BROOKFIELD, N.S. – What’s old is new again for Tyler Medaglia.
For the first time in eight years, Medaglia will compete in the 250cc (MX2) class on the upcoming Canadian motocross series. The last time he raced in the 250 class was in 2011 when he won his second of back-to-back national titles before moving on to the 450 division.
“The 250 kind of fits me to a T because obviously I’m a small guy and I’m pretty light,” Medaglia told the Truro News this week from Jacksonville, Fla., where he is training for the new season.
“I’m looking forward to it. I think that I have a good chance of being competitive for a championship.”
Medaglia, who will run a KX 250, is a member of the Monster Energy/Alpinestars/Piller’s Kawasaki and Huber Motorsports racing team. Matt Georke, of Panama City, Fla., is his lone teammate and will race in the 450 class.
“There’s just going to be two of us on the team this year, so they just wanted to tighten up the program a little bit, keep it really competitive and they should be able to get us everything we need to get the job done,” said Medaglia.
Madaglia, 31, from Brookfield, has been one of the most successful and consistent Canadian pro motocross stars over the past decade. Last year he finished fourth overall in the 450 (MX1) class on the Rockstar Triple Crown Series, which included races in three disciplines – arenacross, motocross and supercross. His season included seven podium finishes, including a first during Round 6 of the MX series at Gopher Dunes in Courtland, Ont.
He said he is thrilled to be climbing aboard a 250 this season and has his sights set on becoming the only Canadian rider in history to notch more than two titles in that class.
“Everybody’s pretty stoked on it,” he said. “I’m pretty happy; it’s just getting used to that super-aggressive riding style that it takes to ride the 250.”
Medaglia has spent much of the off-season in Florida training and testing. He will return home for a short time before heading to California to prepare for the new season, which kicks off with an arenacross event on April 6 in Abbotsford, B.C.
The lone Maritime stop on the national MX series will be Riverglade, N.B., on July 27.
