From East Coast Snocross:
BOSCAWEN, NH (Feb. 13, 2012) – Sophomore sensation Lincoln Lemieux and two-time champion Danny Poirier notched Pro class victories here over weekend, as East Coast Snocross (ECS) completed Round 4 on the nine-race 2012 schedule in the Granite State of New Hampshire.
Lemieux, of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, claimed Saturday’s 14-lap Pro Open final in dramatic fashion, while Poirier, of St. Theodore, Quebec, led all 16 laps to dominate Sunday’s Pro Stock final.
After a tough start where he slotted into ninth on the first lap, Lemieux (Lemieux Racing/Ski-Doo) began an exciting charge to the front. Rookie-of-the-Year candidate Michael George (Ingles Performance/Ski-Doo) grabbed the holeshot and led lap 1, then teammate Chris Ackerman powered his way into the lead.
As Poirier showed his skills and took command at lap 10, Lemieux had fans on their feet. He chased down veterans Renaud Alexandre and Poirier to take control at lap 12 and hung on for top honors. Alexandre settled for second, while Dylan Martin claimed third. Poirier and rookie Chris Ackerman completed the top five.
In Sunday’s Pro Stock final, Poirier led all 16 laps to dominate the show and pad his point lead. Lemieux, hot off his Open class win Saturday, slotted into second and ran there to the finish. Alexandre (Damexco Racing/Ski-Doo) slotted into third at the start and held off all challengers to earn a podium finish. Jake Scott and Martin filled out the top five positions.
In Pro Lite action Saturday, Michael Pilotte (Team Southside/Polaris) went wire-to-wire to post his second win of the season, while Andrew Bailey (second) and point leader Lucas Brunelle (third) filled out the podium. When Sunday’s final rolled around, Brunelle (Damexco Racing/Ski-Doo) had to fight off Jesse James Bonaduce (led laps 6 through 10) to earn the win and pad his lead in the standings. Pilotte made a late-race pass on Bonaduce to claim second, while the New Jersey-based racer settled for third.
In Sport division action at Boscawen, Montana Jess swept the Super Stock class finals both Saturday and Sunday. Tim Slocum followed the famed “Flyin’ Onion” across the line both days, while Connor Roscoe (daSilva Racing/Ski-Doo) claimed third on Saturday. James Obine was third Sunday. Jess also claimed the Sport 600 final over Bruce Gaspardi Jr. and Andrew Faulkner.
All of us at ECS wish Connor Roscoe a speedy recovery after a nasty spill left him bruised and shaken.
Action in the Junior division was hard-fought in Boscawen over the weekend, as well. Nate Newland posted a pair of final round wins, while Cole Fredericks and Jerry Field II also notched final round wins.
Other winners over the weekend in Boscawen include Todd Smith (Pro Am Saturday); Steffanie Lemieux-Bell (Pro Women Sunday); and Tim Slocum (Plus 25/35 Saturday and Sunday). Congratulations to all class winners in Round 4, and we wish all Pro and Pro Lite teams success this coming weekend.
East Coast Snocross would like to extend a huge thank you to the Town Line Trail Dusters for making last weekend’s event possible. In this nearly snowless winter across much of the region, club members went the extra mile to assist with snowmaking and stockpiling. ECS would also like to thank the folks at Banks Chevrolet for making Sledfest a high-profile and successful event.
Next up for ECS Pro and Pro Lite teams is a trip to Quebec for this weekend’s 30th running of the prestigious Grand Prix de Valcourt. This is one of North America’s largest and most action-packed snowmobile racing events. If you’ve never been, a trip to Valcourt is something every race fan needs to experience.
East Coast Snocross, presented by Amsoil and Woody’s Traction, is the sanctioning body for snowmobile racing in the northeastern United States. ECS maintains a regional circuit intended to keep grass-roots snocross racing healthy in this part of the Snowbelt, while also cultivating new talent for tomorrow’s factory-backed pro teams.
For more information or for complete results from Round 4, go to www.eastcoastsnocross.com.