Benoit Paturel who has plenty of experience in the Motocross world, has taken a bold step towards a new chapter as he is currently in America. After facing challenges in Europe, being without a ride before the 2025 season, Paturel is now focused on preparing for the AMA Motocross Championship, starting in May.
With the support of long-time friend Marvin Musquin and several sponsors, Paturel has set himself up for success with an intense training regimen, riding new tracks, and acclimating to the US environment. His goal is to secure a ride for the AMA outdoor series but he is prepared to start the season as a privateer if something doesn’t come up between now and then.
Kevin Frelaud from DailyMotocross.fr got hold of Paturel and was kind enough to send us the interview where he reveals all about his plans.
Benoit, You’ve surprised a lot of people by announcing that you arrived in the USA at the beginning of February. What’s the plan?!
Paturel: The plan is really simple. Starting in January, I set up a plan because things were complicated in Europe. My long-time dream was to race the US outdoor series. So, I gathered a few private sponsors, contacted some people I know in the US, packed my bag, and left. The goal is to have at least a 3-month preparation block, hoping to find a ride for the AMA Motocross Championship that starts at the end of May.
Logistically, Marvin Musquin is a longtime friend, and he’s giving me a huge helping hand at the tracks. So, a big thank you to him. I also have other people on-site helping, especially with mechanics, bikes, equipment, etc.
In fact, I have everything I need to train in good conditions and log some serious hours to prepare properly in time, knowing that I have almost 4 months before the first round of the outdoor series. Staying in Europe to do Grand Prix races was complicated, too late, and too expensive.
This plan had been in the back of my mind for a while, but it had to be put together. It’s done now, and I hope it works well.
The goal is to find a ride for the outdoor series, but are you possibly thinking of doing it as a privateer?
Paturel: Option A is to find something – a ride – before the outdoor season starts, which would be ideal. Option B is to do the first one or two rounds as a privateer if I don’t have anything by then. One thing’s for sure: on my own, I won’t get very far. So, I’m hoping it leads to something positive.
Right now, everyone in America is focused on Supercross. When the outdoor series starts, they’ll be riding at the public tracks in California to do some testing. That’s probably where you’ll have the most chance of being spotted, right?
Paturel: Exactly, you’re right. But since I hadn’t ridden for 5 months, since my last appearance at the Swiss Grand Prix, I needed to get back on the bike early. That’s why it was a calculated choice to get here well before the season started, to acclimatize, prepare as best I can on these tracks, and get used to the heat and life over here. I couldn’t arrive just a week before; we know it’s complicated, and it doesn’t work like that.
So, the choice was to leave early and prepare in the best possible conditions. Even if nothing happens after that, my first goal and project is to prepare as well as I can, be ready, and when the opportunity comes – if it comes – to seize it with both hands.
How’s your adaptation going over there? If Marvin and your other contacts are helping you, that must take a big load off your shoulders. How’s it been getting back into a new environment after 5 months?
Paturel: The adaptation is going really well. I’m already super happy to be here in the US, starting a new challenge, riding new tracks – it’s like a new life, in a way; a new era. I needed this. For preparation, I’m back on the same bike I’ve been using for the last two years, which made sense for me: the 450 YZ-F is a bike I love and know well. We’re on a standard bike with prepared suspension, that’s it. I have a mechanic helping me, I have parts, I’m well-supported by people I know, so that’s great. Everything regarding organization is solid. This is what I want, and it’s what’s needed to have a chance of succeeding here.
So, what’s the strategy, in the end? I imagine people are starting to know you’re over there now. But what’s the plan of attack to get noticed, to make sure the right people know you’re available? Just doing laps at Fox Raceway isn’t exactly what’s going to get you a contract, is it?
Paturel: You know, the guys in Europe, unless they’re world champions, don’t really care about that here in the US. You have to show up here, make yourself seen, and show what you can do. You have to show you’re riding well, that you have good speed, and that you’re working hard. After that, it also depends a lot on word of mouth.
Right now, it’s just the beginning of my preparation. So, it’s too early to know what’s going to happen. In the next few weeks, or the coming months, we’ll see if it leads to anything. If the chemistry works, it’ll work, plain and simple.
What’s your daily routine been like since you arrived in the US?
Paturel: It’s simple: physical training, riding, eating, sleeping, and then repeating. That’s how it goes seven days a week. I’m really giving myself every chance for success in the US. I’m training hard to be ready, to be in the best possible conditions.
I took this project very seriously from the start, so I’d have enough time on track and be fully prepared. It’s a huge challenge, one that I’m really excited about, and that motivates me. I can’t take it lightly, because the outdoor series is a championship just like the MXGP World Championship: it’s ultra-competitive. That’s what I love about it. I’m all in, and I’m training hard, doing everything right to succeed. I’m well-supported, I have what I need, now it’s just about doing the work!
You must have put some money into this adventure. Could that budget have been used to pursue an MXGP program instead?
Paturel: No. The MXGP World Championship wasn’t an option. Simply because you invest so much in the Grand Prix series, but there’s no return, unless you’re in a factory team. I had reached a point where I needed a new challenge, and finishing my career over here was something I had always thought about. It’s what I want to do, and for now, I’m not really thinking beyond that. As for the budget, I was able to gather enough so that it won’t cost me anything out of pocket. So, I really want to thank the partners who are supporting me in this new challenge.
You’re going to put your head down for nearly four months, and the goal is to get a top 5 at Fox Raceway with a factory bike?
Paturel: [laughs] That would be the dream, but if it happens like you said, then that’s great! Either way, if I don’t get any offers before the championship starts, the backup plan is to do the first one and maybe the second race as a privateer, we’ll see, hoping that it leads to something. I’m someone who does things full in or not at all, so if it doesn’t work, I won’t have any regrets because I’ll have done everything I could to make it happen.
You took a flight with just a few belongings and decided to give yourself every chance to make it in the US. That’s quite a radical approach.
Paturel: Exactly. You could say it’s bold, but it’s calculated. I think you have to believe in it. As we know, it’s becoming more and more complicated in Europe, unless you’re in a factory team. I know a thing or two about it; I’ve experienced it over the past few years. I think in the US, if you give it your all, if you do the work, there’s still some recognition there that you don’t find anymore in the Grand Prix series, and you can make a living from it while enjoying yourself. That’s why I really wanted to try my luck in the US.
In Europe, everyone must know you when you show up at a track. Over there, you aren’t as well known, right? What tracks have you been riding – Fox Raceway, Glen Helen, and others?
Paturel: Exactly. People know the name a little bit, sure, and some media know who you are. But the general public? No. As I said, unless you’re a world champion, people don’t care about you over here. You have to prove yourself and show what you’re worth.
As for the tracks, we have 4 or 5 training locations: Glen Helen, Fox Raceway, Perris. Then, there are a lot of private tracks where you can ride if you have the right connections. What’s great is that the weather is good 95% of the time, which makes for great training conditions. You don’t have to wonder what you’re going to do the next day. It’s organized, and you can put in the hours and really do good work.
Does that beat the 2 35 minute moto’s in Lommel in the rain?
Paturel: It’s clear. And as for the budget, that’s also why I made this choice. Being a privateer and training in Europe, if you want to get real training, you have to go to Sardinia or stay in Belgium. After two training sessions, your bike is completely shot because riding in the sand eats up a lot of parts and material. It’s almost impossible to keep up. That’s why I chose the US outdoor series.
The World Championship will start in Argentina soon. If a team needs a rider and calls you last minute, would you consider a return to the GP series?
Paturel: I’m not saying it’s over for me in MXGP; you should never close yourself off from opportunities. You never know what tomorrow will bring. For now, I’m focused on the AMA outdoor series, and I’m putting all my energy into my goal. We’ll reassess at the end of the season. The goal is really to do something and find a way to race the American Motocross Championship.
