Pro Open points leader Tremblay’s (Ski-Doo) 2nd, but Polaris’ Martin DNFs in the final, trails Tremblay/Malinoski for o/a title; Muller (Ski-Doo) wins Pro Lite
For more information contact:
Pat Schutte, PR Director, ISOC Racing
Pat@ISOCRacing.com
ELK RIVER, Minn. (March 9, 2012) – With some 3.5 million gallons of water pumped through multiple ski area-style snow making machines, Elk River’s (Minn.) Extreme Motorpark (ERX) delivered – despite the spring conditions in Minnesota – the season’s biggest track to date to test the world’s top professional snocross racers at round 13 of the 2011-’12 AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series – the ERX National, presented by Heinen Motorsports. And walking away with top honors in the premier Pro Open class was Ski-Doo racer Robbie Malinoski, while Travis Muller (Ski-Doo) took the support Pro Lite main event.
As 50-second laps and numerous rhythm sections put the racers in the air more than they were on the snow, the ERX course was likely the most grueling test in terms of overall conditioning that the ACSS athletes have seen all year. A sizable crowd packed into ERX grandstands and lined the fences on Friday night, foreshadowing what should be a wild time on Saturday when the temperatures are expected to hit60-degrees!
AMSOIL ERX National Pro Open Friday Final
While Minnesota homeboy Malinoski was light years faster than anyone at ERX on Friday, taking the checkers by a mile, the big news was the mechanical breakdown of Polaris’ Ross Martin – who was running a close 2nd in the overall points to Tim Tremblay (Ski-Doo) heading into tonight’s race. The DNF, couple with Tremblay’s solid runner-up finish to Malinoski, puts Tremblay up by 29 points over Malinoski (467-438), who leap frogged Martin (435 points) into 2nd place overall with three races/two rounds remaining on the 2011-’12 ACSS tour.
Pulling the massive 100-plus yard long Stud Boy Holeshot was Malinoski. In tight on Malinoski early was Martin, and racing well all weekend, Polaris’ Brett Bender, was right there in 3rd. Several turns into the opening lap defending ACSS Pro Open champion Tucker Hibbert (Arctic Cat) managed to jar his safety tether loose, the third-straight week that’s happened to the champion. So having gone from 7th to 4th in a quarter lap, Hibbert was relegated to the very back of the Pro Open class field on the very first lap.
Moments after Hibbert’s problem an even bigger issue took place in terms of the overall Pro Open title chase. Martin slowed to a halt on the side of the track, got off his sled, ripped his goggles off and chucked them in disgust. A huge, though not fatal, blow dealt to Martin’s title hopes.
With six laps to go in the 14-lap main event Malinoski continued to put time on the field. Tremblay would get past Bender and Martin (by default) and moved up into 2nd place, though Malinoski would continue to put time on the current Pro Open points leader though the checkers (8.8 seconds by race’s end). Bender would score his first podium of the year with a great day of racing and Hibbert would crash trying to catch up and ended up outside the top five.
Said Malinoski: “I live about 40 miles from here and consider ERX to be my home track. Came out swinging in the final and my Ski-Doo was just a rocket ship off the starting line. The team really had an awesome setup tonight.”
Added Bender: “I’m so excited … it’s been a long time coming this year. Dislocated my shoulder and all the other nonsense … feels so good to get up here. Hopefully I’ll be back up here tomorrow.”
Sledhead 24/7 Pro Lite Friday Final
Kody Kamm’s multi-race Pro Lite winning streak came to a halt at ERX on Friday, though the Polaris racer still enjoys a sizable lead over Derek Ellis (Ski-Doo) in the overall points chase. Winning on Friday was Minnesota’s own Travis Muller (Ski-Doo), recording his first win of the season in a thrilling come-from-behind race in which he beat Polaris’ Jake Scott to the finish line by 3/10ths of a second.
Kamm railed out to the early lead and, much like he has the past three races, looked to be in line to check out. But a mistake on the back rhythm section would send Kamm off the track – and glancing off a telephone pole. Fortunately the points leader was uninjured and his was still running so he was able to rejoin the race, dropping back outside the top five.
Bombing through traffic up towards the front, right around the time Kamm exited the track, was Muller – who took the lead from Kamm and was never challenged through the checkers. Scott and Ellis would battle hard during the mid laps of the nine-lap contest before passing Ellis and making it stick.
Said Muller: “That was the best race I’ve had all year! I’ve been waiting a long time for that and had a lot of hard work finally pay off.”
Added Scott: “That was probably the best race of my life. I got a good holeshot and held on for 2nd. Thanks a lot to my trainer Nick for helping me get in shape. Man that was fun!”
Elk River, Minn., Snocross National Pro Open Friday results
1st – Robbie Malinoski (Ski-Doo), Minnesota
2nd – Tim Trembay (Ski-Doo), Canada
3rd – Brett Bender (Polaris), New York
4th – Emil Ohman (Ski-Doo), Sweden
5th – Kyle Pallin (Arctic Cat), Michigan
6th – Darrin Mees (Ski-Doo), New York
7th – Tucker Hibbert (Arctic Cat), Minnesota
8th – Cody Thomsen (Arctic Cat), Minnesota
9th – Justin Broberg (Ski-Doo), Wisconsin
10th – Mike Bauer (Polaris), Wisconsin
11th – Mathieu Morin (Ski-Doo), Canada
12th – Dan Ebert (Arctic Cat), Minnesota
13th – Cory Davis (Arctic Cat), Alaska
14th – Ross Martin (Polaris), Wisconsin
15th – Bobby LePage (Polaris), Minnesota
Pro Open overall points (after 12 rounds)
1st Tim Tremblay (Ski-Doo), Canada – 467
2nd – Robbie Malinoski (Ski-Doo), Minnesota – 438
3rd – Ross Martin (Polaris), Wisconsin – 435
4th – Darrin Mees (Ski-Doo), New York – 369
5th – Tucker Hibbert (Arctic Cat), Minnesota – 365
6th – Justin Broberg (Ski-Doo), Wisconsin – 303
7th – Mathieu Morin (Ski-Doo), Canada – 285
8th – Garth Kaufman (Arctic Cat), Idaho – 279
9th – Brett Bender (Polaris), New York – 277
10th – Cory Davis (Arctic Cat), Alaska – 254
Elk River Snocross National Pro Lite Friday results
1st – Travis Muller (Ski-Doo), Minnesota
2nd – Jake Scott (Polaris), New York
3rd – Derek Ellis (Ski-Doo), North Dakota
4th – Colby Crapo (Polaris), Idaho
5th – Kody Kamm (Polaris), Wisconsin
6th – Casey Boylan (Ski-Doo), Alaska
7th – Corey Watkinson (Canada), Ski-Doo
8th – John Stenberg (Sweden), Ski-Doo
9th – Andrew Carlson (Polaris), Minnesota
10th – Andrew Lieders (Polaris), Wisconsin
11th – Chase Rosemeyer (Ski-Doo), Wisconsin
12th – Chris Kafka (Polaris), Wisconsin
13th – Matt Bristow (Polaris), Minnesota
14th – James Johnstad (Polaris), Minnesota
15th – Matt Pichner (Arctic Cat), Minnesota
Pro Lite overall results (after 12 rounds)
1st – Kody Kamm (Polaris), Wisconsin – 467
2nd – Derek Ellis (Ski-Doo), North Dakota – 434
3rd – James Johnstad (Polaris), Minnesota – 344
4th – Andrew Lieders (Polaris), Wisconsin – 327
5th – Jake Scott (Polaris), New York – 323
6th – Travis Muller (Ski-Doo), Minnesota – 314
7th – John Stenberg (Ski-Doo), Sweden – 305
8th – Corey Watkinson (Ski-Doo), Canada – 300
9th – Andrew Carlson (Polaris), Minnesota – 274
10th – Brett Nastala (Polaris), Wisconsin – 260
Next up …
Who: World’s top snowmobile racers, including Wisconsin’s own Ross Martin, Martin’s rival Tim Tremblay, hard-charger Robbie Malinoski, defending ’11 champ Tucker Hibbert and New Year’s eve snowmobile jumping legend Levi LaVallee
What: Final rounds of the 2011-’12 AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series
When: March 16, 17 & 18, 2012
Times: Friday’s amateur day. Pro class racing begins at 2 p.m. on Saturday, noon on Sunday
Where: Grand Geneva (Wis.) Resort & Spa
ISOC/ACSS photos by Gary Walton
About ISOC Racing
The International Series of Champions (ISOC) is the premier snowmobile race sanctioning organization in North America and sanctions the national AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series, in addition to affiliating with nine regional circuits. Visit snocross.com for more information, fan and racer memberships, schedule details and more.