Second year in the Pro Lite class was a big one for Team LaVallee/Polaris racer Jake Scott out of Long Island, N.Y.
Contact: Pat Schutte
PR Director, ISOC Racing
pat@highprofilepr.com
Minneapolis (Nov. 28, 2013) – This past March Team LaVallee Pro Lite class racer Jake Scott (Mystic Lubricants/Loctite/Polaris/Red Bull) would wrap up his first pro class title on the AMSOIL Championship Snocross, presented by Ram, circuit – topping Andrew Lieders and David Joanis for the Pro Lite crown in Lake Geneva, Wis.
And he pretty much did it on one leg.
Battling a severely strained knee for the second half of the winner, the Long Island, N.Y. native gutted out some consistent finishes in the tight championship race before putting a bit of distance on Lieders and Joanis at the final two rounds. The championship would not only be Scott’s first, but also the first AMSOIL Championship Snocross title for Levi LaVallee’s team.
ISOC caught up with Jake Scott and got his take on the championship season of ’13, how things went for him over the summer and his thoughts on moving up to the premier AMSOIL Championship Snocross Pro Open class beginning this weekend in Duluth, Minn.
ISOC: Yeah, Jake. How’d your summer go?
Jake Scott: Summer was good. I rode moto quite a bit, did a bunch of races in Expert class and did pretty well in those. Went down to South Carolina to a motocross camp, and that was pretty sweet. Got to ride with some guys like Cooper Webb and learned a lot down there. Cooper made me feel a lot less fast than I thought I was (laughter). Then I ended up having Ivan Tedesco stay with me for ten days, got a lot of good advice from him. He’s a real cool dude and helped me a lot. So hopefully next summer I can get my pro (MX) license.
ISOC: Moving on to snowmobiles … let’s start with the Pro Lites. Are you kind of bummed that you’re not going to get the chance to defend your title this year?
Jake Scott: I guess a little bit bummed that I can’t do that, but also at the same time I’m pumped to be moving up. My whole dream during my racing career was to get to the Open class and I’m finally here. So I’m just beyond stoked about that.
ISOC: How much time have you had on the Pro Open class sled?
Jake Scott: About a week on it.
ISOC: Sans being in full main event gate, you’ve had a bit of time to get the feel for a Pro Open sled. What are the main differences you’re seeing between the Pro Lite and Pro Open sleds?
Jake Scott: It’s definitely the long track. Adjusting to that is pretty different. Cornering feels way different and in the beginning I was pretty slow around the turns. But Kyle (Pallin) and Levi have been giving me some pointers so got it dialed pretty good. And with the long track it’s actually a lot better through the rough stuff, doesn’t swap out as quick.
ISOC: So it’s you and Kyle on the Pro Open sleds for Team LaVallee, Lieders on the Pro Lites. How’s that going to be having to watch Andy make a run at the Pro Lite title while wearing the same jacket as you?
Jake Scott: Yeah, Lieders is for sure a fast rider. We were just up with him at Scheuring’s and he was on it. Riding really good already this year, so he’s going to be tough to beat.
ISOC: Teaming with Pallin and Lieders is nothing new, right? Didn’t you guys team up to help Team USA to a victory over the World Team in the inaugural Ram World Cup last March in Lake Geneva??
Jake Scott: We sure did. Helping bring Team USA to victory was awesome! Being teamed up with Kyle Pallin, Kody Kamm, Andy Lieders and Andrew Carlson was like a dream team. It was a tough race but we were pumped to be able to take the win.
ISOC: Not to leave Levi out of this … how helpful has it been to have a veteran of so many Pro Open race wars in your corner, assisting you with the transition from Pro Lites to Pro Open sleds?
Jake Scott: Levi’s definitely been one of my biggest helpers out there. Even when I was transitioning into the Pro Lite class he was there to help me out. I can’t thank him enough.
ISOC: What are some of the better pieces of advice that you’ve got from Levi?
Jake Scott: As far as bumping up to the Pro Open, Levi told me not to get down on myself if I don’t come out and get podiums right away like I did last year. He said use the first couple of races just to have fun, use them to learn. Don’t worry if the first few races don’t go the way I’m planning them to go. “Prepare for the worst, but train for the best,” Levi’d say.
ISOC: So last year you rode around quite a bit on an injured knee. What kind of work did you have done on your knee – if any – during the off-season?
Jake Scott: I actually just left it. My physical therapist told me not to get the surgery. He said if I did I’d be very likely to get arthritis very young. So I was at my physical therapist’s all summer long, getting it ready-to-go for the start of this season.
ISOC: So what was wrong with your knee?
Jake Scott: My physical therapist said it was meniscus and, quite likely, something else. I went to a couple other therapists and they all said the same thing. But I didn’t want to go to the doctor to hear what that was, so I just did a lot of therapy and a lot of training.
ISOC: In terms of fitness are you entering the season where you want to be? Are you as fit as when you entered the season last year?
Jake Scott: I think I should be as least as fit as I was last year, yeah. This summer me and my trainer built a cross-fit gym and we’ve been training pretty hard all summer in that thing. I also did quite a bit of wakeboarding, along with moto and cross-fit. That’s about it, really.
ISOC: Land any big tricks on that wakeboard?
Jake Scott: Not to brag, but I’m very good at crashing. I’ve got that pretty dialed (laughter).
ISOC: Right on. Well good luck at Duluth, Jake. I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fans from your Pro Lite days keeping an eye on you during the Pro Open action.
Jake Scott: Thanks. Looking forward to seeing everyone here on Friday in Duluth!