Duluth, Minn. ~ Nearly a foot of fresh snow blanketed Duluth on Thursday, setting the stage for a dramatic weekend at Spirit Mountain. The action kicked off with Thursday night’s Showdown at Sundown, where riders raced under snowy conditions, offering an early glimpse of the challenging surface that would carry into the championship weekend.

Friday night, however, brought a different feel to the hillside. Conditions were relatively mild early, but increasing winds began to shape the track as the night unfolded, carving deeper lines and amplifying the roughness of an already demanding Duluth layout. Snow and rain held off until later in the program, adding another late variable as the race surface continued to evolve corner by corner.

With championships still hanging in the balance, the opening night of the AMSOIL Championship Snocross presented by Brunt Workwear finale delivered the pressure and unpredictability expected of Duluth. In the AMSOIL Pro class, the title fight between Jordan Lebel and rookie Crayden Dillon remained front and center, with every lap on the big, wind-swept track carrying major implications in the race for the championship.

Dillon Delivers Under Pressure, Extends Points Lead in Duluth Thriller

It was shaped up as a three-rider fight for Pro supremacy at Spirit Mountain, with Jordan Lebel, Daniel Benham and rookie Crayden Dillon all in the mix—but the math was clear. Dillon entered Friday with a 19-point advantage, leaving Lebel and Benham with little margin for error. They needed perfection, and it started at the drop of the gate.

Lebel answered immediately, grabbing the holeshot and leading the field through the opening lap, with Benham and Dillon locked in behind him. Early on, it looked like Lebel might create the separation he needed, building nearly a two-second advantage as Dillon and Benham battled for position. But the points leader wasn’t done. Dillon steadily chipped away at the gap, finding speed in the second half of the race and closing in before making the decisive move with two laps to go.

From there, it turned into a high-stakes chess match through traffic. Both riders hit lappers at critical moments, and with the race tightening, every decision mattered. Dillon navigated the congestion just a touch cleaner, maintaining his edge over Lebel in the closing laps to secure his third straight win and extend his points lead to 27 heading into Saturday.

“I was either crashing or I was winning,” said Dillon. “I wanted it and I wanted it bad. I never gave up out there. I was either going over the bars or I was winning it. There was no in-between.

Lebel kept the pressure on throughout and came away with a much-needed runner-up finish, his first podium since his round 11 victory, keeping himself within striking distance entering the finale. Benham, who had been fast all day with wins in both heat races and the top qualifying position, completed the podium in third, marking his fourth straight podium finish and keeping his championship hopes alive heading into the final round.

Cole Narrowly Edges Freeland in Instant Classic Duluth Finish

Friday night delivered one of the most memorable Pro Lite finishes of the season—and one that will be talked about for years at Spirit Mountain. Round seven winner Drew Freeland was locked in all race, riding a near-perfect line and maintaining control through every section of the track. But points leader Cam Cole was just as sharp, matching Freeland corner for corner and applying constant pressure.

Freeland carried the preferred line throughout, fending off repeated challenges as Cole searched for an opening. Time and again, Cole got close but couldn’t quite make the pass stick—until it mattered most. Coming to the final stretch, the pair drag raced side by side down the back chute, and in a photo finish, Cole edged Freeland by just .031 seconds to take the win and clinch the championship in dramatic fashion. 

“I’ve dreamed of this moment since I was a little kid,” said Cole of the championship. “Racing against Drew and all of these guys up here my whole racing career. I couldn’t be any happier today to get the job done.”

Freeland’s effort earned him his sixth podium of the season in a performance worthy of a win on most nights. Behind the front-running duel, Adam Ashline delivered one of his strongest rides of the year. After a challenging day in qualifying, Ashline got off the line clean, moved into third early, and maintained a solid gap over the rest of the field to secure his second podium finish of the season.

Dillon Dominant in Pro AM Women’s Win

Fourteen-year-old rookie Avery Hemmer had already locked up the championship prior to the final weekend, but Friday night in Duluth was about closing the season on a high note. Instead, it was 15-year-old Victoria Dillon who took control early at Spirit Mountain, grabbing the holeshot and immediately separating from the field. Dillon, who entered the weekend second in points on the strength of 10 podium finishes, delivered a statement ride, dominating from start to finish to earn her first win of the season.

“I just knew that today was my day,” said Dillon. “I was feeling really good out on the track. I went 1-1-1 today and that just feels amazing. This is just amazing, and I have been waiting so long for this. This one was definitely earned.”

Behind her, Naeli Lebel capped a consistent year with another strong performance, finishing second after opening the season with a podium in Ironwood. Kendall Rose put together one of the most impressive rides of the night, charging from sixth off the start to secure third and her second podium finish of the season.

Petersen Powers Past Todd for Third Pro AM Plus 30 Win

Corin Todd entered the weekend with one goal—stay clean and close out his second Pro AM Plus 30 championship—and Friday night at Spirit Mountain tested that approach early. Todd launched off the line and into the early lead, but a hard-fought battle with Brian Petersen quickly unfolded. The two went elbow to elbow through the downhill section, and by the time they climbed back up the hill, Petersen had edged ahead and seized control of the race.

From there, Petersen never looked back, pulling away from the field to secure his third win of the season while also leapfrogging Tyler Oomen for second in the overall standings. 

“I have been struggling with starts the past few rounds,” said Petersen. “To come out in the top three was a really big win and then to battle with Corin the first few laps were awesome and then to grab the lead, and I just felt great today.”

Todd, meanwhile, shifted into a championship mindset, settling into a measured pace behind the leader to finish second and maintain a 43-point advantage heading into Saturday’s final. Oomen rode a steady race to round out the podium in third, keeping himself firmly in the mix for second overall as the season reaches its conclusion.

Stanisich Strikes, Stretches Points Lead in Sport

Tavin Knudson has been a factor in the Pirtek Sport class since returning from a mid-season injury, and he showed it early on Friday by grabbing the holeshot and setting the pace through the opening laps. Knudson controlled the race up front until lap three, when points leader Jimmy Stanisich made his move, taking over the lead and immediately creating separation from the field.

From there, Stanisich was untouchable, riding away to his fifth win of the season and extending his points lead to 28 over Kamden Duffy. Duffy followed Stanisich’s charge through the pack, climbing from fourth to second on lap three and holding strong for his third straight podium finish. Knudson capped off a strong day—after winning both qualifiers—by finishing third, earning his third podium of the season.

Lucas Leads the Way in Wide-Open Sport Lite

With points leader Carter VanHorsigh sidelined for the weekend—and holding enough of a cushion to clinch the championship—the door swung wide open in Sport Lite. Friday night delivered on that opportunity, and Round 13 winner Charlie Lucas capitalized, grabbing the holeshot and controlling the race from start to finish to secure his second win in the past three rounds.

Round 12 winner Lincoln Meyer matched the pace up front, settling into second early and maintaining a strong, consistent ride to earn another podium finish. Behind them, Thomas Didier put together one of the drives of the night, charging from tenth off the start and making a last-lap pass on Salvatore LaBeau to lock down third and his second straight podium finish.

Specialty Box & Crate Junior 14–15: With Carter vanHorsigh sidelined for the weekend in Duluth, the door swung open in the Junior 14–15 title chase, and Jackson Goike stepped right through it. Starting fourth, Goike wasted little time getting to the front, taking over the lead before the end of the opening lap and never looking back on his way to his second win of the season.

Round four winner Porter Jacklitch turned in one of his strongest rides of the second half, putting together a consistent run to finish second. Mason Broden continued his late-season surge, earning his second podium of the year in third and capping off a stretch that now includes five top-four finishes to close out the season.

Lakeland Powersports Junior Girls 9-13: Charlie Buteau may have already secured the Junior Girls 9-13 championship, but she closed out Friday the same way she’s handled the entire season—out front. Buteau led from start to finish, putting together another flawless ride to capture her ninth win of the year.

Behind her, the battle for second in the overall standings remains tight between Lila Hemmer and Eva Gifford, with every point proving critical. Gifford, coming off a win in round eight, stayed on the gas and delivered her tenth podium of the season, and closing the gap to eight points behind Hemmer. Peyton Weisbrod turned in a strong ride to round out the podium with her second top-three finish of the year.

Anderson’s Maple Syrup Transition 9-13: Ryan Shimanski will leave the weekend as the points champion, having already clinched the title prior to Duluth, but he made sure to add another statement to his season. Shimanski went wire to wire on Friday, controlling the race from the start and capturing his ninth overall win of the year.

Noah Gillis continued his push for second in the championship standings, making a decisive move on Alex Parent on lap three to secure the runner-up position and close the gap in the points chase. Parent held strong the rest of the way to finish third, earning his first podium of the season in limited appearances.

SPEEDWERX Transition 8-10: Deegan Giguere came out flying on Friday, opening the day’s racing with a dominant performance and riding a clean, fast line to his third win of the season. From the drop of the gate, Giguere controlled the pace and never gave the field an opportunity to close the gap.

Jake Archambault delivered an equally impressive ride, charging from a fifth-place start to second by lap two and holding strong for the runner-up finish, marking his fourth podium in just five races this season. Points leader Noah Kuhn saw his four-race win streak come to an end, but still salvaged a strong result, working his way from sixth into third with two laps remaining to extend his podium streak.

Rox Speed FX Stock 200: The Stock 200 final delivered one of the most exciting finishes of the night, turning into a drag race to the line as Landan Lysne made a last-corner pass on points leader Harrison Skar to capture his third win of the season.

Skar’s runner-up finish still carried weight, extending his advantage over Deegan Giguere in the championship standings after Giguere struggled to a 15th-place result on Friday. Lyla Judnick completed the podium with a strong ride to third, marking her third podium finish of the season.

The 2025–26 AMSOIL Championship Snocross presented by Brunt concludes April 4 in Duluth, Minn. for the AMSOIL Snocross National presented by the U.S. Air Force at Spirit Mountain. 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.