THEISEN’S SNOCROSS NATIONAL, DUBUQUE, IA- (MARCH 3, 2017), Nestled in the rolling hills of Iowa along the Mississippi River is the Sundown Mountain Resort and the host of the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series Presented by RAM for rounds 13 and 14. Throughout the history of the series, there has never been a race hosted in Iowa, this new venue could easily be considered the most challenging course of the 2016-2017 season.
Coming into the weekend the points chase has tightened up in the Pro Open division with Tim Tremblay(11) still leading the points followed by Kody Kamm(53) and Tucker Hibbert(68) close behind in third. In the Pro Lite division, Aki Pihlaja continues to extend his point lead while Jake Angove(177) is running second and Nickolas Lorenz round off the top three in points.
PRO LITE
Big action in the heat race saw Zak Mason(63) reel in a first and second place finish on the Team LaValee Polaris sled. Points leader Aki Pihlaja also with a second and a first place is the number one qualifier for the final round. Montana Jess(765) picking up a heat win on the Jess Racing Arctic Cat while Jake Angove(177) locked in a second and a first place for the second qualifer.
Final race of the night for the Pro Lite division lines up for the long start towards the downhill and into the hard left hand turn, with the green flag in the air, it is Zak Mason(63) who lands the Stud Boy Hole shot and into the early lead, however Aki Pihlaja gets into the back of Mason slowing him down giving Angove the opportunity to move into first, Pihlaja is also able to move past Mason for second.\
Down the ski hill they go, it is Angove, Philaja and Mason, into the FXR corner, Philaja makes and aggressive move for the pass on Angove, unable to make the pass, it opens the door for Mason to move back into second. While Philaja is trying to gain ground and move back into second, Daniel Benham(221) is making a hard charge for third.
Angove up front begins to check out from the field leaving the battle between Philaja and Mason to continue for second. With the laps winding down to the final lap, Angove would go onto take the checkered flag followed by Mason in second and Philaja taking the third spot on the box.
FINAL RESULT
1. Jake Angove
2. Zak Mason
3. Aki Pihlaja
4. Daniel Benham
5. Martin Moland
6. Nickolas Lorenz
7. Danny Poirier
8. Alex Berglund
9. Travis Kern
10. Montana Jess
11. Max Taillefer
12. Evan Daudt
13. Travis Muller
14. Cole Cottew
15. Leo Patenaude
PRO OPEN
As the season is getting close to the final rounds in Lake Geneva, in order for Hibbert to add another championship to his resume, it is increasingly important for Tucker to win not only the finals, but the heat races as well. With the heat races in the books, Tim Tremblay(11) comes away as the top qualifier with two first place wins while Hibbert pulls a third and a second. Hentges Racing rider Kody Kamm(53) inked in a second and a first while Kyle Pallin(324) found his rhythm today and grabs two third place finishes.
With the title sponsors Theisen’s on hand along with a packed crowd lining the banks of the Sundown Mountain race track, the field is on the line and ready for the green flag to fly. Down the long straight towards the Stud Boy Holeshot, it is Lincoln Lemieux(13) to the line first followed by Petter Narsa(54) close behind and Andrew CarlsonAndrew Carlson(151) also getting a great start, passes Narsa in the GoPro corner to take over second. Hibbert needing a good holeshot, gets out the of the gate deep in the field and sits in ninth on lap one of the eighteen lap final.
As the field heads up the ski hill, Kyle Pallin(324) gets a big run on Carlson and makes the pass to move into second place. Adam Renheim(311) on the Boss Racing Ski Doo begins to close in on Carlson while Petter Narsa(54) slides back into 5th place. With an unfortunate mechanical issue Kody Kamm(53) comes off the track and is done for the night, giving Hibbert a needed break to make up some points.
Lap-after-Lap, Carlson continues to hold off Adam Renheim(311) until lap nine, Renheim able to make the pass and move into third. Hibbert begins to move forward from ninth and sitting in sixth followed by Tim Tremblay(11) in seventh who would make a big run on Hibbert on the downhill and pass Tucker in the FXR Corner.
Up front Kyle Pallin(324) reeled in Lincoln Lemieux(13) to challenge for second, but is unable to close the gap enough for the pass. As the laps wind down to the checkers, Lincoln Lemieux(13) continues to lead the field and takes the win followed by Kyle Pallin(324) getting his first podium of the season in second and Adam Renheim(311) taking the third spot on the box.
1. Lincoln Lemieux
2. Kyle Pallin
3. Adam Renheim
4. Tim Tremblay
5. Tucker Hibbert
6. Ross Martin
7. Andrew Carlson
8. Elias Ishoel
9. Corin Todd
10. Brett Nastala
11. Petter Narsa
12. Ryan Springer
13. Kody Kamm