BENOIT ON PODIUM IN CHILLIWACK!

Four weeks ago, it was Factory KTM’s Jeremy Medaglia flying west to mix it up with BC arenacross regulars. This past weekend in Chilliwack, it would be Kaven Benoit going toe-to-toe with Canada’s best indoor riders at Round 5 of the KTM Canadian AX Championships!

New to the series, but not new to indoor racing, KTM’s Benoit felt comfortable right away on the tight and technical Chilliwack track. Maple Ridge Motorsports had loaned Benoit a 2013 250 SX-F and despite limited time on the new steed, he was putting in some of the fastest laps during Friday’s Pro practice. Qualifying went well for Benoit and he was looking like a real threat for a win in the Pro Am or Open Pro finals.

Well known for being one of the best starters in Canadian motocross, but on this night, Benoit lost his touch on the gate and was forced to really work for his results. 

The Pro Am final didn’t go quite well, with Benoit taking fifth after a bad start and mid-race mistake, but the French Canadian bounced back for a second-place in Open Pro. “It was an okay night,” says Benoit. “On Friday we used my supercross suspension, which is too stiff for these conditions so we softened things up on Saturday.”

On Saturday, Benoit continued looking strong on his KTM; his only goal was for good starts and an opportunity to battle for the win. Sadly, things wouldn’t go his way. “I made too many mistakes trying to pass riders after getting bad starts,” said a disappointed Benoit. “I guess sometimes everything can’t go your way. I hope that I can come race here again though. I had fun and appreciate the guys at Maple Ridge KTM for helping me out.”

To some consolation, on Saturday night Benoit won the well-paying and paint-rubbing ‘Dash for Cash,’ taking home a cool $440!

Congrats also to American Jake Anstett, who finished second in the Open Pro final on Saturday night, and also to KTM racers, Kirk Haws and Dylan Delaplace, who rode hard to top-10 scores.

The KTM Canadian Arenacross Championships now take a break until January 18-19, when the series resumes in Chilliwack, BC. Please visit http://arenacross.ca for all of the info.

Listen here to DirectMotocross.com's audio interview with Kaven Benoit, shortly after his second night of racing in Chillwack, BC.