Cole Thompson Report by Dave Gowland

I thought Cole rode well on Saturday, all things considered. I mean, obviously he’s only been on the bike for a week so there’s a lot to get used to and process mentally. Just being in the pits and being around our team creates a lot of pressure that Cole has never had to feel before. You look one way and there’s Ivan Tedesco, Jeff Ward is there, and then there’s all the technicians. It can be overwhelming for a new rider at his first race. I know it’s every rider’s dream to reach this level and get with a big team however one thing that might be overlooked is the pressure that is associated with it. Not every rider can handle it and that is why you see riders come and go.

We think with Cole’s determination and strong work ethic, plus the fact that he is still so young, he will be fine moving forward and this is going to make him a much better rider. While it may take him a few weeks to get comfortable enough to ride up to his full potential, I believe he’ll get there. On Saturday night his lap times weren’t the best but he was very consistent and that is one of the things I really like about his riding. He has a factory bike with factory mechanics ready to do whatever he wants to that bike, plus Jeff Ward is there to help out. I think Cole is going to excel under these conditions. When he heads back to Canada for the Nationals this summer, he’s going to be that much further ahead. Phoenix is over and done with and now we’re preparing for Anaheim 2. Hopefully it’s a great weekend for the Rockstar Energy KTM Team.

Cole Thompson was thrown in with some pretty fast company on Saturday night.