- press release -

Clean Sweep for Facciotti in MX1 Season Opener - Maier Scoops MX2 Win

Team Toyota/Yamaha/Blackfoot/Fox Racing's Colton Facciotti won the opening round of the Monster Energy Motocross Nationals in Ste. Julie, QC on Sunday with a clean sweep of the premier MX1 class. Factory Suzuki/Rockstar Energy/OTSFF's Tyler Medaglia rode to an impressive 3-2 moto finish to grab 2nd overall while factory KTM's Jeff Northrop booked 4-3 motos to claim the final podium slot.

In MX2 action, Team Leading Edge Kawasaki's Teddy Maier logged the overall victory with 3-1 moto results. His team partner, Nick Evennou, carded 2nd overall on the strength of 2-2 motos while Factory Suzuki/Rockstar Energy/OTSFF's Jeremy Medaglia rounded off the podium with 3rd overall. The rookie scored consistent 4-4 motos on his way to his first pro MX2 podium finish.

Facciotti Makes Strong Statement With 1-1 Moto Results in MX1

In the first MX1 moto, an on fire Tyler Medaglia pulled the holeshot in front of Marco Dubé, Facciotti, Jay Burke, and Dusty Klatt. Medaglia kept the lead for most of the moto with Klatt taking over 2nd place from Dubé on lap two, a position Klatt would keep until the third last lap when he put a pass on Medaglia. Meanwhile, Facciotti, who had installed himself in 3rd place around the halfway mark of the moto, shot past Medaglia and Klatt on the penultimate lap, taking the lead all the way to the checkered.

Klatt's Team Monster Energy/Cernics/Kawasaki teammate, Jeff Gibson, pegged the second moto holeshot while Klatt rounded turn one at the back of the pack after going down in the start. Northrop, Facciotti, Jimmy Nelson, and Tyler Medaglia followed Gibson into turn one in that order. This time Facciotti took control of the lead on lap two, however, and he never looked back. Medaglia installed himself into 2nd position one lap later and he would hold onto that place until the checkered for 2nd overall.

Northrop, meanwhile, had a battle on his hand for 3rd place with Facciotti's Yamaha/Blackfoot/Fox Racing teammate Jimmy Nelson for most of the race. It wouldn't be until the final lap that Northrop was able to stick a pass on Nelson to secure 3rd in the moto, and a lock on 3rd overall for the day. After his disastrous start, Klatt gradually chewed his way through the field to take 14th place at the finish line. It was a costly season-opener for Klatt, but with eight rounds left on the schedule, the Vancouver Island native has plenty of time to rectify the situation.

Maier Takes Early Lead in MX2 Championship

Despite finishing 3rd behind winner Eric Nye and 2nd place Nick Evennou in moto one, Teddy Maier was able to wrap up the MX2 overall with a second moto victory. There were a number of lead changes after a first moto holeshot by Kyle Beaton, who kept the reigns for three laps; that's when Evennou took over the lead for the next three laps, only to lose it to Nye on lap seven. Once in control, Nye took the lead all the way to the checkered. Maier, who got a lukewarm start, made his way into 3rd place around the halfway mark and he stayed there until the end.

In the second moto, Maier again got a lukewarm start, rounding turn one around 7th place while Evennou, who nailed down the holeshot, held on to the lead until just past the halfway point of the race. Beaton, who started in 2nd place, had to let Maier by on the sixth lap; two laps later, Maier whipped by his teammate Evennou and kept the lead till the waving of the checkered flag. Jeremy Medaglia, who rounded the first turn in 6th place, grabbed 4th a few laps later and he would defend it till the end of the moto.

Team Yamaha/Blackfoot Fox Racing's Aron Harvey, who got a midpack start, sliced his way into 5th place by lap three; then moved into 3rd two laps later, staying there till the finish. Unfortunately for Harvey, he was scoreless in moto one and therefore played no main role in the top-five overall.