AMSOIL Championship Snocross, powered by Ram, Pro Open main event goes to Polaris’ Ross Martin in a thrilling final; Corey Watkinson wins the Pro Lites

The extreme cold temps did nothing to freeze the confidence of Ross Martin (Judnick/DuPont/Jack Links/Polaris), who took charge of Friday’s AMSOIL Championship Snocross, powered by Ram PIRTEK Snocross National, presented by Jimmy John’s, in the early laps and ran ‘er through strong at checkers for the win.

And capturing 1st place in the Pro Lite main event at Canterbury was Canadian Corey Watkinson (RJ Motorsports/Arctic Cat), scoring his first-ever professional class victory on the AMSOIL Championship Snocross tour.

Pro Open

All eyes were on Monster Energy/Arctic Cat/Ram’s Tucker Hibbert at the start of the Pro Open main. The No. 1 qualifier was undefeated this season and sitting on 99 career wins. But Hibbert would get pinched at the start, forced to the outside (8th place off the line), while former Pro Open champ Tim Tremblay (AMSOIL/Scheuring/Ski-Doo) pulled the Stud Boy Holeshot, followed closely by Martin.

Tremblay and Martin would briefly swap the lead a couple times in the first few corners before Martin set Tremblay up by tripling out of the finish line jump and railing to the lead around the first turn.

From there Martin was absolutely masterful, with famed AMSOIL Championship Snocross announcer Mike Schroeder calling out “The Boss is back!” to the Canterbury faithful that braved the cold temps to watch what amounted to the best main event of the year thus far.

“Unbelievable,” said Martin atop the podium. “This is where I belong. My confidence is back and I’m going for it … so look out!”

With Martin up front attention turned to the battle for 2nd and 3rd between Tremblay and Kody Kamm (Hentges Racing/Polaris). Tremblay would ride a wide sled and hold off Kamm, the two bumping but keeping the momentum going. This would allow Martin to extend his lead, while Hibbert was charging up through the pack.

Great racing continued through the mid-race laps as Hibbert moved past Kamm and into 3rd, then got past Tremblay on lap seven – setting his site on frontrunner Martin, who had a five-second lead.

With six laps to go Hibbert cut Martin’s lead to four seconds, but came down awkward off the triple behind the finish line (where he previously passed Tremblay) and had to throw it away so he wouldn’t overshoot the first corner.

Hibbert was able to remount, but by then Martin, Tremblay and Kamm were gone – as was the hopes for his 100th win tonight.

As Martin continued to rail up front, his lead grew to 7.5 seconds over Tremblay. Riding consistently and hitting all his marks, Martin scored his first win of the year, upsetting both Hibbert’s four-race undefeated streak and his quest for 100 wins.

“Canterbury’s always been good to me” added Martin. “The team worked so hard over the break getting my sled set up to where I want it and it all came together tonight. We just had to get this done.”

Tremblay would run pretty much uncontested into 2nd place, with Kamm following in 3rd.

Said Tremblay: “I had a pretty good race. Had the lead, but Ross got around me. He was faster tonight, but I’m happy with 2nd place.”

Rounding out the top five were Logan Christian (Christian Brothers Racing/Arctic Cat) in 4th and Hibbert in 5th.

Canterbury Friday Pro Open Results

1 – Ross Martin, Burlington, WI, Polaris
2 – Tim Tremblay, Ste Jeanne D’Arc, Quebec, Ski-Doo
3 – Kody Kamm, Kenosha, WI, Polaris
4 – Tucker Hibbert, Pelican Rapids, MN, Arctic Cat
5 – Logan Christian, Fertile, MN, Arctic Cat
6 – Kyle Pallin, Ironwood, MI, Polaris
7 – Jake Scott, Port Jefferson Station, NJ, Polaris
8 – David Joanis, Cochrane, Ontario, Arctic Cat
9 – Corin Todd, Otego, NY, Polaris
10 – Cody Thomsen, Nisswa, MN, Arctic Cat

Overall Pro Open Points (5 of 16 rounds)

1 – Tucker Hibbert, 211
2 – Tim Tremblay, 173
3 – Kyle Pallin, 169
4 – Logan Christian, 156
5 – Kody Kamm, 152

Pro Lite

A big pile up on the first turn in Friday’s Pro Lite final at Canterbury’s PIRTEK National saw 2nd place overall Zak Mason (Leighton Motorsports/Polaris) pull the Stud Boy Holeshot – then crash and collect teammate Trevor Leighton (3rd overall in points). The accident rendered both the No. 1 (Leighton) and No. 2 (Mason) qualifying sleds out of the running for tonight’s Pro Lite podium.

Benefitting from the carnage (which Mason and Leighton were both able to get up from and keep racing) was RJ Motorsports/Arctic Cat’s Corey Watkinson. Watkinson inherited the lead and rode a clean 11-lap Pro Lite main – uncontested – through to the checkers.

“The big key was getting that start. I was lucky enough to get away from the carnage there in corner two. Just rode consistent and in control and got the win,” said Watkinson. “The guys got the sled working awesome, ran smooth and rode it the way I wanted.”

“Finally got my first win in Pro Lites. Got the monkey off my back and hope to keep it going.”

Pursuing Watkinson, but never getting closer than 11 seconds back, were James Johnstad (Judnick Motorsports/Polaris) and Ryan Springer (Carlson Motorsports/Polaris). Springer actually had 2nd place up through the last lap before being caught and passed by Johnstad on the final straight away before the checkers.

“I knew coming out of the LCQ it wasn’t going to be easy. Just ran it to the outside there and was able to make it up to the podium,” said Johnstad, who was the only top five overall points racer coming into Canterbury to make the podium.

As it would be both Johnstad and Springer had to come through the LCQ to make tonight’s Pro Lite main, both starting from the back row and working though the field to make the podium.

Rounding out the top five in Friday’s PIRTEK Snocross National Pro Lite class at Canterbury were Cottew Motorsports/Polaris’ Travis Muller in 4th and Carlson Motorsports/Polaris’ Andrew Carlson in 5th.

Canterbury Friday Pro Lite Results

1 – Corey Watkinson, Port Carling, ONT, Arctic Cat
2 – Ryan Springer, St. Francis, MN, Polaris
3 – James Johnstad, Beltrami, MN, Polaris
4 – Travis Muller, Windom, MN, Polaris
5 – Andre Carlson, Big Lake, MN, Polaris
6 – Kevin Wallenstein, Cadillac, MI, Ski-Doo
7 – Elias Ishoel, Norway, Ski-Doo
8 – Michael George, Pine Plains, NY, Arctic Cat
9 – Trevor Leighton, Eagle, ID, Polaris
10 – Marcus Johansson, Norway, Ski-Doo

Overall Pro Lite Points (5 of 16 rounds)

1 – Elias Ishoel, 172
2 – Trevor Leighton, 171
3 – Zak Mason, 161
4 – James Johnstad, 158
5 – Andrew Carlson, 151

AMSOIL Championship Snocross, powered by Ram, continues on Saturday night at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn., Jan. 10, for the Pirtek Snocross National, presented by Jimmy John’s.

Beginning with AMSOIL Championship Snocross’ season-opening round in Duluth, Minn. and running through the season finale in Lake Geneva, Wis., CBS Sports Network will air 17 one-hour programs of the ACS races.

2014-15 AMSOIL Championship Snocross, powered by Ram, season schedule:

Duluth, Minn.: Nov. 28-30
Fargo, N.D.: Dec. 12-13
Shakopee, Minn.: Jan. 9-10
Deadwood, S.D.: Jan. 30-31
Salamanca, N.Y.: Feb. 6-7
Chicago, Ill.: Feb. 20-21
Mount Pleasant, Mich.: Feb. 27-28
Lake Geneva, Wis.: March 13-15

Visit isocracing.com for more information, fan and racer memberships, schedule details and more.

It’s been a great start to the USXC season with two exciting lemans ice races. This weekend, drivers head to Grafton, ND, for a 20 mile river and rough ditch racing course. The Grafton terrain will create a true cross country race with river and high speed ditch racing.

With careers progressing and new contests arising, the younger drivers are challenging the older, more experienced drivers making for exciting, close racing.

Drivers such as #62 Lance Efteland and #525 Dylan Stevens (Arctic Cat) have clinched the top spots in the Semi-Pro class, while #931 Cale Anseeuw (Yamaha) is sitting in first in the new I-500 class.

A very competitive #196 Craig Ritzinger (Ski Doo) is making the Semi-Pro and I-500 classes interesting, with all four brands placing in the top five positions of each event, thus far.

Polaris racers are back in contention, stronger than ever with the new, ultra-competitive Axys chassis. After two events, Polaris riders are holding six of the top 10 in Pro and four of top 10 in Open. With the new rule changes mandating the stock production class snowmobiles, all four brands are in contention to win in any given class.

The Grafton 100 is set to begin at 9am on January 17, with the start/finish line located at the Grafton City Green Area. Come out to support your favorite rider(s) as all classes will be running.

USXC would like to thank the Grafton Chamber of Commerce for sponsoring this year’s event and invite everyone out to enjoy another weekend of the best snowmobile racing in the country!

XC RACING; RACING AS IT’S MEANT TO BE.

USXC Racing is the largest cross-country snowmobile racing organization in North America. The 2014-15 season will consist of seven events, which will run from December 2014 to March 2015.
Follow USXC on Facebook or visit usxcracing.com for more information, registration, and news and race results.

Despite falling short of reaching the top spot of the podium, Monster Energy / Arctic Cat / Ram Truck’s Tucker Hibbert extended his points lead at the ISOC Canterbury Park Snocross National in Shakopee, Minn. Hibbert gained three points over second place, giving him a 40-point lead in the Pro Open Championship chase.

Entering the Canterbury Park National, Hibbert had his sight set on capturing his 100th career Pro National victory. He was fastest man on the track both Friday and Saturday but poor starts in the finals eluded him of the milestone win.

As the top qualifier Friday night, Hibbert had the first start line pick for the 15-rider, 15-lap final event. He had a solid jump off the line but got pinched in the first corner and shuffled back to eighth place.

On a mission to get to the front, he pushed through the pack. On lap nine, he moved into second with leader, Ross Martin, in sight. Closing in on Martin, a bobble on the landing of a jump ejected Hibbert from his sled and left him on the ground. He reentered the race in sixth place and put on a late charge to finish fourth.

Hibbert was the top qualifier for Saturday’s final but once again got a poor start. Rounding lap one in 10th place, he struggled to make passes on the smooth, fast track. Once lines started to develop mid-way through the 15-lap final, he quickly began to make moves.

With three laps to go, he passed Tim Tremblay to take over third place and put on a last ditch effort to get his 100th career win. In the final two laps, he chased down and passed Martin but came up short of catching holeshot winner and race leader Kyle Pallin.

The ISOC National Snocross tour now takes a three-week break but there’s no slowing down for Hibbert. He’ll spend the next two weeks in Colorado preparing for X Games Aspen where he’ll compete for his eighth consecutive gold medal and 13th overall medal. The event will be broadcast live on ESPN Sunday, January 25.

“We (the team) definitely were looking for a better weekend than we ended up having. With the success we’ve had this year, it’s hard to be satisfied with anything less than winning right now.” said Hibbert. “The goal was to win at least one main event to get no. 100 and that didn’t happen. Overall, the weekend was a success because we extended our points lead in the championship. I’m happy with the way I rode but just came up short. I was riding really strong to come from the back of the pack both nights, especially on Saturday. My speed and fitness are there but I really made it tough on myself not getting good starts in the finals. Now, our focus is 100% on X Games. We’re already in Colorado and will spend the next two weeks testing to be prepared to get the eight-peat (eight consecutive gold medals).”

The Polaris AXYS platform is making a dramatic impact in cross-country snowmobile racing this season on the United States X-Country Snowmobile Racing (USXC) circuit.

In USXC racing on Jan. 3 at Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, Polaris racers on RUSH® models built on this innovative chassis finished 2-3 in the Pro Stock race, and six of the race’s top eight finishers were on RUSH sleds. In the Pro Open race, five of the top 10 finishers were Polaris racers on RUSH models.

In the USXC points standings, six of the top seven racers in Pro Stock points are on RUSH sleds built on the AXYS platform, as are four of the top 10 drivers in Pro Open points.

“The power-to-weight ratio of the new RUSH built on the AXYS platform has given us an advantage over the competition,” said Polaris Racing Manager Tom Rager, Jr. “The reduced weight not only helps with the handling, but also gives us improved acceleration and top speed.”

PRO CLASSES: AXYS Riders Dominate the Standings

In the Pro Stock race at Detroit Lakes, Gabe Bunke (Bunke Racing) took second and Ryan Faust (Faust Racing) finished third. Justin Tate (2-Eight Motorsports) was fourth, Spencer Kadlec (Bunke Racing) was sixth, Travis Faust (Faust Racing) was seventh, and Bobby Menne (131 Racing) finished eighth. Ryan Faust left Detroit Lakes as the leader in Pro Stock points, followed by these Polaris racers in third through seventh place: Bunke, Tate, Travis Faust, Kadlec, and Menne.

In both Pro classes, every Polaris racer is on a RUSH model built on the new AXYS platform, which is making its debut in cross-country racing this winter.

In the Pro Open race, five Polaris racers ran in the top 10, led by Nicholas Jahnke in fifth, Ryan Faust in sixth, Travis Faust in seventh, Tate in ninth, and Kadlec in 10th. Ryan Faust is currently fourth in Pro Open points, Travis Faust is fifth, Jahnke is sixth, and Tate is in seventh.

SEMI-PRO: Polaris Earns 3 of 6 Podium Spots

Polaris racers Alex Hetteen (131 Racing), Grant Weber (Faust Racing), and Taylor Bunke (Bunke Racing) all earned podium spots with strong finishes in the Semi-Pro races. Hetteen finished third in the Semi-Pro 600 and is currently third in class points, while Bunke is seventh in points.

In the Semi-Pro Improved race, Weber finished second, Bunke took third, and Hetteen finished ninth. In the points standings, Weber is second, Bunke is third, and Hetteen is in eighth.

Grant Weber led a 1-2-3 Polaris sweep as he won the Sport Open race. While Weber took the checkered flag, Jason Cleasby finished second and Robert Loire took third. Jeff Hayford was seventh and Michael Feigitsch finished eighth.

In the Sport 600 race, Loire finished second, Hayford was sixth, Daniel Herberg was seventh, and Kelsey Pladson (Bunke Racing) took eighth. Loire left Detroit Lakes as the points leader in both Sport 600 and Sport Open. Pladson is third in Sport 600 points and Herberg is fourth.

Jill Tangen won the Women’s Class race and Kelsey Pladson took second. Anne Pladson (Bunke Racing) finished fifth and Kalley Bardson was sixth. Tangen is the class points leader and Kelsey Pladson is in second. Anne Pladson is fifth in points, Brittany Christensen (Christensen Racing) is sixth, and Bardson is seventh.

Polaris racer Parker Thilmony finished second in the I-500 Class race, Robert Loire took sixth, Kyle Dickinson was seventh, and Michael Feigitsch was eighth. Thilmony also finished third in the Masters 40+ Factory Stock 600 race.

Andrew Diekmann earned podium finishes in both Expert 85 classes. He took second in Expert 85 and third in Expert 85 Improved. Matt Prusak finished third in the Trail Class race.
The next race on the USXC schedule is the Grafton (ND) 100 on Jan. 17.

Polaris is a recognized leader in the powersports industry with annual 2013 sales of $3.8 billion. Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets innovative, high quality off-road vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and the Polaris RANGER and RZR side-by-side vehicles, snowmobiles, motorcycles, and on-road electric/hybrid powered vehicles. Polaris is among the global sales leaders for both snowmobiles and off-road vehicles and has established a presence in the heavyweight cruiser and touring motorcycle market with the Victory and Indian Motorcycle brands. Additionally, Polaris continues to invest in the global on-road small electric/hybrid powered vehicle industry with Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), Goupil Industrie SA, Aixam Mega S.A.S., and internally developed vehicles. Polaris enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Polaris Engineered parts, accessories and apparel, Klim branded apparel, and ORV accessories under the Kolpin and Cycle Country brands. Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PII, and the Company is included in the S&P Mid-Cap 400 stock price index.

Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel, and vehicle accessories is available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime at polaris.com.

Team Arctic cross-country racers rang in the New Year with a crushing performance at the USXC J&K Marine 200 in Detroit Lakes, Minn., scoring wins in 16 of 19 classes and capturing 30 of 57 podium positions while leaving the competition nursing a painful hangover.

It was the second event of the USXC season and it showcased the dedicated racers and crews as well as the speed, handling and performance of the production ZR6000R XC and ZR4000RR snowmobiles with EFI engines.

Team Green’s stunning performance was headlined by Zach Herfindahl’s emphatic victory in the 100-mile Pro Stock final, where he led every one of the 10 laps to win by more than 20 seconds over the next finisher.

He and Pro teammate Wes Selby were the number one and two qualifiers in both Pro classes during the weekend. Selby’s run for the Stock class podium ended with a crash while battling for second place, leaving his sled inoperable, however he found solace with an impressive victory in Pro Open with Herfindahl taking second.

Lance Efteland delivered a dramatic performance to win both Semi Pro Stock and Open classes. He was joined by Hunter Houle, who won Junior 14-17 and both Expert 85 classes, as the only other multiple class winners at Detroit Lakes.

Other Team Arctic class winners at Detroit Lakes included Dylan Parsons, Ean Voigt, Dalton Fredrickson, Savannah Landrus, Keaton Black, Steve Martinson, Jesse Watland, Todd Frishmon and Erik Nymann. While capturing more than half of the available podium places, Team Arctic racers swept three podiums at Detroit Lakes.

“We’re so impressed with the hard work and effort on the part of our racers and teams since the last race,” said Mike Kloety, Team Arctic Race Manager. “The fantastic results at Detroit Lakes reflect that effort, as well as the strength of the new ZR6000R XC with the 600 C-TEC2 engine and the new ZR4000RR in the ProCross chassis. From here the cross-country events move onto the ditches and rivers, so the challenges continue for the rest of the season.”

The next stop on the 2015 USXC cross-country schedule is Jan. 17, 2015, in Grafton, ND.

Arctic Cat Inc., based in Thief River Falls, Minn., designs, engineers, manufactures and markets all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and snowmobiles under the Arctic Cat brand name, as well as related parts, garments and accessories. Its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market under the ticker symbol ACAT.

More information about Arctic Cat and its products is available on the Internet at arcticcat.com.