South African motocross Pro Liam O’Farrell is living in Canada to contest the 2010 CMRC National MX series. He stepped up to the plate to help www.offroadmotorcycles.ca air out new Husky TC250F…just like the one Graffunder used to kick ass at EX1! Photo by Dan Paris

Mention Canadian racers who have made it big internationally and names like Ross Pederson, JSR and Blair Morgan immediately come to mind. Not to take anything away from the motocrossers…ah, screw it. Let’s stick it to ‘em! Canada’s Best Rider Ever (and that includes those famous motoheads) Cory Graffunder KILLED round one of the Maxxis Endurocross series! In Moto-one the mighty G took the holeshot and never looked back. In Moto-two Graffunder hung in for second after he made a mistake that let trials rider Colton Hacker slip by for the win. In Moto-three Graffunder absolutely SMOKED the entire pack from wire to wire, charging his Husky TC250F motocross bike to an amazing 20-second lead! To add insult to injury, the same weekend Graffunder’s ZipTY Racing/Husqvarna team-mate, off-road racer Bobby Garrison, captured the World Two-Stroke Motocross Championships at Glen Helen riding a souped up Husky WR300 enduro bike! So go rub it in those motocross race faces! You have our permission, and in fact we’ll be pissed at you if you don’t.

Another pic of O’Farrell, this time railing our test Husky through a sandy Gopher Dunes berm. Photo by Dan Paris

While those guys were killing it out West we were bombing on a new TC250F of our own, with guest star Liam O’Farrell helping out with test duties. The bike is light, way too rider-friendly and would make a wicked woods bike conversion. Then again, I guess Graffunder already proved that with his EX1 win. Anyway, stay tuned for the complete test. For the record, Liam told me he used to race Hare Scrambles back home in South Africa and just might race an OCCS round this season. He absolutely flew through the Gopher woods on the little Husky.

Guy Giroux somehow manages to avoid a pair of distractions while changing a tire at the WEC. Photo by Dan Paris

More and more companies are climbing aboard the Royal Distributing Canadian Enduro Championship, Presented by Parts Canada steamroller as it builds momentum. The latest news is MXP Magazine will be sponsoring the Enduro Special Test at each round. The amateur rider with the fastest Enduro test time over both days will receive a new set of Pirelli tires, courtesy of MXP and Pirelli. The word is still out on what it will take to get the MXP boys to actually change the tires for them.

RTR Performance is providing awards to the Volunteers that make the Western rounds of the CEC series possible. Photo by Dan Paris

RTR Performance has also stepped up to support the Enduro series. The Kamloops-based KTM, Honda and Bombardier dealer has made a name for itself by supporting a squad of very talented enduro racers, most notably National Champion Bobby Prochnau. To give something back to the hardworking volunteers that make the series possible, RTR will be providing prizes for them at the Western rounds of the (whew, this is a long series name…I get arm pump every time I type it) Royal Distributing Canadian Enduro Championship, Presented by Parts Canada.

Motoheadz, a Niagara Gas Gas dealer, will be helping test-spode Jay Michael make the transition from MX Pro to CEC Pro in 2010. Photo by Dan Paris

ISDE Veteran Jim Jervis, and his Gas Gas dealership Motoheadz ( www.motoheadz.ca ) will be helping our own crash test dummy, Jason Michael, make the switch from MX Pro to off-road racer. Jay will be riding a Gasser at the CEC and OCCS races this season, as well as at his motocross schools at Welland County MX.