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Richard
Pelchat on his DS450 ATV
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Saint-Romuald, Québec (6/18/2009)
- First on my to-do list is to thanks all my great
sponsors:
Can-am/BRP, Groupe Vertdure, RP Evolution,
Elka suspension, ITP, Motovan/Xtreme, K&N,
DID chain, Hipertech lube, CV-tech AAB, Hindle,
SCOTT, Rage ATV, TY moteur,
Sorry for not keeping more up-to-date with
my season since its beginning back in Febuary
training hard in Texas. We were working really
hard at going faster and making it to each race.
The truck got a lot of miles so far this year!!!
So here a quick update on each round that will
took you all the way to my great finish in Unadilla.
Glen Helen, California, March 7-8:
I was ready to make a statement coming
into the year, I had train hard and I was super
ready. Plus driving 4000+miles across North
America is something to fuel your will to win!!!
Well thing did not go as plan. In the first
Moto, my front master cylinder blew and I was
struggling with no front brake on the massive
downhills. Second moto, I was pushing hard through
the pack but right after the mid race….a
rock bend the oil filter open and eventually
I blew the engine. 18th Overall! It was hard
to swallow.
AMA, Pell city, Alabama, March 21-22:
I like this track a lot but I had some
bad luck in the previous year. Well this year
it was not that bad. The 2 months on the road
was starting to take its toll on everything.
I rode really well in both moto, but I felt
we were quite off with the quad setup. I finished
12th overall.
AMA, Balance MotoX, Kentucky, April
4-5
We came in this race with a new DS
450, a new chassis setup but with no riding
time as I was back to the snow in Canada. Unfortunately,
while the new chassis setup was great the shock
setup was off. I could not go around the race
track at the pace I wanted. I finished 17th
overall. This was enough for me, I am a winner
and I was not happy. I decided to do whatever
it took to be back to where I need to be.
AMA, Birch Creek, Virginia, April 18-19
This is the kind of race where the
results don’t show the real race. We had
figure out my shocks. I felt quite good on the
track and I pushed the entire race. This race
showed me that I was heading into the right
direction. I finished 13th overall. But I felt
really good and most importantly, I had fun!
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Richard
Pelchat
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NEATV, Walden, New york, April 26
I loaded the practice DS 450 as I decided
at the last minute to go do this NEATV race
to test some new things on the bike. It was
a fun day. I started the day by winning the
first moto in the Open pro and the Open pro-am,
but I had a starter problem in the second Open
pro that saw me DNF and in the Open pro-am I
got tangled in the early part of the race so
I had to slice through the pack but I came in
second behing Joe Haavisto. I really wanted
to go for 4 win but I was still really happy
with the way I rode.
AMA, Sunset ridge, Illinois, May 2-3
I could now ride and test at my track
in Canada (No more snow!!!), so I had good training
before that race and the quad setup was really
close to my liking and my riding style. It showed
at the race. I was really fast in practice being
in the top 5 fastest and I qualified well too.
First moto, I had a great start and battled
with France rider Jeremy Warnia to finished
9th. I was pumped and ready for the second moto,
I wanted to be in the top 10 badly! Well, I
was involved in a scary first turn crash the
got me battered and winded. Luckily, no broken
bone but a brushed calf and hurting ribs! With
the DNF in the second moto, I finished 15th
overall!
12 hours of La tuque, Quebec, May 15-16-17
The Can-am engineering department asked
fellow Can-am rider, Phil Bellerose, Michael
Ouellette and me to race this endurance race.
I was pumped to race this fun race. But prior
to the race, I was unable to ride at all as
the pain from the Illinois crash was too much.
Even on Thursday before the race I could do
one lap on my practice track. Well somehow,
I taped my ribs and was able to race one of
the roughest racetracks there is. We had an
electrical problem in the night session but
all three riders rode like mad man to try to
win the race. We finished 3rd overall and got
enough blister in our hand for a while!!!
AMA, Steel City, Pennsylvania, May
23-24
I got reminded that the human body
can only do so much…I had no energy for
this race as the recovery of my Illinois crash,
the La tuque endurance race and the non-stop
travelling took all of it…Looking back,
It show me that I should have make a choice.
I tried to do too many things…but I had
committed to it. I finished 17th overall and
I was reminded that you also need rest!
Canada Cup round 1, Ontario, May 31
Canada cup is the new format of the
now dead Canadian National… CMRC ATV figured
out a 3 races schedule that would do the Canada
Cup. All classes are included. I battle hard
with Greg Gee for the top spot in the Pro class.
Despite trying left and right in the second
moto I could not make a pass. I finished second
overall.
Courses VTT, round 1, Quebec, June
6
This was the first round of the Quebec
provincial at the MX track in La tuque. It was
great to say all my fellow racers and friends
from back home. I went 1-1 for the day battling
Jasmin Plante for the win.
AMA, Unadilla, New York, June 13-14
This is my closest race of the AMA
championship. With all the races I had done
in the last few week and all the training and
testing, I was ready to go. I was great that
quite a few fans from Canada came down to see
this race. Flying jerseys and cheers are always
a good motivation! Thanks guys! I had two great
moto despite so-so start. I finished 6th in
the first moto and 8th in the second moto. That
got me an impressive 7th overall. If you keep
believing anything can happen…and that
what I did! Well now I am hungry for more!
As you can see, I have probably made more race
so far than anyone. I try my best at representing
my great sponsors at every event. It is not
an easy sport especially at the highest level.
I will try my best to keep you much more up-to-date
for the other half of my season.
Best regards,
Richard Pelchat
www.rpevolution.com
