Veteran snowmobile racers Mathieu Morin and Danny Poirier split the Pro finals over the weekend, as East Coast Snocross (ECS) kicked off its 2010-2011 racing season at the beautiful Burke Mountain Ski Resort.
Morin, (Ingles Performance/Ski-doo) of Val-D’or, Quebec, dominated Saturday’s Pro Open final after a strong performance in qualifying. Former champion Danny Poirier (Hulten Speed Sports/Polaris) steadily worked his way to second at the finish, while Minnesota native Matt Piche (Hulten Speed Sports/Polaris) filled out the podium with a solid third place run.
Poirier, of St. Theodore, Quebec, got the holeshot on Morin in Sunday’s Pro Stock final and held on for top honors. Morin settled for second, while Corin Todd (JAC Racing/Arctic Cat) made his Pro debut memorable with an impressive third place finish. Parity among manufacturers was clear at Burke, with Polaris, Ski-doo and Arctic Cat all on the Pro podium.
In Saturday’s Woody’s Traction Featured Event, Vermont native Leo Patenaude took center stage as he claimed the Sport Super Stock 600 final. Filling out the podium was Hunter Nelson (second) and Whitney Covill (third).
Wade Acker prevailed in Sunday’s AMSOIL Jr. 10-13 380 Fan Featured Event, while Bradley Tatro and Zach Roberts followed him across the stripe in second and third respectively. ECS offers a special thanks to our presenting sponsors for their support and recognition of our aspiring young athletes.
In Semi-Pro action at Burke, Lucas Brunelle (Ingles Performance/Ski-doo) made his intentions for 2011 clear with two very strong runs. If not for a surprising off-sled experience late in Saturday’s Stock Day 1 final, the native of Boucherville, Quebec, would have swept the weekend.
Minnesota native Jacob Muller (Polaris) inherited the lead when Brunelle parted ways with his Ski-doo, making an impressive debut here in the east with a victory. Veterans Dale Petrus (Team Southside/Polaris) and Danny Graves (Ruddman Racing/Ski-doo) filled out the podium as Vermont fans cheered on their favorite brands and riders.
Brunelle bounced back to claim Sunday’s Day 2 final by a wide margin, salvaging the weekend for the talented athlete from Canada. Ash Woskob (JAC Racing/Arctic Cat) put in an impressive performance to claim second, while Vermont veteran Chris Ackerman (Green Mountain Racing/Arctic Cat) put a smile on Nate Tatro’s face with a solid third.
Leo Patenaude backed up his blazing performance in Saturday’s Super Stock 600 final with another win Sunday, with Edward Bandel second and Jarret Catlin third. Bandel found a little redemption when he claimed the Sport Stock 600 final over Patenaude and Brent Royea.
In Junior division competition at Burke, Connor Roscoe held off Jayme Lynch and Tyler Zuidema to claim top honors in Saturday’s 16-17 Stock 600 final. Lynch bounced back to claim the 14-15 Stock 600 final over Roscoe and Alexander Boggini. Brandon O’Neill, Wade Acker and Katelyn Olsen all earned victories in their respective classes on Saturday, while Tucker Olsen, Acker, Lynch and Roscoe all posted final rounds wins on Sunday.
Other final round winners over the weekend include Jason Boron (Plus 30 Pro Am 600); Joe Lemieux (Plus 35 Masters Stock); Daryl Nutting (Plus 25 Stock); KC Anderson (Pro Women); and Sarah Acker (Women Stock 600). Congratulations to all of the final round winners and thanks to each team that made our first race so competitive and exciting.
East Coast Snocross would like to thank Tim McGuire, Hannah Collins and the entire staff at Burke Mountain for their exemplary efforts while hosting our inaugural event. From producing tons of great snow for our track, to excellent promotion, vendor participation and overall warm welcome, it all combined to produce a fabulous start to our season.
Round 2 on the nine-race 2010-2011 schedule is set for January 8-9, 2011, at the Crete Memorial Civic Center in downtown Plattsburgh, New York. On behalf of ECS co-owners Bob Roscoe and Eric Scott, General Manager Shawn Longbook and the entire staff, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all. We hope to see you safe and sound in 2011.
For full results in all classes from Burke Mountain or to learn more about ECS, please visit www.eastcoastsnocross.com.
