The KTM Thor Racing Team goes 1-2 in MX1

Davi Millsaps and Kaven Benoit took the spotlight in their 2017 Thor Prime gear on the podium this past weekend at the Riverglade MX Park in Moncton, New Brunswick. This marks the first time in KTM Canada racing history that KTM riders graced the two top steps of the box in the MX1 class. In the MX2 class, points leader Cole Thompson made an inspiring comeback, finishing in the Top 3 overall after a difficult first moto.

Davi Millsaps experienced another perfect race day on July 31st in the Maritimes. He dominated the MX1 class by starting in front both motos and running a smooth race to the checkered flag. In Moto 1, Millsaps did not start first but still grabbed the lead after less than a lap. Moto 2 was even easier as he made the holeshot and built a 15-second gap in-between him and second place. Millsaps felt really comfortable on the track, which he mentioned looked a lot like the U.S. circuit he is used to racing on.

“It was another day at the office and it was a great one,” said Millsaps. “I have no complaints, the track was fun to ride and my bike set-up was amazing.”

Kaven Benoit was greatly anticipating the eighth round of the CMRC pro national series as he had experienced a great deal of success at the New Brunswick track in past seasons.

Benoit started the first moto of the day with the holeshot and, despite some pressure from riders behind him, crossed the finish line in second place. In the second moto, he found himself in front of the pack and pushed hard to maintain his position, eventually finishing in third place. Benoit’s outstanding performance resulted in a second-place overall finish in the MX1 class and made him the top Canadian in the championship series.

“This was my best career finish to date and I felt very comfortable on my bike,” said Benoit. “Both motos I had amazing starts and was able to stick behind my teammate Davi Millsaps for a while. It was my best weekend of the season and this second place overall is giving me extra motivation for the next round in Quebec.”

A crowd watches as Kaven Benoit whips it over a jump on the mx track in New Brunswick.

Another best-career finish for MX1 rookie Kaven Benoit. — James Lissimore photo

MX2 points leader Cole Thompson had a rough first moto at the Riverglade MX Park but overcame a bad start and mid-race crash to finish in the top 10. In the second moto, Thompson moved into the lead after a good start and completely checked out, leaving the pack far behind him. A win in Moto 2 ensured an overall podium position for Thompson and increased his championship points lead.

“Qualifications went really good, but in Moto 1 I didn’t get a good start and found myself on the ground after a tough crash,” said Thompson. “I was able to get back on the bike and give all I had to finish the moto. I was angry for the win in Moto 2 and pushed hard from the beginning to make it happen. I am happy with my bike and proud of how well my teammates performed this weekend.”

With Millsaps holding onto a 51-point lead in the MX1 class and Cole Thompson leading by 79 points in the MX2 class championship, the KTM Thor Racing Team will now head to Deschambault, Quebec, for the second-to-last round of the CMRC series.