Since the early 2000’s, Colton Facciotti has been racing the Pro class in this great country of ours. With the early years consisting of modest results in the 250 class, Colton’s real success came when he switched to the 450 class in 2007 and never looked back. Since then he’s won five 450 Championships and sits as one of Canada’s best ever riders. As we sit here on the eve of the 2019 MXTour Series, Colton has made it clear that this will be his final summer of racing on the national circuit. With the opening rounds just days away, we sat down with Colton to get his thoughts on what will be another unforgettable series.
MXP: Just as the old Whitesnake song says, “Here we go again” Colton. As we sit here on the eve of yet another season of your long and successful pro career, do things feel the same as they always have or do you feel a little different this time around?
CF: I think things feel close to what they always do the week before the opening round. I guess I’ve been doing this for so long that it just becomes such a familiar feeling to me.
After all of these years do you still get a little nervous before Round 1?
I don’t know if I get nervous, I’ve never really been a person who gets nervous. I think like any rider I just feel a mixture of butterflies and excitement. At this point you just want to get to the track and start riding. There really isn’t anything left to do except go out and race. Maybe when I was younger I’d worry about other stuff, but now I just think about getting on the track and doing my best.
This season is a little different than in recent years as the MXTour Series is only eight rounds. There’s definitely less room for error at each race. Does this change your approach to the opening few rounds?
It doesn’t change my plan or my goals. The first weekend is the same as it always is – have a good practice and qualifying session, and try to get some good starts and hopefully win both motos. Whether the series is eight rounds or ten rounds, all I can do is try my best and limit my mistakes.
Over the years Colton has had a lot of great races at Wild Rose MX Park. This weekend he will be looking for two more solid motos. Photo by James Lissimore
The weather forecast for this weekend in Calgary looks decent, it actually looks like it’s going to be pretty warm. I’m told that the track is going to be tilled deep and prepared really well. Is the Wild Rose track one that you feel comfortable on to really go for it at the opening round, or is it a wait and see approach each year?
I really like the Calgary track and most years it’s been good to me. Last year I felt great and our set-up was really good. That allowed me to get out front early in both motos and check out. I think it’s a wait and see deal as each year the track seems to be prepared differently. If this weekend is going to be hot and if the track is deep then I’m really happy with that.
You’ve always been good at getting to the front early and then breaking away from the field. We saw it last year in Calgary and again at Round 2 in Popkum. The first two rounds have concrete starting pads, do you put more thought into your starts when it’s on concrete?
I mean obviously I change up my technique a bit when it’s a concrete start but other than that it’s just another start. We don’t start on concrete very often so I think every rider is in the same boat. The opening moto of the year is always difficult on concrete because you’re excited and it’s easy to screw it up.
Going back to last summer for a minute, there was speculation that 2018 might be your last year of pro racing. I’m not sure how close you came to retiring but obviously those thoughts weren’t a distraction as you had one of your best summers ever. You had a great ending to the 450 series last year at Walton, but on the flip-side, a few months later in Quebec City your season ended on a real sour note. Did what happen in Quebec City last November just strengthen your resolve to race one more season?
No, I don’t think what happened in Quebec City had any influence on my decision to race one more year. Obviously, it was a shocking end to a good season as I never expected things to go down that way. I love a good battle and I like aggressive racing, but I’m still not sure what that was. After last season I took a few months to recover and then we made a plan to go racing one more year.
Well, I don’t think anyone would’ve blamed you for walking away at the end of last year, but with that in mind I know everyone is super excited that you’re back for one more go around. I know your results speak for themselves: five 450 championships, numerous race wins, the list is long. However, I think your resilience and your ability to keep going is perhaps the real legacy you’ll leave behind when you ride off into the sunset.
Yeah, it definitely hasn’t been an easy career, that’s for sure. There have been a lot of highs but also some very difficult lows. I’ve had some big crashes and injuries and those have been tough to come back from. I don’t know, I’ve been good at healing up and then going again. There hasn’t been a time when I didn’t think I couldn’t come back and try to win again. I’ve been lucky enough to have been on some great teams and I have had a lot of support from home to keep pushing. It’s been the only life that I’ve known for a lot of years.
With that said, do you have any idea what you might do after this year?
I’ve thought about it but I don’t have a definite plan right now. Once we get through this summer then we can worry about it. I’d like to keep doing something in motocross and with Derek Schuster and the team. We may come up with something. It may not pay as good as motocross has but we’ll figure it out.
Speaking of your current boss, Derek Schuster, he told me last year that out of all your racing attributes, he thinks your mental toughness is your biggest one. Is that something you were born with or have you had to work on it over the years?
Good question! I’ve always been someone who never really gives up, but I think that over the years with the success I’ve had, my mental toughness has just built up to what it is now. There have been days when everything has gone great and the wins have come kind of easy, but there have also been a few days where I’m sick or hurt and I just pushed through. When you do that enough times you just start to believe that you can do it all of the time.
Colton is fit and ready for his final summer of racing our Canadian Nationals. Photo by James Lissimore
Well, it’s been a pleasure watching you all of these years. Your long career definitely makes me feel old (laughs). One last question: Did it feel weird to leave the gates at GPF last month for the final time as a pro racer. You’ve been training there a long time and you have a million laps on their practice track.
Yes, it did feel a little strange knowing that it was the final time. I think I’ve been going there for 11 years or something, it’s been a long time anyway. Josh Woods and his family have done a great job with the GPF facility and they’ve always been very welcoming to me. So much has changed there over the years with the track and the buildings, it’s just been a great place to go each winter and I’d recommend it to anyone.
Who knows, with how your son Keegan is progressing on a dirt bike you may be taking him there soon enough to train.
Exactly! We might be going back in a couple of years.
Colton, as always, it’s been great chatting with you. On the day you retire there is most certainly going to be a massive void in our sport, and our current field of Canadian riders are going to have to work overtime to fill it. Good luck this summer. Win or lose I hope it’s a safe and enjoyable one. See you in Calgary.
Thanks Palms! It’s been fun and hopefully I can have a great summer and win one more title.
