Fertile, MN (March 8, 2017) – Entering their final weekend of USXC competition for 2017, the Christian Brothers Racing cross-country duo of Zach Herfindahl and Ryan Trout were looking to cap off a highly-successful season of racing. Unseasonably warm temperatures around Naytahwaush, Minnesota, made the ice-lemans style race held on Twin Lake a wet one, even affecting some of the riders’ machines.
Herfindahl (AMG Peterbilt/doc/Arctic Cat) entered the race as the rider to beat, having won all the ice lemans events this season. But he would fall victim to the wet conditions, slowing his pace in both Pro Stock and Pro Open.
“We had some sled troubles due to the water on the track,” Herfindahl said. That set us back on the first lap in the Pro Stock final, but we came back and got on the podium with 3rd place. We had a great time and overall we’re happy with the weekend.”
Like Herfindahl, Trout’s (Country Cat/Royal Distributing/Arctic Cat) has been the pace setter in Semi-Pro 600 and the I-500 class, especially at the ice lemans events. Trout cruised through the I-500 class, but had a hard-fought battle in Semi-Pro 600.
“I got a bad start in Semi-Pro 600, but I was able to get into first place pretty quick,” Trout said. “But another guy was riding really well and passed me, then I passed him back. This went on the entire race! On the last lap in the last corner I cut underneath him and won the race.”
Trout’s win earned him a spot on the Pro 600 grid. At one point, he was in second place in that race, but his sled sucked in some water and his speed dropped to 40MPH. He lost two spots and finished 4th in his first Pro race.
While the cross-country team was battling water and ice in northern Minnesota, Jacob Yurk and the sncoross team were conquering the snocross track carved into the ski hill at Sundown Mountain Resort near Dubuque, Iowa. The track featured one of the toughest downhill runs the team has faced, but they were ready for the challenge.
Yurk (Country Cat/Royal Distributing/Arctic Cat) won a heat and claimed 3rd in another on his way to the final on Saturday. It was tough going on the brutal track and Yurk fought to a 10th place finish in the highly-competitive Pro Lite final.
“We made some progression in certain areas but overall didn’t put up the results we wanted,” Yurk said. “We’ll do our homework and come back strong for the final event at Lake Geneva.”
Dubuque was the scene of the seventh of eight Arctic Cat ZR120 snowmobile giveaways sponsored by Christian Brothers Racing and Arctic Cat. Keagen Metz was the lucky little winner, he made sure to let Logan Christian know what sound the snowmobile makes.
Next up for Christian Brothers Racing Racing is the Ram Trucks Snocross Grand Finale, March 17-19, in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
For more information on Christian Brothers Racing visit www.christianbrosracing.com.
Watch the recap videos from Naytahwaush and Dubuque online at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKunOj7bQBlJxCGNfuj7bTQ
Check out The Renegade Series with Logan Christian at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fst-3-52cHQ
USXC Photo Credit : Aaron Kennedy
Snocross Photo Credit : Lissa Marsolek