Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/855895
IN THE WIND P46 Canadian National MX Update T he Rockstar Energy/Cana- dian Motocross Nationals is well into the second half of the series and since our last update, things have been going well for a few American riders, including Nut Up Industries/Kawasaki rid- er Dillan Epstein, from Thousand Oaks, California, and Florida's Matt Goerke. Last week (July 23) at Pleas- ant Valley MX Park in Truro, Nova Scotia, (round seven) Epstein had everything come together. He was the quickest qualifier and then went out and won both mo- tos! It was the biggest win of his career. He started off fifth in the first MX1 moto, quickly worked his way to the front and passed Mike Alessi for the lead on the fifth lap then never looked back for the win, taking the checkered flag 10 seconds ahead of Alessi (Alpinestars/Kawasaki). He again passed Alessi for the lead in the second moto, during the sixth lap, and went on to take the second-moto victory, two sec- onds ahead of Goerke (Rockstar Energy/OTSF Yamaha), the MX1- class points leader. Alessi ended up getting a flat front tire and finished seventh in the moto for third overall. Goerke ended up second overall with 3-2. Kyle Chisholm, also from Florida, was fourth overall (7-3), while Canada's Tyler Medaglia (Honda) rounded out the top five overall with a 5-4. Husqvarna's Christophe Pour- cel was sixth overall (4-8). The Frenchman actually crossed the finish line in third in the second moto but was penalized five posi- tions for not showing up at the podium after the moto. Pourcel, however, got redemp- tion a week later at Riverglade MX Park (round 8) in Moncton, July 30, by taking the overall win after trading 1-2 scores with Goerke. Both riders came from behind in the first moto, with Goerke taking the win six seconds ahead of the Husky rider. In the second moto, Pourcel took the lead from Alessi on the 10th lap, and Goerke also got around Alessi for second two laps later. Pourcel ended up holding off Goerke, taking the win another six seconds ahead of the Yamaha rider. Alessi went 3-3 for third over- all. Chisholm (5-4) was fourth overall (matching his best finish of the year) and Medaglia (4-5) was fifth overall. Epstein finished seventh in the first moto but DNF'd the second moto. With just two rounds left on the schedule, Goerke leads the way with a 19-point advantage over Pourcel, 425-409. Alessi is third in the championship with 366 points. Epstein is sixth with 328 points. CN PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OTSFF Rockstar Energy/OTSFF Yamaha's Matt Goerke is leading the 2017 Rockstar Energy Canadian Motocross National Championship with two round still to go.