Iron River, Michigan’s Louie Goldbach defeated his teammate, Chris Nordang, and Lake Linden, Michigan’s Jerry Buschell to win the TOP GUN Feature at the OntonagonCounty Economic Partnership UP Championship Snow Drags in Ontonagon, Michigan. Goldbach also won the Pro Mod 800 Feature.
Buschell kept his three-year unbeaten streak in the Pro Mod 700 class, and took his 700cc Ski Doo to a first place win in the Open Mod Class when Goldbach jumped at the starting line. Goldbach’s misfortune at the light propelled Nordang to a second in Open Mod. Nordang, the defending MASTERS Racing Circuit TOP GUN Champion from last year, took a second to Goldbach in the TOP GUN Feature.
The driver that has won the most races in the MASTERS 15+ year history, Champion, Michigan’s Matt Lacosse, took home firsts in both the Pro Mod 500 and Pro Mod 600.
The UP Championship’s saw the debut of three new divisions; Trail Stock, Race Stock, and Vintage. It was Merrill, Wisconsin’s, Jason Kleinshmidt on the Pat’s Motorsports Yamaha that won Trail Stock 600. Winning the Trail Stock 800 class was Gwinn, Michigan’s Shay Thompson. Thompson held off Babbitt, Minnesota’s Jim Butler and Kleinschmidt in a “Manufacturer and 3 State shoot-out.” Thompson was on a Polaris, while Butler was on an Arctic Cat, and Kleinschmidt on the Yamaha.
Thompson also won the Race Stock Open Class, while local driver, Adam Hawkins made his MASTERS Racing Circuit debut by winning the Race Stock 600 Class.
One of the closest battles throughout the day took place in both Vintage Division classes between Ontonagon’s Kevin Hokens and L’Anse, Michigan’s Heather Lynn Maki. Hokens took one Vintage Class while Maki won the other.
The 120cc champions included Emma Goldbach, Nathan Lacosse, and Carter Lacosse.
The MASTERS.Ojibwa Casino Racing Series moves to Sagola, Michigan for the popular “Tip Up Town” Snow Drags on KennedyLake. The second leg of the Ojibwa Casino series will take place on Saturday, Feb 1. The first Snowmobile Hillclimb of the series will be the Mid America Championship Hillclimb (MACH) in Caspian, Michigan. That popular Hillclimb will be on Saturday, Feb 15. The MACH will be a part of the Caspian Snowmobile Weekend, which will conclude with uphill Snow Drags on Sunday, February 16th.
The MASTERS/ Ojibwa Casino Racing Series is an 11 event schedule that includes events at Pine Mountain in Iron Mountain, Michigan, Keyes Peak in Florence, Wisconsin, Mt du Lac in the Duluth market, and concluding at Marquette Mountain, Marquette, Michigan on April 5-6.
OntonagonCounty Economic Partnership UP Championship Snow Drag Results
Ojibwa Casino 120 cc Champions: 1) Nathan Lacosse, Champion, MI., Polaris: 1) Emma Goldbach, Iron River, MI., Ski-Doo; 1) Carter Lacosse, Champion, MI., Polaris:
Ojibwa Casino V-8: 1) Kevin Hokans, Ontonagon, MI., Yamaha: 2) Heather Lynn Maki, L’Anse, MI., Mercury:
Ojibwa Casino Super V: 1) Heather Lynn Maki, L’Anse, MI., Mercury: 2) Kevin Hokens, Ontonagon, MI., Yamaha:
Citizens State Bank Trail Stock 600: 1) Jason Kleinschmidt, Merrill, WI., Yamaha; 2) Matt Lacosse, Champion, MI., Polaris: 3) Trevor Wood, Calumet, MI., Arctic Cat
Citizens State Bank Trail Stock 800: 1) Shay Thompson, Gwinn, MI., Polaris: 2) Jim Butler, Babbit, MN., Arctic Cat: 3) Jason Kleinschmidt, Merrill, WI., Yamaha
Pat’s Motorsports Race Stock 600: 1) Adam Hawkins, Ontonagon, MI., Polaris 2) Trevor Wood, Calumet, MI., Arctic Cat: 3) John Mihelich, Mohawk, MI., Arctic Cat:
Pat’s Motorsports Race Stock Open: 1) Shay Thompson, Gwinn, MI., Polaris: 2) Jim Butler, Babbitt, MN., Arctic Cat: 3) Adam Hawkins, Ontonagon, MI., Polaris
Sunshine Motel Pro Mod 500: 1) Matt Lacosse, Champion, MI., Wahl Ski-Doo: 2) John Mihelich, Mohawk, MI., Arctic Cat
Holiday Station Stores Pro Mod 600: 1) Matt Lacosse, Champion, MI., Wahl Ski-Doo: 2) Shay Thompson, Gwinn, MI., Polaris: 3) Adam Hawkins, Ontonagon, MI., Polaris
M-64 NAPA Pro Mod 700: 1) Jerry Buschell, Lake Linden, MI., Ski-Doo: 2) Shay Thompson, Gwinn, MI., Polaris: 3) Matt Lacosse, Champion, MI., Wahl Polaris:
Ontonagon County Economic Partnership Pro Mod 800: 1) Louie Goldbach, Iron River, MI., Ski-Doo: 2) Jerry Buschell, Lake Linden, MI., Ski-Doo: 3) Chris Nordang, IronRiver, MI., Ski-Doo
Peninsula Graphics Pro Open Mod: 1) Jerry Buschell, Lake Linden, MI., Ski-Doo: 2) Chris Nordang, Iron River, MI., Ski-Doo: 3) Louie Goldbach, IronRiver, MI., Ski-Doo
North Country Snowmobile Club TOP GUN: 1) Louie Goldbach, Iron River, MI., Ski-Doo: 2) Chris Nordang., Iron River, MI., Ski-Doo: 3) Jerry Buschell, LakeLinden, MI., Ski-Doo