Wright 'gets it done' in 450 debut
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Dylan Wright ‘dialed in’ for his 450 class debut to win his first three motos at the 2020 Rockstar Triple Crown Motocross Pro Nationals at Gopher Dunes, south of Courtland.
Wright, who won the 250 in his first season with Honda Canada GDR Fox last year, was undefeated July 25-26 finishing 1-1-1 in Rounds 1 and 2 of a COVID-19 condensed season.
“I had some good starts and I was able to make some quick passes on the first couple of laps and get it done,” said Wright, from Ottawa, now living in Drummondville. “I had some good sprint speed here and it helps a little that it’s our home track. It’s a bonus to come off with three wins and to get the season going like that is always good.”
The weekend’s 30-plus C heat was a challenge for all riders.
“That last moto was tough, definitely. It’s draining, it’s hot. And you throw another moto in. I feel like this weekend I was able to pace myself a little bit to save something for the third moto, but I ain’t going to lie, I was tired.”
This year there are three pro motos every race weekend rather than two to make up for early season cancellations in western Canada. By the end of the season (Sept. 5-6) they will only be few motos short of a full tour.
“I like it, the east coast kind of caters to me a little bit. I bring my camper to the track – I’m not even staying in hotels this year. I’m trying to soak in a little bit of that fun environment of being at the races with my fiance and my family. As amateurs we grew up going to races, so I like it. I try to get it all in, because I want to do this for a long time and try to keep it fun.”
Wright, 22, is having fun but he admits there is some pressure – the pressure he puts on himself.
“I would say the team has not put a lot of pressure on me. I put a lot of pressure on myself to go out and win. I kind of have the mentality, I give 100 per cent or I don’t give any at all. So I’m super passionate and with that comes the pressure to win because I don’t want to finish second. But the team supports me, whether I win or it’s a second we’re going to figure it out. So does my fiance. Win or lose we have a great life together. My family’s proud of me regardless.”
Due to COVI9-19 restrictions, there were no spectators.
“I do miss the crowd. The crowd is such a big part of what we do. It’s our sport, it’s our profession, but it’s basically entertainment. To not be able to have fans out here makes it weird for us because we’re here to put on a show. It’s an adjustment for sure.”
Wright’s 450 training started last fall after teammate Colton Facciotti retired.
“It started off really good in the fall last year… and then I went down south and had a couple rocky weeks. I just kind of grounded myself, said ‘we’re going to figure this out.’ It was – a little – the way the chassis handled compared to the 250. We had to make a lot of adjustments. And honestly, still to this day we are working on different settings to try and perfect the bike and the handling. Throw in a plug for SSS (Superior Suspension Settings) and Colton (Facciotti) for doing an awesome job.”
Derek Hamm, a local rider from Brownsville, finished 13th overall in the 450 class. Cooper Larche of Woodstock was 23rd and Liam O’Farrel from Paris 7th.
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