Dusty Klatt and his Championship mechanic Peter Keeping.

By Allison Kennedy

Dusty Klatt came into the '06 season with a huge smile on his face … and he left the same way. The Blackfoot rider made it no secret that he was pumped to be on the 450 and that his plan was to back up his back-to-back MX2 titles with an MX1 championship in his very first year on the big bike. Klatt rode a flawless season, challenging five-time champ JSR in a way no one had been able to do during his five year rein on the class. Even after a devastating DNF in Morden, Klatt kept his head about him and forged on. The mutual respect between Roy and Klatt this season made for some great racing. It was a perfect storm we won't see again soon as Klatt has been clear about his dreams to head south. We caught up with Canada's new MX1 champ as he was digging dirt jumps with his pals back home in Campbell River, BC.

Congratulations Dusty. I saw your face when you came off the track and I can only describe it as pure joy. Tell me what you were feeling when you stopped at the finish line and then did your victory lap?
Dusty Klatt: It was a good feeling. I don't know if it was a little bit of a sigh of relief really. After Morden, losing those 25 points, it was kind of a big bummer and to overcome all of that and keep my head straight and win was good for sure. I was glad for my mechanic Pete too. We both lost in Morden, he's still kicking himself now for what happened. But it could have happened to anyone. It's a relief for both of us. He said he would have been really bummed if I had lost the championship over that. And to win it with a clean sweep on the last weekend was excellent. It was a good way to end the series for me. I am glad we were able to put on a good race in the first one.

When I was standing in the winner's circle with your dad, we were laughing about seeing you on the podium four years ago, with your cornbraids, in the MX1 class as a privateer. Did you ever think you'd be standing up there as Canada's new national champ?
I never thought all of this would have happened, that's for sure. If I had looked at it five years ago, I wouldn't have thought my career could go this far. But it's been great when you look at it. That weekend makes me laugh, my sister and I were bored travelling and she did my hair and it ended up that I made the podium and looked like an idiot up there.

Klatt and Roy gave the Walton crowd a great show both motos.

How did the series differ from what you were expecting when the gate dropped in Ste-Julie?
I mean, after the first weekend, at Ste-Julie, JSR was winning. He hates losing just as much as I do, and I just wanted to come back and try to make the best of it and come out with some wins. I just put my head down and I wanted to make it a good year and try to put on great races everywhere I went, not just win races at my hometown track. That was kind of my goal all along and I was so pumped to be on the four-stroke. This was by far the season that I've been the most pumped about for sure. I'm glad it all went my way.

While you had a series of strong rides and overall wins, tell me how you felt when you DNF'd and lost those points in Morden?
Even though I was still three points ahead, I was taking it really hard for sure. For a few days there, that day especially. It was a big bummer for me. I just tried to put it out of my head and keep my head straight and finish out the rest of the series and go for the championship and that's what my goal was. It was a bummer but things happen and it could have happened to anyone.

How did you overcome that obstacle and keep the faith that you could win the title?
I proved four weekends in a row that I could clean sweep him and I knew I could win. I just had to keep my head straight and just concentrate on what I was doing. I just tried to keep it going and it worked out well.

Sometimes you are fairly soft spoken on the podium and people under estimate how much winning this title means to you. How would you describe what this means to you?
A lot actually. I've always been a quiet kid, people always think that I am not too happy about things but, deep down, for sure, this is a great accomplishment. I was pumped. After winning the last two titles on the 125, to back that up with a 250 ride in my first year, I was glad I could do it. It was a big deal and it was the way I wanted to end it before I left here.

JSR kept you honest at Walton. Did he have anything to say to you after you won?
Definitely. Right after both motos, we stopped and talked for a 20 seconds or so. He's a good guy and a good guy to have as a teammate for sure. I was glad that we could put on races like we did this year. I think it was good in a sense that he finally had the competition he was looking for. Before, in the last few years, it seemed like he was just running away with motos, just killing everyone, so I think it was kind of cool that we could do an RC/Bubba kind of thing. Being able to push our hardest and just pull away from everyone and go our true speed. I was kind of glad that we could do that and I was glad we could put that together this year.

Klatt and Roy bench race after the first moto.

What was it like to have him as your main competition and your teammate this season?
He's definitely a cool guy. You can't say anything bad about him; he's the five-time champ. He even said himself that I would be the guy to do it; it was very cool that he would say something like that. I'm glad I could have him as a teammate and work through the years with him and learn stuff from each other. Who knows, maybe we'll end up doing something together later on.

When Blackfoot announced that the media should come back to the trailer for an announcement, we were all expecting an announcement about your U.S. deal. How close are you to reaching a deal?
In my mind right now, it's 100 percent for sure, it's going to happen. I've got an agent now. Jason [Mitchell] found me an awesome agent. He's Ernesto Fonseca's agent and his name is Tony Gardea. He worked with Factory Honda for five years, then worked with Kawasaki and he's been in the industry for 15 years. I just signed my contract to work with him for this year and he is looking right now for me. I will definitely give you a heads up and I should know within three weeks to a month exactly what team, who and where I am going to be going. It's definitely going to happen. It should be good.

The Blackfoot announcement that they may be finished racing in Canada was huge. What is your understanding of the reason for that decision and how do you feel about it?
I knew it was coming, everyone had kind of seen it coming.  I was glad to be part of racing with Honda Canada through the years and to be part of all the things that we've accomplished together. Blackfoot was on their final year with Honda and I guess Honda decided not to renew the contract, that's all I know. Dean [Thompson] said a joint press release between Blackfoot and Honda Canada is coming out soon so I guess that will have some more details. The Blackfoot team is hands down the most professional and dedicated team out there so I can't see why any other manufacturer would not jump at the opportunity to keep the Blackfoot program going, just look at the track record they have.

On the forums, they were going on about Blackfoot stealing your thunder by making that announcement right away. Did that bother you?
There is no way at all that Blackfoot could ruin anything for me. Everyone on those forums doesn't have a right to say anything. They are not under the tent. It's a real drag that people have to read some of that stuff. Bashing riders ... riders read that stuff. No rider wants to hear people talking crap about them. It's just no good.

The Blackfoot team went 1-2-3 in the MX1 series with Klatt, Roy and Morgan.

So what's next for Dusty Klatt?
I'll be riding both classes at Montreal, well I'm not totally sure yet, but we are looking into the 125 rule, since I've won it twice we're not sure if I can race that or not. But they don't have a 125 rider and Mitch is going to be riding the big bikes so we'll just wait and see what happens. As of now, I am hoping to double class it. I think it would be cool to win both. I'm just going to take it easy, get my wisdom teeth pulled, do lots of digging and get ready for my BMX jam/going away party. I'll probably take it a little easy but stay at the gym too.

And then go to Montreal, come home, and then pack your bags for the U.S?
Yep, pretty much. I will probably leave a few weeks after Montreal.

Congratulations again Dusty. Who would you like to thank for helping you out this year?
Jason Mitchell for sure, for giving me the opportunity to ride with Blackfoot and having faith in a Canadian rider that something could happen. And Joe Skidd--Joe Skidd was actually the one, so Jason tells me, that was waving my flag big time to begin with, before I even got on the Blackfoot team. Dean Thompson, my mechanic Pete for doing a good job all year long, he worked the hardest on the team, and he was there until nightfall all the time working on my bike. It was a bummer about Morden but I was glad we could overcome it and still come away with the championship. I'm glad we could do that together. Thanks to Jaimeson from Red Bull, Derek Heidt from Oakley, Jay Miron at Macneil BMX for giving me something I could never ask for, and everyone at Blackfoot for doing an awesome job. Thanks to all of the team sponsors: Honda Canada, Blackfoot Motorsports, Fox Racing, Honda Pro Oils, Honda Genuine Parts and Service, Honda RPM Finance, West Jet, FMF, Michelin, BRI Team Suspension Settings, Renthal Bars, Renthal Chain Wheels, Lightspeed Dealer Management Software, Factory Effex, PR2 Racing Engines, Haan Wheels, Hinson, UFO, Wiseco, D.I.D, Works Connection, VP Fuels, Twin Air, Braking, Prax Air, Lincoln Electric. And thanks to my Mom, Dad and all my friends and family for staying behind me 100 percent.