The Supertrax Magazine/ Byers Motorsports/ Polaris team was greeted to the largest track in CSRA history for the Dayco National Finale at Horseshoe Valley Ski Resort, just outside of their home town, with just under a mile long track.
Lap times for the just under mile long track were 1:35-1:45 mins. Large crowds filled the stands for the 3 days of Easter weekend racing action for the CSRA Finale including many Byers Motorsports family, friends and fans.
The finale weekend started off rough for Byers Motorsports as Jamie had a mechanical failure in Fridays practice, putting his machine out of commission for the weekend. The team worked hard swapping suspensions and components over to his back-up sled before the first Pro-Open qualifier.
Moto 1 took place at dusk and Jamie finished 4th. In Moto 2 under the lights, Jamie rode a great race finishing 4th. With long races, lap times and Vintage racing, the Pro Open final got under way at 11:20PM. Qualifying 7th for the final, Jamie lined up near the inside but got pinched out going into the first corner setting him near the back. When the checkered came out after the 14min+ final, he crossed the line just outside the Top 10 in 11th.
The weather for Saturdays racing was what the fans anticipated as normal for the Horseshoe event with 8*C and sun shining bright. In Moto 1, Jamie had a good race and battle going before hitting an ice edge in the berm at the top of the hill tearing the handlebars out of his hands and tossing him off the side of the sled.
Jamie got up quick and tried to get back on the sled but gravity took over and sent the sled to the berm at the three quarters of the way down the hill, finishing 6th. Jamie finished 6th in Moto 2. Starting back row in the final, Jamie was pelted with ice pellets off the start and rode smart for a 10th place finish.
Mother nature did a complete 360 on Sunday with cooler temperatures and the dreaded rain. Fortunately the rain lightened up before the main events. Finishing 6th in both qualifiers after struggling with the downhill section, Jamie lined up outside backrow in the final.
The track was very rough and the downhill section was all ice in the final. Jamie made a couple mistakes in the final, almost coming off the sled costing him some positions finishing 13th.
“It was a real bummer that we were unable to use our 2013 this weekend as we had it dialed in before the mechanical failure,” Jamie said after the weekend. “This season was a real learning curve in the Pro Class. We struggled throughout the year but know we can run near the top.”
This season Jamie was able to lead multiple laps of his first ISOC Pro-Lite qualifying race in Duluth, Minnesota as well as qualifying for the final. He battled head to head for the lead with 6-time CSRA Pro Open Champion Iain Hayden at the CSRA Kawartha Cup National as well as grabbing his first Pro Podium at the event. As a rookie Pro-Open racer, Jamie placed 6th overall in CSRA National Points.
For the last race of the season we had a couple other racers jump on the sled for the finale. Nick Micek made his snowcross debut in the Trail Sport 600 class grabbing multiple holeshots in his qualifying races finishing 7th and 10th in the finals.
Jeff Brand from TekVest, threw his leg over the Byers Motorsports Polaris for his first race this year on Sunday in the Pro-Lite Class after recovering from a broken femur last season. Jeff has been racing snowmobiles for 18 years and had not missed a year without racing.
For not being on a sled all year and racing this technical track, Jeff did well in his Motos and grabbed a lot of attention from the announcer.
Having some fun at the end of the season in the mechanics race, we had 2 first time racers; Nick Leigh and Jessica Brown. Nick had never raced before and won his race and Jessica placed 4th after never being on a race sled or racetrack before.
We would like to thank our sponsors for their great products and continued support as none of this would be possible without them; Supertrax Magazine, Byers Equipment Motorsports, Polaris Racing, Dayco Belts, Gamma Sales- Fly Racing, Coldwave, Dragon Optics, Amsoil, Woody’s, Creechers Design, CMSports/Clean Media, Powermadd, TekVest, Digatron USA
