Valcourt, QC – X-Team racers, on the anyone-can-buy-it 2016 Ski-Doo MXZ XRS 600 E-TEC sled, piled up more terrain racing wins this past weekend at the season finale USXC Cross-Country event in Naytahwaush, MN. The potent MXZx 600RS was on track at the ISOC National snocross race in Joliet, IL.
The USXC race on North Twin Lake at Pinehurst Resort was the last race of the season and Corey Davidson’s win in the premier Factory Pro 600 class was a great ending for Ski-Doo riders.
Additional wins by X-Teamers Craig Ritzinger in Factory Semi-Pro 600 and Skylar Soring in Factory Sport 600 added to one of the best cross-country seasons of late for Ski-Doo. Davidson won two of the seven races this season and ended up third in the season championship.
Championship excitement is also rising on the ISOC National snocross circuit for Ski-Doo. Three of the top four racers in the Pro Open Championship heading into the season finale at Lake Geneva, WI, March 18-22 are all Ski-Doo racers. They are Tim Tremblay (2nd), Adam Renheim (3rd) and Lincoln Lemieux (4th).
Four X-Team racers are vying for the championship in Pro Am +30. Marica Renhiem is leading in Pro Am Women with Megan Brodeur in third and the electric Elias Ishoel sits third in Pro Lite. Elias Ishoel leads a group of Pro Lite racers off the start during qualifying.
Whatever challenges Norwegian phenom Ishoel battled at the beginning of the season are now just distant specs in his rearview mirror, as he collected his fifth consecutive Pro Lite win last weekend at the Route 66 Raceway event outside of Chicago.
On Friday, Ishoel made a late pass on the class points leader and then proceeded to run away aboard his MXZ dressed in a special edition stealth black XPS lubricants livery. Saturday brought a similar performance, with Ishoel hounding the front-runner for most of the final before using a lapped rider to make a move to the front and then flying to a sizable win.
Tremblay had one of his strongest outings in recent weeks capturing two podiums in the Pro Open class. Tremblay finished third each night, battling Scheuring Speedsports teammate Lincoln Lemieux on Friday and Jimmy John’s rider Adam Renheim on Saturday. Both finished strong fourths overall.
Marica Renheim made a return to the top of the box in the Pro Am Women’s class after finishing runner-up at the last two events. The ladies’ class discards the two lowest finishes, which means the two-time defending champ has retaken the points lead with the adjusted scores. Megan Brodeur finished third in the final and will be battling with Renheim in Lake Geneva as the two try to secure a third straight championship for Ski-Doo.
Ingles Performance racers Hunter and Leo Patenaude continued to stake their claim as national caliber players in the Sport class with Hunter collecting a second place podium on Saturday night and Leo right behind in fourth. Camryn Anderson made it three yellow machines in the top five coming back from a horrendous crash on Friday.
The course at Route 66 is laid out in stadium fashion on the NHRA drag strip and was by far the most technical track of the season, featuring supercross style jumps and rhythm sections that had very little transition and required a precise approach to maintain speed.
For more information on Ski-Doo snowmobiles visit www.ski-doo.com, or the On Track blog site for racing specific information.
ISOC National Snocross Results: Route 66 Raceway, Joliet, IL.
Pro Open Round 13
3. Tim Tremblay #11, Ste Jeanne D'Arc, QC
4. Lincoln Lemieux #13, St. Johnsbury, VT
Pro Open Round 14
3. Tim Tremblay #11, Ste Jeanne D'Arc, QC
4. Adam Renheim #311, Lima, SE
5. Lincoln Lemieux #13, St. Johnsbury, VT
Pro AM +30
2. Kurt Bauerly #318, Otsego, MN
4. Matthew Tingstad #154, Bessemer, MI
5. Patrick Brodeur #811, Derby, VT
Pro AM Women
1. Marica Renheim #311, Lima, SE
3. Megan Brodeur #31, Coaticook, QC
Pro Lite #1
1. Elias Ishoel #200, Oppdal, NO
5. Shane Sewell #219, Westville, IN
Pro Lite #2
1. Elias Ishoel #200, Oppdal, NO
Sport #2
2. Hunter Patenaude #208, Hartland, VT
4. Leo Patenaude #200, Hartland, VT
5. Camryn Anderson #725, Allenton, MI