CANTERBURY PARK – SHAKOPEE, MN. (JANUARY 8, 2017) – The AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series Presented by RAM finishes up the weekend with a makeup race for Round 2 from Spirit Mountain which was canceled due to foggy conditions. Riders again battled sub-zero temps for the final round of competition.
Current points standings have moved around a bit after some unexpected results throughout the weekend. Tim Tremblay(11) has moved his way up the ladder to the top while Tucker Hibbert(68) has moved down in the ranks due to some big battles over the weekend. Kody Kamm(53) made a huge statement with his win in Round 6 and Aki Pihlaja(128) stretched his point lead with another PRO Lite victory in Round 6 as well.
PRO LITE
After a big night of racing action, PRO Lite riders are back on track for their qualifying session of heats. Two rounds of four heats with plenty of action. Zak Mason(63) who tackled his first win in Round 5 had some mechanical issues that forced him to the LCQ round, but would transfer to the main, Aki Pihlaja(128) again grabbed a win, but it was Andrew Lieders(57) who was the top qualifier with two first place finishes, Nickolas Lorenz (572) the number two qualifier and Travis Muller(436) qualifying third.
After 10 races and 2 LCQ, the riders are lined up for the final time of the weekend, green flag in the air, into the Country Cat corner and towards the Stud Boy Holeshot it is Aki Pihlaja with the holeshot and out to the early lead, but Lieders takes over the lead through the FXR Corner and into the Air Force rhythm section. Not letting Lieders get too far away, Pihlaja drags races into the Ski Doo corner to take back the lead and checks out from the field.
Bar-to-bar racing for the third and fourth as Lorenz and Evan Daudt battle lap-after-lap, Daudt makes an inside pass on lap four and moves into the final podium spot. Round 5 winner Maxime Taillefer(144) running through the field begins to challenge Daudt, around the Ski Doo corner, Taillefer is able to make the pass pushing Daudt back to fifth. Up front Aki Pihlaja(128) extends his lead and takes the checkers for the win followed by Andrew Lieders and Nickolas Lorenz landing on the box in third.
1.Aki Pihlaja
2.Andrew Lieders
3.Nickolas Lorenz
4.Max Taillefer
5.Evan Daudt
6.Jake Angove
7.Marcus Ogemar Hellgren
8.Cole Cottew
9.Travis Muller
10.Zak Mason
11.Kevin Wallenstein
12.James Johnstad
13.Danny Poirier
14.Travis Kern
15.Andrew Lindholm
PRO OPEN
With a difficult weekend of many challenges, the Monster Energy team came together and moved forward despite Rounds 5 and 6, Tucker Hibbert(68) with a twelfth place finish in Round 6 regrouped in qualifying with a second and third place finish. Ross Martin(837) found the fast line in round 2 of the heats and rocketed past the completion through the Polaris rhythm section as he tripled into the lead, with a dominating performance, Martin was on his way to a victory when mechanical issues on the last lap allowed Tim Tremblay(11) to pass for the lead and the win putting Martin in second. Adam Renheim(311) and Kyle Pallin(324) also had solid runs in the heats.
Final race of the day, Tucker Hibbert(68) hopes to find the checkers ahead of the field as he has come custom to many times before, while number one qualifier Tim Tremblay(11) looks to continue to extend his points lead.
Out of the shoot it is Ross Martin(837) with the Stud Boy hole shot. Martin and his crew obviously resolving the mechanical issue from the heat race is on the fast path to the lead followed by Tucker Hibbert(68). With only a few laps in the books, Martin and Hibbert put several sled lengths between them and third place.
Hibbert knows all to well the game of patience and slowly begins to reel in Martin and challenge for the lead.
Rookie rider Elias Ishoel(200) with a strong start, settles into third early on, but finds trouble in the FXR Turn throwing him off course opening up the door for Round 5 winner Kody Kamm(53) to step in. Big battles for 5th, 6th and 7th as Kyle Pallin(324), Tim Tremblay(11) and team mate Lincoln Lemieux(13) race bar-to-bar. Pallin holding on but will be eventually be passed by Lemieux along with a big air pass by Tremblay putting Pallin back to sixth.
Up front lap-after-lap Hibbert chases down Martin, turning to the inside on the Jimmy Johns corner and drag races through the Pirtek rhythm section, Hibbert takes off like a rocket to make the pass on Martin for the lead and never looks back. Martin with a solid finishing weekend takes the number two spot on the box while Kody Kamm(53) holds onto third to round off his weekend on the podium.
1. Tucker Hibbert
2. Ross Martin
3. Kody Kamm
4. Tim Tremblay
5. Lincoln Lemieux
6. Petter Narsa
7. Adam Renheim
8. Corin Todd
9. Elias Ishoel
10. Logan Christian
11. Kyle Pallin
12. Corey Watkinson
13. Andrew Carlson
14. Ryan Springer
15. Brett Nastala