VALCOURT, Quebec (Feb. 15, 2016) — Former northeastern regional standout Hunter Patenaude and reigning Pro Open champion Danny Poirier each put in solid performances against stiff competition in bitter cold conditions over the weekend, as East Coast Snocross (ECS) Pro, Pro Lite and Sport racers competed in the annual Grand Prix Ski-doo de Valcourt.
Poirier (Ingles Performance/Ski-doo), a native of Valcourt now living in St. Theodore, kicked off his three-day efforts with a third-place finish in Friday's 14-lap final behind fellow Ski-doo riders Tim Tremblay (Scheuring Speed Sports/Ski-doo) and John Stenberg (Warnert Racing/Ski-doo). Former ECS star Lincoln Lemieux (Scheuring Speed Sports/Ski-doo) was fourth, while Quebec native Max Taillefer finished fifth.
On Saturday, Mathieu Morin (Ingles Performance/Ski-doo) powered his way to an impressive thirdplace finish behind Tremblay and Lemieux. Taillefer and Adam Renheim (BOSS Racing/Ski-doo) rounded out the top five, as Morin continues his return to top form in 2016. Patenaude (Ingles Performance/Ski-doo) won Saturday's 11-lap Pro Lite final ahead of his teammate and brother Leo, while defending champion Cody Paolella (Team Southside/Polaris) filled out the podium in third.
Tremblay completed his clean sweep of Pro Open action on Sunday with another inspiring performance. Renheim stepped up to claim second, while Lemieux capped a successful weekend with his second consecutive podium finish. Stenberg and multi-time Canadian National champion Iain Hayden (Rockstar Energy/Polaris) completed the top five in a race dominated by factory-backed riders.
In Sunday's 12-lap Pro Lite final, the Patenaude brothers prevailed put on a clinic, with Hunter and Leo leading ISOC regular Camryn Anderson across the line. It may have taken them a while to hit their stride, but the potent brother act from Hartland, VT, is on a roll as ISOC heads to Mount Pleasant, Michigan, next weekend.
In Sport action at Valcourt, Francis Pelletier claimed Friday's final ahead of Jeremy Pronovost and Keven Hebert. SCMX series regulars Raphael Lemieux and Samuel Lavoie completed the top five in a six-lap battle. On Saturday, Pelletier led an all-Quebec podium across the stripe as Lavoie and Gabrielle Legendre finished second and third respectively. ECS regular Bruce Gadspardi Jr. (team Southside/Polaris) powered his way to a solid fifth place finish in brutally cold conditions.
Other ECS regulars who completed over the frigid weekend in Valcourt include Team Southside/ Polaris teamamates Elina Ohman (second in Pro Women final on Saturday behind Marica Renheim); Nykea Williams (finished fifth on Saturday; Kassie Thibodeau (sixth on Saturday); and Tucker Kierstead (Kislowski Racing/Arctic Cat, third and fourth place finishes in Junior classes).
East Coast Snocross, presented by AMSOIL, Woody's Traction and FXR, is an ISR-affiliated 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 country while also cultivating new talent for tomorrow’s factory-backed national Pro teams.
For full results from Valcourt or to learn more, please go to www.eastcoastsnocross.com.
