Klatt's clean sweep

From Bull's Eye Media

COURTLAND, ON -- Honda Canada Blackfoot Fox Racing's Dusty Klatt recorded his first career MX1 overall win at Round 2 of the CMRC Canadian Motocross Championships at Gopher Dunes on Sunday. In what is hailed the toughest motocross on the nationals schedule, Klatt convincingly won both motos; both times with more than 25 seconds to spare over second place.

"The track was super rough and I almost lost it a couple of times. I knew I had to play it smart and ride with caution," said Klatt. "I'm really pumped with this win and to take the lead in the championship. Now I just have to keep putting more wins together to keep that lead."

In moto one, it took the Campbell River, BC native less than a lap to dispose of front runner Marco Dube, who had pegged the holeshot on his Royal Distributing KTM. Klatt's Blackfoot Racing teammate Jean Sebastien Roy then grabbed second place from Dube by the end of lap 2.

Roy, who was actually ahead of Klatt for most of the first lap as they chased down Dube, was never able to threaten Klatt for position. He had to contend with a bent shifter from the third lap onward, which saw a six-second gap between himself and Klatt widen to 29 seconds by the checkered.

On lap 4, Blair Morgan inherited third place from Dube, who went down in a crash with Richmond Kawasaki's Darcy Lange. By the end of the moto, both riders succumbed to more bad luck. Dube DNFd with a broken clutch lever; Lange struggled to a 31st place finish.

Veteran American rider John Dowd, again substituting for Keith "KJ" Johnson on Team Suzuki OTSFF Motorsports, followed Morgan across the finish line in fourth. Machine Racing Honda's Kyle Keast, the hometown favourite, put in an inspired ride to cap the top five.

In the second moto, Honda-mounted Chad Charbonneau got the holeshot but he was quickly relieved from first place by Team Suzuki OTSFF's Gavin Gracyk. By the third lap, a surprising Keast put a pass on Gracyk for the lead. Two laps later, however, Klatt took command of the moto and never looked back.

Meanwhile, JSR, who started dead last after trouble on the starting line, clawed his way into fourth by the time the checkered flag was waved. Keast managed to hang on to second place until the last lap, when an unrelenting John Dowd relegated him to third. Dowd, a reputed sand rider, clinched second overall on the strength of 4-2 motos. JSR completed the podium thanks to his 2-4 moto results.

Richmond Racing Kawasaki's Kyle Chisholm followed up his MX2 win at the opening round in Ste-Julie last weekend with another victory at Gopher Dunes, this time with a clean sweep. Meanwhile, his archrival in the MX2 East points chase Michael Willard had a day to forget. Despite the holeshot in the first moto and a sizable lead, he was unable to hold off Chisholm, who passed him towards the end of the moto. To add insult to injury the Stoneridge KTM Canada rider was docked five positions for jumping on a yellow flag.

In the second moto, Chisholm took over the lead from holeshooter Iain Hayden by the second lap and then basically checked out. Willard, who couldn't really find his groove, taking a few soil samples in the process, had to take satisfaction with fourth. The Ohio native finished fourth overall for the day. He'll have his work cut out for him in the remaining two rounds if he is to repeat as champion.

The hard luck story of the day went to Blackfoot Racing's Mitch Cooke. The No.3 ranked MX2 East rider suffered a concussion and broken foot in a first turn pile-up. It is doubtful at this time he will be able to complete the season.

Results
MX1 Nationals
1. Dusty Klatt 1-1; 2. John Dowd 4-2; 3. Jean Sebastien Roy 2-4; 4. Kyle Keast 5-3; 5. Blair Morgan 3-7; 6. Gavin Gracyk 7-5; 7. Simon Homans 8-8; 8. Ryan Lockhart 6-15; 9. Andy Mathieu 12-11; 10. Chad Charbonneau 10-13; 11. Colt Facciotti 16-9; 12. Darcy Lange 31-6; 13. Kevin Johnson 17-10; 14. Trever Hall 14-16; 15. Chuck Mesley 11-19
MX2 East
1. Kyle Chisholm 1-1; 2. Matt Barnes 3-3; 3. Ryan Gauld 5-2; 4. Michael Willard 7-4; 5. Pierce Chamberlain 4-7; 6. Tyler Medaglia 11-5; 7. Jay Burke 8-9; 8. Iain Hayden 6-12; 9. Nick Evennou 2-29; 10. Marc-Antoine Genereux 10-15