One of the most anticipated and competitive races of the entire season is about to set fire to the Champlain Valley. When the top snocross athletes from New York, New England and Quebec converge on historic Airborne Speedway, on-track action will be red-hot all weekend.
Snocross riders of all ages and ability levels are preparing for a cold-weather assault on Airborne, as East Coast Snocross (ECS) gets set for Round 3 of its 10-race 2013-14 schedule on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 18-19, at the famed ½-mile paved oval in Plattsburgh, New York.
Spectator gates open at 10:30 a.m. each day, with amateur qualifying rounds already in progress. Pro racing will begin at 11:45 a.m. both days. Admission is $12 per day for adults, $5 for children ages 8-12, kids age 7 and under will be admitted free with a paying adult.
The weekend will feature a full card of championship points racing in five divisions (Pro, Pro Lite, Sport, Junior and Women), along with first-round qualifying for the $7,500 Triple Crown Series. This three-race series for Pro, Pro Lite and Sport riders from ECS and the Quebec-based SCM circuit returns for 2014 after a successful debut last winter. The series adds more excitement for fans – and the international rivalry starts at Airborne.
Lincoln Lemieux
Leading the charge into Plattsburgh are Pro riders Lincoln Lemieux (Ski-doo, runner-up in points last season); three-time champion Danny Poirier (Ski-doo), fresh off a win in the season opener in New Hampshire; former series champion Mathieu Morin (Ski-doo), who also won a final in N.H.; series newcomer Mike Bauer (Jess Racing/Arctic Cat), of Medford, WI; and New York native Brett Bender (Team Southside/Polaris), a veteran of national competition with an impressive resume.
Last year's Pro Lite champion Mike Pilotte has advanced to the Pro class, along with New Hampshire-based veteran Jake daSilva. Both riders have added even more depth to an already talent-filled field. And with Pilotte out of the picture in Pro Lite, the door swings open for a new star to take control.
Mathieu Morin
Leading that charge into Plattsburgh in Pro Lite will be point leader Jesse James Bonaduce, of Somerville, New Jersey. Bonaduce came out of the gate on fire in Rumney, claiming a win and a podium finish on his No. 322 Miksen Racing Ski-doo. Other challengers to watch in Pro Lite include Montana Jess, Vermonters Leo and Hunter Patenaude, Wade Acker, Chris Coleman, Connor Roscoe, Tyler Brancifort, Mike Billow and longtime veteran Jason Boron.
East Coast Snocross, presented by AMSOIL and Woody's Traction, strives to maintain 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.
