A M S O I LChampionship Snocross

GRAND FINALE

SNOW BOUNDARIESPHOTO SPECTACULAR

EAST COAST SNOCROSSPOIRIER & MORIN DOMINATE THE NE

USXC RECAPHERFINDAHL REPEATS AS CHAMP

SNOCROSS

POWERRANKINGS

March/April 2016 No. 006

SNOWMOBILE RACING NEWS, REVIEWS AND ACTION IMAGES

PUBLISHER

studboytraction.com

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T R A C K & T R A I L

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CHRIS

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CONTRIBUTORSGARY

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LISSA

MARSOLEK

PUBLISHER

North American Snocross power rankings are based on a rider’s results for the season to date but also weighted by their recent performance.

Pro Open# Name Prv Chg1 Tucker Hibbert Cat 1 -2 Lincoln Lemieux Doo 4 +23 Tim Tremblay Doo 2 -1 4 Adam Renheim Doo 2 -25 Kyle Pallin Pol 5 - 6 Petter Narsa Pol - +57 Ross Martin Pol - +4 8 Corin Todd Pol 7 - 19 John Stenberg Doo 8 -110 Corey Watkinson Cat - +1

Pro Lite

# Name Prv Chg1 Elias Ishoel Doo 3 +22 Montana Jess Cat 1 -13 Jake Angove Pol 2 -14 Dan Benham Cat 4 -5 Max Taillefer Doo 7 +2 6 Kevin Wallenstein Doo 5 -17 Cole Cottew Pol 6 -18 Travis Muller Pol 10 +29 Mike George Cat 8 -110 Tyler Adams Cat 9 -1

Snocross Power Rankings

Elias Ishoel traded his “win it or wear it” style for shear dominance down the stretch, winning seven straight finals.

Montana Jess resisted throwing it away to match Ishoel’s winning speed, but his focus and discipline were rewarded with a title.

Tucker Hibbert ran the table in this year’s Pro Open rankings, finishing the season with a pair of podiums and the title.

Petter Narsa and Lincoln Lemieux were big movers down the stretch and could be championship contenders next year.

coming 2017

FXRRACING.COM

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Woodies Racing, the 2016 AMSOIL Championship Snocross Team of the Year, is wasting no time in doubling down their efforts for 2017, announcing that they have signed long-time Arctic Cat contender Tyler Adams to represent the team in the Pro Lite division next season.

Adams, who has shown great speed at times in his Pro Lite career and is always one of the most stylish riders on the track, finished 11th in the 2016 Lites championship, despite missing rounds in Shakopee, Minnesota and Joliet, Illinois with injury. Adams also jumped on a Pro Open sled for two rounds at the season finale in Lake Geneva, qualifying for both main events.

So what does this mean for Mike George, who rode the team’s Lites buggy last year? Well, after his one-off venture into Pro Open at Lake Geneva, in which he made the main event on each of the two days he signed up, George will be staying with the team and moving to the big show on a full-time basis.

In addition to these changes, the team has signed Jennifer Martel to compete full-time in the Pro AM Women’s class. Martel finished eighth in the class last year racing a limited schedule and shares a common link with the team as a graphic designer with FXR

Racing, one of Woodies’ primary sponsors.

Also new to the team for the coming year is Jordan Brinkman who will be competing in Sport Lite.

Family team member Kaden Woodie will continue his progression in the Sport class, while Taven Woodie looks to continue her domination in the Jr Girls 9-13 class, as well as lining up with the boys in Jr 10-13, where she nearly scored a podium at the season finale.

Stud Boy Racing’s Zach Pattyn, one of the smoothest racers to ever throw a leg over a Pro Open snocrosser, has announced his retirement from racing.

Pattyn, who started racing in 1999 has been successful at every level along the way, including stints with Warnert Racing and Christian Brothers Racing. In the Stud Boy team’s year-end press release it was revealed that Pattyn will continue to be involved with the sport while now being able to spend more time with his young family.

Pattyn is one of the truly nice guys in the snowmobiling and we are happy to see him move on under his own terms, while continuing to be part of the snocross scene.

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Finnish racer Aki Pihlaja was the big winner in the Pro Open class at the 2016 Clash of Nations in Falun, Sweden. Pihlaja, riding a Lynx, grabbed the holeshot and defended numerous challenges from Sweden’s Adam Renheim to take the upset victory.

Renheim, who was the winner of the preliminary Head-to-Head contest, is currently in contention to repeat as the FIM World Snowcross Champion after winning the first round a few weeks back in Jyväskylä, Finland. Elias Ishoel finished third in the CoN main event.

Kyle Tapio was crowned King of Kings at the 2016 Jackson Hole World Championship Hillclimb, besting Keith Curtis and Blaine Mathews in a showdown of King category winners. Tapio also won the Mod King title, while Mathews and Curtis were named Improved King and Stock King respectively.

The RMSHA finale is April 23-24 in Driggs, Idaho.

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Saving The Best For lastIt was a cruel and unusual season on the AMSOIL Championship Snocross trail with injuries ravishing multiple classes and a string of events that presented teams with more mud than snow. Over the years, the tour has completed its grand finale

in Lake Geneva with temps pushing the mid 70’s, however, in many of those cases, normal snowfall provided a healthy base to carve out a beautiful hillside course that hung in there ’til the final moto.

ACS, Rounds 15, 16 & 17 Lake Geneva, WIBy the SnoX365 staff

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Such was not the case this year as the track had to be narrowed and shortened just to survive the last three days of the season, but none the less, the atmosphere was upbeat and the racing was, at times, the best in years.

Friday night’s Pro Open main event stole the show on a number of levels, including a four rider dash to the finish that ended with Petter Narsa claiming his first career series win in the premier division as he held off a charging Lincoln Lemieux. In fact, less than

five seconds separated the top four with Tucker Hibbert grabbing the third step on the podium over Adam Renheim who had latched on to Hibbert’s rear bumper on the closing lap.

Saturday’s final was a bit more predictable with Tucker Hibbert taking command early in the race and never looking back. More engaging was the battle for second through fifth in which Ski-Doo racers Adam Renheim and Lincoln Lemieux continued their late season surge, battling to second and third. Lemieux’s AMSOIL, USAF, Ford, Milwaukee teammate Tim Tremblay was fourth and Kyle Pallin fifth on his Red Bull, Mystik Polaris.

Sunday’s Open final was yet another Ross Martin/Lake Geneva storybook ending. Martin, who lives just 12 miles down the road in Burlington, Wisconsin has been on the mend all season from a motocross crash that busted up his ankle last fall and never fully healed. At times there was speculation, even in the Polaris camp, that The Boss’s career was coming to an end, but after sitting out races midway through the year, Martin showed his true colors down the stretch, following up a win at Route 66 by capturing Sunday’s final in Lake Geneva, becoming the only rider, other than Hibbert to post more that one win all season.

Friday night’s Pro Open final was a barn-burner right from the first downhill drop.

Petter Narsa found his stride at mid-season, was injured and then returned to score his first Pro Open win in front of family and friends from the homeland.

Adam Renheim put BOSS Racing back on the map as a contender in Pro Open with a season dotted with runner-up finishes.

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PERFECT MATCHPetter Narsa proved that his choice as the second rider on the Hentges Racing team was a wise one, coming on strong in the second half of the season and winning on the final weekend.

TEN TIMEWith his third place finish at round 15, Tucker Hibbert secured his tenth national pro snocross championship. His win at round 16 gave him an even 120 for his career to date.

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Pro LiteThere was plenty on the line as the Lites riders completed their final two rounds of racing for the year. Point leader Montana Jess had a safe but not insurmountable lead over Jake Angove and the charging Elias Ishoel, who had won five straight rounds coming in, was still in the mix should Jess falter.

As it were, Ishoel continued his late-season domination winning both rounds, while Jess put forth his best effort to get a win before ultimately playing it safe once Ishoel would get by. Jess would end up with finishes of third and fourth but more importantly a hard-earned championship.

Angove’s drive for a championship took a hit on Friday night when he was turned over by Ishoel at the top of the uphill on the first lap. The Judnick Motorsports rider rejoined the field and raced back to tenth, which was disappointing to him at the time but extremely important at the end of the weekend. Angove would get back on the box on Sunday in third and salvage second overall by just three points over Ishoel.

Dan Benham was fourth and fifth on the weekend to secure fourth overall, while Max Taillefer had a strong showing with a pair of seconds to move back into fifth for the year.

By claiming the Pro Lite championship, Jess Racing scored a major victory for the underdog privateer.

Ishoel’s grasp on the English vocabulary made a giant leap this season but the language of winning is universal.

Maxime Taillefer struggled with consistency during the year, but a pair of seconds in Geneva was as good as it gets with Ishoel in the mix.

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DOGFIGHTIt was a rare occasion when Angove, Ishoel and Jess were not engaged at the front of a Pro Lite final, representing all three competitive brands at the highest level.

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Leader BoardAMSOIL Championship Snocross Final Results

Pro OpenRound 15 1. Petter Narsa (54) Hentges Racing2. Lincoln Lemieux (13) Amsoil/Air Force/Rockstar3. Tucker Hibbert (68) Monster Energy / Cat / RAM4. Adam Renheim (311) Boss Racing5. Ross Martin (837) Judnick Motorsports

Round 16 1. Tucker Hibbert (68) - Monster Energy / Cat / RAM2. Adam Renheim (311) - Boss Racing3. Lincoln Lemieux (13) - Amsoil/Air Force/Rockstar4. Tim Tremblay (11) - Amsoil/Air Force/Ford5. Kyle Pallin (324) - Mystik, Loctite, Polaris, Red Bull

Round 17 1. Ross Martin (837) - Judnick Motorsports2. Lincoln Lemieux (13) - Amsoil/Air Force/Rockstar3. Kyle Pallin (324) - Mystik, Loctite, Polaris, Red Bull4. Petter Narsa (54) - Hentges Racing5. John Stenberg (259) - Warnert Racing

Year End Points 1. Tucker Hibbert - 7572. Tim Tremblay - 6463. Lincoln Lemieux - 6104. Adam Renheim - 5995. Kyle Pallin - 5826. Corin Todd - 5237. Petter Narsa - 4808. John Stenberg - 4509. Ross Martin - 43010. Corey Watkinson - 419

Pro LiteRound 151. Elias Ishoel (200) - Warnert Racing2. Maxime Taillefer (144) - Amsoil/Air Force/Ford3. Montana Jess (765) - Jess Racing4. Daniel Benham (221) - Factory Arctic Cat5. Travis Muller (436) - Cottew Motorsports

Round 161. Elias Ishoel (200) - Warnert Racing2. Maxime Taillefer 144 Amsoil/Air Force/Ford3. Jake Angove (177) - Judnick Motorsports4. Montana Jess (765) - Jess Racing5. Daniel Benham (221) - Factory Arctic Cat

Year End Points1. Montana Jess - 5832. Jake Angove - 5463. Elias Ishoel - 5434. Daniel Benham - 5115. Maxime Taillefer - 4856. Kevin Wallenstein - 4377. Cole Cottew - 3808. Travis Muller - 3659. Michael George - 35410. Korbyn Anderson - 318

Swan SongMarica Renheim capped her season with a win and third consecutive Pro AM Women’s championship before announcing her retirement from snocross racing.

Amateur ReportBy Matt Pranger

Lake Geneva is always the last stop on the ACS tour with three days of some of the best amateur racing you will ever see. As Geneva is the last race weekend of the season and most riders are riding at the top of their ability, or have improved greatly from the start of the season. Saturday and Sunday are the normal national classes we have seen all year but on Friday they run the Showdown at Sundown affiliate championship. Riders from four different series and two different countries come together at season’s end to settle the score and lay claim as the best rider in there respective classes.

Friday morning standing atop the massive ski hills of Lake Geneva Resort, now turned into a awesome race track, I heard the sound of 120 sleds as they rolled through the staging lanes. And then the transition sleds and so on and so on. It was easy to see the kids were ready and eager to hit the track and get to racing.

As family and friends filled the stands the races were underway as there was a full slate of classes racing for there Showdown Championship.

Riders like Anson Scheele, Drew Freeland, and Taven Woodie all put on a show for the

Drew Freeland is always excited to be on the podium.

Mitchell Gross of MG RACING airing it out in the Sport Lite class.

KC Motorsports entry Jay Lura finished second in the FXR Sport 1 final.

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fans as they had great races and close finishes that made for some great racing to watch. Frattalone Racing had an awesome morning with Eric Downs and Ryley Bester wrapping up their finals on the top of the podium. Bester won Sport Lite, JR 15-16, And JR 16-17.

Taylor Cole won the affiliate Sport class and Evan Daudt had his hands full to fight off the Patenaude brothers to win the Pro Lite affiliate title.

Saturday was a new day and a different goal for the racers – last chance to podium for the season. So the racing was fast and fierce all day and during the finals the riders did not disappoint the massive crowd that had gathered.

Transition class – Anson Scheele picked up were he left off the prior day, Winning and coming from behind to do so. Drew Freeland finished second and placed an exclamation mark on his season in Transition. In third was one of my little Michigan hommies Brock Conger on the #154 Arctic Cat, Conger don’t get to ride very much with the loss of the Michigan regional series a couple years ago, so this was a big podium for the young man.

JR Girls 9-13 – Inanna Hauger won the first race in Duluth at the season opener, That would be the last time any other rider would stand on the top of the JR

Girls podium other than #873 Taven Woodie. Woodie reeled off seven straight wins and served final notice that she was the dominate rider in the JG Girls class this season.

JR 14-15 & JR 16-17 – What else can I say about Ryley Bester that I haven’t already said this year. Bester would once again win both the JR classes and he would do it in a convincing way as there really wasn’t

anyone to challenge him this weekend. The only hope for the other riders in the JR classes is that Bester moves up to Sport and never returns. Carson Alread finished second in the 14-15 class with Raphael Lemieux close behind in third. Ried Runkle grabbed the second spot on the 16-17 podium with Noah Pfeil standing next to him in third.

Sport Lite 1 – This was the most exciting race of the day when first year racer Jordan Brinkman stunned the class with a huge hole shot and ran of looking like he would win. Fellow Woodie Racing rider Jochim Olsen found himself in sixth after the first time up the big hill. Olsen from Norway was feeling right at home on this massive race track with many difficult sections much like a track he is more familiar with. Olsen started picking riders off one at a time till he found himself in a battle for the win with his stable mate. Brinkman gave it everything he had and rode the race of his life time, but Olsen who had travel plans to return home on Monday would not be denied a win in front of the

Tausha Lange is one of the rising young stars of the Women’s Pro AM class who could step up to challenge for the vacant title in 2017 with the help of her brother AJ, who is a veteran tour mechanic.

many fans that traveled all the way from Norway to watch there favorite racer race in the U.S.A. Brinkman finished second and stood on the podium for the first time nearly speechless. Third place was another great story as Steve Walter also grabbed his first podium and chose to take his podium photo with his racing buddies.

FXR Sport 1 – Well here we are and the points battle in this class would come down to one final weekend between Nickolas Lorenz and Jake Yurk. Yurk would have his work cut out for him as this is Lorenz hometown race and a race he won last season. It is no secret that Lorenz is fast, but at LK Geneva he is even faster and this weekend would be no different Jay Lura jumped out front early and was looking solid, But what he didn’t know was that Adam Peterson and Lorenz where coming. Lorenz was just to fast and would not be denied in front of his hometown cheering section. Lura grabbed the second spot, as he held of Peterson who stood in the third slot on the podium at the end of the day

120 Champ Sophia Hulsey got her first win of the year in front of her hometown fans and friends, Michigan’s Carson Berry salvaged a dismal season with a second and Logan Schlauderaff held of teammate and older sister Autumn Schlauderaff for third.

Sunday would only have three classes in the amateur ranks.

JR 10-13 – Was the first on the schedule. #129 Eric Downs has been the rider to beat all season. Geneva would be no different as this young kid has the making of a future Pro stand out rider on the national tour. Downs and team Frattalone Racing completed a perfect season in JR 10-13 as Downs won every heat race and final of the 2015/2016 ACSS

season. Raycer Frank finished second making a late race move to get the spot. Evan Christian had his hands full with Taven Woodie, but managed to get by and finish his season on the podium in third.

Sport Lite 2 – Ryley Bester grabbed a early hole shot and was off and running.

When Bester gets a start like that there is nothing else to do but fight for second and third. And that is what Baily Forst and Joachim Olsen would do. Forst landed in second with Olsen in third.

FXR Sport 2 – Coming into the day Lorenz had a 24 point lead over Yurk. Lorenz was focused. As he rode flawless and clinched the FXR Sport Championship for 2015/2016.It was a great season and a great points battle we all witnessed, but only one could be the winner and this year it was Lorenz turn. Evan Daudt was all smiles as he found himself in second on the FXR podium and Jake Yurk wrapped up his

Trent Wittwer ended his season with his best run of the year, nearly landing his first Sport podium with a fourth on Friday night.

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Prize Winners Announced Each Week

great season with a trip to the box in third.

This leaves us at the conclusion on yet

another season of awesome snocross racing.

We saw new champions, first time winners,

new amateur classes and some amazing bar

to bar racing. All leaving us wanting more.

Well you will have to wait till November

when the series returns to Duluth, but until

then make sure you visit SnoX365 daily to

get informed of all the off season moves and

so much more.

I leave you with one final thought for the

off season. Nothing bugs me more as a

photographer and a sponsor to many of

you kids out there. When and if you make

a podium PLEASE SMILE, even if you are

not standing on top. So many kids will race

there entire life and never have the chance

that some of you take for granted when you

stand up there looking like you failed. Don’t

ever take that for granted because you are

fortunate to have the talent it takes to end

up on the podium. I see it, fans see it, and

most important your sponsors see it.

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Nick Lorenz came on strong in Sport at the Deadwood round and never looked back on his way to a class championship.

Steve Walter grabbed his first career Sport Lite podium and commemorated the moment by inviting all of his racing buddies up on the podium with him.

Jake Yurk ended the year on the podium and runner to Lorenz in points after getting derailed with an injury in New York.

Thank You To Our Sponsors & Fans For A Great Year

IS YOUR DEALERPART OF

THE WINNING TEAM

?Corin Todd - Bronze Medal

Snocross

2016 Winter X Games

The major players in the snow clothing field have outerwear covered from just about every angle. But once in while you need that go-to hoodie or jacket that is just as at home laying on the concrete while changing the oil in your truck as it is on a spring fishing trip when the temps can change 20º as the sun bends towards the horizon

Milwaukee is familiar with the demands of people who spend long hours outside and rely on comfort and function to get the job done. Their M12 series of Red Lithium power tools are the staple of several professional race teams and this heated hoodie is a particular favorite of the crew of the Scheuring Speed Sports team.

This unique garment features a carbon fiber heating element that is powered by a small battery, the same that is used in the M12 tool line, to provide up to 6 hours of continuous heat.

The battery tucks into a small pouch in the back of the hoodie and features 3 heat settings. The hoodie is completely washer and dryer safe and comes complete with a battery and charger.

In addition to the hoodie, we found the same technology is also available in five other jacket styles including a camo and safety yellow version with reflective striping for those who work in situations that

require added visibility.

To learn more, go to: www.milwaukeetool.com

PRODUCT REVIEWMILWAUKEE HEATED HOODIE

Red Bull Snow Boundaries

Justin Tate chases the sunset during the closing laps of the Open Racer final. The multi-talented Tate finished just off the podium in fourth in an event that rewarded veteran savvy.

Photo

Spectacular

ACTION SPORTS icon Levi LaVallee won the inaugural running of the Red Bull Snow Boundaries extreme cross-country race, capping a day in which expectations for this one-off showcase were blown away.

Weather leading up to the event had been hit and miss leaving everyone in wonder of how the race would play out. The occasional cold snap allowed the staff of ERX Motorpark in Elk River, Minnesota to make snow throughout the eight mile loop, but rising temps and driving rain just days before the race took a hefty toll on their efforts. Despite this, the course remained highly raceable with conditions only adding to the challenge of day.

The Open Racer class featured a down-to-the-wire battle that pitted some of the best snocross racers in the world against the absolute best cross-country riders. However, the real story was the Ditchbanger class of more than 150 true-blue weekend warriors entering machines of just about every vintage from the last 20 years. The vibe in the pit area as these riders lined up for their site lap was reminiscent of the old I-500 with plenty of nerves, trash talk and camaraderie.

Racers left the snocross portion of the track in groups of five, every five seconds. After exiting the snocross “stadium” area the course made its way into a large bowl where competitors navigated more of an outdoor motocross style section before making their way into the woods and swamps. From the first lap on, spectators were able to witness large clusters of racers jockeying for position; some at race speed, some in relative survival mode. Two-thirds of the way into a lap, riders encountered the gravel pit portion of the course which proved to be the most challenging as it combined high-speeds, lots of water and rapidly deteriorating ponds with multiple land crossings. One such area was diverted near the end of the Ditchbanger race when the approaches back onto the ice opened up beyond a safe gap.

The top Ditchbangers completed their race in just over 45 minutes with Anthony Smith getting the win over David Fischer and Jared Jereczek, each representing a different brand of snowmobile on the podium.

The pace in the Open Racer class was considerably faster right from the start. Snocrosser Ryan Springer jumped out to an early lead from his from his front row starting position, trying

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to put a gap on USXC Champ Zach Herfindahl who was considered the favorite and starting from five rows back.

Herfindahl dispatched of the early leaders in lightning fashion, making his way to the front by the second lap. “The first lap I just kept it pegged,” said Herfindahl. I’m like I’m starting in row five, I’ve gotta get to the front.” The strategy may have backfired, however, as Herfindahl who is young and as fit as they get, suffered major arm pump as the race progressed. To make matters worse, he had to pitch his goggles with four laps remaining. “I keep a spare set under my windshield, but the windshield was gone from all the roost.”

While Herfindahl was clicking off laps, Springer and teammate Andrew Carlson were battling behind him. Levi LaVallee would get by the 151 of Carlson in the mid stages when he started to have his own struggles with fatigue. “I came into the fuel stop and my arms were so pumped up I couldn’t even restart my sled,” said Carlson. Once these guys went by I just started riding for fun again and it came back to me.”

Springer continued at a torrid pace before he had mechanical issues blowing a belt in the closing stages. For LaVallee, who is one of the most versatile snowmobile athletes of all time, Snow Boundaries marked his first return to cross-country since he was 16. “I tried to race the I-500 that year and made it 39 miles onto the lake and blew up my sled,” he said with a laugh. After that was when we switched to snocross, so it’s been a long time. I remember it being a lot easier on my body.”

All three podium finishers were visibly gassed at the end. In fact, it was almost comical watching them hoist their custom-built Snow Boundaries trophies during the awards presentation as each struggled to hold them over their heads for more than a couple of photos.

The balance of the top 10 Open racers was a pretty even mix of snocross and cross-country specialist. Justin Tate who has split his career in both disciplines was fourth followed by snocrosser Cole Cottew in fifth. The entire Cottew Motorsports group was well represented as teammates Travis Muller and Mitchell Thelen were scored eighth and tenth respectively. Arctic Cat’s Wes Selby, who is currently battling for the championship in USXC cross-country made a last minute change to his setup which he felt may have hampered his ride to a sixth place.

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The other big winners at this event were the fans. Warm temps and the overall experience you get with a Red Bull promoted event combined for a perfect afternoon at the track. Organizers were hoping to attract upwards of 3,500 spectators for the race which was free to attend. By the time the Ditchbanger round was about to take flight the numerous parking lots that dot the ERX complex were packed to the gills and it has been estimated that over 4,800 fans came out for the day.

Internet chatter following the race points to an even larger turnout of racers and fans in the future. Now that the groundwork has been laid, Snow Boundaries appears to have already established itself as one of the those bucket list events for snowmobilers of all walks.

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PRODUCT REVIEWRAD3K CAMERA MOUNT KITs

RAD3K is a company founded by our friend and fellow action sports photo/video guy Stephen Clark. The idea behind the company and its products is to allow powersports users to put their POV cameras to use in more interesting ways than traditional helmet mounts.

The products in RAD3K’s various offerings are based on the RAM Mount system which utilizes a ball and clamp assembly that can be pointed and rotated in virtually any direction. We tested the PRO Kit, which comes nicely packaged in roll up bag that can be tucked into a sled’s storage compartment or into a wearable backpack or hydration pack.

This kit includes two different sized u-bolt base mounts for irregular surfaces and a flange mount with a 9mm hole that can be bolted to any small flat surface. Two clamps, approximately 3.5” and 5” center to center are used to bridge the rigid mounted ball on your sled, bike or whatever, to an also included ball that attaches directly to your camera.

As is the norm around here, we mounted our rig in the most extreme place possible, the front bumper of Lincoln Lemieux’s Pro Open racer at the Shakopee, Minnesota round of AMSOIL Championship Snocross. Lemieux’s team is backed by GoPro so we figured if it didn’t work, they’d probably have an extra camera around.

Within a half a lap of practice we were questioning our decision as we watched the sled take a beating on the big Canterbury course, but each time Lemieux came around the setup was still intact and after watching the video back, it never budged once.

The PRO Kit retails for $110 and is the way to go. However, RAD3K also offers a Lite Kit and individual components, including a chest harness, suction mount and extension arms.

To learn more, go to: www.RAD3k.com or call 208-681-7207

USXC Season FinaleCorey Davidson Bookends The Season With Wins For Ski-Doo Zach Herfindahl Collects Pro Stock Championship Number Three

Story: Susan Voss, Photos: Aaron Kennedy

The last USXC race of the season was held on North Twin Lake at Pinehurt Resort in Naytahwaush, Minnesota. The two day event drew in a large amount of spectators who were treated to two beautiful days of racing. Temperatures hit 50 degrees which greatly impacted the condition of the ice. Thankfully, the USXC crew was able to keep the track maintained so that racing could go on without any hindrance.

Day 1 started with low clouds, but by mid-morning the sun was out and fans were in for a great weekend of racing. Day one started with low clouds, but by mid-morning the sun was out and fans were in for a great weekend of racing. Pro Open winner Wes Selby.

For the first three laps of the Semi Pro final, it was Ski-Doo’s Craig Ritzinger , Yamaha’s Gunner Arlaud , and Arctic Cat’s Cole Nymann who led the 24 rider field. Ritzinger and Nymann swapped positions throughout the first three laps, and Arlaud sat right behind them waiting for one of them to make a mistake. That finally happened when Nymann suffered a crash on the last lap. Ritzinger and Arlaud pulled away and finished first and second place respectively. Ryan Trout rode a solid race with the leaders around 30 seconds ahead, and the closest riders 15 seconds behind him. His third place finish secured him a second place overall finish for the season in the Semi Pro Stock class. Fourth place went to Austin Lunde, fifth to Skyer Soyring, and sixth to Taylor Bunke. Bunke rode a safe race, which is all he needed to do in order to win the Semi Pro championship.

Another Bunke who placed sixth this weekend was Taylor’s younger brother who made his racing debut this weekend in Naytahwaush in the Junior 10-13 class. The 874 machine looked very fast on the ice this weekend, and in a couple years you should see him up in the Pro classes with his older brother and dad, Gabe.

USXC Season Finale

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By the time the Pro Stock final hit the track, a majority of the course had turned to water. Bobby Menne pulled an impressive holeshot, but soon Yamaha’s Re Wadena took over the lead. It wasn’t long before Corey Davidson passed Menne and found himself right on Wadena’s tail. Davidson made his way around the 52 sled, but Wadena never gave up. He stayed behind Davidson the entire race and finished only 10 seconds behind him. Menne who just got home from Alaska after racing the infamous Iron Dog, finished third. Arctic Cat’s Wesley Selby and Zach Herfindahl finished fourth and fifth.

In the Pro final, Yamaha and Ski-Doo would again compete for the checkered flag. After trading the lead several times, Ski-Doo rider Corey Davidson (#3) was able to hold on to the enjoyment of the local crowd. Rounding off the podium was Polaris rider Bobby Menne who made it back just days earlier from completing the Iron Dog in Alaska.

For now, some racers will put away their sleds for the year and take a break from racing for a couple months while others have already to begin training and planning for next season. Next year some riders will be making the transition to new classes while others will continue to race the same class, working for the number one plate. If this year was any indication of what next year will hold, we can definitely expect some excitement.

KENNEDY

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On Saturday, racers took part in the Semi-Pro / Pro challenge race. With no entry fee, heads up racing, and the semi-pros getting a head-start on the pros, this race ended up being a crowd favorite. Polaris Rider Alex Hetteen narrowly held off Yamaha pro Re Wadena.

By Sunday, temperatures pushed over 50 degrees yielding a complete slushfest. Despite being shortened by several laps, the Semi-Pro and Pro finals were run heads up and provided plenty of excitement for spectators.

In a heated Semi-Pro battle, Ski-doo rider Craig Ritzinger held off Gunner Arlaud who rocked the Yamaha Nytro to a 2nd place finish. Rounding off the podium was Christian Brothers rider Ryan Trout.

KENNEDY

ECS Season Finale

ECS Season Finale Ingles Teammates Danny Poirier And Mathieu Morin Battle To The Wire

SULLIVAN

In one of the closest Pro class championship battles in series history, Quebec native Danny Poirier overcame a number of mechanical issues and a hard-charging teammate to record his sixth career title, as East Coast Snocross (ECS) concluded an abbreviated yet highly competitive 2016 racing season.

Poirier, of St. Theodore, edged Mathieu Morin by the narrowest of margins after 11 Pro Open finals were contested. The Ingles Performance/Ski-doo riders battled side-by-side all season, with Poirier sweeping the finals in Bangor, Maine, and Morin notching a sweep of his own at the season finale at Pittston Farm. Congratulations to our six-time champion and his teammate for their historic one-two finish in points. It was a thrill to see the great battles, and we hope to see more in 2017.

In the Pro Lite class, series newcomer Emil Hansson (Team Southside/Polaris) earned the crown with the speed and consistency of a seasoned Pro. Finishing in the second position just 37 markers back was 2015 champion Cody Paolella (Team Southside/Polaris), of Wallingford, Connecticut. Paolella and Ontario native Scott Vandeborne made it a 1-2-3 sweep in Pro Lite final points for Team Southside.

SULLIVAN

Series newcomer Jared Gessner, a former ATV racing star also riding for Team Southside, finished with a 20-point advantage over Michael Newman (Kislowski Racing/Artic Cat) in Sport Super Stock 600 Saturday action. Newman bounced back to claim the crown by a mere five points over Bruce Gaspardi Jr. in the final tally for Sunday competition. In overall Sport Super Stock Weekend points, Ryan Dupont came out on top with a slim 11-point advantage over Gaspardi.

Nykea Williams (Team Southside/Polaris) went back-to-back in the Pro Women class, earning her second straight title in Saturday action by just 13 points over her teammate Kassie Thibodeau. It was an even closer contest in the final tally for Sunday racing, with Williams prevailing by five points.

In the Junior ranks for 2016, Tucker Kierstead (Kislowski Racing/Artic Cat) was the athlete with an upper hand on his rivals. His margin of victory in Jr. 16-17 Saturday action was a sizable 38 points over Trevor Parent, while the gap was much closer at just 13 in Sunday competition. In Jr. 14-15 Saturday action, Travis Emery earned the title by one point over Kierstead. In Sunday battles, Brandon O’Neill came out on top with a three-point advantage over Gavin Fleury.

SULLIVAN

RLT PHOTOS

RMSHA BALLETBy any other standards this is a ride gone bad, but in the off-balance world of hillclimb it’s just another tip-toe up the mountain.

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