RAM TRUCKS SNOCROSS GRAND FINALE PRESENTED BY NIELSEN ENTERPRISES, LAKE GENEVA, WI- (MARCH 17, 2018), Day two of the three day event is in the books getting the stage ready for the Grand Finale. The final round of the season will bring the Pro Open division down to the wire to determine the season champion. In the Pro Lite division, Aki Philaja has established enough of a points lead that looks to put the championship comfortably in his hands.
PRO LITE
Two rounds of heat races saw Jake Angove(177), Travis Muller(436), Nickolas Lorenz(572) and Daniel Benham(221) taking the checkers for the win in Round 1. Round 2 of the heat winners were Aki Pihlaja(128), Marcus Ogemar Hellgren(58), Andrew Lieders(57) and Martin Moland(75).
Several riders having to run the LCQ to transfer where the top three were Travis Muller, Marcus Ogemar Hellgren and Dann Poirnier.
FINAL
Seven laps the distance for the field of fifteen riders for their final race. Off the line at the green, Aki Pihlaja out like a rocket up the hill, gets the Stud Boy Hole shot, coming into the Fabick Cat Corner, Pihlaja almost loses the sled opening the door for Jake Angove(177) to take the early lead followed by Daniel Benham(221) and Andy Lieders in third. Pihlaja is able to recover the sled, but sits deep in the field in eleventh place.
Halfway through the race, Daniel Benham(221) falls back several positions after going off course, putting Lieders and Maxime Taillefer(144) in podium positions. While Angove continues to extend his lead of eleven seconds, Taillefer and Lieders battle for second. Daniel Benham(221) is able to recover one position and begins to challenge Lorenz for fifth, eventually passing and moving in to fourth to finish the race.
Up front, Angove would go on to take the win after leading flag-to-flag. Taillefer makes a hard charge on the last lap to pass Lieders for second. As they come down the Polaris hill for the final lap, Lieders loses control of the sled going off course giving Martin Molan(75) the final podium spot. However, Molan would later be DQ which would give the points leader third place after an incredible comeback run from eleventh place.
FINAL RESULTS
1. Jake Angove
2. Max Taillefer
3. Aki Pihlaja
4. Daniel Benham
5. Nickolas Lorenz
6. Zak Mason
7. Montana Jess
8. Danny Poirier
9. Korbyn Anderson
10. Andrew Lieders
11. Travis Muller
12. Marcus Ogemar Hellgren
13. Evan Daudt
14. Cole Cottew
DQ. Martin Moland
PRO OPEN
Nobody anticipated the Pro Open division would come down to the line, where only four points separated first and second. Tim Tremblay(11) has held onto the red plate for most of the season while Kody Kamm(53) has continually etched away at Tremblay’s lead putting him in striking distance to take the season championship. With bonus points in play again for the heat races, they would not become a factor as both Tremblay and Kamm would win both heat races keeping the points gap level. Tucker Hibbert(68) sitting third in points finds a second and third place finish. Kyle Pallin(324) with a solid round of heats with a third and second.
FINAL
The full field of big dogs on the line, Kamm, Tremblay, Hibbert, Lemieux, Ishoel, it is anyone’s race to win. The top three qualifiers from the heat races are Petter Narsa(54) in third, second is Kody Kamm(53) and the number one qualifier is Tim Tremblay(11).
With the riders on the line and the crowd on their feet, the ISOC starter releases the big dogs with the green light, up the hill and taking the Stud Boy Hole shot is Hentges Racing Kody Kamm(53) followed by Tucker Hibbert(68) and Lincoln Lemieux(13) in third and Tim Tremblay(11) in fourth.
Once again, ISOC Officials have activated the Joker lap which requires each rider to take the longer path up the third hill at least once throughout the race which may have a big factor in the race.
Ten laps the distance, Kamm and Hibbert begin to checkout from the field at the start of lap two, on the top side of the track, Kamm takes the downhill jump getting off camber and almost loses the sled, able to recover while not giving up any ground to Hibbert. Lap-after-lap the two battle it out for the lead, swapping lines back and forth.
As the laps are counting down with five to go, Tim Tremblay(11) makes a pass on teammate Lincoln Lemieux(13) and moves into a podium spot. Up front, Kamm makes takes the joker lap while Hibbert decides not to follow putting him the lead. Tremblay also takes the joker lap putting Lemieux back into third.
White flag in the air, Hibbert still not taking the joker lap has extended his lead by an additional second each lap giving him almost an eight second lead over Kamm, with the joker lap adding nearly five seconds to the overall lap time, there should be enough of a gap to complete the extended course without losing the win to Kamm. Up the final hill and around the top of the track, down the RAM section, Hibbert heads to the checkers to take the win over Kamm by two seconds followed by Tremblay in third. Adam Renheim(311) takes home the Great Performer award on the night for passing the most competitors in the race.
FINAL RESULTS.
1. Tucker Hibbert
2. Kody Kamm
3. Tim Tremblay
4. Lincoln Lemieux
5. Ryan Springer
6. Kyle Pallin
7. Adam Renheim
8. Petter Narsa
9. Ross Martin
10. Elias Ishoel
11. Andrew Carlson
12. Corin Todd
13. Brett Nastala
14. Tyler Adams