Motocross Performance Magazine Canadian Motocross news leader
When you look back at this past year in Canadian motocross there are many great stories and many great performances. In both the amateur and pro classes, we all witnessed riders push their limit on the racetrack while battling for moto wins and championships. As we’ve done for the past five seasons, this is the time of year that Palms sits down to compose his annual Golden Elbow Awards that celebrate the memorable moments from the past year. Whether it was Dylan Wright’s title runs in the 250 AXTour and MXTour Series or Phil Nicoletti’s Triple Crown Championship, there were multiple moments that will leave people talking for years to come. For this year’s Golden Elbow Awards, let’s now look at the winners of the 10 categories.
Colton Facciotti is your top Canadian rider for 2019. Photo by James Lissimore
What can I say about Colton Facciotti that hasn’t already been said by pretty much everyone? At the end of the 2018 season I don’t think anyone would’ve found fault if the then five-time 450 Champion said that he was going to walk away from the sport. After all, Colton had just come off another successful season aboard his Honda, and in my humble opinion he was riding better then ever. But after a very hard crash in Quebec City last November, Colton was hurting and once again feeling his age. As the cold winter set in and the calendar turned to 2019, Colton decided that he wanted to compete in one last outdoor national series. As we look back, it’s obvious that he made the correct decision. Although the 2019 MXTour was extremely difficult for him, Colton came out on top and now he’s a six-time 450 Champion. With Colton announcing last month that he’s officially retiring from competitive racing, we can all look back at his incredible career. He most certainly had a great run, and during that time he’s had so many unforgettable moments. Through it all there have been so many things about that have impressed me, but the one that has impressed me the most is how Colton was able to transition so successfully from a kid, to a teenager, to an adult, and in recent years, to a husband and father. He’s been a champion from start to finish, and his departure from the starting gate will leave a big void in our series. For so many reasons, Colton Facciotti is the Golden Elbow Award winner as the Top Canadian Rider of 2019.
