2019 Montreal Supercross | THOR MX Kickstart

There's a long history to the Montreal Supercross. Started in the 1970s, it became a must-attend event for Canadian racers and fans, especially during the height of Ross Pederson and and Jean Sebastian Roy's careers. After the economic crisis of 2008, the event (and Canadian motocross as a whole, really) took a hit that it hasn't quite recovered from and the promoters decided to shelve it for a few years. The Canadian moto scene is making progress with the help of the Rockstar Energy Triple Crown Series and the decision by Quebec promotions group Gestev to bring the Montreal event back to life will certainly be a big help.

How was the turnout? For a metropolis like Montreal, where there is always something going on, we'd say more than 20,000 fans filled the seats and that was impressive. Due to the size of Olympic Stadium (it's the largest arena in Canada), the building was less than half-full, but those that came were certainly into the action. If you're one of those people that is interested in the history of sport stadiums. you should look into the story of the Montreal complex and all of the issues that have occurred over the years. Built for the 1976 Olympics, the property features a number of venues including the Montreal Tower, a soccer stadium, two smaller arenas, a pool, a skatepark, a planetarium, and a biodome.

If you followed our coverage over the weekend, then you know how event promoters lured Dean Wilson, Malcolm Stewart, and Justin Brayton over the border to boost the prestige and competitive spirit. Since the three riders locked down the podium spots, it put more emphasis on good finishes by full-time competitors in the Rockstar Energy Triple Crown Series like Phil Nicoletti, Cole Thompson, Matt Goerke, and Cade Clason. We'll get into all of that...

Getting a bike to a one-off event is always a challenge for riders and teams. In most cases, like the overseas races in Europe and Australia, riders will often be provided a bike by the promoter and bring the necessary parts needed for SX (suspension, exhaust, ignition, controls, plastics, tires, etc) or can convince their teams to ship a complete US-spec race bike, which costs thousands of dollars. Fortunately, that wasn't the case in Montreal because the race was on the same continent and within a reasonable driving distance for guys like Dean Wilson, Justin Brayton, and Malcolm Stewart. Wilson had his Dad drive his practice bike and van up from Florida, then had mechanic Damon Conkright freshen it up with a few small pieces. Justin Brayton did the same, as his mechanic Brent Duffe drove the bike and van from North Carolina.

A few days before the race, Dean made a post on Instagram that promised his race jersey to the person that brought the biggest banner to the stadium. Quite a few people went all-out with their creations and by the end of the night, Dean had given away two jerseys, while this fan took home a complete set of autographed gear and started to cry when Dean gave it to her. Racers should take note of the way Wilson connects with the fans, because it proves there's much more to making an impact than just results.

With the fastest laps in practice and 1-3-1 finishes on the night, Wilson nabbed the overall win in dominant fashion. Considering the up and down season that the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider has endured, the win will be a massive boost of momentum as he works through the offseason, including his appearances at the upcoming Monster Energy Cup in Las Vegas, AUS-X Open in Australia, and SX Open in New Zealand. "I know it's not AMA Supercross, but it's always nice to win. I haven't done a whole lot of winning lately, so it feels great. I'm going to take a couple of weeks off because I haven't had much rest and it's important to rest so that I'm ready to go for A1, which is the real deal."

If it's a Supercross race outside of the continental United States, then best believe that Justin Brayton will be there. Check back later this week for a video we filmed with JB10 around Montreal, which includes some scenes in the Notre Dame Cathedral, coffee talk in a cafe, and some other tourist moments.

This was Brayton's first visit to Montreal and his first gate drop since the Honolulu Supercross in mid-May, so it was a solid start to his upcoming run of events that'll include a title defense of the 450 championship in the Australian Supercross Series and the Geneva Supercross in Switzerland. "The track was a little rough and it was some fun racing. I never got great starts, so it was always coming through the pack. Overall, I had a fun day. It has been a long time since I raced, so I was a little nervous and shook the cobwebs out in the first couple of mains. I rode okay, had some decent spots were I was okay, but I'm excited to head to Australia in a few weeks." The Canadian track was far from Anaheim One standards, but how did it compare to the circuits Brayton will face in a few weeks down under? "It was quite a bit easier, because we didn't really have any whoops tonight and there wasn't really a rhythm section, either. The dirt was pretty similar, pretty hard-packed. Australia will definitely have some whoops and be more like our Supercross (in the US), maybe a little smaller, but the last round in Australia at Marvel Stadium is full-size."

On our way to Canada, Brayton's deal with Team Honda HRC for 2020 was announced, but his bike in Canada was complete with graphics from Penrite Honda, the team he rides for in Australia from now until the end of November. Per our discussions with Brayton, his first race for Team Honda HRC will be the Geneva Supercross in early December. Check the homepage for our Kickstart podcast with Brayton, which discussed the weekend as a whole, his upcoming Australian run, and other insight from one of the most business-savvy riders on the starting line.

Penrite oil, Bullfrog hot tubs, SmarTop covers. Good to know some brands outside our little world see the benefit of supporting our sport...

When we first heard the news that Phil Nicoletti had signed a two-year contract with the Rockstar Energy/OTSFF/Yamaha team to race in Canada, we were happy for the guy but bummed at the same time. The fact that Nicoletti finished well all summer in 2018, including a podium overall at Unadilla, showed just how competitive it is for a rider to land a full-time gig in the United States. Now a year into the deal, Nicoletti stands to make a very good amount of money should he claim the Rockstar Energy Triple Crown 100,000-dollar purse and is already a favorite for the 2020 Canadian MX championship. "It's kind of what I expected. Some things are okay, some things are janky but for the most part everything is good. I really enjoy my team and they have done an awesome job. I was walking into the unknown and didn't know what I was going to do, " he shared with us at the end of the night. "Obviously, I miss the States and wish I was still down there. I feel like I could be super competitive still, but it's just a journey I have to do. It's cool and I enjoy everyone up here. The deal I went through in the outdoor season, I know the people I should trust and shouldn't, so it's just a big learning curve and next year will be a lot better."

As the bikes loaded into the gate for the first race of the night, Nicoletti noticed a massive rock buried in the dirt right where his rear tire would be. With all of the other good gates already picked, he and his mechanic frantically worked to get the stone out of the soil by kicking at the ground and digging with another rock. They got it out just in time, then filled in the hole with some dirt. Things like this have a tendency to happen to Phil...

Nicoletti's starting skills were exceptional in Montreal and he nabbed two of the three holeshots, which were worth 250 bucks each. By getting in a good position early, Nicoletti was able to hold his own and dice with the visiting Americans for 4-2-3 scores. Although his finishes on the night tied him with Brayton, he was ranked fourth overall due to Brayton's better finish in the final race. On the upside, Nicoletti's finishes helped him put a few more points between himself and Cole Thompson in the Triple Crown standings with two races to go.

Man does have a slight resemblance to The Undertaker...

Think about the last twelve months that Malcolm Stewart has gone through. The 2018 Montreal Supercross was his first race with the SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts/Honda crew, which was a "trial run" to see if he could earn a full-time ride, and he nabbed the win. That carried over through the rest of the offseason, where he logged good results around the world and secured the spot for 2019, only to break his femur at round two. Fast-forward to now, with Stewart confirmed to another year with the team, in the best shape of his life, and considered by many to be a contender for podiums and even wins in 2020.

What comes next for Stewart? He'll race once a month from now until January with the Monster Energy Cup in October, the Paris Supercross in November, and the Geneva Supercross in December, along with constant riding with teammate Vince Friese plus training with Gareth Swanepoel and his stable of riders in California. The one thing that we have to point out about all of the upcoming races is how the crowd reacts when Malcolm rolls onto the track. It doesn't matter if it's in the US or abroad, the public loves Malcolm and his personality, no matter what the results are.

Montreal was Stewart's first race since his injury and surgery in mid-January and although he didn't seem nervous on the starting line, he joked with us later about the feeling on the starting line. "Let me tell you what, your boy was nervous. I was scared, I was like, 'Daddy I don't want to do this no more!' [Laughs] I broke my femur in January and here we are months later in September at my very first race back. The goal for me was to have fun and work the bugs out. I was sitting on the line in the first moto thinking, 'Can you believe this is your first race since January?' I was hyperventilating before the gate dropped [Laughs]. It was good to be back in front of the fans, to work the bugs out. The goal was to get a podium, not have any crashes. It was a chill weekend and one of the biggest things I'm pumped on is that I got a moto win, so it was good to lead some laps and things like that."

During a look over on Malcolm's MCR CRF450R, we noticed a new Akrapovic exhaust was mounted to the engine. Per mechanic Jason Montoya, Stewart likes the low-end hit of the Slovenian system. We've always admired the way Tony Alessi and the MotoConcepts crew will do what they can to make riders feel confident on their equipment.

Did you see the footage of Dean Wilson and Justin Brayton's battle yet? Right before the gate dropped on Moto Two at the 2019 Montreal Supercross, we mounted our GoPro Hero 7 camera to Dean Wilson’s helmet and pressed record. We always enjoy seeing the action from a pro racer’s perspective and this battle between Wilson and Justin Brayton is exactly way. The two riders had different lines and used every clean move they could come up with on the other and in the end, Wilson came out with the spot on his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing bike.

Another American up north. Jayce Pennington will finish out the Canadian Supercross season with the CTR Motorsports squad on a Yamaha YZ250F and should be in the mix for podium results and moto wins through the last two races. Pennington had some issues in 250 Moto One at Montreal and finished 19th, but bounced back in a big way to claim third in 250 Moto Two. Unfortunately, the damage was already done for his overall score and he was ranked eleventh overall for the night. Should Pennington pull it together for the last two, he could really shake up the point standings.

Tyler Medaglia was on the gas in practice. Seriously, it was impressive to see him carry speed around the track. All was going well until a big crash in one of the tricky rhythm sections put him face-first into the ground and left him with a broken nose. This kept the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider out for the night, but he hung around and watched the rest of the races. Just another weird part to the 250 class in Montreal...

Keep an eye on Tanner Ward in the coming years. With the support of Red Bull KTM, the young Canadian was consistent through the summer's MX series (5-9-4-7-5-4-5-5 overall results) and ended up ranked fifth overall behind some very experienced competition. His time in Montreal was hampered by a hard crash in the day's second practice session and the way he ran off the track holding his arm made us think he was going to scratch for the night, but he iced the injury and lined up for 7-9 finishes and 7th overall.

Cole Thompson could be the heir to the Canadian throne. With the support of Red Bull KTM, Thompson has earned his share of wins and is the defending Triple Crown champion. Thompson came into the weekend down 25-points to Nicoletti in the overall standings and was steady through the night for for 5-5-6 finishes, but a penalty in Moto Three put him 11th in that race's final results. With this, Thompson lost four more points to Nicoletti with two races to go.

A custom painted Red Bull helmet is always cool and we liked the neon sign font that Canadian studio Paint House Customs used to personalize each rider's lid.

Jess Pettis was widely considered the 250 SX title favorite ahead of the weekend. The Red Bull KTM rider has proven himself as one of the top talents in Canada and proved that speed is competitive in the United States with a handful of appearances in the 250 West Coast region earlier this year. Pettis dominated 250 Moto One, but tucked the front-end at the start of Moto Two and took a handful of riders down with him. The crash was hard and with the way medics tended to Pettis and took his boot off, it looked injured his knee or leg. We have an interview with Pettis that'll be posted on the site later this week, regardless of if this is a season-ending injury or not.

Mathias Jørgensen's world tour continues. After a run on the 250 West Coast region in Supercross and a handful of US Nationals earlier this year, the Danish rider moved back to Europe for Swedish championship, and recently signed a deal to wrap up the Canadian SX series with the Team PR-MX.CA/Strikt/Pelletier Kawasaki team. With only a few days on the KX250 under his belt, Jørgensen lined up in Montreal and went 3-7 on the night. This is where things got weird, because Jørgensen was initially ranked third overall on the night until the scores were re-racked and it put him fourth overall, a decision that required a second podium photo. But then we heard that Jørgensen was awarded third again. A look at the results online right now has Jørgensen back in third place, so who the hell knows...

Dylan Wright will be a rider to watch in the next few years. We first met the GDR Honda rider at dinner on Friday night, but knew of his results and 250 MX championship from the summer series. Wright benefitted from the carnage that struck the 250 class in Montreal and his 5-2 scores, compared to the rest of the pack, were consistent enough to earn him the overall win. With Pettis' status uncertain for the last two rounds, this could be Wright's chance to claim two titles in a season.

Props to Matt Goerke. The American has carved a place for himself in Canada over these last few years and now holds a ride with the Monster Energy Kawasaki factory team, a coveted spot in the paddock. Bike issues and a broken collarbone plagued "Beef" over the summer and he was three weeks off a plated collarbone in Montreal. Despite the discomfort and a lack of recent riding, Goerke improved with each gate drop and went 8-7-4 for sixth overall on the night.

It was good to see Luke Renzland over the weekend. When things didn't line up with the CTR Motorsports team during the offseason, the American rider struck a deal with the Royal Distribution/MX101/Yamaha squad for the full Canadian series. After a podium finish at the Indy Supercross in 2018, it was rather surprising that Renzland didn't land any sort of offer. Check back later in the week for a write-up on Renzland's move north, which he says has been an eye-opening experience he appreciates.

Colton Facciotti's retirement at the last race of the MX season left a void in the Canadian series. The GDR Honda rider went out on top, literally, by claiming a sixth championship this past summer.

Logan Karnow is one of the those racers that'll line up anywhere there's money to be made. With a ride at Team PR-MX.CA/Strikt/Pelletier Kawasaki through the rest of the Canadian series, the American will be in the mix for podium finishes in the 250 class through these next two races. Karnow got caught up in the 250 Moto Two first-turn pile-up, but went 2-11 for fifth overall.

We'd told Cade Clason that we wanted to watch him race in Canada all year and made good on our word in Montreal. The American inked a recent deal with the Team PR-MX.CA/Strikt/Pelletier Kawasaki team to complete the last three rounds of the series in the 450 class and went 6-6-6 for fifth overall. When Brayton-Wilson-Stewart are absent at the next two rounds, Clason should slide right into a podium or top-five spot. Hit the homepage or search button to listen to a recent podcast we did with Cade that discussed his WADA suspension, racing in Canada, and his move to Arizona.

As a nod to the history of the Montreal race, the event organizers brought ATV and buggy racing back to the night's program. The four-wheel action was uh, interesting, especially because some of the buggy drivers weren't afraid to push it on the small track.

What do we mean by that? Well one of them got a little wild at the exit of one turn and mowed down the starting gate. Not really sure why the gate was up, because this seemed inevitable, but it led to some hilarity...

With 450 Moto Two on the line, the Jetwerx crew quickly went to work on the twisted metal with some power tools, a new pin to replace the broken one, and the customary piece of wood to bend things back in place. Oh, Canada...

We've heard everyone ask how you can watch the Canadian series. If you're not in Canada, the best way is to get an account on the Two Wheels TV App or at www.twowheels.tv

Not Mike Brown. We see how you could mistake Shawn Maffenbeier for Brownie, especially since both wear the same gear and number on a Yamaha, but they're two different people. "Maff" went 7-8-8 for eighth overall on the night, which is solid considering his continued recovery from a busted collarbone and a lack of time on the bike.

Factory goods.

Another American that we were stoked to see was Josh Cartwright. With a deal on the Team PR-MX.CA/Strikt/Pelletier Kawasaki team, the Floridian has spent the summer in Montreal and held his own against the field of 450 riders for ninth overall on the night, even with a crash. We've said it a few times this post, but Cartwright could claim podium finishes at these last two SX rounds. Seriously, there's a good mix of talent up north.

Next up for us? MXON...