The top GEICO Powersports/AMSOIL/Honda rider in the AMA 250 Pro Motocross Championship points standings, Trey Canard, was off to a career day at High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Penn. last Saturday. He came from outside the top 10 in the first moto to grab second in the race, even gaining significant ground on the leader in the moto, Christophe Pourcel. Then, in moto two, Ca
nard grabbed the holeshot and with Pourcel on his rear wheel, led the first 30 minutes of the moto. After the two-lap board, less than two circuits away from his first-ever AMA National overall victory (and moto victory, for that matter), Canard took a new line, hit a kicker on a jump- face, went over the bars, and broke his right wrist.
“It just goes to show that, with our sport, things can change in a moment,” Canard said a few days later. “I can’t put into words how bummed out I am that I had this happen. One second, I thought I had my first overall win in the bag, and the next moment, I’m on the side of the track with a broken arm.”
With no return date confirmed, he’s going to need some time to let his wrist heal before he’s back at it.
Similarly, teammate Dan Reardon has been showing a lot of promise since moving up to the 450cc class for the outdoor championship, and he was looking like he was having another one of those days at High Point.
In the first moto, Reardon started mid-pack and by the end of the first lap had moved up to
14th. Over the next few laps, Reardon put on a display as he moved quickly through the pack until he was in sixth with barely over two laps to go. But as he switched lines to pass a lapper, he encountered a kicker in a jump face and was sent over the bars spectacularly. Reardon dislocated his already-injured shoulder, which forced him to get surgery earlier this week to repair it. He hopes to be back before the end of the championship, though.
“That’s the plan,” Reardon said. “I really want to continue to show what I can do. I never came into my own back in Australia until I was on a 450, either, so I just want people to see that I’m a top 450cc rider. My team took a risk in putting me on the bike, and I was proving to them and everyone else that it was the right move. This is just a temporary setback.”
Back in the 250cc class, rookie Blake Wharton was the team’s top-finishing rider on the day, and he was his own worst enemy in both motos. But he was very fast.
“The first moto, I got a decent start, and I moved up to fourth by the end of the first couple turns, and then I was trying to pass Rattray, and I tried an outside line and it was wet, and I lost the front end and fell,” Wharton said. “I got up in about 14th or so and ended up catching up to sixth. In the second moto, I got a pretty good start again, and I went into the second turn a little hot, and I hit someone, and someone hit me, and I ended up falling. Again, I got up, this time in last place, and I ended up catching up to sixth in that moto, too. I got fifth overall, so that was good.”
Wharton worked for every bit of it on his way to fifth on the day, and he probably passed more people on the day than anyone.
His fellow rookie teammate, Justin Barcia, is still struggling with some issues with his hand, but he rode strong at High Point, starting inside the top 10 in both motos and riding consistent laps through pain for an 8-5 score and sixth overall.
Brett Metcalfe chose to stay out on the road between the Texas and Pennsylvania rounds, and while he was out practicing, he had a hard crash and came into High Point even more bruised and battered than he started the season. Things got harder when he was knocked down in the first turn and was forced to come f
rom about a half a lap behind the next guy in the first moto, eventually finishing seventh. In the second moto, Metcalfe started at the tail end of the top 10 and just tried to maintain an even pace.
“I was just focused on getting a good start and getting around as good as I could to the finish line,” Metcalfe said. “I got a better start and just rode my own race. I didn’t do anything radical, but I salvaged a seventh place and got decent points on the day considering how beat up I was going into the race.”
From here, the team gets a weekend off before heading to Lakewood, Colo. for round five of the championship under the lights at Thunder Valley at night.
nard grabbed the holeshot and with Pourcel on his rear wheel, led the first 30 minutes of the moto. After the two-lap board, less than two circuits away from his first-ever AMA National overall victory (and moto victory, for that matter), Canard took a new line, hit a kicker on a jump- face, went over the bars, and broke his right wrist.“It just goes to show that, with our sport, things can change in a moment,” Canard said a few days later. “I can’t put into words how bummed out I am that I had this happen. One second, I thought I had my first overall win in the bag, and the next moment, I’m on the side of the track with a broken arm.”
With no return date confirmed, he’s going to need some time to let his wrist heal before he’s back at it.
Similarly, teammate Dan Reardon has been showing a lot of promise since moving up to the 450cc class for the outdoor championship, and he was looking like he was having another one of those days at High Point.
In the first moto, Reardon started mid-pack and by the end of the first lap had moved up to
14th. Over the next few laps, Reardon put on a display as he moved quickly through the pack until he was in sixth with barely over two laps to go. But as he switched lines to pass a lapper, he encountered a kicker in a jump face and was sent over the bars spectacularly. Reardon dislocated his already-injured shoulder, which forced him to get surgery earlier this week to repair it. He hopes to be back before the end of the championship, though.“That’s the plan,” Reardon said. “I really want to continue to show what I can do. I never came into my own back in Australia until I was on a 450, either, so I just want people to see that I’m a top 450cc rider. My team took a risk in putting me on the bike, and I was proving to them and everyone else that it was the right move. This is just a temporary setback.”
Back in the 250cc class, rookie Blake Wharton was the team’s top-finishing rider on the day, and he was his own worst enemy in both motos. But he was very fast.
“The first moto, I got a decent start, and I moved up to fourth by the end of the first couple turns, and then I was trying to pass Rattray, and I tried an outside line and it was wet, and I lost the front end and fell,” Wharton said. “I got up in about 14th or so and ended up catching up to sixth. In the second moto, I got a pretty good start again, and I went into the second turn a little hot, and I hit someone, and someone hit me, and I ended up falling. Again, I got up, this time in last place, and I ended up catching up to sixth in that moto, too. I got fifth overall, so that was good.”Wharton worked for every bit of it on his way to fifth on the day, and he probably passed more people on the day than anyone.
His fellow rookie teammate, Justin Barcia, is still struggling with some issues with his hand, but he rode strong at High Point, starting inside the top 10 in both motos and riding consistent laps through pain for an 8-5 score and sixth overall.
Brett Metcalfe chose to stay out on the road between the Texas and Pennsylvania rounds, and while he was out practicing, he had a hard crash and came into High Point even more bruised and battered than he started the season. Things got harder when he was knocked down in the first turn and was forced to come f
rom about a half a lap behind the next guy in the first moto, eventually finishing seventh. In the second moto, Metcalfe started at the tail end of the top 10 and just tried to maintain an even pace.“I was just focused on getting a good start and getting around as good as I could to the finish line,” Metcalfe said. “I got a better start and just rode my own race. I didn’t do anything radical, but I salvaged a seventh place and got decent points on the day considering how beat up I was going into the race.”
From here, the team gets a weekend off before heading to Lakewood, Colo. for round five of the championship under the lights at Thunder Valley at night.
Until then, we'll see you at the races.
