Team Leading Edge Monster Kawasaki

Kamloops - Round One is in the Books!

2010-06-07T12:47:00.000-07:00

Shawn Rife finished second overall at the first round of the 2010 CMRC Nationals

Well, after months of preparation the first round has come and gone. By all accounts, other than Teddy's flat tire in moto one it was a good day. The riders holeshot both motos and Shawn won the first moto. Spenny had a great ride with fifth overall and Teddy came back to grab second in the final moto. Brock also rode well despite being sick and grabbed ninth overall in his first ever MX1 race. Also big props to Leading Edge support rider, Kohl Canaday, for grabbing 11th overall in his first pro national!

Here's some photos from the day.

James Lissimore photos

Frenchie warms up Spencer's bike before the first practice

Shawn Rife

Brock Hoyer

Teddy Maier stretches out

Rife and Maier were 1-2 off the start of moto one

Rife lead wire to wire to take the win

Spencer knowles finished fifth

Camille Baker finished sixth overall in the Ladies class

Rife on the start line with his mechanic, Adam

Shawn gets some TV time after his moto win

Spencer grabbed the holeshot in moto two

Spencer gets some podium time for grabbing the holeshot

Teddy also got some TV time for his second place finish in moto two

Brock Hoyer grabbed a great start in the second MX1 moto

Support rider, Kohl Canaday, was impressive in his pro debut. He grabbed 11th overall in MX2

Nex-Trax Arenacross Rounds 6-7

2010-01-10T18:44:00.001-08:00

Brady Sheren took the Open class win on Saturday night!

After seven rounds and four weekends we wrapped up the Chilliwack swing of the 2009-10 Nex-Trax Canadian Arenacross series. And fittingly enough, the team wrapped things up in style with their best weekend of the series. Not only did the team place two riders on the podium in three out of the four races but Brady Sheren had a great night on Saturday with a dominant ride to take his first win of the series. Not only did Sheren and Brock Hoyer lead a one-two punch on the podium but they find themselves sitting 3rd and 2nd, respectively in the Championship with two rounds to go. The series now takes a two month break before resuming at an all new round in Penticton, B.C.

Here's a few photos from the weekend

James Lissimore photos:

Nex-Trax Arenacross Series Round Five

2009-12-20T16:40:00.000-08:00

Brady Sheren in action at Chilliwack on Saturday night.

The team was back in action last night at Chilliwack's Heritage Park. Usually the series features double headers with racing on both Friday and Saturday night but this weekend they only scheduled a single race on Saturday. With the single night scheduled, the racing was intense as it was all on the line.

Brock Hoyer was the top finisher for the team with a third place finish in the Lites main and fourth in the Open main event. Brady Sheren captured a pair of seventh's while Kris Foster recovered from a wrist injury sustained during the first heat race to nurse home an eighth and ninth place finish, respectively. Now the series takes a break for Christmas and resumes with another double header on Jan 8th and 9th.

Here's a few photos from Saturday:

James Lissimore Photos

Chilliwack Arenacross Rounds Three and Four

2009-11-16T16:20:00.000-08:00

Brock Hoyer debuted the big Number One plate this weekend.

Another weekend in the books here in Chilliwack and things went pretty good for the team. It would have been nice to grab a win but you can't complain when both Brock and Brady were contenders all weekend long.

Brock grabbed both heat race wins on Saturday and lead half of the Open main before finishing third. I'm sure he'd like to have his MX2 race back as he found himself laying on the ground in the first turn but still, coming back to fifth was a great ride. Brady was looking much better as well after recovering from a bout of the H1N1 virus. He remained in strking distance of the win right to the finish line during Friday's MX2 main and was running the leaders pace in the rest of the races as well. Good to see him rounding into form.

Now the guys get a month off before the series comes back for a single race day on Dec. 19. I'm sure both of them are itching to get a win before this series is over.

James Lissimore Photos:

2009-11-09T12:44:00.000-08:00

Brock Hoyer had a solid weekend to kick off the 09-10 AX season

Well, the first weekend of the 2009-10 Nex-Trax Canadian Arenacross series kicked off this past weekend at Chilliwack, B.C.'s Heritage Park. The team was out in full force with an All Canadian lineup featuring last year's Lites class Arenacross Champion, Brock Hoyer, as well as Kris Foster and Brady Sheren. With the semi parked inside the Heritage Park's indoor pit area, the team was major focus of attention and fan favorite.

Brock showed right from the first gate drop why he was a champion last year as he, along with Cole Siebler and Kyle Beaton showed to be the class of the field and dominated the podium in all four main events. Unfortunately for Brock, a start gate mishap meant an early jump and a five position penalty for himself and race winner Beaton, bumping his second place finish down to a sixth. Aside from that one dark spot an otherwise succesfull weekend.

The other two riders were in the mix as well, with Kris Foster winning the Head to Head race on Friday night and pocketing the cash. Still recovering from a bad case of the flu, Sheren rode to a pair of fourths in his debut for the team.

Here's a few shots from the weekend.

James Lissimore Photos

Montreal Supercross

2009-10-05T12:13:00.001-07:00

Brock Hoyer battles with Brady Sheren for the final podium spot
during Saturday's MX2 main event.

The team raced the world famous Montreal Supercross this weekend with Teddy Maier and Brock Hoyer. After flying in on thursday, everyone got settled in at the Universal Hotel down the road from the stadium...well everyone got settled but Teddy who's suspension got lost by his airline. Luckily it was located and shipped to the hotel before everyone left for the track the next morning.

For Teddy, he'd be riding a 450 as the MX2 class is Canadian only at Montreal. He was taking it seriously and had been practicing his butt off for the last month at his home in Iowa. He definitely wasn't kidding either about working hard as he logged the quickest lap time in both of friday's practice sessions. Brock had injured his knee while practicing a couple weeks before but he got better as the practice sessions progressed, eventually qualifying fourth quickest.

In the main events, both riders had great comeback rides as Brock got a bad start and worked his way up to fourth and almost got third from a fading Brady Sheren but came up a couple corners short. Meanwhile Teddy was involved in a first turn pileup in the MX1 class and had to charge from last all the way up to fifth place, a great ride and a good showing on the big bike. There's no doubt that he would have been in contention for the win if he had gotten a better start.

Here's a few photos from the race.

James Lissimore Photos:

We are the Champions!

2009-08-18T17:52:00.000-07:00

Teddy Maier is your 2009 Monster Energy CMRC Champion!

Whew, we finally made it. Things were tense as Teddy came into the final round with a 28 point lead. It was enough that you could breath a little easier but not enough that you could relax and expect that things were in the bag. I think I saw Pat double and triple check every part on the bike before the first moto. It was such a relief when he got into second in the first moto and rode it out for the championship. I know how hard Teddy has worked the last couple of seasons as he rode up here in Canada and it's great to finally see him rewarded for all the effort. The Number One sure looks good on his bike!

Brock also had a pretty good day as he had his best ever non-mud finish with a 6th overall on the day. It propelled him into seventh overall so that's a great improvement over last season. I'm sure if he didn't get taken out in the first turn at Kamloops and injure his arm he would have been even higher up the standings. He even decided to ride his 450 on sunday and qualified 10th. That's pretty impressive for a completely stock bike. He didn't end up racing the MX1 class but it shows that he's got a great future in either class.

I felt bad for Nick Evennou, he works really hard but always seems to have something go wrong. This time he got a flat tire while running 3rd in the second moto. Still, he had his share of podiums this year and was a definite improvement over last season. He finished just behind Brock at eighth in the standings, a big improvment over last year.

Now it's off to the Montreal SX for Teddy and Brock. Teddy will be racing a 450 while Brock will be racing a 250 in the All Canadian MX2 class.

Here's a few photos from Walton:

James Lissimore Photos

Teddy in second in the first moto

Brock rode to 6th in moto one

Pat and Teddy celebrate their MX2 Championship

Nick ran strong in the second moto before he suffered a flat tire.

Brock Hoyer battles with a pair of Allisons during moto 2.

Teddy ran in third in moto 2

Nick Evennou

Teddy debutes his new number 1 jersey

Teddy's new number 1 plate

The 2009 MX2 Championship podium

Pat bolts on the new number 1 plate

Teddy debuts his new number

Sand Del Lee

2009-08-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

Teddy extended his points lead again this past weekend at Sand Del Lee

Though it seems like just yesterday we were in Kamloops for the kickoff of the 2009 CMRC season, this past weekend we were in Ottawa, Ontario for the second to last round of the season at Sand Del Lee MX park. Though you never want to jinx things, it's looking really good for Teddy as he stretched his lead again atop the MX2 leaderboard with a safe 4th overall. He battled in the lead pack through both motos and was apart of one of the most exciting races we've seen all season.

Now, we've got one race left to go and Teddy's got a 28 point lead. He's worked extremely hard all season so it's great that he's in this position. With all three riders in the top 10 in points it's been a satisfying season for everyone and a great payback for the sponsors who have been behind this team.

Now, everyone is off to Walton in South West Ontario for the grand finale of the season. It's been a great year and hopefully things can build for 2010.

James Lissimore Photos:

Nick Evennou

Teddy Maier

Brock Hoyer

Hoyer

Evennou

Hoyer

Evennou

Hoyer

Maier

Hoyer grabbed the second moto holeshot

Maier

Nick's dad gives Brock a helping hand

Winning in Moncton

2009-08-03T15:20:00.000-07:00

Teddy took his fourth moto win of the season at Moncton

The series came all the way out to the east coast this weekend for the scenic River Glade National in Moncton, New Brunswick. After last weekend's horrendous mud fest everyone just wanted to forget about the nastiness and move on but Friday we were greeted to another big downpour which brought back a little deja vu as the mechanics tore the bikes apart from the weekend before. Luckily the rain was gone as Saturday morning dawned sunny and nice and by the time the bikes hit the track for practice the conditions were almost perfect.

Moto One was great and a bit of a continuation from last weekend as there were two Leading Edge bikes on the podium again! This time Teddy ran down the competition after a bad start and took the lead and the win unchallenged. He is just on another level from his competition right now and his confidence is growing with every race. To cap things off, Nick finished a strong third to make two straight third places for him. The only down side was Brock took a rock to the knee that injured him but he soldiered on for tenth place.

The second moto again saw Teddy get a bad start, which is rare these days but he put his head down and charged hard again. This time he managed to get up to third, which was enough to give him the overall win and another couple points on his rival, Eric Nye, for the title with only two more rounds to go. Now his lead sits at 19. Nick was also in a podium position in the moto, sitting 4th when he crashed hard. He was able to remount to finish tenth but later went to the hospital to have his injured kidney checked out. Luckily it is only bruised and he should be able to race this weekend. Brock toughed out his injured knee and pulled off a ninth, which gave him 8th overall.

This week, Nick and Brock will be staying out in New Brunswick to continue practicing for next weekend's race at Sand Del Lee in Ontario while Teddy flew home to Iowa to continue his preparation there.

Here's a few photos from the weekend:

James Lissimore photos

This is what Brock's bike looked like after last weekend's mud fest in Quebec

Luc "Frenchie" Cahouette looks at his bucket of bolts that used to be a KX250F

Pat O'Connor made a bet with Brock last week, betting that if Brock finished top 2 he could cut his hair. Well he did and at Moncton Brock got to work.

His "Chuck Liddell" hair cut is what he came up with

Greg Small also got in on the bet and the terms were that he had to score points in the moto. Well, he pulled off after two laps so he also got the clippers.

Pat "Liddell" cheers on his rider

Nick gets ready to head out

Brock tears up the loamy soil

Teddy was quickest in the morning practice session

Nick finished a solid 3rd in the first moto

Teddy had to work back from a sub par start

Nick

Brock hurt his knee but still finished tenth

Teddy topped the podium at Moncton with his second overall win of the season

Teddy gets some TV time in front of the characteristically large Moncton crowd

Nick gets his time in front of the lens

Two Leading Edge bikes on the podium for the second straight week

Rainy days in Ste. Thecle

2009-07-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

Brock(l) and Nick both made the podium at Ste. Thecle.

At the Canadian Nationals we're always due for at least one mud race and this weekend at Ste. Thecle, Quebec we got it and got it bad. The track was not too bad in the morning and looked like it might be half decent but by the time the qualifiers rolled around the clouds had opened up and a deluge would be released that would not let up for the rest of the day.
It actually turned out to be a bit of a mixed blessing for the Leading Edge team. The day would end with both Brock Hoyer and Nick Evennou on the podium and Teddy made up more valuable points on his rival for the championship, Eric Nye.
With the race shortened to one moto due to the weather conditions, it was all or nothing and Brock lead the way, grabbing the holeshot ahead of his teammate Nick and the pair proceded to gap the rest of the field. Nick got by and lead for a few laps before falling and letting Brock back around. Then it was his turn to fall over but luckily be remounted in second and held it all the way to the line. It was the first podium for Brock who's shown lots of speed this year but not a lot of luck so far. Nick managed to work his way back up to third and Teddy got sixth so it was a great day for the team.
Now we're off to Moncton, a round that Nick won two years ago so he's excited to try and get his first win of the season.

Here's a few shots from Ste. Thecle:

James Lissimore Photos

Nick breaks out the Thor mud gear for practice

The conditions weren't too bad in the first practice

Even the mechanics were still clean by that point

By the time the first qualifier rolled around the rains were in full force

Brock and Teddy(far left) both got a good jump off of the gate

Brock took the holeshot ahead of Nick and the two began to distance themselves from the pack.

The track just got worse and worse as the moto wore on

There were several lakes across the track by this point.

Brock after the moto

Nick has a mud facial

Brock makes his first podium appearance

Brock's mechanic, "Frenchie", was dirty but happy

Nick

Two dominate motos at Gopher Dunes

2009-07-21T06:33:00.000-07:00

Teddy stands on top of the podium at Gopher Dunes

The team was in Courtland, Ontario this weekend for the fifth round of the Monster Energy CMRC Nationals at Gopher Dunes. The deep sand makes it the most punishing track on the circuit and it always makes the going tough. Boy, did Teddy put his stamp on this race! Not a known sand specialist, he put in two dominating motos to win his first overall of the year.
He made his way into the lead early in both motos and then proceeded to gap the pack. His double wins gave him the points lead in the championship going into next weekends race in Quebec. Since it's a new track on the circuit this season, everyone will be on equal footing.
Brock had a pretty good day, going 7-8 for 9th overall. Pretty rare when a 7/8 gives you 9th but the sand always leads to inconsistent moto scores and strange overalls.
Nick was fast all day but the sand got the best of him, knocking his spark plug cap off and killing his bike. Still, he was hauling, passing a bunch of fast guys before that so he's pretty dissapointed. Luckily he's always done well at the eastern tracks so he's looking forward to the next few weeks.
Now we're off to Ste. Thecile in Quebec, a new track that we've never been to so it should be intresting. Teddy will be looking to keep stretching his lead atop the MX2 leaderboard.

James Lissimore Photos:

Morden

2009-06-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

Evennou on the podium at Morden

Another weekend, another race in the books, another podium for the team. This weekend was looking pretty ugly at first with all the rain that happened on Saturday but the track ended up being pretty good on Sunday.
Teddy has definitely established himself as the favorite to win the title, that first moto he was on it and he really made a statement to his competition. Unfortunately, his motor locked up in the second moto, which is a harsh reality in this class. 250F's tend to do that sometimes and the team learned from it and it won't happen again. Luckily he had a pretty solid lead over Nye going into the moto so he only ends up being down 2 points. He can gain that back with one moto win so there's plenty of time left to take care of business.
Nick has been a clutch guy this year. When Teddy dnf'd, Nick kept the teams podium streak alive with a 3rd in the moto and 3rd overall. I know he's not happy with that though, he wants to win one of these soon. Good thing he loves sand, maybe he'll finally pull it off at Gopher Dunes.
I'm sure Brock was hoping for a mud race. The BC native is no stranger to mud and has had some of his best finishes when the going gets slimey. He proved that by cutting the fastest lap in practice when the track was still a soupey mess. Still, in the first moto he finished a solid 6th so he's been getting it done rain or dry this season.
Here's a few photos from Morden:

James Lissimore photos

Nick gets his interview time

More interviews, now for TV.

Teddy leading the second moto.

Nick charging to a second moto podium

Nick battles with Kyle McGlynn

Teddy gets on the box with a win in the first moto.

TV time for Teddy

Teddy takes the moto 1 win

Pat mans the pit board while Teddy leads

Brock on the move in moto 1

Teddy

Nick

Teddy

Brock

Nick

Edmonton

2009-06-22T07:17:00.000-07:00

Teddy Maier

This weekend we were at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta and it's a great facility. The track is right at the famous drag strip and next door to Edmonton International Airport so the location is perfect. The track itself is completely flat but the dirt is good and they've done a good job with the layout. This track is faaast though, wide open everywhere and you need a fast bike; which is good, our bikes definitely held their own against anything on the track.

Teddy is serious about being the fastest guy in the class. Though most guys would sit back and let Dean Wilson go since he was only planning on racing the first 3 rounds, Teddy was determined to get in there and race him. He even edged Wilson out in qualifying to take the number 1 spot. Then in both motos, Teddy got out front early and pushed really hard. Even after Wilson caught him, he did his best to hang with him. Teddy is never happy with second and you know he'll be gunning for the win next weekend.

Brock had a pair of comback rides. He got pinched off on the start in the first moto and worked his way up from 20th to 9th, then in the second moto he put in a great ride, coming all way back from a first turn crash to go from last to 8th.

Nick did not have the weekend he was looking for. In the first moto, some mud jammed his shifter causing the bike to be stuck in 3rd gear, which he still finished a solid 12th. Then in the second moto he crashed out. He's looking forward to next weekend, he likes the Morden track so he'll be happy to get back up and battle with the leaders.

Here's a few shots from the weekend:

James Lissimore Photos:

MX2 Podium

Brock Hoyer

Nick Evennou

Teddy leading the first moto

Brock Hoyer, Teddy Maier and fellow Kawasaki pilot, Dean Wilson

Teddy

Nick Evennou

Brock Hoyer

Teddy Maier out front again in the second moto

Teddy and Pat O'Connor

Rob Furhman takes Brock's bike to the line

Rob Furhman

Pat O'Connor

Brock Hoyer

Teddy Maier

Brock Hoyer

Mike and Nick

Teddy

More Podium Action at Calgary

2009-06-15T15:17:00.001-07:00

Nick Evennou(r) gets on the podium at Calgary

We were in Calgary this weekend at Wild Rose MX Park. This place is really cool, it's right in the middle of the city and the downtown skyscrapers dominate the skyline. Plus, the hotel is within walking distance so this round is definitely one of the most looked forward to of the year.

Things went well for the team this weekend. After last weekend's misfortunes for Nick and Brock it was great to see them both turn things around in a big way. Plus, Teddy established that he's the number one contender for the title this season.
Nick was so happy to get back on the podium. He's had a huge monkey on his back for a while now and to finish second in the final moto took a huge weight off his shoulders. He is looking forward to backing it up in Edmonton next weekend.
For Brock, his 5th in the first moto established that he belongs with the leaders and he knows he can be there every moto now. It's great to see his confidence grow with every race.

Now they're off to Castrol Raceway in Edmonton next weekend, another track that has great facilities and lots of spectators. Should be another great weekend for the Leading Edge Kawasaki team.

Here's a few photos from Calgary....

James Lissimore photos:

Round 1 - Kamloops

2009-06-09T10:22:00.001-07:00

Teddy on the podium at Round

Well, we're finally off and racing for 2009 and it's great that series kicked off right here in Kamloops. The Leading Edge shop is not far from the track so it was great to have so many friends and supporters at the race.

Brock showed he wanted it badly for his friends and family, logging some of the fastest laptimes in the MX2 class. Unfortunately things didn't go so well for him in the motos but sometimes that happens. He knows he belongs with the front runners now so I'm sure that will translate well for next weekend when he heads to Calgary.

Nick really had something to prove after last season and he also was on fire in practice and qualifying but too bad he was also taken down in the same first turn crash that claimed Brock. You can see the heart the kid has though, he charged back through the pack with a huge gash on his face and only quit when the CMRC pulled him off of the track due to all the blood he was leaving behind. His 4th place in moto 2 shows he's serious about the title this year.

What can you say about Teddy? The guy has been hurt all winter and just started riding again a month ago yet once that gate dropped he was right there battling for the win. He is so solid, you can always count on him to deliver the goods. A podium spot is a great way to kick off the season, especially when you know Dean Wilson isn't racing the entire series. Way to go Teddy!

Missy had a rough start in the Women's class but she rebounded well in the second moto with a 3rd. Next weekend she'll be looking to get up there and try and take Heidi Cooke on.

Here's few shots from the weekend:

James Lissimore Photos

Missy Hackett leads Jocelyn Killough in the second Women's moto

Teddy claimed third overall with his 2-3 moto scores

Pat O'Connor won the top wrench award for the team and took home a new portable TV

Even with a huge gash in his head, Nick Evennou came out and snagged the second moto holeshot.

Teddy Maier

Nick and Teddy battle it out in the second moto.

Pat waves on his rider

Nick out front in the second moto.

Brock

Teddy

Nick

Brock

Nick

Nick and Mike. Waiting for practice

Brock

Teddy

Rob get's Brock's bike ready for action

Mike with Nick's machine

The team riders showed up in a helicopter, landed right on the start straight.

Arenacross Wrap Up - Brock takes the Open title

2009-01-12T18:14:00.000-08:00

Brock took the win during Saturday's Open main event and took the Championship

Well, another series is in the books and what a roller coaster it was. After the last 2 rounds it looked like Teddy would wrap up the title as he had a comfortable lead in both classes. Well, as we all know with racing, nothing is for certain untill the final checkered flag falls. Teddy ended up breaking his leg while riding back home and just like that he was out. Luckily, Jeremy Medaglia was able to be recruited for the weekend and he did a great job. Considering he had never ridden an arenacross before it was tough to guess how he would do. Amazingly enough, he hopped on Teddy's bike and didn't even need a clicker adjusted. Not only that, he swept both main events on Friday night, his first ever ax race. Things didn't go as well on Saturday, as he got a flat tire in the Lites main but still he bounced back to finish second behind Brock in the Open main. Not bad for someone who got a last minute call up to come out and race a bike he'd never ridden before.

With Teddy out, Brock would end up being the man to carry the team in the Championship and he rose to the ocassion. He would end up being the best overall rider for the weekend, reeling off 3 straight second place finishes, winning the Head to Head race on Saturday and then capping it all off with the final win in the Open class. The win gave him the Open class championship as well. All in all a great series for him.

Kris Foster was also racing for the team. Despite not having a chance to ride much lately he still did pretty good. He finished fourth in both of the Lites main events and that was good enough to give him third overall in the Championship.

Here's a few photos from the weekend.

James Lissimore Photos:

Rick Foster and Pat O'Connor rush to change Jeremy's flat tire after the Lites main event.

Jeremy Medaglia was on fire all weekend in his fill in ride.

Missy Hackett finished second in the Ladies class.

Foster bangs bars with Colton McLean

Darcy Lange(09) was a suprise guest for the teams opening ceremonies parade lap.

Brock was the most consistent rider of the weekend.

Foster

Medaglia

Hoyer

Foster

Medaglia

Jeremy and Brock share the podium on Friday.

Missy Hackett

Jeremy gets interviewed after taking the win on Friday night

Hoyer

Medaglia

Jeremy Medaglia with his new ride.

Friday's Factory Rider for a Day winners pose with the team.

Nex Trax Arenacross Series Weekend Number Two

2008-11-17T20:23:00.000-08:00

The team celebrates a successfull weekend.

Well, another weekend is in the books as the team was back in Chiliwack for Rounds 3 and 4 of the Nex-Trax Canadian Arenacross Series. Things went pretty well last weekend at the opening round but this weekend was even better. Teddy won every main event, though he was later docked 5 positions in Friday's Lites main which was unfortunate. Still he swept the rest and proved he was the fastest rider on the track.

Brock had a breakthrough weekend. He's long had the speed to run with the front runners but lacked the confidence to do it. Well that changed this weekend when he was all over Kyle Beaton in the first heat race and then won his Open qualifier. He backed that up with a second in Friday's Open main behind his teammate Maier. Brock still made a few mistakes that held him back from some more top positions but it's great to see his progress.

Kris also looked a lot better this weekend. With another weekend of racing under his belt you could see him getting more comfortable on his new Kawasaki. He even ended up on the podium on Friday when he got third in the Lites Main event(and was bumped to second with Teddy's penalty). Kris is so talented, you know that he'll be going even faster when the series resumes in January.

Here's a few photos from the weekend. The team now takes a break for a month before the series resumes in January.

James Lissimore Photos:

Teddy and Brock were a familiar podium sight on the weekend.

Teddy was the class of the field, winning all the main events with relative ease.

Missy Hackett was racing the Women's class for the team this weekend.

Brock and Teddy again on the podium.

Teddy gets the jump on the pack.

Kris gets some podium time.

Teddy signing autographs.

Teddy's Mechanic, Pat O'Connor, with his son Nick.

Teddy and Brock discuss lines.

Teddy.

Kris.

Teddy.

Brock.

The pit display looked impressive.

Kris making sure everything was in order before his race.

The bikes.

Chilliwack Arenacross Weekend One

2008-11-09T20:34:00.000-08:00

Teddy won Friday night's Open main.

Well, the first weekend of the Nex-Trax Canadian Arenacross series is in the books and it was a pretty succesfull weekend for the team. Though a few more wins would have been nice, Teddy was pretty consistent with a win and 3 second place finishes. Brock's results didn't reflect how well he rode. His 4th on friday night and pair of 5ths on Saturday were still pretty good but he showed podium speed all weekend. Next weekend with some good starts he will be right in the mix.

The team had a great presence this weekend, we had the semi parked inside the Heritage Center with a full complement of team bikes out front. Alongside team riders Maier and Hoyer there was also Kris Foster, who was making a return to Kawasaki's after a season on KTM's and the team's new Ladies class rider Missy Hackett. Also, Kawasaki has put together a "Factory Rider for a Day" program for the arenacross series where a lucky rider is selected to pit with the team and ride a specially prepared 2009 Kawasaki motorcycle.

Now the team looks forward to next weekend, the series returns to Chilliwack for rounds 3 and 4 so everyone will be looking to build on this weekend and put more green bikes on the podium.

For more info and photos of the weekends racing action, check out James Lissimore's photo reports at http://jkliss.blogspot.com/

Here's a few shots from the weekend:

James Lissimore Photos

The team had a great presence with the rig and a full compliment of bikes out front.

Teddy was a front runner all weekend.

Hoyer rails a berm.

Teddy

Kris Foster made his return to the Leading Edge program this weekend. His best finish was a 5th on Friday.

After missing friday's action after a practice crash, Missy Hackett made her team debut on Saturday.

Hoyer battles with Ryan Lockhart

Teddy

Foster

The team riders do a hot lap with the Factory Rider for a Day recipients on Saturday night.

Teddy and Brock

Brock

Walton - We're Finally at the End of the Line

2008-08-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

Jason Hughes and Rod Runzer celebrate their rider, Teddy Maier's third place overall finish in the MX2 Championship.

Wow, we finally made it. Walton is in the books and the team had a pretty good season for a first year effort. Though things didn't go as well as the season opening 1-2 finish, Teddy still kept the team on the box with a second overall finish for the day and third overall for the season. Pretty amazing considering he didn't even race the Regina round and was nursing a hurt ankle through most of the season. The guy is definitely a champion, hopefully next year the cards will fall his way and he'll take the title.

Nick's bizzare season of bad luck continued with a flat front tire in the first moto and getting stuck after colliding with a downed rider in the second moto that knocked his gas cap off, dousing him with gas. I've never seen such horrible luck with a rider before. Everyone knows he's capable of winning, hopefully he can't get the hex off of him for next season and show everyone he belongs on top of the box.

If it wasn't for his opening round dnf, Brock would have been solidly in the top 10 for the season. After starting off slow he turned it on in the last half of the season, putting in a bunch of great rides. I'm sure with his first full season under his belt this year, he'll be fired up coming into the Canadian Arenacross series where he's always a threat. He's also racing the Montreal Supercross so he'll no doubt be looking for his first podium in the all Canadian MX2 class.

Well, everyone is back home in their respective provinces and states now. The team is extremely happy with their first season and can't wait for next year, look for things to be bigger and better. A huge thanks to everyone who helped the team out this year, you guys made this all possible. Hit them up at the links on the right and support the people who support us and are helping keep Canadian Motocross going.

Stay tuned for more news as things happen at Team Monster Energy/Thor/Leading Edge Kawasaki!

James Lissimore photos:

Your 2008 Leading Edge Kawasaki team.

Sand Del Lee

2008-08-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

Brock Hoyer fails on this attempt to rail a berm.

It's always nice when the weatherman is wrong....
Despite calls for thundershowers all day, Sunday ended up being a great day at Sand Del Lee and the boys at MX101 did a great job of scraping off the mud from Saturday's rain. Sand always makes things easier when it comes to dealing with the wet stuff. Teddy proved that it doesn't matter if it's sand or hardpack, wet or dry, he's going to be on the podium no matter what. It's really too bad that he got hurt and missed Regina because with his consistency he'd be right there for the title when the series heads to Walton next weekend for the last round. As it was, his third overall bumped him from 5th up to 3rd in the points standings.

Brock was on fire as well. In the first moto he got a great start and ran up near the front all moto, engaged in a three way battle for the 5th spot between Joey Leadbeater and Kaven Benoit. Unfortunately near the end of the race, Brock crashed into a bail and had to settle for 7th place, still his best moto finish of the year. His 8th overall was another step up the chain and it's great to see him showing improvement every weekend. Hopefully next weekend he can keep it going, you can definitely see he's got a top 5 in him.

Now we're off to Walton where the rig is already parked in preparation for the Walton Trans-Can Amatuer National Championships. Greg Small is flying the Leading Edge banner in the Intermediate classes so look for him on the number 317 KX250F.

James Lissimore Photos:

Brock was on it all day.

Teddy was solid as usual. If he gets a start he'll win another one of these.

Moncton

2008-08-05T19:23:00.001-07:00

Nick Evennou

Well, the team made it's way to Moncton last weekend for the Riverglade round and despite looking like it was going to be a mud race the track ended up being perfect.
The riders were all out early to film the Team promo video with Destroyer Films so everyone was well rested for the weekend and eager to get out there. Nick was especially excited since he won here last year and was hoping to repeat again. Too bad, his strange luck continued as he was shocked by his bike in moto 2. Can't say I've ever heard of someone being electrocuted by their own motorcycle but with the way Nick's season has been going it doesn't seem as suprising.

Teddy was solid again and despite tweaking his hurt ankle again still rode to strong 4-4 moto finishes and would have had third in the first moto but a lapper cut him off and stopped him dead, allowing Mason Phillips to get back around him with 2 laps to go. It's too bad that Teddy missed Regina because he'd have been right there for the championship with the recent troubles that Eric Nye and Aron Harvey have suffered. I guess that's racing.

Brock was his usual consistent self, finishing 10th overall. He's been working hard all week to try and bridge that next gap and crack the top 5. He rode at Sand Del Lee two years ago on a 450 so his familiarity with the track should help him with that goal. Also, Leading Edge supported Intermediate rider, Greg Small, son of the teams truck driver qualified for his first national at Riverglade and even managed to score 2 points in the second moto with a 19th. Way to go Greg, it only gets easier from here!

Nick and Brock have both stayed out in New Brunswick all week to practice so they'll be making the drive to Sand Del Lee on Friday. There may be some big news for Sand Del Lee so stay tuned.....

James Lissimore Photos:

Destroyer Films Video Shoot

2008-08-01T12:20:00.001-07:00

Well, the team came out to Moncton, New Brunswick a few days early this week to team up with the guys from Destroyer Films to shoot a Team Promo video. Destroyer Films are the best in the biz when it comes to moto film making in Canada so I'm sure it's going to turn out great. An afternoon thunderstorm cut things short but they still got a lot of filming done and will finish it up on the weekend, filming race footage and behind the scenes stuff. Here's a few behind the scenes shots from the day.

James Lissimore photos:

Destroyer Films' Chris Griffiths discusses a shot with the guys.

(L-R) Teddy, Nick and Brock - You're Monster Energy/Thor/Leading Edge Kawasaki team.

Brock

Nick relaxes between takes.

Brock and Teddy take a break.

Nick powers through a corner for the cameras.

Setting up another shot.

Nick gets a mouthful from the tire of Teddy.

Brock on the gas.

Brock skies out over the Semi.

Destroyer's Cody Bradley gets the shot.

Edmonton

2008-07-22T20:46:00.001-07:00

Teddy gets some podium time after his second place finish.

Well, this was the first time that the series came to Edmonton and it turned out great. They did a great job with the track and the pits and facilities were top notch. The team had a good weekend, Teddy proved that he would have been a title contender if not for his missed race at Regina and Nick finally broke out of his slump with a fourth in the first moto. Not to mention Brock had his 3rd stratight top 10 weekend and things were definately good for Team Monster Energy/Thor/Leading Edge Kawasaki. Here's a few photos from the weekend.

James Lissimore Photos:

Just like last weekend, Teddy was back on the podium with a second overall.

Nick finally had a good moto at Edmonton, scoring a 4th in moto 1. Unfortunately, a broken wire inside his kill switch left him without a chance of repeating that in moto 2.

Brock had his third straight top 10 weekend with a 10th overall.

Teddy

Brock

Teddy gets interviewed by J.P. Savard of the french sports network, RDS.

Nick

Greg Small, the team's truck driver's son has been travelling all the nationals with his dad, Jim, and racing amatuer day.

Pro Circuit makes these bikes go.

Nick

Teddy

Teddy

Working inside the rig.

Nick's new mechanic is former national racer and Yamaha Team Manager, Jari Heinonen.

Nick

Teddy

The grass pits made for a great layout.

Can't get enough of the grass pits.

Brock and Rob make a few last minute adjustments before practice.

Brock

Nick

Monster Energy/Thor/Leading Edge Kawasaki at Nanaimo

2008-07-15T15:08:00.001-07:00

Teddy gets some TV time with the Monster Girls

Last weekend found the team at Nanaimo BC at the Wastelands Motocross track. With the Leading Edge shop being based in Kamloops this was like a hometown race for everyone and there were lots of family and friends hanging out all weekend.

Also the race would mark the national debut of Leading Edge's intermediate rider, Kohl Canaday and he was solid in his first race, qualifying and even scoring a few points with a 17th in the second moto.

Hometown advantage seemed to work out, even though Nick had never raced here before all three riders placed in the top 10, with Teddy landing on the podium in 3rd and Nick and Brock finishing 5th and 9th respectively. All in all a pretty good day considering Teddy's ankle is still hurting and Nick had troubles in both motos, everyone really rode with a lot of heart today. Brock's second moto holeshot was a thing of beauty, if he can keep doing that there's no reason he can't continue to run up front.

All three riders have stayed out this week and are up in Kamloops at the Leading Edge shop, riding and getting ready for next weekends round in Edmonton. Look for a few photos of that later in the week. For now here's a few shots from Nanaimo.

James Lissimore Photos:

Teddy

Brock

Teddy earned a well deserved third in the second moto

Brock and Nick battling in the second moto

Pat keeps Teddy's bike tuned to perfection

Brock gets ready for the first moto

Nick and Teddy were running together in the first moto

Brock

Brock comes through the pack in the first moto

Nick

It was a little dusty but not as bad as some years

Nick

Brock

The team's amateur rider, Kohl Canaday made his national debut and scored a few points with a 17th in moto 2.

Teddy on the podium.

Regina

2008-06-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

Brock Hoyer

This weekend saw the Monster Energy/Thor/Leading Edge Kawasaki team at Moto Valley Raceway in Regina, Saskatchewan for the fourth round of the CMRC Canadian Nationals. Considering that the drive into the track is totally flat, it's suprising to find that the track itself has a lot of elevation changes to it. The dirt is really hard packed and it gets pretty windy out here but when it's tilled and watered it's pretty good.

After the way things went at Morden, everyone on the team was looking forward to redeaming themselves at Regina. In between Morden and Regina, Nick Evennou and Brock Hoyer stayed out in Manitoba and rode the local tracks, getting a lot of hard packed practice in. Teddy flew home to Iowa to rest after his bad first turn crash at Morden. Unfortunately, it was not to be for Teddy as his injured leg proved to be too painful for him to ride at Regina. Jim Small, the teams truck driver taped up his injured leg but it was too no avail and Teddy had to sit out the race. The only good thing is that there is now a three week break till Nanaimo so Teddy will have some time to get healed up and back to his usual, fast self.

Nick was hoping to redeam himself after his electrical issues at Morden but the bad luck continued. I'm not sure if he broke a mirror or walked under a ladder but after getting a great start in the first moto and running third, his motor had a crank bearing failure and then in the second moto he got a flat tire. Hopefully he got all the bad luck out of his system and can come out swinging at Nanaimo, he's consistently proven that he has the speed to win this year. Hopefully he'll have his breakout ride soon.

On the plus side, Brock had his best ride of the series, finishing tenth overall. He's been working hard all week and it's starting to show. We're looking for even better things from Brock when he returns to his home turf at Nanaimo.

Here's a few photos from the weekend

James Lissimore Photos:

Brock was solid all weekend.

Teddy tried to ride practice but his leg caused him too much pain.

Jim tapes up Teddy's leg.

Brock Hoyer charging in the first moto.

Nick had a trying weekend.

Brock's second moto 10th was his best finish yet.

Brock skies the step down.

Not So Muddy Morden

2008-06-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

Well, we're another round into the Monster Energy Canadian Nationals and this weekend the team was in Morden, Manitoba. Last year this place had one of the worst mud races ever and things weren't looking much better when everyone got up on Sunday morning. It was raining and the track was looking pretty mucky. Luckily, the rain stopped after practice and the track ended up being pretty good.

The team was definately looking for a better weekend than the up and down weekend at Gopher Dunes but it turned out to be another weekend of highs and lows. The riders are proving that they've got the speed to run up front but it's racing and anything can happen.

Teddy gutted out an amazing ride in the first mx2 moto. After going down in the first turn while battling for the holeshot, he got back on his bike with a left arm that was gushing blood and proceeded to blitz through the pack, going from a full lap down on everyone to finish 14th right behind his teammate Hoyer in 13th. If somehow Teddy were still to win the championship, that ride will be the reason why. With his arm bandaged up he went out and finished 4th in the second moto before heading to the hospital to get stiched up. Tough as nails doesn't begin to describe Teddy Maier.

Nick Evennou had a heart breaking day for sure. He ran up front both motos, even leading the second moto before having electrical issues with his bike. Not the way he wanted things to go but he handled it like a champ. If anything, this will give him even more motivation for next weekend in Regina.

Brock continues to have an up and down season. After finishing a respectable 13th in the first moto things were looking up for the friendly Williams Lake native but a first turn mishap saw him have to work his way up to 21st from last. Brock has so much potential, he's just on the verge of having a break through ride. He's had some great motos at Regina over the last few years so hopefully next weekend will see him prove what he's capable of.

Nick and Brock have stayed out in Manitoba for the week to train so look for some more photos on the blog this week as the riders get out and pound some laps at the local Manitoba tracks.

Here's some shots from Morden.....

James Lissimore Photos:

The Sands of Gopher

2008-06-03T07:17:00.000-07:00

Well, the roughest track on the National circuit, Gopher Dunes, is in the books now and it was a little tougher weekend than Ste. Julie. You have to expect that though with Gopher, the deep sand allways makes for a challenging race and it was no exception this year. The good new is that none of the riders suffered any mechanical dnf's and both Teddy and Nick proved that despite a couple of setbacks they are both in the championship fight for the long haul.

Saturday practice went well, with Nick logging the fastest lap time of the session. Teddy, admitedly not the greatest sand rider continued to improve his lap times throughout the session, logging the 8th fastest time. Brock was also in the mix with the 13th fastest time. Then, a massive storm blew in after practice causing everyone to scramble to close up the storm windows on the trailer. The wind and rain were unreal and the pits quickly flooded. Billy, Nick's mechanic wasn't deterred and cleaned Nick's bike in the middle of the downpour.

Sunday morning saw more of the same, with Nick logging the second quickest time, Teddy improving to 7th quickest and Brock bumping himself up one spot to 12th fastest.

The motos themselves were a mixed bag. All three riders showed great speed but had a few set backs. Nick hit a downed rider on the first lap of Moto 1 but remounted and still finished on the podium. Teddy went down on the first lap and was forced to make a great charge back through the pack to finish 19th after remounting in last. He was hanging with the lead pack despite being a lap down so it's too bad he couldn't have been up front to show what he was capable of. Brock had a few spills, eventually finishing 14th.

The second moto again proved how cruel the sand can be sometime. For Nick his day would be cut short after he collided with another bike while battling up front. Teddy got a better start and this time finished 5th, a much better result than his first moto. As for Brock, he again had few tip overs but still managed a 13th at the finish.

Now, there's a two week break in the series and the riders will find themselves next at the Shadow Valley facility in Morden, Manitoba, a track that all three riders are quite familiar with. Hopefully we'll see them all up front at the next round.

A Great Weekend for Leading Edge Kawasaki

2008-05-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a great weekend for the team. So much work goes into creating a team like this and until you get to the first race you really don't know where you stand in comparison to the established teams out there. To place first and second the very first week sure makes all the long days and hard work worth it.

Right from the get go, all three riders were in the mix with Nick, Teddy and Brock all in the top 10 in lap times after Sunday morning's practice.

In the first moto, Nick took over the lead from Kyle Beaton a few laps in and lead the first half of the moto, eventually finishing a solid second. Meanwhile, Teddy had been stuck will back in the pack and was working his way through at a fevourish pace, making it all the way to finish third behind his teammate at the checkered flag. Unfortunately for Brock, his moto would not go as well. Early in the race he landed on a bike and got a piece of wire stuck in his rear brake causing to drag. The dragging brake overheated the motor causing a premature end to his moto.

The second moto went even better for the Leading Edge riders as Nick nailed the holeshot with Teddy a few positions back. With Nick out front, Teddy worked his way up until he was behind his teammate. After a battle with the two Leading Edge riders, Teddy got by Nick and held it to the finish line.

Teddy's 3-1 gave him a one point victory over his teammate Nick's 2-2 scores. To finish 1-2 in their first race as a team surpassed expectations and was a testament to all the hard work everyone has put in and the great group that has been assembled. Now the team looks to keep the momentum up as they head to Gopher Dunes, Ontario for the next round.

James Lissimore Photos:

Nick Evennou

Pat O'Connor and Teddy Maier

Rob Furhman and Brock Hoyer

Brock Hoyer

Nick Evennou

Teddy Maier

Brock Hoyer

Nick Evennou

Billy working on Nick's bike.

Nick leading the first moto.

Nick holeshots the second moto.

Nick and Teddy battle for the lead.

Teddy gets interviewed by french tv.

The MX2 podium.

The Champagne shower.

Practice Update from Round 1, Ste. Julie Quebec.

2008-05-24T20:15:00.000-07:00

The first practice session of the season is in the books for Team Monster Energy/Leading Edge/Thor Kawasaki and things are off to a great start. Rider's Teddy Maier, Nick Evennou and Brock Hoyer had the 2nd, 5th and 11th quickest lap times respectively and are all looking forward to showing what they can do tomorrow on the hilly Ste. Julie circuit.

Here's a couple photos from Saturday:

James Lissimore Photos

Brock and Nick's bikes

Nick and his mechanic Billy.

Teddy was on fire.

Teddy leads Brock.

All three Monster Energy/Leading Edge/Thor Kawasaki riders were flying in formation early in the practice session.