It took a few seasons of gaining experience before Dusty fully arrived in the spotlight. After winning the 2004 and 2005 MX2 Western Canadian MX2 Championships on a Blackfoot Honda, Dusty came out swinging in 2006 with only one goal in mind: to dethrone five-time CMRC MX1 Champion, Jean Sebastian Roy. I don’t think anyone who witnessed Dusty’s riding in 2006 will ever forget it. He was fit, he was fast and he brought a style to Canadian motocross that had never been seen before. In the end, he was too much for Roy and in the span of a few months there was a new “fastest rider in Canada”.
The following two years would see Dusty struggle a little bit with equipment, some injuries and perhaps a lack of the confidence that he seemed to have so much of in 2006. But when 2009 rolled around, his former team came to the rescue. Dusty and Blackfoot Motosports were finally reunited. What followed were fans that got to see the Dusty of old, his hard charging style was back and his results began to improve. He was back to being a championship contender, and in 2010 he was once our MX1 Canadian Champion.
Over the years Dusty has had a lot success in motocross, but he has also become a lot more fan friendly and his perceived shyness is a thing of the past. For those people that know him well, they know he is very articulate and has a keen sense of humour. When he is not racing, he lives a simple life on Vancouver Island as a Father and an avid outdoorsman. He loves to BMX, snowboard, and most recently he has created some very cool paintings while stuck at home recovering from a knee injury he suffered in the off-season. His KTM Team Manager Andy White had this to say about Dusty, ” Before we signed Dusty for 2012, I didn’t really know him very well. But, once I got to know him I was so impressed with his focus, his determination and also, off the bike he is one of the funniest kids around. He is a huge part of our team we can’t wait to get him back racing for us later this summer.”
At 28 years of age, Dusty’s best days could be ahead of him both on the bike and off. When he does return to racing later this summer fans will no doubt get to see a well rested and extremely motivated Dusty Klatt. With four Canadian Pro Championships to his credit and maybe a few more in the future, we have chose Dusty as number three in our MXP Rankings.
