MXP Chatter: Kaven Benoit

Red Bull Royal Distributing Fox KTM rider Kaven Benoit was the favourite to win the MX2 title heading into the 2013 Monster Energy MX Nationals. After three rounds of bad luck and a few mistakes on the track that had him playing second fiddle to Austin Politelli, Benoit finally had it all come together to win the MX2 class at Castrol Raceway this past weekend. We caught up with Kaven moments after his first overall win of the season.

Q: Great ride today Kaven, you finally were on the good side of luck today. How are you feeling?

A: Yes, finally I got an overall win and was able to make some points back up on Austin. I am happy, and although I am looking forward to the break, I can’t wait to get back at it in Gopher Dunes.

Q: Take us through that second moto today – you pulled away early, then did you just put it on cruise control?

A: The first half I was really going for it and charging very hard. Then we got into lappers in the second half and I just backed it down and tried not to make any big mistakes. It was easy on this track to make a mistake on the loose ground, so I just tried to stay smooth.

Q: You had some bad luck last weekend in Calgary and lost a lot of points to Austin, but today he was the one who suffered. Out of the first four tracks we’ve seen, this is the last one we thought you’d win on?

A: The first thing I tried to do today was get good starts and I was able to do that. In the first three rounds I made a few costly mistakes here and there, and then with the DNF last weekend, I’ve put myself in a pretty big hole. Today I just wanted to ride smart and not make any mistakes. I think I did that and in the end I ended up winning.

Q: The track today didn’t look that physically demanding but how tough was it mentally when you knew that you couldn’t make mistakes?

A: It was very hard to stay focused out there. The track was very fast and smooth so a lot of guys were going fast. You just had to concentrate and make sure you braked in the right spots and kept your momentum up.

Q: So you finally have a big win under your belt and some momentum heading into the break. Are you going to take some time off or just keep going with your training?

A: I definitely have to take a few days off this week. I have a big problem with my hip flexor muscle so I’ll have to deal with that. It’s been really hurting for a month and it just keeps getting worse because I wasn’t able to take a break. So, I will take a few days and hopefully heal up and then hit the sand tracks to get ready for Gopher Dunes and Sand Del Lee.

Q: So far in the series you’ve had trouble matching Politelli’s speed for the entire moto. Is that because of the injury or is he just riding that good?

A: I don’t want to make any excuses with my injury. I’m sure at this level every rider is dealing with something. He is riding good that’s for sure. I think I’ve struggled with the early part of each moto. That first ten minute sprint used to be my strong point but for some reason I haven’t been able to match Austin’s speed early in the motos. This is something that I am going to work on for the east for sure.

Q: How good do you feel heading back east now to finish off the series? It’s just now getting to be hot back there.

A: I actually can’t wait to race in the heat. I trained in it all winter so I’m ready to go. I think it’s definitely an advantage living in those conditions on a daily basis, your body gets used to it. We’ve given up a lot of points so hopefully we can get some more wins and get back in this championship.

Q: I think we’re going to see some good battles in the east between you and Austin. Well Kaven, congratulations on today, enjoy the break and we’ll see you at Gopher Dunes.

A: Yes, thanks Chris. The time off should be good for everyone and we’ll get back at it in a few weeks.