Point leaders Mathieu Morin and Chris Ackerman expanded their margins Sunday afternoon, posting final round wins in their respective divisions as East Coast Snocross (ECS) concluded Round 3 on the 2011 schedule at the West Ossipee Fire Department.
Saturday’s racing was highlighted by Corin Todd’s (JAC Racing/Arctic Cat) impressive victory in the grueling 25-lap Pro Stock final, along with the first win since 2008 by returning Semi-Pro rider Dale Petrus.
On Sunday, Morin (Ingles Performance/Ski-doo), of Val-D’Or, QC, was first off the line in Pro Open yet Danny Poirier (Hulten Speed Sports/Polaris) blew by to lead lap 1. Jason Stone slotted into second, Morin held down third while Lincoln Lemieux (Lemieux Racing/Ski-doo) and Matt Piche ran fourth and fifth in the early going.
Morin’s incredible stamina and skills prevailed, catching and passing Poirier with six laps remaining to notch his fourth win of the season. Piche also got by Poirier in the closing laps to claim second, while Matt Pichner (Green Mountain Racing/Arctic Cat) finished fourth behind Poirier.
Ackerman (Green Mountain Racing/Arctic Cat), of Jericho, Vermont, put in stellar effort to claim Sunday’s Semi-Pro Stock battle. The lanky, easy-going veteran grabbed the holeshot on the initial start, then had to do it again after a red flag forced a complete restart. Again, it was Ackerman first into Turn 1, and it would be Ackerman first throughout the race.
Jake Dasilva ran second for most of the final, yet made contact with Jacob Muller late in the race and just missed the podium in fourth. Muller wound up second, while Jesse James Bonaduce finished third.
With the win by Petrus on Saturday and Ackerman’s big statement on Sunday, it’s clear the veterans of Semi-Pro aren’t quite ready for any changing of the guard just yet.
"I love these new sleds, and my team has been working really hard," Ackerman said. "I don’t mind being the dark horse in this year’s points hunt. This team allows me to run up front, I haven’t forgotten how to go fast and it sure feels great to win again."
Ed ‘Big Air’ Bandel thrilled the big crowd at Ossipee with his fine performances in Sport division action. The young athlete from Mohawk, NY, made a slick inside pass on Hunter Nelson to claim Sunday’s Super Stock final. Nelson settled for second, while Michael Pilotte was third. Bandel repeated the effort in Sport 600, padding his point lead as the season hits a busy stretch of important races.
In other final round action Sunday, Jason Boron earned his second straight Plus 30 Pro Am victory over Todd Smith and Daryl Nutting. Steffanie Lemieux-Bell claimed the Pro Women final, while snocross veteran Glynn DaSilva won the Plus 25 Stock tilt.
Connor Roscoe kept his 2011 roll alive with two more wins in Junior class action, while Hunter Patenaude also rode to victory in the Jr. 10-13 380 Fan class.
East Coast Snocross would like to thank the Greater Ossipee Area Chamber of Commerce, the Ossipee Valley Snowmobile Club, the Scrub Oak Scramblers, the West Ossipee Fire Department and everyone involve din making our Round 3 such a resounding success. The series is lucky to have such accommodating and energetic hosts. Local business support in the Ossipee area was strong and highly-valued. Plans are already in the works for a return visit to Ossipee in 2012.
East Coast Snocross, presented by Woody’s Traction & AMSOIL, is the new sanctioning body for snowmobile racing in the northeastern United States. ECS maintains a regional circuit intended to keep grass-roots snocross racing healthy in this part of the snowbelt, while also cultivating new talent for tomorrow’s factory-backed Pro teams.
Next up for ECS teams is Round 4, set for this coming weekend, Jan. 22-23, at X-Town in Mirabel, Quebec. Like Plattsburgh, this will be another combination event with teams from the Quebec-based SCM circuit. To buy tickets in advance or for more information, go to www.xtown.ca
For full results in all classes from Ossipee or to learn more about ECS, please visit them online at www.eastcoastsnocross.com.
