The KTM Thor Racing Team continued to impress at Round 6 of CMRC pro

On a track qualified as the roughest of the circuit (Motocross Ulverton, Quebec), The KTM Thor Racing Team riders still found their way to the podium. While local hero Kaven Benoit collected his first career MX1 podium, MX2 points leader Cole Thompson crossed the finish line in first.

Round 6 of the 2016 CMRC Series on July 17 will remain an important one in Benoit’s career highlights. His day started on a good note when he qualified Top 5 and got a Top 3 start in the first moto. He would eventually finish a strong fourth and head back to the gate with a desire for more. He raced the second moto under a thunder of loud Quebec fans cheering him on and fought hard to finish in the highly competitive Top 3. His great performance gave him a third position overall on the day and Benoit got to experience his first-ever MX1 podium in front of his home crowd and family.

“This weekend I accomplished one of my 2016 goals, which was to get an overall podium in the MX1 class. To make it happen at home just makes it even better,” said Benoit.

It was a weekend filled with ups and downs for MX1 rider Davi Millsaps. Riding once again on a new track, Millsaps showed no hesitation in the qualifications and set the fastest lap time. When the first gate dropped, Millsaps really impressed on his KTM 450 SX-F and took the lead from lap one to 14. Unfortunately, three laps before the end, Millsaps got caught up with a slower rider and fell down, making him lose one position. Moto 2 did not go as planned either as he went down in the first lap and struggled with terrible hand blisters for the rest of the moto. Millsaps finished his day with a fourth position overall and a 25-point lead in the championship.

“It was a tough weekend for me,” he said. “My hands fell apart in the second moto and I couldn’t hang on anymore but I made it through. I am now on to the next race to get back up to the front.”

Davi Millsaps races around a corner at Motocross Ulverton.

Davi Millsaps qualified first on a track he had never ridden before. — James Lissimore photo

Round 6 was pretty close to a perfect weekend for Thompson. After qualifying first in the morning, he was ready to show his skills on a rough and bumpy track. He didn’t get the best start in the first moto but still worked his way through Top 3 early in the moto. He made the pass for first at the half-way and rode smoothly for the remaining of the race. When Moto 2 started, Thompson was a little farther behind. He was really patient and grabbed each position one by one until he grabbed first place one lap before the end and crossed the finish line victorious. A race decision from the CMRC Series pulled him back to third overall, which still leaves him with a 64-point advantage in the MX2 championship.

“I feel like my mental (state) and fitness are on point right now and this is what allows me to push until the last corner and get the results I’m getting,” said Thompson. “I’m going to keep training hard and be back on top next weekend.”

While still holding on to both red plates, the KTM Thor Racing Team will head to the Maritimes for the next two rounds.