Roy and Klatt? Where do they fit?

[robwbright]

Just watching the Canadian MX series on Speed. Seems to me the racing is more entertaining than in the AMA series - or maybe it's just the presentation and the fact that the announcers are a bit more "into it".

Anyway, I'm wondering about J.S. Roy and Dusty Klatt. Have either of them done much racing in AMA stuff? Where would they fit in an AMA MX/SX?

Top 5? 10? Make the main?

 

[JST122]

I think it is more the presentation and the excitement that the announcers portray in the racing. They spend time covering all of the battles going on all over the track rather than just focusing on the lead guy way out in front like they do with the US races, so it is more entertaining to watch. Plus those announcers are some energetic guys.

As far as Roy and Klatt go, Klatt is currently running the West Coast Lites Supercross series and I believe he is in 16th place right now, but I would have to check to verify that. In my opinion, I put them top 20 in the states, realistically, they would be doing really well if they cracked into the top 10. We'll have to see how Klatt does in Motocross because that is more his forte, but I think he will still be top 20 to top 15 at best, the lites are deep and he is only racing half the talent right now. He is a better MX guy than SX guy though so time will tell. I think Roy has done a race or two down here as well and I think he fell right around top 15, might have even cracked the top 10 but Im not positive on that.

 

[oldguy]

Considerring Klatt has been riding hurt and is really an outdoors style rider his 16th in overall points is not really what he is capable of. I'll wait for the Canuck MX expert Chili to get home tonight so he can update us further

 

[XRpredator]

I think it is more the presentation and the excitement that the announcers portray in the racing. They spend time covering all of the battles going on all over the track rather than just focusing on the lead guy way out in front like they do with the US races, so it is more entertaining to watch. Plus those announcers are some energetic guys.

That's easier to do when you have almost a year to do some editing and decide what parts of the race you want to broadcast, rather than having to throw something together for broadcast the next day.

 

[JST122]

That's easier to do when you have almost a year to do some editing and decide what parts of the race you want to broadcast, rather than having to throw something together for broadcast the next day.

No question about it.

 

[robwbright]

Thanks - Kind of got my question answered a bit ago on the Speed coverage of the lites - Klatt won the LCQ at Houston, but I missed the final standings there.

 

[trial_07]

Can those rounds be downloaded on internet?

 

[dirt bike dave]

Roy has raced in quite a few AMA nationals.

In 1998, he placed 9th overall in the outdoor 250 class.

Last year, I think Klatt cracked into the top 10 at one regional Lites main event.

 

[LazyBoy]

Klatt will do better outdoors, I would guess about top ten in the lites with a couple races finishing better. But he is a bigger guy and I think if he was on a 450 for the nationals he would really suprise some people.

 

[Chili]

Roy has run extensively in the states in the past but gave up as a struggling privateer. He came back and dominated the Canadian series including handing it to anyone the other teams brought up to dethrone him (John Dowd, Damon Huffman come to mind off hand). Roy' last race in the states that I am aware of was 2005 at Broome Tioga when he brought down a year old CR250 practice bike and finished 11-6 for 8th overall.

Roy is still a very capable racer who is pretty tough to beat on Canadian soil, that being said Klatt dominated him this season to claim the #1 plate. From watching him so far this season and last, despite the injuries I'd say SX is definitely not Klatt's strength so far. I'd venture a guess that outdoors Klatt will easily finish inside the 10 week in and week out and with several top 5's. If they would put him on a 450 outdoors you'd really see him shine as the only 2 riders I'd give an automatic pass on Klatt would be Stewart and RC, after that I'd take my chances with Dusty running with anyone else on a 450.

Now before you all think that I'm on glue consider that Kyle Chisholm who finished 7th at the final Nat last year at Glen Helen was getting lapped by Klatt up here in 2005 when Klatt won his 2nd MX2 title. Also consider that John Dowd came up here in 06 to race 3 Nats prior to Southwick including a sand track where Klatt handled him handily at each race, Dowd then went down to Southwick and finished 6th.

 

[tony91]

I remember Roy pulling a holeshot on a CR250 at the '05 High Point national. Pretty neat.

 

[JST122]

Also consider that John Dowd came up here in 06 to race 3 Nats prior to Southwick including a sand track where Klatt handled him handily at each race, Dowd then went down to Southwick and finished 6th.

Yeah, but John Dowd always does well at Southwick it is his home track and he has plenty of practice laps on it. He is 40 years old. Not taking anything away from Klatt or Roy, but In my opinion I think they would be doing really well if they consistently kept it in the top ten for the whole series. But we'll get to see how Klatt does in MX in just a few months, and then his results can do all the talking.

 

[Chili]

Yeah, but John Dowd always does well at Southwick it is his home track and he has plenty of practice laps on it. He is 40 years old. Not taking anything away from Klatt or Roy, but In my opinion I think they would be doing really well if they consistently kept it in the top ten for the whole series. But we'll get to see how Klatt does in MX in just a few months, and then his results can do all the talking.

I think you're underestimating Dowd's skills at 40. I could go back through the results from 05 when Dowd raced all the Nats and finished the season 7th overall or how in 04 when Dowd raced the entire Canadian series Roy handed it to both Dowd and Huffman, Klatt also beat those guys at several events even though he was riding both the MX1 and MX2 classes that season. You are right though we will let his results do the talking in a few months, I just wish he was talking with a 450 instead of a tiddler class bike.

 

[JST122]

I think you're underestimating Dowd's skills at 40. I could go back through the results from 05 when Dowd raced all the Nats and finished the season 7th overall or how in 04 when Dowd raced the entire Canadian series Roy handed it to both Dowd and Huffman, Klatt also beat those guys at several events even though he was riding both the MX1 and MX2 classes that season. You are right though we will let his results do the talking in a few months, I just wish he was talking with a 450 instead of a tiddler class bike.

Im not underestimating Dowd's skills at 40, it just that he is retired from full time racing now and just does select events for fun. To compare him to a kid in his 20's just isnt a fair comparison despite the fact that Dowd is skilled enough to compete heads up with the young guys. It will be interesting to see how Klatt does though, hopefully he can mix it up with the top guys, his presence only makes the class that much deeper.

 

[karterron]

Roy is still a very capable racer who is pretty tough to beat on Canadian soil, that being said Klatt dominated him this season to claim the #1 plate. From watching him so far this season and last, despite the injuries I'd say SX is definitely not Klatt's strength so far. I'd venture a guess that outdoors Klatt will easily finish inside the 10 week in and week out and with several top 5's. If they would put him on a 450 outdoors you'd really see him shine as the only 2 riders I'd give an automatic pass on Klatt would be Stewart and RC, after that I'd take my chances with Dusty running with anyone else on a 450.

Wow, that's OPTIMISTIC. :nener:

Seriously, Klatt running with anyone else except Stewart or RC???? No way, no how. Outdoors he would be lucky to get a 10th. Dowd and Chisolm are hardly good indicators of how he would do. He got spanked last year by RV at one round. No way is he faster outdoors than JS, RC, Kdub, Langston, Davey, Red Dog, DV, or Nick Wey.

I will agree he would do better in the 450 class that lites class, but for a different reason. The lites class is stacked with more talent from 4th to 15th than the motocross class is.

Who have we ever seen do so poorly in SX and all of a sudden find all this speed outdoors? You don't go from barely qualifying for lights class mains and finishing outside the top 10 in lights mains to one of the 3 fastest riders on the planet outdoors (finishing behind RC and James as you say would mean that).

He's a good rider, but not that good. I think JSR is a better rider, he did it longer. Klatt only beat him last year. JSR is still the best to ever come out of Canada.

His time to put up or shut up is coming very near. My prediction, he doesn't finish inside the top 10 overall outdoors and doesn't finish inside the top 10 at any round unless one of the fast guys runs into a problem. In other words, he won't beat a fast guy heads up, only when they have a problem. Look for a repeat outdoors of what he has shown indoors.

 

[LazyBoy]

He's a good rider, but not that good. I think JSR is a better rider, he did it longer. Klatt only beat him last year.

Klatt won 13 out of the 18 moto's last year in the Canadian Nats. No offense to JSR but Klatt in my opinion is a faster rider, can JSR still beat him? there is no doubt that JSR can run Klatts speed at different tracks , but overall I think Klatt has got him covered.

he won't beat a fast guy heads up, only when they have a problem. Look for a repeat outdoors of what he has shown indoors.

Will he beat Villopoto probally not, but don't be suprised to see him running with some of the other top guys.

 

[karterron]

Klatt won 13 out of the 18 moto's last year in the Canadian Nats. No offense to JSR but Klatt in my opinion is a faster rider, can JSR still beat him? there is no doubt that JSR can run Klatts speed at different tracks , but overall I think Klatt has got him covered.

That's the problem with young guys. They think one year defines a career. JSR in his early 20's would have put a whoopin on Klatt. One good year does not make a career, compare careers. JSR is the GOAT of Canadian Motocross.

I would have liked to see JSR and Ross Rollerball Peterson go at it.

 

[karterron]

Will he beat Villopoto probally not, but don't be suprised to see him running with some of the other top guys.

LOL, yeah he PROBABLY won't beat RV. I'll go you one better, unless they crash or have a bike problem, he won't beat RV, Alessi, Townley, Grant, Lawrence, Hepler, Hill, Dungey, Metcalfe, Mcfarland, or Short. Heads up, without problems, he is not faster than any of those guys. To finish top 10 he will have to beat two of them.

We heard this same Klatt stuff before SX. I said the same thing then and I still say it. He is good for a Canadian rider, that means nothing here. You don't go from barely making main events or finishing at the back of the field to being a contender outdoors. Never happened before and won't happen with Klatt either. You are seeing his talent for what it is, he may go from a 15th to 20th place finisher to a 10th to 15th finisher because he is better at Outdoors, but he won't leap from 15th to top 5 outdoors.

My prediction is, we see only slightly better results from him outdoors than what he did indoors.

 

[Chili]

That's the problem with young guys. They think one year defines a career. JSR in his early 20's would have put a whoopin on Klatt. One good year does not make a career, compare careers. JSR is the GOAT of Canadian Motocross.

I would have liked to see JSR and Ross Rollerball Peterson go at it.

And that's the problem with old guys the get stuck living in the in the past. Like RC, JSR is in fact the GOAT of Canadian MX and Like JBS, Klatt is now faster than the GOAT of his respective series.

This issue got beat to death last summer on another forum and Davey Coombs who knows a bit about MX had the exact same opinion about Klatt's speed that I expressed after watching him race, like I said time will tell.

As far as Villopoto beating him, he beat him in 1 moto after Klatt got a crap start and had to fight his way through the pack. Klatt claimed the overall that day as Villopoto did not finish the second moto. Do I think he'll beat Villo? No but it makes me laugh that one moto where Klatt's get's a crap start is a more accurate barometer of his potential than a season of lapping a kid who is quite capable of a top 8 finish, or easily handling John Dowd a year prior to Dowd finish 7th overall outdoors. Also as far as "barely" making mains he's qualified out of his heat every race but one where he went down, so I guess by that standard he barely qualifies like guys like Josh Hill who's been in 2 LCQ's.

 

[Chili]

LOL, yeah he PROBABLY won't beat RV. I'll go you one better, unless they crash or have a bike problem, he won't beat RV, Alessi, Townley, Grant, Lawrence, Hepler, Hill, Dungey, Metcalfe, Mcfarland, or Short.

How have Townley's SX results been? :nod:

 

[karterron]

Noit sure I would agree with Bubba being faster than RC, but he is getting there. Don't think he is there yet.

Let's continue the discussion on Klatt in May. Many looked forward to making us eat our words before Anaheim, more than one had their bubble burst when Klatt was a non factor. Let's see what happens Outdoors.

I'm on record saying he won't finish top 10 Outdoors unless one of those guys I mentioned get hurt, crash, or have a bike problem. Quote me, he won't beat one of those guys straight up.

You can make me eat crow if he does. If not, we will be expecting the same humble pie from those making these Top 5 claims.

Deal?

 

[sprocket74]

I remember watching Klatt race in Calgary and thinking holy crap this kid is fast. Is Klatt as fast as RC, JS, or KW outdoors? No way. Is Klatt way faster on a 450 than 250? For sure he is and I think he is hurting himself by riding the lites class. Klatts performance will improve outdoors and he will get a top 5 but I do not think he will podium (but I hope he does.)

 

[Chili]

Just another thought on this, 2nd place tonight in the East coast lites was Darcy Lange. Klatt flat disappears on Lange outdoors without even so much as a battle.

 

[karterron]

Just another thought on this, 2nd place tonight in the East coast lites was Darcy Lange. Klatt flat disappears on Lange outdoors without even so much as a battle.

Reminds me of all the talk about Everts. How he is faster than this guy based on beating that guy. In the end, it meant nothing.

 

[LazyBoy]

Who have we ever seen do so poorly in SX and all of a sudden find all this speed outdoors?

Mike Alessi.