WALTON, ON – The KTM Canada Red Bull THOR Race Team riders Jess Pettis and Cole Thompson wrapped up the MX Tour portion of the 2021 Triple Crown Series in Walton and despite having his rookie season championship run end, it was a show of strength for Pettis and the team. KTM supported rider Jacob Piccolo raced well under pressure and clinched the 250 Pro Class Championship. Jacob fought valiantly to pick up those tough moto wins when it mattered most this season and is coming home with his first ever Pro championship. Jacob adds his name alongside the list of riders to win the 250 Pro Class Championship aboard a KTM 250 SX-F like Jess Pettis, Kaven Benoit & Cole Thompson.
Jacob Piccolo, KTM Supported 250 Rider: “I’m super stoked to get the 250 Pro Championship this year. A lot of hard work in the off-season put into this and it feels good for it to all pay off. I had a great bike this year and the points were close all season long so it was a tough battle but it was a good season. Thank you to Al Dyck / SKY Racing who have been part of this program as well.”
Lining up in Moto 1, Pettis secured a top-three position off the start. He settled into a comfortable fifth early on and despite racing through injury, Pettis dug deep to salvage fifth and took home the second overall position in points in his rookie season in the 450 Pro class. In Moto 1, it was Thompson who jetted off the line to capture the holeshot aboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION led the first three laps of the race. He got passed early on but continued to fight all the way to the checkers, finishing a close second in the first moto.
Pettis, on a whim, decided to line up again for Moto 2 where he had a favorable second place start. He decided not to push the envelope as he settled into a fifth-place position for the rest of the race, coming away with fifth overall on the day. With that, Pettis was able to maintain second-place in the MX Tour Championship with three overall-wins in 2021.
Jess Pettis, KTM Canada Red Bull THOR Race Team 450 Rider: “This last round at Walton was a lot of unexpected for me. With my hard crash and injuries from the previous round, I was unsure if I could ride but I was able to salvage 5-5 on the day and second in the championship. It was a dig-deep kind of day and I’m sure my body will be very sore but I’m happy with the decision. Massive thanks to my team and everyone for working so hard all season long for me."
It was Thompson who jetted off the line in Moto 1 to capture the holeshot aboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION and he led the first three laps of the race. He got passed early on but continued to fight all the way to the checkers, finishing a close second in the first moto. In Moto 2, Thompson got off to a fifth place start and immediately worked his way into second by lap four. He made an early charge toward the lead battle, but he was in a race of his own to finish second in the moto and second overall for the day.
Cole Thompson, KTM Canada Red Bull THOR Race Team 450 Rider: “It was good to finish the season with a podium, especially after struggling so much the previous race. The bike was amazing and I felt really comfortable with the track, so now it’s time to start my preparation to defend my SX championship in two weeks.”
Jean-Sebastien Roy, KTM Canada Red Bull THOR Race Team Manager: “It was an amazing weekend for us at KTM! We expected Cole to do well at Walton and he was up to the challenge, he rode amazingly strong to finish the season on a positive note with a second place. It was a heck of a turnaround for Jess, the original plan was to have him sign autographs and hang out for the last round of the Canadian Amateur Nationals, but he ended up going on the line for the first moto and the rest is history. We weren’t expecting it, but it was a great ending to the season for him. KTM Supported rider Jacob Piccolo rode amazing under tremendous pressure and was able to walk away with a 250 Pro Championship. It’s a huge accomplishment for him and his team, congratulations to Jacob for getting it done! ”
WMX Class – KTM Supported racer Eve Brodeur concluded the series with a perfect season, claiming the Thor WMX Championship in a dominant fashion. She was joined atop the podium at Walton by KTM riders Sarah-Kim Villeneuve in second and Malia Garant in third for an all-orange podium sweep once again.
WALTON Amateur TransCan – KTM Supported racer & Orange Brigade rider Sebastien Racine also took the 250 Intermediate & Schoolboy 2 Championship at the Walton Amateur TransCan during the week of amateur racing leading up to the Pro National.
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Next Race: SX Tour Round 1 – August 28 – Courtland, Ontario
450 Pro Results – Walton Two
1. Dylan Wright, Honda, 1-1
2. Cole Thompson, KTM, 2-2
3. Marshal Weltin, Kawasaki, 4-3
4. Tyler Medaglia, GASGAS, 3-4
5. Jess Pettis, KTM, 5-5
OTHER KTM
6. Liam O’Farrell, KTM
10. Taylor Ciampichini, KTM
11. Anthony Spadaccini, KTM
250 Pro Results – Walton Two
1. Darian Sanayei, Kawasaki, 3-1
2. Jacob Piccolo, KTM, 2-3
3. Ryder McNabb, Honda, 4-2
OTHER KTM
9. Sebastien Racine, KTM
450 Pro Championship (MX Tour 2021)
1. Dylan Wright, 342 points
2. Jess Pettis, 303
3. Marshal Weltin, 303
4. Cole Thompson, 282
OTHER KTM
6. Liam O’Farrell, 192
9. Tim Tremblay, 157
250 Pro Championship (MX Tour 2021)
1. Jacob Piccolo, 312 points
2. Darian Sanayei, 308
3. Ryder McNabb, 307
Photos provided by James Lissimore