Fertile, MN (January 31, 2017) – Widely viewed as the biggest race in snowmobiling, the Winter X Games snocross places riders on a world stage. With millions of viewers, winners at Winter X become household names. But with its high profile nature comes higher stakes and bigger challenges. This year’s race featured one of the most difficult start chutes riders have seen – a downhill chute that led into an off-camber hairpin, two terrain features most snowmobiles don’t handle well.
Logan Christian (doc/AMG Peterbilt/Arctic Cat) arrived in Aspen with a second place podium finish already to his credit this season. He was looking to medal in snocross at Winter X, a goal that has eluded him to this point. But, like a number of other riders, he fell victim to the brutal starting line setup.
“I had high hopes coming into Winter X,” said Christian. “We had our Arctic Cat running really good and I was ready to go. I got a really good run off the line and when I started turning to go through the hairpin I got nailed by another rider. I came off and went straight into the berm on the outside and broke my collar bone.”
The broken bone ended Christian’s X Games weekend and will keep him out most of the rest of the season. Initial prognosis says he may be back by Lake Geneva, March 17-19.
With two massive events looming on the Christian Brothers Racing cross-country calendar, the Soo I-500 and the Winnipeg to Willmar I-600, Zach Herfindahl (AMG Peterbilt/doc/Arctic Cat) and Ryan Trout (Country Cat/Royal Distributing/Arctic Cat) first had to take care of business at the Thief River Falls 250. Run in the ditches, rivers, woods and fields in the Thief River Falls, Minnesota, area, it covers the same types of terrain the riders will see in the I-600 in two weeks.
Herfindahl remained perfect on the Pro 600 class, winning by more than a minute over second place, and also took the win in Pro Open. The Pro 600 win is Herfindahl’s 4th in a row and gives him a 52-point lead over the second place rider in the points chase.
“We had a close race on Saturday and that put us right behind the leader for the start on Sunday,” said Herfindahl. “I had a great start and ran at the front the rest of the race. That’s four wins in a row thanks to an awesome team and all the hard work we put into the program together.”
Trout, who has been the rider to beat in the Semi-Pro 600 class, finished 5th in the class and second in the I-500 class. He holds a 32-point lead in the Semi-Pro 600 class.
“This weekend didn’t go as planned for us,” Trout said. “On the positive side, we stayed safe and I’m ready for the Soo next weekend.”
Next up for Christian Brothers Racing snocross is the U.S. Air Force Snocross National, February 3-4, in Salamanca, New York. The cross-country team heads to the Soo I-500, January 30-Feb 4, in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
For more information on Christian Brothers Racing visit www.christianbrosracing.com.
Watch recap videos online at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKunOj7bQBlJxCGNfuj7bTQ
Check out The Renegade Series with Logan Christian at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbxZaE3JLnM
Photo Credit : Lissa Marsolek
Photo Credit: Aaron Kennedy