Traverse City Snocross Report

SCOTT Snocross athletes competed in rounds 9 and 10 of the Amsoil Championship Snocross Series this past weekend in Traverse City, MI.  This was the first event held on the grounds of the Turtle Creek Casino and Resort in northwestern Michigan and it proved to be a great success with plenty of snow, a big crowd and a great facility.

Pro Open

SCOTT athlete Garth Kaufman, of Christian Brothers Racing, entered the pro open race Friday sitting 12th place in the overall point standings.  He came out and scored a 3rd in his first heat and 5th in his second heat fora  direct transfer to the final, where he would eventually finish in 6th.  On Saturday, Kaufman tallied 6-5 heat race scores to squeak into the final.  He would cross the finish line in 7th place.

SCOTT athlete and Christian Brothers Racing rider Logan Christian got a heat race win Friday night after only finishing 6th in his first heat race.  This score was good enough to take him to the final, but bad luck would strike and he would only be able to finish in 12th place.  Night two was a little worse for Logan; he placed 6 in both heat races and had to fight for position on the final start gate through the LCQ.  After a third in the LCQ, Christian would bring home a 10th place finish in the final.

SCOTT Snocross athlete Petter Narsa of Team Jimmy John's/Ski-Doo/Boss Racing had a consistent weekend in his heat races, doubling down on 5th place on Friday night also 4th place on Saturday night.  On Friday, his 5-5 score brought him into the final.  While battlingb with Logan Christian he was run over by another rider, sustained an injury to his right leg, and finished in 15th.  Saturday's main didn't go any better for Petter, after a 4-4 heat race showing he blasted off the starting line in the final only to get caught up in first turn carnage.  He never recovered and finished 12th.

SCOTT athlete Paul Bauerly of Bauerly Racing made the final Friday night after qualifying through the LCQ and finished in 10th place.  Saturday night didn't work out for Paul as he just missed the final by finished 6th in the pro open LCQ.

Pro Open Overall Points

Logan Christian - 6th - 276 points

Petter Narsa - 10th - 250 points

Garth Kaufman - 12th - 212 points

Paul Bauerly  18th - 117 points

Pro Lite

SCOTT Snocross athlete and Team Jimmy John's/Ski-Doo/Boss Racing rider Renaud Alexandre came into round 9 ready to continue his success this season.  Renaud came out on a rail and swept his heat races with a 1-1 showing and was ready to continue the success in the final.  Alexandre jumped out to a great start but while battling for second he tangled with another rider and was pushed outside of the top 10.  He finished in 13th.  Saturday night Renaud found himself battling for a final event transfer sport in the LCQ.  In the final, a back row start kept Renaud in the back of the pack for the remainder of the race, barely breaking the top 10 with a 9th place finish.

SCOTT athlete Corey Watkinson of Team Jimmy John's/Ski-Doo/Boss Racing was able to score top 5 finishes in all of his heats this weekend but Friday's score of 3-5 sent him to the LCQ where he wasn't able to finish well enough to qualify.  His fortune changed Saturday where his 2-3 tallies sent him straight to the final.  While fighting for 5th place, he crashed and crossed the line in 12th.

SCOTT Snocross athlete and member of Team Bauerly Racing Chase Rosemeyer went 4-3 in his heat races Friday night and was able to bring home an 8th place finish in the stacked Pro Lites class.  On Saturday, Chase took some hard hits and went 7-7 in his heats.  He had to try and qualify through the LCQ, where a great start but a bad crash would keep him from qualifying for the final and end his weekend in Michigan.

SCOTT athlete and Pro Lites competitor Kevin Wallenstein came into the weekend ranked 7th in his class.  Although he was unable to make the final on Friday, he bounced back on Saturday, qualifying through the LCQ and when the checkered flag flew he was just outside the top 10 in 11th.

Pro Lite Overall Points

Renaud Alexandre - 5th - 317 points

Chase Rosemeyer - 8th - 220 points

Kevin Wallenstein - 9th - 215 points

Corey Watkinson - 10th - 214 points

Notable SCOTT Athlete Performance: Simons Wins USXC Seven Clans I-500

Steeped in tradition, the list of winners of I-500 cross-country snowmobile race reads like a who's who of snowmobile racing.  This past weekend Arctic Cat/DRIFT Racing/Stud Boy Traction/Christian Brothers Racing rider Ryan Simons added his name to that list when he won the 40th running of the prestigious race.  Unlike its original point-to-point format which brought racers from Winnipeg to St. Paul or vice-versa for so many years, the current race centers around the home of Arctic Cat snowmobiles in Thief River Falls, MN, and riders follow a unoque course each day, logging roughly 160-miles a day for three days down frozen rivers, snow-filled ditches, woods and minimum maintenance roads.

After Day 1, Simons had a three minute lead, even with a big crash that almost put him out of the race.  "I had a big crash on the first day," said Simons.  "It was a potentially race-ending crash, but I got lucky and was able to finish the day and the crew fixed the sled up for Day 2."

After Day 2 was in the books, a near flawless run extended his lead to 10 minutes.  Simons held a 66MPH pace.  To give you an idea of how fast that is, an off-road trophy truck like you see in the Baja 1000 typically runs about a 60MPH average speed.  "My mechanics Hector Olson and Cory Berberich told me I had to dial it back or the sled wouldn't last the race distance," said Simons.  "I had the lead and now they told me it was about finishing, so I didn't ride as hard as I did on the first day."

Ryan Simons maintained his lead after the third day and left Minnesota the I-500 champion.  "I haven't been racing as long as some of the guys on the team, so the I-500 wasn't really as much of a must-win race for me as it is for some of the other guys on the team and on the circuit," said Simons.  "But it's a big race and when you win any big race it's a great feeling.  I just want to thank the team for working so hard to help me win it."