Greetings and salutations! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and that Santa was good to you. Next up for us is welcoming in a New Year in less than a week’s time. I know that today, everyone is tired and most likely still full from a large turkey dinner, so I will keep this Monday Gate Drop column short. I’m a little burnt out also, as this holiday season has been an emotional one for my family and me. However, the sun still rises and sets daily, and life continues. So, with that, I present you my 2023 Golden Elbow Award winner for Rider of the Year.
Rider of the Year: Kaven Benoit
There were several finalists for this prestigious award, including Ryder McNabb, Dylan Wright, and Eve Brodeur. All three riders had tremendous seasons in 2023, repeating as champions in their respective classes. I even had Daniel Elmore on my mind as he had a solid year in the 450 class and even scored his first-ever podium finish at the Sand Del Lee National. However, my 2023 Rider of the Year pick is Kaven Benoit!
Coming into this past season, we all knew that Kaven was going to be solid in the 250 class and also an excellent backup to his new teammate McNabb. But everyone was surprised when he came out at the opening round in Edmonton, won two of the three motos, and took the overall win. I believe that Benoit was even surprised at the time, as I don’t think he thought he would have that type of success that early in the Triple Crown Series. Throughout the next few rounds, Benoit was near the front of the pack but couldn’t find his way back to the podium’s top step. Finally, in Round 4 at Gopher Dunes, Benoit won the second moto in what I consider to be his best ride of the season. Unfortunately, a hard crash in the final moto at SDL put a damper on the rest of the season, and Benoit was forced to ride injured. His 4-3 moto finish at his home race in Quebec was without a doubt the gutsiest ride of the summer, as up until a few days before the race, Benoit wasn’t sure if he was even going to race.
Despite his struggles in the final few rounds of the series, Benoit’s comeback was a huge success, in my opinion. To be able to return to the level of competition that he did at his age and after not racing in our national series since 2018 was very impressive. However, it didn’t happen by accident, as Beniot worked hard during the off-season, quietly putting in the work at the ClubMX training facility in South Carolina. It was clear early in his pre-season preparation that Benoit wasn’t just coming back to be another rider on the gate; he was coming back to try and win. Thankfully, Kaven and the KTM Canada were happy with how year one of his comeback went, and together, they’ve teamed up again for 2024. Even with his age and the stiff competition he will face in 2024. I believe that as we sit here today, Benoit is the championship favourite in the 250 class. Perhaps this prediction will change as we roll through the early part of next year, but I’m quite sure that Benoit took a lot of confidence out of his success in 2023, and I think he learned a lot. Those two things will make him even better moving forward. Congratulations to Kaven Benoit on winning the Golden Elbow Award for the 2023 Rider of the Year!
Well, that is it for me today. I will have the rest of my Golden Elbow Award winners tomorrow. I hope everyone had a great Christmas. Also, I’m still trying to sell our 2023 YZ250, so if you’re interested or know someone who is, please reach out to me. Thank you for reading, and if you have any comments or questions, please email me at editor@mxpmag.com.