dylan Wright (No. 9) – 1st overall (1st in Moto 1, 1st in Moto 2)

250 Pro

Dylan Rempel (No. 24) – 3rd overall (8th in Moto 1, 2nd in Moto 2)

WMX

Hannah Cole (No. 3) – 8th overall (7th in Moto 1, 7th in Moto 2)