CANTERBURY PARK – SHAKOPEE, MN. (JANUARY 7, 2017) – The AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series Presented by RAM lines up for Round 6 In front of packed house. Just when you expect to see repeat winners, the game is changed and new players begin to mix it up. Round 5 saw the Rookie Elias Ishoel(200) mark his name in the books with his first win while PRO Lite rider Zak Mason(63) brought his A-game and landed his first win of the season. Round 6 promises to be full of high flying action and maybe some new faces on the podiums.
PRO LITE
Big things continue to happen for the Boss Racing rider from Finland, Aki Pihlaja(128) captures the top qualifier again after two first place finishes in the heat while Maxime Taillefer(144) is finding his own rhythm and taking second and third place finishes. Round 5 winner Zak Mason is forced to run the LCQ due to mechanical issues in the heats, but lands a transfer spot to the main. Rookie rider Nickolas Lorenz continues to pilot the Judkick Motorsports sled to top three finishes along with Cole Cottew(21) putting together solid qualifying rounds.
With no shortage of talent, it is anyone’s race to win, Pihlaja, Taillefer, Lorenz, Mason, Angove, who will land the victory. Green flag in the air and it is Nickolas Lorenz who grabs the Stud Boy hole shot by a ski over Cole Cottew. Max Taillefer on their heels as they go three wide through the AMSOIL finish line jump and into the RAM corner where Max goes big to the pass on the outside for the lead.
Points leader Pihlaja makes a quick move on Lorenz to move into second and begin to chase down Taillefer while mid-pack Mason and Angove battle for 5th and 6th. Angove would make the move at the half way point, but late in the race ran into some trouble and finished 15th. With a four second lead early on, Taillefer continued to lead the field, Philaja would begin to make up ground in hopes to challenge for the lead, but was unable to find the victory. Max would go onto grab his first win of the season with Philaja in second and Nickolas Lorenz bringing the final podium spot for the night.
1. Max Taillefer
2. Aki Pihlaja
3. Nickolas Lorenz
4. Kevin Wallenstein
5. Zak Mason
6. Marcus Ogemar Hellgren
7. Andrew Lieders
8. Eddie Neubauer
9. Leo Patenaude
10. Tyler Adams
11. Danny Poirier
12. Cole Cottew
13. Andrew Lindholm
14. Nathaniel Bosum
15. Jake Angove
PRO OPEN
After the snow dust settled from Round 5, the field of PRO Open riders battled in the heats for a shot in the final round. Tucker Hibbert(68) lands a double third place finish while Tim Tremblay(11) continues find his way to the front and marks in two first place finishes. Round 5 winner Elias Ishoel(200) with two mid-pack finishes transfers to the main along with Kody Kamm(53) grabbing a win and a fourth place finish. Kyle Pallin(324) with a respectable second and third while Ross Martin(837) is forced to transfer to the final from the LCQ.
Final race of the night, the fans are on their feet and cheering for the big dogs to take the green. Tremblay and team mate Lincoln Lemieux(13) are the top two qualifiers, off the line they go and through the Country Cat corner to the Stud Boy holeshot, it is Tremblay followed by Logan Christian(43). Tucker Hibbert(68) is off his sled before getting to the AMSOIL finish line, but is quickly back on his sled in pursuit of the field. Adam Renheim(311) and Logan battled for second, Renheim would take the position but would later make a mistake giving back the spot to Logan. Tremblay too makes a mistake giving the lead to Christian, but it is Kody Kamm(53) who is on fire as he begins to reel in the leaders.
Rewind one year ago, Kamm suffered an season ending injury while on his way to victory, now in second place, he continues to trim the lead of Logan Christian(43), trying to make his move lap-after-lap. Back and fourth the two battle for the top spot. Kamm would try the inside, the outside, but Christian continued to hold him off. Kamm sets up Christian for an inside pass on lap nine and makes it stick for the lead.
Tucker Hibbert(68) continues to find trouble and is off his sled again along with Elias Ishoel(200) who was thrown off his sled through the Arctic Cat corner and is done for the night. Current points leader Tim Tremblay(11) was off to a great start, but mis-judged the FXR corner and landed outside of the track and out of contention for a podium finish.
As the laps wind down Kamm continued to extend his lead of the field and taking the win for the Hentges Racing team along with Christian Brothers Racing, Logan Christian(43) in second and Boss Racing Adam Renheim(311) finishing up the top three. Tucker Hibbert(68) unable to make his way back through the field would end the night with a twelfth place finish.
1. Kody Kamm
2. Logan Christian
3. Adam Renheim
4. Petter Narsa
5. Kyle Pallin
6. Tim Tremblay
7. Lincoln Lemieux
8. Ross Martin
9. Andrew Carlson
10. Ryan Springer
11. Dylan Hall
12. Tucker Hibbert
13. Corin Todd
14. Corey Watkinson
15. Elias Ishoel