By Allison Kennedy
Photos by James Lissimore

After a challenging run in the Western Lites SX series with his Star Racing/Lucas Oil Yamaha team, Dusty Klatt is back on more familiar ground: outdoors. Klatt raced the Western Four-Stroke National in Phoenix, Arizona this weekend where he went 1-3-1-1 to take the overall in both the 250F and 450 classes. We caught up with the reigning Canadian champ as he prepared for a trip to Disneyland (seriously) to see how his weekend at the four-stroke nats went.

RXC: Congrats on the win at the Four-Stroke Nationals this weekend.
Dusty Klatt: Thanks. It was good. It was definitely better than the last time I was there, two years ago, when I knocked myself silly. I was out for like ten or fifteen minutes, I didn't remember anything for a while; it was a good head whack. So this was much better, obviously.

How did Saturday go in the 250F class?
The 250F's were not too bad. I didn't get the holeshot in either moto, I was third place off the start in the first moto and then Kyle Partridge and Drew Gosselaar were in front of me and they were going at it, battling, and Drew was just freaking all over the place and making some pretty gnarly passes on Kyle Partridge. They both kind of hit the wall and I just kind of waited a bit and was able to catch up and pass them and I won by 20 seconds in that moto. Second moto, I didn't get a good start and I got stuck behind that Danny Sani kid for way too long, for like five laps. It's such a hard-packed track and super slippery so if you went outside the main line it was just no faster and it didn't save time so I was having a real tough time trying to get around him and when I did, the leaders were pretty much gone. I closed in on them but they were too far ahead to catch in time so that was that. I got third but I took first overall so that was a bonus.

And Sunday on the 450?
In the 450's, they gave us gate picks based on the order you signed up and for some reason we were damn near at the end, so I had the super-far outside gate pick pretty much. I was actually able to get a second place start from out there, which was pretty good. I was able to work into first place really quickly. Sani was out front and I passed him two corners later. He stuck with me for about half the race and then I pulled a twenty-second lead from there. Then next moto, I got the holeshot in that one and went from there, twenty seconds ahead again.

You must be feeling like your fitness is good then?
Yeah, my fitness is good, that was one thing that was showing. Everyone pretty much just hit the wall and it was super hot all weekend. It was dead dry heat too; I was gagging from all the dust in my throat. It must have been over 35 degrees. It was that warm both days. It went good though.

What was the competition like?
It was good; it was better than just going there and not having any competition. It's good to keep you on your edge and make sure you are actually pushing and still in race mode. That's it for four-stroke nationals for a while though. There is one at Glen Helen April 21/22, that's the weekend before Seattle. And then after Seattle, there's the Prequel. I heard that at the next four-stroke national, there's going to be a ton of guys, a lot of fast riders go to that one, Josh Grant and stuff. So there's that and then I'll just keep getting ready for the outdoors.

It must have felt good to stand on the top step of the podium again?
Yeah, it was good. It was good to get some wins in and to put some money in my pocket anyway; there hasn't really been a whole lot of that stuff [laughs]. It was good though, I was just glad I made it out of there alive. It's never nice going to a track you know you wadded hard at before.

What made you decide to buy a 450?
I just wanted to have it to play around and a bike to just ride anywhere. If I want to go home or I want to go to Glammis, they aren't going to want me to take my practice bike out there, with the race engine, I'd just blow it up. I just bought the 450. I was cringing when I swiped my credit card but I was happy once I had it in my hands.

Have you been riding both during the week?
I just ride the 450 here and there because I'm focusing on what I'm going to be riding this summer. I'm not really too, too much faster on that 450. It's just a stock one with a pipe and bars. I feel pretty good on the small bike so it should go all right. I just have to make sure I get good starts and it should all be good.

Have you been watching Darcy on the east coast?
I missed the whole deal this weekend, with the live TV. We've got it on Tivo though so I'll just have to rewind it and play it tonight. It's been pretty cool for sure to see a Canadian up there and doing well, I can't say that I'm not pumped for him. I was pretty excited about St. Louis, seeing him doing so well, then he threw it away on the last lap there, but that's racing I guess. He's been down here a lot longer than I have, that's for sure, and he's a good indoor rider. It's good to see a guy on a good bike and a good team. It's also good for Canada, it might open some more doors, maybe, maybe not, but it's good to see that the results are getting higher for us for sure.

Is seeing Darcy run up front like that motivating for you? Does it make it seem more within reach?
I'm always motivated either way. I want to do the best I can, but it definitely shows that it can happen. It's anyone's for the taking you just have to put your time and effort in and wait for it to come around. He's been down here for ... I don't know how long he's been in the arenacross series ... four or five years anyway. Just being in that atmosphere and being around some of the top riders practicing and stuff, it definitely all helps. It's good to see for sure, it's nothing to be bitter about, that's for sure. I just have to put my time and effort in and the time will come. It might not be this year; it's no different than in Canada, it doesn't happen overnight. It just takes time.

Congrats Dusty and take care.
Thanks.