Fastest riders in the world converge at Duluth National to launch the 2017 season.
Carlson earns main event start; Springer shows mid-season speed in qualifying.
Elk River, Minn. Nov. 30, 2016 – As it has for the past 24 years, the eyes of the entire snowmobile industry focused on Spirit Mountain in Duluth, Minnesota as the International Series of Champions (ISOC) AMSOIL Championship Snocross and the fastest 24 riders in the world kicked-down the door on another season. Carlson Moto riders were part of this elite mix and they showed the speed and moxie required to compete and win what is undoubtedly the most competitive class in snowmobile racing.
Facing the best riders from the United States, Canada and Scandinavian countries, Andrew Carlson and Ryan Springer brought their A-game, qualifying for Friday night’s head-to-head AMSOIL Dominator event. Carlson pulled the early holeshot against three-time Dominator champ Tim Tremblay, but Tim banged his way past Andrew in a close race that went down to the wire.
Ryan Springer used his bull-rush style to advance all the way to the main event where he squared off against eventual winner Elias Isohel and runner-up Kyle Pallin. As the third seed in the final, Springer left the start line with back row disadvantage that proved too much to overcome in the short 1.5 lap sprint.
With winter’s arrival coming late to the Midwest, conditions at Duluth were surprisingly very good early on, thanks to a monumental effort by ISOC and Spirit Mountain staff to produce one of the biggest tracks in recent Duluth National memory. However exceptionally warm temperatures on Saturday made for treacherous conditions and poor visibility for anyone who wasn’t out front.
Both Carlson and Springer showed blazing speed during qualifying efforts, with Ryan posting a strong third in round one. But when you battle the best the smallest mistake can spell the difference between main event glory or an early trip back to the hauler. Unfortunately for Springer, his Saturday race efforts ended early. Carlson however worked his way into the final through a hard-fought race in the last chance qualifier.
In the main, Carlson battled a wall of slush and mud from front row riders on a quickly deteriorating track to nab a 12th place finish. Conditions continued to worsen throughout the overnight hours, and race officials cancelled Sunday’s round two action due to fog and safety concerns.
With the opening race under their belt and both riders and crew shaking out the off-season cob webs, Carlson Moto will set their podium sites on Winter Park, Colorado, where rounds 3 and 4 of the AMSOIL Championship Snocross tour will return to action December 16-17, 2016. You can find details on the entire snocross season including schedule, live streaming information, and rebroadcasts of each round on the CBS Sports network at snocross.com. Learn more about Carlson Moto team members at CarlsonMoto.com and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About Carlson Moto:
Carlson Moto is a family of racers, mechanics and sponsors who are proud of our accomplishments on the track and off. We are drive to excellence in everything we do. Our racing operation is driven by a deep-rooted passion for the spot and an operational philosophy grounded in integrity. To learn more about Carlson Moto and how you can share in our success, visit CarlsonMoto.com