Press Release –
Winning weekend for Simons, Ebert and Dick
There may have been an anniversary celebration at the ISOC Snocross Series race in Valcourt, Quebec, but Team Arctic racers weren’t in the gift-giving mood.
With wins by Ryan Simons in Pro Stock and Dan Ebert in Semi Pro Super Stock, Team Arctic spoiled their host’s hopes en route to another dominating weekend.
Simon’s wire-to-wire win in Pro Stock marked his first national Snocross victory this season and thrust the Camrose, Alberta, racer into contention for the class championship.
Matt Piche was oh-so-close to notching his first podium of the season, taking a strong fourth, while teammate Garth Kaufman’s sixth place finish kept him in the championship point hunt.
A contingent of Team Arctic Semi Pros destroyed the field in the Super Stock final. With snow falling hard and fast, Dan Ebert of Lake Shore, Minn., led a Team Green sweep that included Cory Davis (second), Christian Salemark (third), Cody Thomsen (sixth), Logan Christian (seventh) and Matt Pichner in tenth.
It’s good to win so strongly in a region that’s loaded with one particular color of race sled,” said Mike Kloety, Team Arctic Race Manager. “We don’t have a high number of racers out east, but our success in Valcourt and New York a week earlier proves that we have the best sleds and drivers.”
While the snocross stars were celebrating victories in Valcourt, Team Arctic cross-country racer battled 100 miles of fast river and ditch at the USCC Forks Equipment 100 in Grand Forks, N.D. Rising to the occasion with a win in Pro Open was Team Arctic racer/engineer Brian Dick.
Dick, of Thief River Falls, Minn., held off teammate D.J. Ekre, a huge feat considering that Ekre has won three Pro Open classes already this season. Dick also ran strong and near the top of the Pro 600 class, finishing in third place roughly one-minute out of top spot. Top speed proved to be the trick on a course that surprised the green team.
“We weren’t expecting such a high-speed course,” said Kloety. “Big holes never developed, and with so much wide-open river running, the sleds that were set up for pure speed held an advantage. We missed having the best set up, and that was the difference.”
Team Arctic’s cross-country racers get their next shot at winning at the Munising 300, Feb. 27-28 in Munising, Mich. Go to www.usccracing.com for more details.
The next ISOC Snocross Series national is March 6-8 in Hayward, Wis. Learn more at www.isocracing.com.
