Gopher Dunes race report from the Royal Distributing Fox KTM Team

On and hot and humid day in Courtland, Ontario, it was as much about surviving as it was about results. Round 5 at Gopher Dunes marked the halfway point of the 2015 CMRC Pro Motocross Nationals. With both Kaven Benoit and Cole Thompson being from eastern Canada, they looked forward to the moment this series headed east.

A clean sweep for Benoit

Kaven Benoit came into Gopher Dunes in total command of the MX2 class. Riding his very potent 2015 KTM 250SX two-stroke, Benoit has done everything he’s supposed to do so far in this series. When the gate dropped on Moto 1 at Gopher Dunes, Benoit wasted no time in rocketing to the front to prove why he loves racing in the sand. Lap after lap, while his competition struggled for momentum, Benoit kept up his speed and composure and went wire to wire in both races for the win.

“The track today was obviously very difficult, and with the hot temperatures, it made for some tough racing,” said Benoit. “I just really focused on my start as I knew the only thing that would make today easier was two holeshots. My KTM pulled so strong down the (first) straight and I was able to lead both motos right from the start. From there, I just tried to ride smart and stay out of trouble. I gave today everything I had, and I’m very proud of myself and my team for our success.”

A great start for Thompson

Cole Thompson came into Gopher Dunes with the relief of knowing that he finally was at a track that he’s been to before. Having trained very hard during the two-week break, Thompson knew that Round 5 would be a perfect opportunity to showcase his smooth riding skills. In Moto 1, Thompson got off to a great start, but quickly found himself struggling on the rough Gopher Dunes track. After dropping back to fourth at one point during the race, he regrouped and battled his way to third by the end of the 35-minute moto.

In Moto 2, Thompson was set on going after the top two riders from the first moto. However, after a first-turn crash, Thompson put on an incredible charge during the opening laps and would race from dead last to fifth in just six laps. Unfortunately, due to some damages that were made on the bike following the previous crash, Thompson wasn’t able to continue the race and repeat his Moto 1 great performance.

Cole Thompson coming around a corner at Gopher Dunes track.

MX1 racer Cole Thompson had a great performance in Moto 1, but he struggled in Moto 2 and wasn’t able to finish. — James Lissimore photo

Thompson is already looking ahead to his favourite track of the series this coming weekend in Sand Del Lee.

“Even though this is the toughest race we have all year, I was really looking forward to coming to Gopher Dunes and showing how well I can ride in the sand,” said Thompson. “In Moto 1, I got off to a good start and then for some reason, I struggled in the opening laps and fell back to fourth. I kind of got mad and knew I could do better, so I refocused and managed to pass Medaglia for third and I stayed there until the end. In Moto 2, I went down off the start and had to come from behind. I got up to fifth and then the damage that had occurred on the bike started to show. Unfortunately, I couldn’t continue and had to call it a day. That’s racing though, and sometimes these things happen. We’ll be back next weekend in Sand Del Lee and I’m really looking forward to that race.”

With five rounds remaining in the 2015 CMRC Pro Motocross Nationals, the Royal Distributing Fox KTM team is very excited to head to the Ottawa area this weekend. Both Benoit and Thompson feel they have what it takes to keep putting their KTMs in the winner’s circle as the series continues to head east.