Rookies Ranked: How did WSX’s rookies perform in Canada?

At the WSX Canadian GP, seven rookie riders lined up on the FIM World Supercross Championship grid, eager to make their mark in the first round of the 2024 season.

Across the series’ WSX 450cc and SX2 250cc classes, there were thrills and spills aplenty, with countless riders redefining what it means to be a rookie at BC Place.

But who came out on top? Who impressed? And most importantly, who finished where? This is how our rookie riders performed in Vancouver…

Coty Schock

• Team: Rick Ware Racing
• Class: SX2
• Championship Standing: 5th [74 points]
• WSX Canadian GP Results: 4-3-6-3

When it was announced that Coty Schock would form one half of Rick Ware Racing’s rider lineup in SX2, it was a question of not if, but when, we would see him at the front of the grid. And spoiler: it happened immediately.

The 26-year-old has been relentless throughout 2024, which saw him finish third in AMA Supercross 250SX East, and that sense of inevitability was clear as soon as he took to the track.

Schock hit the ground running to take third in SuperPole and was immediately on the pace, claiming two podiums in his four races, including a third-place finish in class in the event SuperFinal.

Coming away with a top five overall finish on debut is a strong start for a rookie, and at this stage, Shock is showing all the signs of being a dark horse for the title, but for that to happen, he needs to do two things.

Firstly, Shock needs to maintain his consistency. And secondly, he needs to minimise his mistakes.

Looking back at Vancouver, the native of Dover, Delaware, rarely put a foot wrong but his spectacular off-track moment in GP Race 3 – which saw him come off the bike while running second – was costly. Mistakes like that will add up over time.

Ryder Kingsford

• Team: CDR Yamaha supported by Star Racing
• Class: SX2
• Championship Standing: 7th [52 points]
• WSX Canadian GP Results: 2-14-14-5

There’s something special about Ryder Kingsford, and Craig Dack could tell. That’s why he was signed to CDR Yamaha supported by Star Racing in the offseason, and it’s also the reason why he was one of our top performing rookies in SX2.

Kingsford’s pace was mighty in Vancouver, and it was a highly promising evening which put the 19-year-old on the map, most notably with a second-place finish in GP Race 1.

After being the only rider who could take the fight to Max Anstie in the first moto, accidents in GP Races 2 and 3 cost Kingsford dearly and negatively impacted his overall on the night, which could and should have been so much higher.

In the SuperFinal, Kingsford brought his night back together with fifth, meaning that it’s more than evident that he has the speed to race against the best in the world.  With CDR Yamaha by Star Racing’s input and guidance, this rookie could be the ultimate threat, and in Vancouver, a rising talent was revealed.

Boris Maillard

• Team: Team GSM
• Class: WSX
• Championship Standing 11th [31 points]
• WSX Canadian GP Results: 11-9-12

Boris Maillard is the only full-time rookie competing in the WSX 450cc class this season, which means that he’s in a category of his own on this list. But he did a solid job against tough competition in Vancouver.

Maillard’s late call up for the season to replace an injured Lucas Imbert at Team GSM was unexpected, and it presented him with the opportunity of a lifetime to race against some of the best in the world, including Ken Roczen and Eli Tomac.

Despite having little time to prepare, Maillard left Vancouver with 11th overall, finishing ahead of other riders like Dean Wilson, while also mixing it with Ryan Breece and Matt Moss on the night.

The gap between Vancouver and the WSX Australian GP at HBF Park in Perth will undoubtedly benefit Maillard, giving him valuable time to practice and build on his form ahead of 23-24 November.

Brice Maylin

• Team: Bud Racing
• Class: SX2
• Championship Standing: 12th [32 points]
• WSX Canadian GP Results: 10-13-8

Brice Maylin’s arrival in WSX was undoubtedly the biggest step of his career to date, and in Vancouver, he showed the world that he’s capable of mixing it with some of SX2’s top riders.

From the start of the night, the Frenchman had the speed to fight inside the top 10 on merit, and on a regular basis, and left Vancouver after going 10-13-8 across the GP Race stages of the evening.

This run of results gave Maylin an overall finish of 12th, and without the challenging second moto he experienced, that could have been higher, with PMG rider, Derek Kelley, just one point ahead in the final event standings.

As far as the SX2 Riders’ Championship picture goes, it’s very much early days for Maylin, but if he can replicate his Vancouver form in Perth, and tighten up on consistency, there’s no reason as to why he can’t be a top 10 rider in WSX.

Calvin Fonvieille

• Team: Bud Racing
• Class: SX2
• Championship Standing: 13th [30 points]
• WSX Canadian GP Results: 14-8-11

With six national championship titles, Calvin Fonvielle is at the forefront of a new generation of supercross talent coming out of France but experienced a complicated debut weekend at the WSX Canadian GP.

A crash when racing in the SX Tour at Brienon in late September put the 24-year-old on the back foot, and with a hand and back injury, Fonvieille rightly decided to rest up and prioritise his own recovery.

But that meant that he didn’t ride, or race, for three weeks, and by his own admission, that restricted his performance in Vancouver.

A strong showing in GP Race 2, in which Fonvieille came away with eighth, was a key highlight while poor starts in GP Races 1 and 3 ultimately restricted his progress.

Now back at full health, Fonvieille will be at maximum attack in Perth where the world will see just what he’s capable of as part of the SX2 grid.

Noah Viney

• Team: MotoConcepts Racing
• Class: SX2
• Championship Standing: 14th [23 points]
• WSX Canadian GP Results: 16-12-12

Noah Viney is a tough rider and earned the opportunity to race in WSX by impressing Mike Genova and Tony Alessi after joining MotoConcepts Racing earlier in 2024.

In Vancouver, he was blisteringly fast, had some of the best race starts in the SX2 class, and was even running inside the podium positions after a quick getaway in GP Race 2.

Coming into the season, Viney acknowledged that his key goal was to improve his supercross racecraft, and after going 16-12-12 in the opener, that will remain a key goal for the Californian ahead of Perth.

Viney has the speed and could be a frontrunner in no time if he can maintain position after rocketing to the front with his cat-like reflexes at the gate drop.

Julien Lebeau

• Team: Team GSM
• Class: SX2
• Championship Standing: 16th [20 points]
• WSX Canadian GP Results: 15-15-13

Three-time German Supercross SX2 champion, Julien Lebeau, has the speed and he has the talent, but the WSX Canadian GP just didn’t go his way and his struggles at BC Place were reflected by Team GSM’s overall performance.

Facing logistical challenges on the way to Canada, Team GSM lost more than one and a half days of preparation time, and that inevitably had a knock-on impact on the outfit’s speed across the weekend.

While Greg Aranda and Boris Maillard offset the difficulties in the WSX class, the reality of the situation was especially apparent in SX2 with not just Lebeau, but his regular front-running team-mate, Maxime Desprey, also off the pace.

Going 15-15-13 is not how Lebeau, a fierce competitor, wanted to start his season but with adequate preparation for Perth, expect to see him and Team GSM back up to speed.