Who Will Be the 2014 Rider Of The Year?

As we move into the second half of October and what marks the beginning of the Canadian off-season, it’s time to start looking back at the summer of 2014. One of the cool things we can begin to think about is who would be the candidates for the 2014 Rider of the Year in Canada. Let’s start the brainstorming right now and go through some names of the riders who might be deserving of this honour.

All summer Colton rode smart and did what he had to do to win the 2014 MX1 Title.

Colton Facciotti:

Colt45 is an obvious first choice for Rider of the Year; in 2015 we will be able to refer to him as Colt1. After two injury plagued seasons on the national circuit, Colton came into this year looking to prove all of his doubters wrong. Riding a Honda for the GDR Troy Lee Designs Honda team, Colton came into the 2014 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals focused and motivated to put the past two years behind him. Right from the drop of the gate in Nanaimo we saw a very smart and patient Colton who was willing to do whatever it took to bring home the MX1 Championship. Each weekend he took what the track gave him and made sure that if he didn’t win then at least he would finish second. Colton Facciotti had a great season, and for all his success, he certainly is a great candidate for this award.

Kaven Benoit:

From one champion we go to another and our 2014 MX2 Champion, Kaven Benoit. Like Colton, Benoit was coming off two injury shortened seasons, which saw him underachieve on the race track. However, right from the start of the MX2 series, Benoit proved how prepared he was to finally realize his dream of winning a Canadian Championship. Throughout the summer, he withstood attacks from fellow riders like Vince Friese, Austin Politelli and Shawn Maffenbeier. Benoit would even switch bikes halfway through the season from a KTM four-stroke to a KTM two-stroke. In the end it didn’t matter as Benoit stayed resilient and took home the 2014 MX2 Championship. Due to the fact that he not only won a title but also did it on two different motorcycles, that makes Kaven Benoit a strong candidate for Rider of the Year.

Even a DNF at muddy Regina couldn’t stop Kaven Benoit from winning the 2014 MX2 Championship

Mike Alessi:

When it was announced that Mike Alessi would be racing in Canada this past summer, he immediately became one of the favourites to win the MX1 Championship. After all, he was not only coming off a pretty good 2014 Supercross series where he finished tenth overall, but he also came here with a long list of outdoor accomplishments. Alessi was legit and so is his talent. All summer we saw him get great starts and show us his world renowned sprinting speed. When Alessi got the Holeshot, it was usually game over for the rest of the field. We also saw Alessi in Calgary in what could be called the moto of the year when he got stuck in the gate and charged from dead last to first in 15 minutes. However, even his good starts and speed were not enough to overcome some bad luck that ended up costing him the 2014 MX1 title. Mike Alessi had a good first season in Canada and he was a lot of fun to watch. For these reasons, Mike Alessi must be considered for Rider of the Year.

Vince Friese:

Has there ever been a rider like Vince Friese competing at the Canadian Nationals? I don’t think so. Right from the start of the MX2 series, the ever confident Friese believed that he was the fastest and most worthy person to win the title. Even when was beaten straight up by Benoit, he publically shrugged it off as just bad luck. Throughout the summer, Friese and Benoit waged an all-out war on and off the track that was both entertaining and ridiculous all at the same time. However, beneath Friese’s antics was a fast and talented rider who at times showed unbelievable speed. Since he actually won more races in 2014 than Benoit did, he must be considered for this honour.

Riding a Devil’s Lake Yamaha Dylan Kaelin had a great summer and would end up eighth overall in the MX1 class.

Dylan Kaelin:

The final name to be added to this list could be any number of riders who rode well this past summer. Riders like Tyler Medaglia, Shawn Maffenbeier and Kyle Chisholm all had great seasons and spent time at the front of the pack, however the name Dylan Kaelin also deserves a mention. Over the last few seasons, Kaelin has definitely marched to the beat of his own drum, sometimes even rubbing people the wrong way. However, while you may question some of the decisions he’s made, you cannot question this kid’s speed or work ethic. After spending each winter working in Northern Alberta in the oil fields, Kaelin then wills himself into shape a few weeks before round one of the Nationals, spending a lot of his own money along the way. This kid is a true example of a hard working Canadian kid who just loves to go racing. In the 2014 MX1 series, Kaelin finished an incredible eighth overall despite one DNF and missing the final round in Walton due to an injury. Top ten in any series is a great achievement and for this we’re adding Dylan Kaelin’s name to the list of candidates.

Please send us your thoughts (chris@mxpmag.com) as to which rider should be our 2014 Rider of the Year.