Catching Up with Crayden Dillon | Brought to You by Dirt care
By Billy Rainford
It was Frid’Eh Update #45 this past Friday and that meant it was Crayden Dillon‘s turn for the Intro Interview. However, we were on our first non-moto holiday in 10 years so we missed doing the Update on Friday. Sorry for that. We did manage to get an interview with the 2-time Amsoil Snocross Pro Lites champion and 2025 FXR Premix East and West champion, so here’s our conversation.
Direct Motocross: OK, we have to get this one out of the way right off the hop. You were supposed to be #45 all 2025 but ran #50. Was that a protest to how slow I was when I first ran the digits in 1981? Were you afraid of it rubbing off on you? Why didn’t you go with #45 this season? You know it hurts me a little.
Crayden Dillon: I knew I was supposed to run 45 all year and I had no clue you raced with it in 1981! A long time ago, you’re getting old, man, wow. I just didn’t want to order gear with new numbers since I had to order new decals when I switched to KTM in the off season, budget cuts and stuff on my end. New gear wasn’t in the cards, so we stuck with 50 from the year prior.
You’re a guy who would be competitive in any 450 race you entered. Why did you race the Premix class in 2025?
I wasn’t very competitive in the 450 class in 2024 and I was on my own personal dime this year; dad cut the dirt bike funds when I turned 18.
I bought a 150 in the fall last year to have some fun on and I was having a blast on it and going pretty good on it and the top ends were only 400 dollars, so I decided to race the Premix class to save money, get some TV time and have a blast ripping 2-strokes.
Makes sense. You got the chance to race Marvin Musquin at Motocross Deschambault. How badly did you want to challenge him and what impressed you most about his riding?
Racing Marv in Quebec was a cool experience and honestly didn’t want to challenge him, I wanted to beat him. I didn’t get the job done but we gave it our best and we were only a few seconds off in the end. Not too much impressed me about his riding. He was fast and smooth and just had minimal mistakes which gave him that second a lap he had over me.
In the end, you won both titles. How did you feel about your riding and racing?
Winning the Triple Crown Premix title was cool. I know it’s only Premix but a title is a title. I was super happy with how my racing and riding progressed over the year. From round 1 in Calgary to Walton I felt like a new racer and rider and I was also stoked to be up there in all the Pro Am motos on my 350 during amateur week in Quebec and Walton.
At the final round at Walton Raceway, you raced the final 450 moto and grabbed an impressive 5th in it. If you weren’t in the Premix class would you have raced the 350 or the 450 for the season and why?
Walton was super sweet. I got the Premix title in moto 1 and D Spec had a 350 put together for me for the 450 class right after that. I qualified 6th ahead of Phil (Nicoletti) which was super cool for me.
Moto 1 was running top 6 and had a mechanical, but we regrouped and pulled a top 5 in moto 2. Not too bad for my first 35-minute motos of the year. If I didn’t race Premix all year I would have ran a 350 in the 450 class just because they are easy to ride, set up, and maintain.
We’re hearing rumours that a team or two us having a long, hard look at you for their roster in 2026. Can you talk about any of this yet? What are you hoping for in the upcoming Canadian Triple Crown Series?
I have some things in the works, and I don’t know what I can talk about right now. Something will be coming soon though. I know what I’m doing and I will be on the line in Calgary round 1.
Great to hear. But first, you’re also moving up to the Pro class from the Pro Lites in Snocross. When do you get on a new sled for the upcoming season and where do you do that training and preparing?
Moving up to Pro in Snocross this year, yes! It’s going to be a fun one. I’m going to start riding here in about a week or so either in Quebec or Minnesota, don’t know yet, but I will be riding my Ski Doo very soon.
How is the competition looking for that series with some riders doing the World Championships? Should we expect to see you battling for wins and the championship?
Yes, the comp is gonna be stacked with big names and heavy hitters, but I know I’m one of those big names that everyone else is thinking about in the Pro class and I don’t see why I won’t be winning races and be in the fight for the title.
Tim Tremblay was always worried about getting hurt racing Motocross because he didn’t want to jeopardize all the money he stood to make racing snowmobiles. Is that still a thing? Is the money still great in Amsoil Snocross? How much can you tell us?
Yes, the money is fairly good in Snocross. I’m not too worried about getting hurt on a bike, there is close to 4 months from Walton to round 1 of sSnocross so there’s a lot of time to recover from an injury and I think without moto I wouldn’t be as good on a sled as I am. I can’t say exact numbers, but it’s over 120k the past 2 years in Pro Lite.
Nice. I know you’re a very competitive guy and we have a lot of fun in Tanner Ward’s ‘Ride with Me’ fundraiser bike ride from Walton Raceway. We both blew it this last time. What the heck happened?
The Ride with Me is always the most fun I have on a cycle all year and we always go at it on that last strip. I didn’t cycle as much this year but did a bunch of running and swimming. No excuses tho, we went for it and drained the tank wayyyyy too early got waxed. We’ll learn from our mistakes and come back stronger next year.
Is cycling something you enjoy doing as a form of training for summer and winter? Being a top-level, two-sport athlete, do you have a trainer and a rigid program? How has that changed over the years as you progress is speed and age?
Yes, cycling has been a great tool for me as recovery and building. I enjoy it when the wind is low. Nothing gets me more fired up than some headwind. I started with a new trainer this year and it’s been going very well. I’ve been sticking to it pretty hard. I used to just ride and cycle and now as I’m getting older and faster I am trying to get all my boxes checked and get better on and off the track as an athlete and rider.
Speaking of that, give us your age, height and weight, if you don’t mind.
I’m 18, 6’1, 175 pounds. I will be 19 in December.
What have you been doing since the season ended? Do you work in the short off-season?
Since Walton I have been putting in the work in the gym getting ready for this Snocross season, riding dirt bikes a bunch as well trying to get all the seat time I can before hitting the snow. I help my dad out with the roofing here and there. Every time I go to work roofing it motivates me to go faster on a bike and sled. Lol
OK, I hope we see you on the 450 line this coming season. Good luck on the sleds this winter. Who would you like to thank?
I will see you at round. I don’t know if it’s gonna be on a 450 though… Thanks, Billy! Huge thanks to my mom, my dad, Jim Scott, Tanner Scott, FXR, KTM, Nico and Dave from KTM were a huge help this year, I couldn’t have made Walton possible without them, Matt Marshall and everyone else around me, thank you.
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