The snocross silly season has been at a feverish pitch ever since the ISOC series finale in March. Typically, riders and manufacturer’s try to lock down deals in the weeks that follow, but one rider in particular, Dan Benham, has kept the buzz rolling.
Benham had an impressive rookie season in the Pro class aboard the Arctic Cat factory machine. He turned heads right out of the gate with a fourth place finish in Duluth and continued to build momentum with more top fives as the schedule hit the mid way point.
A strong and smart rider coming off of a Pro Lite Championship in 2018, Benham has never been overly flashy on a sled but is also not one to be easily intimidated by an ostacle or opponent. When he finally broke through for his first win at Mt. Pleasant, Michigan in February, pit talked quickly turned to the promise of a more lucrative contract in his sophomore season. And, while most saw Benham as Arctic Cat’s future, ongoing turmoil with parent company Textron also left room for doubt as to the brand’s long-term committment to racing.
The scenario of Benham jumping ship became a lot more real after Lake Geneva, when he reportedly had meetings with other manufacturers and was even said to have an offer in hand from a top Polaris team.
When that offer went unanswered and others began coming his way, all bets were off as to where he would land. Six-figure pro snocross contracts have become a thing of the past and while one good season does not make a career, the shortage of qualified talent to fill the few available seats has put a premium on riders with any sort of track record more than two or three years in length.
Now, with the announcement of Tim Tremblay’s retirement, we have heard from multiple sources that Benham may be on his way to Ski-Doo. No official announcements have been made but the rumor mill has ratcheted up again in recent days. If, indeed, Benham ends up on a yellow (or teal) machine, how quickly will he adapt to a new team, sled and potentially a teammate who will be one of his main rivals? To a bigger point, what would it mean for Arctic Cat, who would be left with only one experienced contender in Logan Christian, to carry the load?
