As the stars of snocross throughout New York and New England prepare for Round 2 on the East Coast Snocross (ECS) series, several racers north of the border are getting ready to go racing, as well.
Teams from the Quebec-based Super Competition Motorsport (SCM) snocross series will kick off their eight-race 2011 campaign on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 8-9, at the Crete Memorial Civic Center.
Spectator gates will open at 10 a.m. each day, with racing getting under way at 11 a.m. Admission is $15 per day for adults, with two-day passes just $25. Children age seven and under will be admitted free with a paying adult. Pit passes will be available for those who want an up-close look at the race teams. Advance sale tickets are available at Della Motorsports and Aaron’s Sales & Leasing on Route 3 in Plattsburgh.
This exciting weekend of snocross is brought to you in part by the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino, Della Motorsports and Casella Waste Management. ECS and SCM officials ask fans to support these fine companies as they help make the Plattsburgh event something very special.
Leading the charge into the SCM opener at Plattsburgh are Pro riders Dave Allard and Dave Asselin. Allard, of St. Felecien, QC, won the Pro Stock points crown for SCM in 2010, while Asselin was the runner-up. Both are world-class athletes capable of battling side-by-side with the best ECS has to offer.
Other Pro riders to watch at Plattsburgh include Jean-Sebastien Cote, Francois Pare, Robin Deschesnes and rising star Eric Belanger. These racers, along with Allard and Asselin, represent the top talent in eastern Canada. Their sled control skills are impressive, and fans will love the excitement as they take on their American counterparts from New England.
In the hotly-contested Semi-Pro division, riders to watch include defending champion Donovan Asselin (Dave’s younger brother); Pierre-Vincent Fillion; Luc Villeneuve and Kevin Laplante. Put these guys together with ECS stars like Lucas Brunelle, Jacob Muller, Dale Petrus and Ash Woskob, and you’ll have qualifying heats alone that will be worth the price of admission.
After a successful combination points outing between the SCM and the former New England circuit (RMR) last winter, it was agreed that all divisions can run for points in a joint race weekend of this nature. Only the Pros and Semi-Pros ran for points at Mirabel last January, but this year, everyone will earn points at both combination events (Plattsburgh and Mirabel).
Another athlete fans in Plattsburgh will enjoy seeing compete is SCM regular Jennifer Pare. When the International Series of Champions (ISOC) kicked off its new season last month in Duluth, MN, Pare won the Pro Women final. Of the 17 entrants, Pare was by far the best.
What these dual-circuit events means to fans is more racing and tighter battles. All this excellent competition will be joined by two shows per day by the Rave-X Outer Limits Freestyle Tour. This Maine-based group of gravity-defying athletes will thrill fans with tricks and stunts that must be seen to be believed. X-Games Silver Medalist and Colorado native Sam Rogers will be on hand to attempt the jaw-dropping back-flip as long as weather conditions allow.
Not all the racers competing in Plattsburgh will be veterans of either the ECS of SCM circuits. A special Trail Stock class has is maintained by ECS (maximum of 700cc) for first-timers looking to "try their hand at snocross." It’s an easy way to find out what’s involved in a weekend of racing.
For more information, please go to www.airborneparkspeedway.com.
