With the 2010 race season finally underway, it is time to formally announce the members of the 2010 Can-am X-Team. There are only a couple of changes to the lineup from last year, but they are both quite significant.

Approximately 3 weeks ago, Pro rider Michael Roycroft announced his defection from the X-Team to join up with Luke Beechey's Polaris Racing. Roycroft, along with fellow MXN Racing team rider Rob Booth and all round nice guy and mechanic Thomas Andruschak, will run under their own banner, with the backing and support of both Luke Beechey Racing and Polaris Australia. We wish the boy's all the best in their new venture.

The big shock to most, however, was the announcement last week that long time Can-am X-Team rider Paul "Smitty" Smith was hanging up his X-Team boots and going private. This choice though was mainly a financial one. As everybody is aware, the motorcycle industry world wide and more significantly, North America has copped quite a flogging in recent months, leading to many major manufacturers reducing their support of factory race teams the world over, and in some extreme cases, pulling their funding entirely. Fortunately Can-am BRP Australia have seen the strong promotional work their Aussie X-Team has been doing over the last 2 years and are continuing to support their racing program through 47industries. This being said, we were not completely shielded from the international financial crisis and some cuts to the team budget were necessary. Part of this cut unfortunately meant that we were unable to support Smitty's Australasian Safari addiction as much as we all would have liked, making it non cost effective for Smitty to continue running 2 different race bike platforms. Running a DS450XMX for the Thumb Pump 300 and the Finke Desert Race, then building a Renegade XXC for the Australasian Safari is not a cheap exercise, so Smitty is currently working on developing a new machine he hopes will be suitable for all of these events. He will still be a regular feature in the 47industries race rig and is still a 47 rider, but now he is riding under the team name "Paul Smith Racing". We don't get rid of him that easily!

Smitty leaving the fold of the X-Team has also meant that his mechanic Pete Wilhelms is going with him. Pete has been an amazing asset to the X-Team, not to mention a very close friend over the past 2 years with mechanical help at events, background development and plenty of time behind the same dashboard as myself cris-crossing Australia going to events. Pete even built this new X-team web site. Thankfully though Pete is still heavily involved with 47industries in the thumbpump.com program so he isn't really going anywhere.

The rest of the team is the same, including WA Motocross Pro rider and current Australian Pro class runner up Chad McKay, Victorian MX rider and Thumb Pump 300 enduro champion Mitch Van Vliet and mx and enduro veteran and multi Finke Desert Race winner Rick "Beery" Beer. All round rider and our Outlander off road racer Darrell "Bullet" Knight will be racing a little less frequently this year due to his other 47industries marketing commitments, and captain consistent Vet's rider Rob "Grizzly" Van Vliet will still be doing his bit to keep Red Bull in business.

Myles Dillon is still with the team making his mark mainly in his home state of Queensland this year. Lisa "MrsB" Hoyle plans to juggle running the 47industries/CRC Coaching Clinic's, the Can-am Spyder Experience and racing her DS450XMX this year, not to mention trying to keep her long time partner Bullet in check. Chris Howard will be there pushing the off road side of racing both in the west and interstate on his 450XMX, while rookie Jake Van Vliet plans to dominate the intermediate class of MX in Victoria and at the nationals, as well as trying his hand at the Thumb Pump 300 and Finke this year to try and out do his brother and team mate Mitch.

Colin "Captain Jack" Lawson will be leading the way on his Renegade XXC and will be keeping a close eye on former team mate Smitty at the Australasian Safari. Pete Middleton will continue his regular podium visits on his trusty DS450 XMX and the infamous Cooper "Super Cooper" Van Vliet will again strut his prepubescent stuff on his Quad Squad modified DS90X.

Adam "Dizzy" Siemensma from Quad Squad will again help out with his engineering skills, setting up many of the new machines for the 2010 season. As for me, I will be there supporting the team and keeping it all flowing in the background.

Even with a tough year ahead for the motor sport industry, the Can-am X-Team will be there in force, doing our best to get as close as we can to our 2009 podium count of 170.

Wish us luck.

Go X-Team

Mick@47