Nouvelles Sur Les Courses

Year in Review: Goerke wraps up career with a win

Kawasaki's Matt Georke calls it a career, but not before winning his final race - the last round of the SX Tour.

Goerke won a total of three Canadian 450 motocross titles and always kept things interesting at the front.

Goerke's 2020 KX450 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki race machine

When it comes to whoop speed, not many can blast through them better than Matt Goerke and his KX450!

After 17 years of pro racing, Goerke has now retired and the team made sure to celebrate at the final race of the year.

Goerke and his 450 teammate Tyler Medaglia were often found battling for podiums in the 2020 MX Tour.

Medaglia and Goerke share the Sand Del Lee podium.

Tyler Medaglia scored four podium moto finishes and a third overall at the final race in Ottawa.

Marshal Weltin's championship winning 2020 KX250 race machine.

Weltin earned Rider of the Year while his faithful wrench, Justin Roney, was voted as Mechanic of the Year.

Weltin showing off his championship leading Red Plates.

Congrautlations to the entire Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit Team for a championship season!

Chad Goodwin earned Manager of the Year honours.

Since 2011, Georke has been a regular contender in the Canadian MX Nationals.

His first title came in 2021 with the Monster Energy Leading Edge Kawasaki team.

Enjoy retirement, Matt. You deserve a good rest!

It was an interesting year to say the least for the Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit Team. When covid reared its ugly head it and social distancing protocols came into effect, it appeared that there would be no racing or sporting events happening this summer. Fortunately, with cautionary strategies in place, many national racing events across the world kicked off including the Canadian Rockstar Triple Crown. 

The three discipline format was shortened and the earlier arenacross events cancelled, but the gate dropped for five motocross and four arenacross races. Champions would be crowned in each along with an overall “Triple Crown Champion” in 250 and 450.

Regardless of the covid interruption, the Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit team continued grinding, testing and training right up until Round 1 at Gopher Dunes. From the first to last gate drop of the season, the Kawasaki team was in the hunt for wins and podiums at every round. 

Marshal Weltin remained in 250 title contention through every round, while his teammates Tyler Medaglia and Matt Goerke frequently swapped paint challenging for lead positions in the 450 class. 

WELTIN CAPTURES 250 SX TOUR AND TRIPLE CROWN TITLE

In only his first year on the team, Marshal Weltin quickly found his comfort zone on the KX250 finishing on the podium in four out of five outdoor races and scoring two moto wins along the way. He fell just shy of capturing the MX Tour title, but the Michigan native rode a near-perfect SX Tour, winning seven of eight races to capture his first ever major pro championship. 

That effort, results and sportsmanship shown along the way earned Weltin Rider of the Year from the Triple Crown series organizers. Fittingly, Weltin’s mechanic Justin Roney was voted Mechanic of the Year, and team manager Chad Goodwin completed the Team Green hat trick taking Manager of the Year honours. Nice work!

GOERKE RETIRES ON TOP

It’s rare that a high profile athlete retires on top of his game and on the top step of the podium. For more than 17 years, Floridian Matt Goerke raced professional motocross and his biggest highlights include three Canadian 450 MX titles and many wins which came aboard his KX450.

Kawasaki is proud to have been behind Matt during his first Canadian championship in 2012 and honoured to be the brand that carried him through his final two seasons, which includes a dramatic win at the final round of the 2020 SX Tour--Goerke’s final professional race.

To think that only six months ago Goerke was still healing up from a serious back injury and yet still returned to score wins, podiums and finish second overall in the 450 Triple Crown championship. Even when he didn’t win, Goerke always rode like a champion.

Congratulations on a remarkable racing career, Matt. See you at the races.