Catching Up with...Colton Facciotti

Photos by James Lissimore

Everyone in Canadian moto knew that sooner or later, Team Blackfoot/Toyota Yamaha Racing's Colton Facciotti was going to be a major player in the sport. When he captured his first moto and then overall in 2007, we just nodded our heads and realized that his career path was going as expected.
What nobody saw happening was Colton absolutely destroying the competition last year, the kid from British Columbia made that huge leap from “He’s one of the guys that could win” to “He’s the best rider in Canada, no doubt about it.” That kind of talk always follows a rider when he wins every moto he enters except for one. So now Colton has the number one plate and DMX caught up to him to see how heavy that single digit is.

DMX: Thanks for doing this and what kind of thoughts are in your head with the CMRC nationals coming up quickly?

Colton Facciotti: I’m excited and I’m ready to go now. It seemed like a couple of months ago it couldn’t come up fast enough but these last few weeks it’s coming up real fast. Like I said, I’m ready to go and can’t wait for the new season.

Is there a different feeling for you this year now that you’re basically “the man” in Canadian moto as opposed to last year?

Yeah, it’s definitely different than last year, I think I liked being the underdog last year better! I don’t know, it’s different for sure but having the number one plate is real nice also. I put in the work this year just like I did last year so I’m all good.

Colton with his 2009 number and get-up.

What have you done different this year as opposed to last, if anything?

Not a whole lot is different from last year, we did a bit more testing this year on the bike and it’s about as good as it could possibly get. I’m pumped on that for sure, other than that I’ve been training the same. JSR has been training me and riding down there with Beets (Kyle Beaton) is good, we were pushing each other and I’ve been riding the bicycle a bunch. I think I’ll be better than last year but I also had Blair there last year as well as Jimmy Nelson so it’s kind of the same deal as last year.
Everything’s the same on the bike, a little tweak here and there and Joe’s been working hard on the suspension. The motor is basically the same, maybe a bit better. You can’t ask for any more work out of the team, everything’s good.

There isn’t any way that you could’ve thought that last year would be as good as it was right?

Yeah, I was super surprised for sure. I knew after the first round that I had a shot at winning it and after I broke my collarbone last year, I was pretty bummed. The boys on Blackfoot were telling me to keep on trucking and I did and it worked out for the best.

Yeah, I’d say it did. You were in your own league, can you do it again? I don’t want to get crazy here but could you have a perfect season?

I would like to, that’s for sure. It’s a lot easier when you’re up front and not eating roost. It takes a lot off your mind and makes it better for you, no doubt about that. I would like to do that, I don’t think it’s ever been done in Canadian motocross. It’s definitely my goal to go out there and try to win every moto, that’s pretty much all I can right?

Yes, that’s a good strategy.  Who do you think will be your main competition this year?

That’s a toss-up for sure, there will be a lot of guys that can go fast. Dusty’s (Klatt) going to be on some good equipment so he’ll go better, I’m pretty sure he’ll be fast. Paul Carpenter will be fast, he won it a couple of years ago. I don’t know really, whoever wants to step it up and give me a run for my money.

Is there somebody that you see coming up that maybe isn’t challenging you now but can be in a couple of years?

It’s hard to say, there’s a bunch of fast amateur kids coming up but hopefully I can run away with it for the next four or five years and I won’t have to worry about it too much (laughs).

Last year the kid only lost one moto that he raced in, what can he do for an encore?

What is your goal for the future in your career? Would you like to give the American scene a try one day?

Yeah, I’m not too sure really. My contract is up with Blackfoot this year so we’ll have to see what happens there. Who knows what will happen? I’d love to come down to the states and ride but it’s hard to come down and get on a decent team. With the level of riders down there, you have to have good equipment. I wouldn’t want to half-ass it and not be on a good team. I would want to go down there and be on a semi-decent team and give it 100%. It’s hard to get that when you haven’t proved yourself down there so maybe I have to ride up here and prove myself a little more first.

How old are you?

I’m twenty-one.

Ahh, you still have time but not too much. Talk about what Blair Morgan meant to you last year, he told me that at times he was your babysitter..

(Laughs) Babysitter? I don’t know about that! I think I was his babysitter because I had to tell him to lay off the chocolate on Saturday nights. That was our little ritual but he would go overboard sometimes. It was our routine.
He meant a lot to me, he was an awesome racer and I look up to him no doubt about it. I’ve been talking to him more and more and he’s going to come out to the first few rounds and I’ll be pumped to see him again. I’m sure he’ll have some motivation speeches for me, telling me to get my ass in gear. He’s a funny guy, no matter what happens he’s in a good mood and it rubs off on you.