Brian Dick, Zach Herfindahl and Ryan Simons claimed five of six Pro podium spots including all three Pro Open positions and first and second in Pro 600 at the USXC Willmar Area Lakes 100 this past Saturday, January 12.
Brian Dick won his second Pro 600 race in a row and 16-year-old rookie Pro Zach Herfindahl took the first Pro win of his career in Pro Open. To date, the team has won every single Pro final on the USXC schedule.
After a series of mild days and then rain, a cold front blew in and sent the USXC Willmar Area Lakes 100 into a deep-freeze. But it also brought clear skies in its wake meaning good visibility for racers and fans.
The USXC crew laid out roughly a 10-mile course on the frozen surface of Foot Lake just outside downtown Willmar, the CBR team set up shop at the Kandiyohi County fairgrounds and fans lined up on the ice along the shore Saturday to watch the action from the warmth of their vehicles.
Herfindahl started the day off by claiming the first Pro win of his career in the five-lap, 50-mile Pro Open class. He laid down the fastest time in the race (47:37.106) besting his teammate Simons (47:42.328) by over five seconds. Brian Dick finished in third with a time of 47:44.148.
Riders left in flights of two in the 10-lap Pro 600 class. After the 100-mile race that included a mandatory fuel stop, Brian Dick claimed the win with a time of 1:34:40.222, seven seconds faster than second place finisher Herfindahl. Simons finished just off the podium in fourth place.
“This is the third ice race in a row and we really have the machines dialed in,” said Brian Dick. “We’re 2-3mph faster and so far our stuff has just plain worked better than anyone else’s.”
“We have such a great group of guys racing cross-country,” said Christian Brothers Racing team co-owner Dwight Christian. “They work really hard and they get the job done every weekend.”
Next up for Christian Brothers Racing is the ESPN Winter X Games, January 24-27 and the USXC Oslo 100, January 26. For more information on Christian Brothers Racing visit www.christianbrosracing.com.
