round 14
The Alberta Arenacross season started strong this past weekend with rounds 1 and 2, drawing nearly 400 sign ups to the small town of Rimbey. Amateur races were packed with exciting battles, while the pro class delivered as expected, with top national riders coming out for some off-season cash. Despite the rural location, the event brought high-energy racing to the barn-style arena, making for an unforgettable weekend of action.
Julien Benek went 1-1 on Day 1 but was later docked 3 positions for jumping on a yellow flag—handling it like a true pro. While the call sparked debate, the decision ultimately lies with the promoters and officials, and it’s up to riders, fans, and media to accept it. Unfortunately, during Saturday’s practice and heat races, Julien took a fall in the whoops while attempting to pass Tyler Gibbs, resulting in another head injury. Prioritizing safety, Julien wisely decided to pack up for the night and head home, considering his past experience with head injuries.
Julien Benek - Ironhorse AX round 1
Photo: Tree Three Media
Tyler Gibbs had a solid two rounds but struggled with cramping in his clutch hand, preventing him from securing moto wins. However, he took home a 2000$ Dash for Cash win in a showdown with Blake Davies. The two are quickly building an AX Barn rivalry, with their Chilliwack first-corner incident and now this Dash for Cash contact. Both riders kept it cool, delivering a great show for fans and setting the stage for more excitement in rounds 3 and 4.
Tyler Gibbs - Ironhorse AX
Photo: Tree Three Media
Blake Davies earns "Mr. Consistent" for his ability to be in the right place at the right time, putting him in strong contention for a second championship. While many young riders struggle with mistakes and overreaching, Blake has stayed steady, always in the mix and never out of the fight. This consistency has him leading the points heading into round 3.
Blake and Brandon Davies - Ironhorse AX
Photo: Tree Three Media
Quinn Amyotte made the trek from Ontario, marking his first ride since Chilliwack and his debut on the 2025 KTM 450. After switching from Kawasaki to KTM, rumors are swirling about why he made the change we can’t SPECulate but it would be a great change of pace for the very popular rider.
Quinn Amyotte - Ironhorse AX
Photo: Tree Three Media
Tiger Wood, now training at Florida's Dogpound for SMX Next, had an unforgettable weekend off the bike. Coming from Australia, he and his dad experienced snow for the first time and had to brave Alberta's -30°C cold. On the track, Tiger only got faster, noting he'd never raced an AX like this before. Tiger and his dad are always a great to have around the pits with their very positive outgoing attitudes.
Tiger Wood - Ironhorse AX
Photo: Tree Three Media
Wyatt Hasil, aboard his Stark, is a rider to watch this series. With consistent motos and strong performances, he's positioning himself for a top 5 Pro-Am finish. Other riders have talked about the roost coming from his stark being lethal.
Wyatt Hasil - Ironhorse AX
Photo: Tree Three Media
The Alberta Motocross Championship has launched a podcast, now on episode 3, providing a platform to share information and grow the sport in the West. Hosted by moto dads ACM President Troy Hasil, Pro racer PJ Stratton, and racer Kyle Mueller, it’s a must-listen for local motocross fans.
National news, well not much rumour was a schedule was coming out this week, but as of Thursday morning we haven’t seen anything yet!
Supercross: Tampa Round 1 250 East / Round 5 450
Tampa delivered exciting racing, but riders are dropping like flies—more than usual. It's hard to pinpoint why, but the season is turning into a battle of who can stay healthy. For the second week in a row, it felt better to be a fan watching the action than a racer on the track. We didn’t see any Canadains on the gate which doesn’t mean there wasn’t but nothing we can note was seen.
In notable Canadian amateur news, Alec Guadagno is moving up to Yamaha big bikes after a strong mini bike career. He recently posted a photo with yellow plates, confirming he’ll skip Jr. and go straight to Intermediate. This used to be common, but with many riders focusing on U.S. races, more are opting to stay in Jr. longer for events like MiniO's and Loretta's.
Thats all for now, back to the barn we go!