As most of this beautiful country is entrenched in fridged temperatures, we can take comfort that the weatherman did point out last night on the news that on December 21st the sun will reach its furthest southerly point and will then begin its trek back up north. The days will get longer and slowly but surely it will get warmer. The bad news is that we’ll still have a good three months of winter left to enjoy or to dread, depending on how you look at it. Thankfully, we’re an optimistic group. Even as we’re scraping ice off our cars or shoveling snow, all we can think about is warm weather and throwing our legs over our dirt bikes.
This past weekend, another piece of the Canadian Pro motocross puzzle fell into place as it was announced that Colton Facciotti has signed with GDR Honda for 2014 and 2015. As of a month ago I thought there was still a chance of seeing Colton back on a KTM then a week later I heard that he might be part of the Rockstar Energy OTSFF Yamaha team. Obviously both of those deals didn’t work out and Canadian fans will get to see Colton ride red for the next two years.
This deal seems to make sense on a few different levels. First, it’s great to see Honda Canada getting really serious about racing and winning championships again. Honda is a smart company that does everything based on the bottom line, so they obviously see value in supporting the Cycle North Honda Team for Arenacross this winter, and now with Colton and GDR. Another reason this makes sense is that Colton and GDR Honda team owner Derek Schuster are very good friends, plus Colton lives real close to the Gopher Dunes track. From a PR standpoint, this I’m sure will be a win-win for the track and the riding schools they do. If having a high profile rider like Colton on the team can bring even more attention to the Gopher Dunes facility and maybe get more first time riders out, all that does is help the sport, which will benefit us all.
While I haven’t heard the details of the deal yet, I’m sure Colton will be doing some local races in Ontario prior to the opening round of the Nationals so that will definitely be a treat for all of us Ontario fans. If Colton’s deal is in fact for two years, and considering Brett Metcalfe’s deal is also for two years, this speaks well for the stability in the Canadian industry right now. Let’s hope this is just a sign of things to come. With Colton now signed, all that is left is Jeremy Medaglia and probably two or three more riders to drop before the lineup will be set for 2014.
Here Colton Facciotti and I do some instructing during the Blair Morgan Ride Day at Moto Park in 2008.
In other news south of the border, this past Friday at Glen Helen Raceway was the Memorial Ride for off-road legend Kurt Caselli who passed away last month during the Baja 1000. Over 2000 riders showed up at Glen Helen to pay tribute to Kurt and his family. It was an amazing turnout to support a true icon of our sport. After seeing the support the industry showed on Friday for Kurt, it reminded me of the Blair Morgan ride day Sean Hamblin, Ryan Gauld and I put together five years ago at Moto Park. Although the circumstances were obviously different for Blair, it was still news that shocked the industry and we all came to support a rider that we loved. That day at Moto Park we raised thousands of dollars for Blair. We had an auction, riding schools and a fun ride in the afternoon. It was a great day and it showed what we can do when we all come together.
So that is the kind of week it’s been in Canadian motocross. With the news of Colton Facciotti and the fact that the 2014 Monster Energy Supercross Series is less than a month away, the excitement almost warms you up on this cold Monday. Finally, if there are any kids who would like to improve their riding skills, I’m conducting a riding school this Thursday evening in Tillsonburg, Ontario at the Chesterman’s Indoor Track. If you’re interested, please contact me at chris@mxpmag.com. I hope everyone has a great week!