Frid’Eh Replace #52 | Tyler Shewchyk | Dropped at You by Yamaha Motor Canada
By Billy Rainford
Welcome to week #52 of the DMX Frid’Eh Replace this week delivered to you by Yamaha Motor Canada. Yamaha has been a accomplice with us right here at Direct Motocross since Day 1 and we stay up for one other nice 12 months with the gang at bLUcRU in 2023.
We’re within the closing couple days of 2022, so meaning it’s nearly time for one more first spherical of Monster Vitality AMA Supercross! I’ll be hopping into the #DMXVan early on New Yr’s Day for yet one more journey to California for the primary 4 rounds. We might have reached the purpose the place I’ll ask everybody to cross their fingers for me. I’m now north of 340K kilometres on the crimson rocket so we’re on the distance the place something is admittedly attainable. How for much longer will this factor hold working?!
After making it by way of some actually unhealthy winter storms right here in Southwestern Ontario, it’s now 11 Celsius outdoors. It’s moist on the market however the snow is already nearly all gone, so the drive shouldn’t be too unhealthy to begin out.
I-80 is listed as 1 hour shorter than heading south to hotter climate, so I’ll verify the forecast and see if that point saving is definitely worth the danger of reducing throughout Wyoming and down into Utah as an alternative of New Mexico and Texas.
I all the time have a delicate spot in my coronary heart for the ultimate variety of the 12 months. Snagging #52 means you make it into one among these Frid’Eh Updates and it means you’re the final one to do it.
Who’s it this 12 months that simply missed making it, you ask? None apart from Mitch Cooke. Sorry, Wealthy (Outdated Faculty reference). It seems like you must have performed that yet one more race in 2021 in spite of everything.
Tyler Shewchyk is the rider who lands himself within the closing place for 2022. I’m pleased he made it, too, as a result of the extra I find out about him the extra I like him. He’s been by way of a pair very troublesome years and appears to be getting himself again to the place he belongs – on the monitor.
His ugly leg break pressured him away from the MX sequence this previous summer season, however he made it out for some Supercross at Gopher Dunes to provide the indoor recreation a attempt for the primary time.
I bear in mind commenting on the monitor that Tyler was the one one who appeared like he was having enjoyable and throwing some whips for the followers and my digital camera. I favored him instantly. It’s humorous how that works. Simply ask the Staff Solitaire riders from final 12 months’s Supercross sequence about it. Their whips and nac-nacs received the crowds over instantly.
I didn’t know a lot about Tyler earlier than this interview. Due to that, we began on the very starting in our chat, so let’s get to it.
Right here’s a have a look at his leads to the SX/AX sequence from 2022, first:
Direct Motocross: Hi there, Tyler. Since that is our first time doing one among these with you, let’s take all of it the way in which again and provides individuals an opportunity to get to know you a bit of higher. How and when did you get your begin in motocross?
Tyler Shewchyk: Properly, initially, I began driving an ATV once I was about 3 years previous. However once I was round 5 my dad and I went driving with my cousin who had a mud bike. I requested if I may try to trip the dust bike and he let me attempt it. From that time on I used to be hooked. There was nothing I’d slightly be doing than driving a mud bike. And it labored out effectively as a result of my dad was additionally hooked. He had by no means actually ridden dust bikes up till that time. So, we each acquired dust bikes and realized to trip collectively. The eagerness simply saved constructing from there.
We began monitor driving collectively the 12 months we acquired the bikes. Then after a pair years once I was round 7 years previous, we acquired launched to the world of motocross racing by competing in what I consider was an area race at a monitor I can’t even bear in mind the identify of. However from that time on just about each weekend all summer season for so long as I can bear in mind was attempting to go racing.
What was your first quantity and the way did you select it?
My first quantity was 777. I selected 777 along with my dad. We each had hockey quantity 77 and after we went to join our first 12 months of racing 77 wasn’t obtainable so we figured what’s higher than two 7’s is three 7’s. And from then to the present day my quantity has all the time been 777. Regardless of having a professional quantity to run throughout nationwide occasions you’ll all the time see me with a 777 graphics equipment as effectively. I’ll all the time be 777 at coronary heart.
Who did you come up by way of the ranks battling?
Theres been so many alternative racers I grew up battling. I must say within the earlier days on 85’s it was Seth Hughes, Daxton Moerman, and typically once I had good races Jake Tricco and Sam Gaynor. However the names appeared to alter as I acquired into completely different lessons. Simply as individuals left the game or might have moved up into completely different lessons. Once I moved onto massive bikes and began racing Junior and Intermediate, I used to be nonetheless battling with Seth Hughes, but additionally with Keenan Peterson and Jeremy Mckie.
I took a have a look at your Instagram web page and noticed how tough your 12 months was. I’m very sorry to listen to in regards to the lack of your father. And then you definitely broke your leg! Are you able to speak about what it took to get you again on the monitor this season?
Yeah, it was positively a very robust 12 months for me. I imply, the entire thing with my dad passing away was heart-breaking, and I miss him each day. I spent a very long time with my household to mirror and cope for me, and for us as a household. However there got here a degree in spring 2022 the place I knew to myself that he would need me to proceed following my ardour to trip and race and proceed doing what we had performed for therefore many nice years. And so, after some thought, I began attempting to coach for the 2022 season.
Sadly, a dumb mistake about three rides into the 12 months result in me breaking my tibula and fibula and having them poke out of the pores and skin. This set my 12 months on standstill whereas the bone healed. It was about 2 or 3 months earlier than I may even attempt driving once more. After numerous physio periods and a ton of power coaching, I did discover my approach again to the place I belong driving on the monitor, and I’m very pleased I did.
You headed to Deschambault for the ECAN. How was that week?
The week was tremendous enjoyable. I headed there not having touched a motorbike in about 2-and-a-half months, so the expectations have been low. It was like a check for me to see how the leg was doing and the way it could maintain up underneath driving circumstances. I used to be supposed to attend 4 to six months earlier than driving, however I used to be type of feeling good about my leg and getting sick and bored with lacking races. So, we went to ECAN to race.
I raced the complete week plus the professional day and my leg and physique have been positively not prepared. I used to be in ache each soar I landed and was not going close to the pace I ought to have been. As well as, my health was not fairly the place I wanted it to be throughout the 35-minute professional 450 motos. Although regardless of all that I had a blast throughout that week. After being dwelling for a very good chunk of the 12 months between shedding my dad and breaking my leg it was so good to get out see some pleasant faces and simply hang around at a motocross monitor with the best individuals I do know.
After which I observed you racing Supercross. You appeared such as you have been having a ton of enjoyable on the market, throwing whips in all places. How did that sequence go for you?
This was my first 12 months attempting to race Supercross. And by this time within the 12 months my leg had healed to the purpose the place I may really trip with out an excessive amount of hesitation. So, it was superior and a lot enjoyable. As you noticed me throwing whips and simply having fun with driving as a lot as I probably may. Now, the outcomes weren’t precisely what I used to be on the lookout for, however, as I had by no means ridden Supercross until just about the day earlier than the race, I used to be pleased to go away the monitor smiling wholesome and having a good time.
The opposite rounds have been fairly related. I discovered that each time I rode/raced I used to be sooner, smoother and extra comfy with the brand new type of racing. The outcomes did appear to enhance a bit. All in all, it was an awesome sequence and possibly the spotlight of my racing in 2022.
And now you’re down in Georgia and Florida driving. How is the journey going? What tracks have you ever been at and the place are you going subsequent?
The journey goes wonderful. I’m at the moment simply outdoors of Daytona, Florida, at a spot known as Pax monitor, the place we simply stopped to trip for the day. We began at GPF in Georgia for our first day down right here on Tuesday. Then went to WW Ranch to trip for a day. And now we’re pondering of heading to Tampa MX.
We don’t precisely have a plan for after that besides to be down right here driving till we head dwelling on January 7th. The hope is to try to do every week of AMA spec Supercross coaching subsequent week however it all depends upon the place we will discover to trip.
What’s going to you do for the remainder of the winter? What do you do for work?
Throughout nearly all of the remainder of the winter I will probably be working. I’m at the moment employed full-time as an electrician apprentice. I even have my very own small common contracting enterprise I do on the facet to make some additional racing cash. I additionally hope to make it again down south for 3 weeks in late February/early March to coach for AMA Supercross. I’m planning on attempting my greatest to compete in Detroit for my first ever spherical of AMA Professional Supercross.
What are your plans for racing in 2023?
To be utterly trustworthy, I don’t know 100%. I’ll positively be racing I simply don’t know the place or when. I hope to race most if not the entire Triple Crown Collection, however I additionally wish to compete in an AMA Supercross spherical in addition to probably some outside professional motocross rounds within the states. I’m preserving my choices open as of now. No matter it’s I resolve to do although it will likely be again aboard a 2-stroke once more for this 12 months.
Properly, thanks for taking a while with us right this moment. Take pleasure in the remainder of your journey and who would you wish to thank?
Thanks very a lot for giving me the chance to do that. I wish to begin by thanking my mother and pa for all the time sticking behind me it doesn’t matter what and all the time encouraging me to comply with my dream. With out them I’d by no means have gotten to the place I’m right this moment. I’d additionally wish to double thank all my sponsors for the 12 months as all of them caught behind me by way of every part. Thanks to OGs optics, thanks to Brantford bikes, thanks to bLUcRU racing, thanks to Haber mx design, thanks to MD distributions, thanks to Works Connection, thanks to Superior Suspension Settings, thanks to Torc 1 racing, and to anybody I forgot, thanks.
OK, not so quick! I used to be chatting with the Kerr household, who you might be very tight with, and Andy Kerr instructed me I needed to ask you about among the loopy journey tales you might have. How about you inform us your craziest one?
My craziest journey story needs to be the journey to and from Sand Del Lee in 2019, I consider. That 12 months I didn’t fairly have a rig able to towing my bikes, gear and wanted components all the way in which to Ottawa to race. So, I went on a hunt to seek out one thing. A pair days earlier than leaving I discovered this dice van – seems mint. So, I am going test it out and it appears to take a look at. I decide it up with plans on leaving just about the subsequent day.
Properly, we pack up and depart on our 5-hour drive to SDL. Little did we all know, 21 hours later I ended up having to drive proper by way of the evening and present as much as the monitor with no sleep simply to make it in time for qualifying.
The dice van spit belts on the way in which there, it broke traces and simply wouldn’t run proper. We spent hours simply doing 30 km/hr on again roads, wrenching on the facet of the highway attempting desperately to make it there.
Throughout that weekend we raced and stuck what we thought was the problem with the dice van. So, after the weekend we headed dwelling, which wasn’t any higher of an expertise. We appeared to have the ability to go sooner now however it simply broke down time and time once more till lastly, after 20-something hours into what ought to have been a 5-hour drive, it began to run proper and we may do freeway speeds.
It was very thrilling and lasted all of 10 minutes till the wheels on the again driver’s facet determined they not wished to be a part of our convoy and took their very own route. So, we arrived dwelling 36 hours after we left Sand Del Lee on the again of a tow truck. However hey, a minimum of we acquired to go racing!
Dakar Rally Begins this Weekend
From Pink Bull:
Earlier than choosing out the perfect in school within the bike race it’s very important to spotlight a rule change for 2023. A system of time bonuses is now in place to reward the bikers who ‘open the highway’ on every stage. The bonus sections are in place throughout the first 200km of the timed particular stage. It will likely be attainable for a rider to have a complete of 5 minutes deducted from their every day time in the event that they paved the way all through the opening 200km. It’s an enormous prize to purpose for, but additionally comes with an enormous quantity of danger – with no tracks to comply with the probabilities of getting misplaced is certain to extend.
Will the brand new chapter of the rulebook assist Pink Bull KTM Manufacturing unit Racing get again to successful methods? The Austrian producer received 18 consecutive editions of the Dakar earlier than the rally relocated to Saudi Arabia. Staff riders Toby Worth, Matthias Walkner and Kevin Benavides have already got 4 Dakar victories between them and all have a shot at successful in 2023.
For any of the KTM trio to win this time in Saudi Arabia they might want to beat the pair of riders representing Pink Bull GASGAS Manufacturing unit Racing. Sam Sunderland is the Dakar’s defending champion whereas Daniel Sanders is a part of a brand new technology of bikers tipped for Dakar success within the close to future.
In addition to KTM and GASGAS, there are sturdy manufacturing facility line-ups from Honda, Husqvarna and Hero additionally within the combine for prime honours at this Dakar. The phrase contained in the Yanbu Sea Camp is that there are greater than 15 bikers on the beginning line of this Dakar with a sensible likelihood of successful the factor.
Hammertime at Hemet SX Observe
I’ll be becoming a member of Rick ‘Hammertime’ Hamer-Jackson out in California this week, however he’s already been there for a number of days. He stopped in on the apply monitor in Hemet on his approach over to Palm Springs and snapped a number of telephone pictures of #1 Eli Tomac.
The 450 class is stacked this season, once more, however it’s going to be troublesome to guess in opposition to this man, no?
He additionally despatched over a number of of his favorite bikes throughout his cease in at Professional Circuit in Corona.
OK, my break is nearly over. Issues are about to get extraordinarily busy round right here. Completely happy New Yr, everybody!
