5 Questions with 2025 West Coast Arenacross Champion, Julien Benek

By Billy Rainford

When we spoke with Julien Benek from Mission, BC last month, he was just getting back on the bike after a long time away from the sport due to injury. Well, he got back on his Kawasaki and just went undefeated in the 2025 West Coast Arenacross championship at Chilliwack Heritage Park in Chilliwack, BC.

We asked him 5 questions after his win and here’s what he had to say:

Julien, you went from being off the bike due to pretty serious concussion symptoms to going undefeated in the 2025 West Coast Arenacross series. This has to be at the top of the list for you as far as accomplishments go, no? Can you take us through this whole process of getting there and then winning it all?

It was definitely quite the comeback for me, but I’ve done crazier. Having that much consistency was the part that impressed me the most. I really enjoyed being out and racing my dirt bike again. Prior to racing I was able to put about 10-15 hours on the bike and was making sure every time I rode I was practicing something. Because I work I have limited time to ride so I make the most out of my riding sessions.

Did you race the Dash for Cash races too? Those have been crazy in The Barn since…forever. How did yours go?

Yes, I raced the Dash for Cash races and did not have too much luck in those. Haha. I had a big crash on the first weekend and second weekend I made too many mistakes and wasn’t able to win, but I still had a sick time.

Did you have any scary moments during the series?

I had one moment where I thought I was going over the bars super hard. I hit my rear brake going up the face of a triple in and nose cased it super hard. Luckily, I was able to hang on to it and rode out of it nearly perfect, considering the situation I was in.

How close to 100% are you right now and does this mean you’ll be chasing the Canadian Triple Crown Series MX Nationals in 2026?

I would say that I am close to 100%, but still would like to take more time off and take things slow for now. I obviously didn’t lose any speed and I want to come back on my own terms.

When we spoke last month, you said you weren’t sure whether or not you’d chase AMA Supercross this coming season. Does this win change anything?

Yes and no. I would like to race Supercross, but I am not prepared enough to start training in time for racing, so I think it’s best I sit this one out and cheer on the boys.