4 out of 4 for the KTM Thor Racing Team

On July 24, the 2016 CMRC pro national motocross series headed to Pleasant Valley Raceway in Truro, Nova Scotia, for Round 7 of the series. The KTM Thor Racing Team acclimated quickly and left Nova Scotia with four more victories. Davi Millsaps and Cole Thompson both experienced a perfect day in their respective class while MX1 rookie Kaven Benoit finished the day with one more Top 5 under his belt.

MX2 rider Cole Thompson pursued his 2016 podium strike and finished first overall after two impressive motos. Thompson started his day by qualifying third on what he called “a really slippery track.” In Moto 1, Thompson got a Top 3 start and quickly made his way up to the front of the pack. After setting the fastest lap time of the race at halfway, he continued his consistent journey to his 10th first place moto finish of the year. Moto 2 was a little different as Thompson did not get a great jump off the gate and found himself in seventh place after the first lap. He grabbed one position at a time until he reached the front and rode a flawless second half to the checkered flag.

“The key to this weekend was to be smooth and take your time to make some passes,” said Thompson. “Once I got that figured it out, riding in front became way easier.”

Cole Thompson holds up his trophy after winning at Pleasant Valley Raceway.

Cole Thompson enjoys his fifth win overall of the season. — James Lissimore photo

Millsaps was back on top of the podium this weekend. For once this season, Millsaps was not the only one discovering the new track. He still took his time to learn every inch of the circuit and qualified a good second. Both races were pretty similar for Millsaps as he got the lead early on and never looked behind. He rode two impeccable races and at some point made it up to a 24-second lead over the second place. He also set the fastest lap time of the day in both the first and second motos, showing that he had no problem with either the warm weather or the silky track conditions.

“It was a good weekend for me as I got back on the top,” said Millsaps. “The track was tough, definitely the slickest track I’ve ever ridden. On another note, it was pretty fun and my bike was awesome. I’m looking forward to the last three rounds.”

Benoit was really consistent this weekend as he finished 5-5 for fifth overall. Moto 1 did not start as Benoit would have wished as he got caught up in a pile-up in the first corner and had to start from the 30th place. He reached the Top 5 by the halfway mark and kept battling until the last lap to keep his position. The second start was better and Benoit grabbed the fourth place in the first couple of laps. Unfortunately, a little setback made him lose one spot three laps before the end, still leaving him with Top 5 overall on the day.

“It wasn’t my best weekend,” said Benoit. “For some reasons I wasn’t able to get confidence or find a fast rhythm to stay with the leaders. Some bad starts in both motos didn’t help either. Really looking forward to Moncton where I’ve been performing well the last three seasons.”

After increasing both championship leads, The KTM Thor Racing Team will stay one more week in the Maritimes to attend next week’s round in New Brunswick.