Catching Up With...Kaven Benoit

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Catching Up With...Kaven Benoit

Interview by Billy Rainford

Photos by James Lissimore

Kaven Benoit finished second in the 2011 MX2 class last season and almost took the win at the Montreal Supercross. After his successful summer on two wheels, he then raced for BRP in the snocross series. A bad crash ended his winter plans and he is now rehabbing his knee to get ready for this coming summer. He just signed a new deal with KTM, so we gave him a quick call to get some answers.

DMX: Hello, Kaven. Thanks for chatting with us today. We just heard that you signed with KTM for next summer.

Kaven Benoit: No problem. Ya, I just signed with KTM this morning.

What will your role be with them?

It’s a special role, I think. I will not be doing the complete national series. That’s a little bit because of my injury, of course. We weren’t sure if I was going to be ready for the first round, so I’ll be doing the Quebec provincials and the five east coast nationals. I’m going to work really closely with KTM on development and doing some schools for dealerships. I’m really excited about it, but it’s kind of sad because I really wanted to race the nationals but because of the knee injury it kind of slowed me down. I’m just going to take a year and make sure I’m not making any mistakes by going to the races and not being ready.

What kind of things will you get to test? Some of the next year’s product, like Dungey’s 450?

I might test that new 450 that’s coming out, see how it goes, and try to develop some things with it. That’s sort of sums up my role with KTM this year.

How is your knee coming along?

It’s pretty good. I started physiotherapy about three weeks ago. It’s going pretty good and it should be ready for the beginning of May. I should be able to start at the gym pretty soon. I was really lucky with that. In Quebec it usually takes close to six months to get surgery, so I was really lucky to get one fast. I won’t miss any action this summer. I’m not walking with crutches or a cane but the doctor suggested I wear a brace when I walk outside because it’s icy. When I’m inside my house I don’t have to wear the brace. It’s healing and I’m working really hard to make it come 100%.

I don’t really know your injury history. Was that one of your worst ones?

 (Laughs) Ya, pretty much. It was kind of a stupid accident too. I hurt a lot of other things in that same crash but everything is fine now. It’s only the knee that needs to heal up.

One of the nicest people off the track, Kaven has a reputation as a fierce competitor on it.

I’m sure this motivates you to come back stronger. Does it mean your goal is to come back and do the entire motocross series in 2013?

Ya, for sure! It was tough for me in the beginning because KTM had a big decision to make with the team. They couldn’t put two 250F riders for many reasons and they chose Jeremy (Medaglia) over me. I’m fine with it though—it’s business and that’s just how it is. I’ll just work hard this summer and show up at the eastern nationals to prove that I deserve the spot. It’s the only thing I can do, I guess.

Do you like the east coast tracks better, anyway?

Ya, for sure. They are always the tracks I do better at anyway. It should be good. I have a lot of time to make sure I prepare and show up ready at the nationals. I would have only had one month to get ready for the start of the nationals out west and only one month to start from zero, after doing nothing all winter, so it was scaring me a little bit.

Do you plan on also racing snowmobiles again in the winter?

Ya, next year I’m supposed to race again for BRP. I had an option year left on my contract, so if they want to give me another chance I’ll race for them again next year. That’s the plan, I think.

Is that as much fun as it looks? Is it as much fun as motocross?

 It’s different. When the motocross season ends, I’m really looking forward to snocross, and the same thing for the opposite—when motocross ends, I’m excited to ride dirt bikes again. It makes you change a little bit and not get bored. I like both. For sure, I’ve spent more time in motocross in my life so I like it a little bit more, maybe. I’m learning fast in snocross. It was going good this year and it kind of sucks that I had that accident, but it happens.

Kaven looks forward to proving he belongs under the factory tent again for 2013

Will we see you watching at the Toronto Supercross?

I think so. I’m pretty much sure I’ll go again this year.

How is Danny Brault working out over at KTM?

I saw him one time but he wasn’t there today. He was there the other day when I went there. I think it was his first day. He should be a good guy for KTM.

Do you want to thank some sponsors, if you even know them yet?

For now, I don’t know much about the sponsors, but KTM for sure. Oakley is behind me no matter where I go. There will be a bunch more but I don’t have the details yet.

Well, good luck, thanks for talking with us, and we’ll either see you at the Toronto SX or sometime closer to the summer.

Thank you. There’s a good chance I’ll see you in Toronto.