Elk River, Minn. ~ The championship push intensified Friday night as AMSOIL Championship Snocross, presented by Brunt Workwear, returned to the sport’s modern home for round 11: the CF Moto Snocross National at ERX Motor Park in Elk River, Minnesota. With just one month remaining in the season and only six rounds left on the schedule, the pressure across the paddock was evident as riders fought to gain critical ground in tightening championship battles.

Warm late-winter weather brought a mix of rain and snow (and a even a little lightning) to the massive ERX layout, creating evolving track conditions as the night progressed. Deep ruts, technical rhythms, and massive jumps forced riders to constantly adapt while bar-to-bar racing unfolded across the national classes. With the stretch run of the championship now underway, every point gained — or lost — carried increased importance as the race to the title entered its final month.

Lebel Leads the Charge in Pro Open Thriller

The AMSOIL Pro class continues to tighten as the season enters its final stretch, with the sport’s top contenders rising to the occasion. Defending champion Emil Harr is back to full strength, rookie Crayden Dillon is surging at the right time, and points leader Jordan Lebel is gaining confidence with every passing lap. Friday night’s Pro Open final at ERX Motor Park showcased all three storylines in a dramatic showdown.

Lebel came out aggressive, slipping past Daniel Benham early to take control of the race, but Harr quickly began turning up the pressure. By lap three, the defending champion muscled his way into the lead and appeared poised to capture his third victory of the season. Just three laps later, however, Harr’s race took a sudden turn when he became stuck in the soft, wet snow, forcing him to pull his sled free as the field streamed past.

With Harr dropping down the order, Lebel reclaimed the lead and looked ready to run away with his fifth win of the season. Dillon had other plans. After starting in the back row and sitting tenth after the opening lap, the rookie methodically worked his way forward, climbing into podium contention by lap six and then moving into second after Harr’s mishap. Dillon closed the gap in the final laps, but Lebel held firm to secure his first win since Valcourt.

“I was motivated to get up here,” said Lebel. “I got a good start and was just cruising on my lines, Crayden caught me there at the end but I made the most of it and stayed out front.”

Behind them, Hunter Patenaude spent the race battling near the front and sat in third on lap ten. The veteran had to withstand late pressure from rookie Anson Scheele over the final laps, ultimately locking down his first podium of the season by less than a second at the finish line.

Christian Charges to Pro Lite Victory as Cole Battles Back

Points leader Cameron Cole found himself deep in the pack off the start of Friday night’s Pro Lite final, exiting the opening turns in 12th place. While Cole began working his way forward, the battle at the front quickly became a showdown between Evan Christian and Eric Downs as snow and rain reduced visibility across the ERX track.

Downs launched out of the gate and controlled the early laps, leading the charge through the opening seven circuits while Christian patiently stalked from behind. By mid-race, Christian had closed the gap and made his move, railing past Downs to take command. Once out front, the rider who sits second in the championship standings pulled away late to secure his second win of the season.

“The track was fun, it was really fun all day long,” said Chrisitan. “We were fighting the weather all day long, but it was a great day overall.

Downs continued his resurgent campaign with another strong ride, backing up his earlier season success with his second straight podium finish in second place. Drew Freeland held firm in the third position throughout the race, securing the final podium spot while keeping Cole’s late-race charge at bay as the points leader climbed to fourth at the checkered flag.

Forsell Finds First U.S. Win After Early-Race Shakeup

Avery Hemmer’s dominant rookie campaign in Bikeman Performance Pro AM Women took an unexpected turn Friday night at ERX. Entering the round with eight straight victories, Hemmer grabbed the holeshot but a hard crash in the opening chaos — with heavy traffic close behind — sent Hemmer, Inanna Hauger, and Victoria Dillon, the top three riders in the championship standings, to the back of the field.

The incident opened the door for a new race at the front as Wilma Jonsson inherited the early lead with Saga Forsell close behind. Forsell made her move on lap two and, despite early pressure from Jonsson, steadily pulled away to capture her first career win in the United States. 

“I’m still in shock,” said Forsell. “This is awesome. I feel bad for the crash, and I hope everyone is okay, but this feels so good.”

Jonsson delivered an impressive debut in her first race on U.S. soil, finishing a strong second, while Kendall Rose put together an excellent ride to secure third and earn her first career podium.

Kern Capitalizes Late for First Pro AM Plus 30 Victory

A rare winter lightning storm briefly delayed the start of the Thomas Sno Sports Pro AM Plus 30 final Friday night at ERX Motor Park, but when the race finally got underway, it delivered one of the most dramatic finishes of the evening.

Travis Kern’s return to national competition produced that moment. A year after his Pro season ended in the second round at Ironwood, Kern made his 2026 debut in Elk River in the Pro AM Plus 30 class and found victory lane in thrilling fashion.

For much of the race, points leader Corin Todd appeared to have the final under control, setting the pace out front while Kern worked to regain rhythm after the long layoff. But as the laps wound down and lapped traffic began to factor into the race, Todd’s advantage started to shrink. On the final lap, Kern had closed the gap, and in the last corner Todd was forced to check up behind a lapper. Kern seized the opportunity, diving to the inside and powering through to steal the win at the line.

“I just came out here to have fun,” said Kern. “I rode the sled on Monday and got about 20 minutes of seat time and decided to just come out and have fun and it worked out pretty good.”

Todd held on for a close second-place finish, while Tyler Oomen continued his remarkable consistency by securing his ninth podium of the season, holding off Brian Petersen for the third spot.

Knudson Knocks Off First Sport Win

The Pirtek Sport final delivered a surprise twist Friday night as defending Sport Lite champion Tavin Knudson returned to the lineup and immediately made his presence felt. Despite missing several rounds this season, Knudson executed a flawless race, grabbing the early lead and controlling the contest from start to finish to earn his first career Sport-class podium — and victory — in dominant fashion.

Lawrence Eeg continued to find his rhythm as the season progresses, riding a consistent race to secure second place from the opening laps to the checkered flag, marking his first podium finish of the season. Wyatt Skogquist, who captured his first podium of the year in New York, carried that momentum into ERX, moving into third on lap seven and holding the position to record his second straight podium result.

vanHorsigh Steals Last-Lap Victory in Wild Sport Lite Finish

The FlexToy Powersport Rentals Sport Lite final delivered one of the most dramatic races of the night at ERX. Salvatore LaBeau, fresh off his second podium of the season in New York, looked poised to secure his first victory of the year after leading much of the race while fending off pressure from Zach Miller. Behind them, Carter vanHorsigh stayed close, stalking the battle while Miller defended the runner-up spot.

With two laps remaining, the race took a sudden turn when Miller was sidelined, opening the door for vanHorsigh to move into second and set his sights on LaBeau. On the final lap, vanHorsigh made the decisive move, slipping past the race leader and riding away for his fourth win in the past five rounds. LaBeau crossed the line with his best finish of the season in second, while Riley Johnson charged from a sixth-place start to capture his second podium of the year with a third-place finish.

Specialty Box & Crate Junior 14–15: Jackson Goike delivered a breakthrough performance in the Junior 14–15 final, leading from start to finish to secure his first victory of the season. Goike grabbed the early lead and maintained control throughout the race, holding off the field to capture a well-earned win.

Points leader Carter vanHorsigh saw his four-race win streak come to an end but still salvaged a strong result with a runner-up finish. Tyson Kielman completed the podium after fending off Mason Broden over the final two laps, earning his first podium finish of the season with a third-place ride.

Lakeland Powersports Junior Girls 9-13: The Junior Girls 9–13 final came down to the wire on Friday. Lila Hemmer held her line under pressure and edged out points leader Charlie Buteau at the finish by just .611 of a second to secure her first win of the season.

Buteau, who started the year with seven straight victories, continued her consistent run with a second-place finish, marking her second runner-up result in the past two rounds. Round eight winner Eva Gifford remained in the mix as well, riding to a solid third-place finish to complete the podium.

Anderson’s Maple Syrup Transition 9-13: Ryan Shimanski continued to control both the race and the championship standings in the Transition 9–13 class on Friday. The points leader launched off the start, grabbed the early lead, and never looked back, delivering a wire-to-wire victory for his second straight win and sixth overall triumph of the season.

Round four winner Isaac Otto kept the pressure on throughout and secured the runner-up position, while Noah Gillis capitalized on a consistent ride to finish third. Gillis also gained valuable points on Logan Bruch — who sits third overall in the standings but did not race on Friday.

SPEEDWERX Transition 8-10: Noah Kuhn continued to assert himself in the Transition 8–10 class on Friday, delivering another commanding performance. The points leader grabbed the early lead and controlled the race from start to finish, securing a wire-to-wire victory for his sixth win of the season.

Koy Maruska kept the pressure on throughout the race but was sidelined on the final lap, opening the door for Parker Wruck to move up and secure his best finish of the season with a runner-up result. Sullivan Bergman also put together an impressive charge, climbing from seventh at the end of lap two to third on the final lap to earn his third podium in just three rounds of competition this season.

Rox Speed FX Stock 200: Harrison Skar entered ERX with the championship points lead but was still searching for his first victory of the season. On Friday night in Elk River, he checked that box in impressive fashion. Skar grabbed the holeshot and controlled the Stock 200 final from the start, leading wire to wire against a deep field to secure his first win of the year.

Round two winner Tessa Naastad remained close throughout the race, keeping Skar within striking distance but ultimately settling into the runner-up position for her second straight podium finish. Two-time winner Deegan Giguere launched off the line in third and maintained the position throughout the race, rounding out the podium with another consistent performance.

The 2025–26 AMSOIL Championship Snocross season continues on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the CF Moto Snocross National at ERX Motor Park in Elk River, Minn. Fans can watch every race live on FloRacing, follow real-time updates across official Snocross social media channels, and catch coverage through FOX Sports throughout the season.

About ISOC
The International Series of Champions (ISOC), headquartered in Albertville, Minnesota, owns and operates both AMSOIL Championship Snocross and AMSOIL Championship Off-Road. ISOC is a recognized leader in professional motorsports, delivering premier national championship events that help define the future of winter and off-road racing. For schedules, tickets, and the latest updates, visit snocross.com or champoffroad.com.