The reigning champion of snowmobile snocross racing is switching teams, but staying with his brand.
Quebec native Tim Tremblay has been signed by the Scheuring Speed Sports race team based out of Aurora, Minnesota, leaving the Warnert Racing Team with which he won the International Series Of Champions (ISOC) Amsoil Snocross Championship Pro Open points title this past winter.
The move comes as a surprise to most observers, yet it has several limiting factors that keep it from being a blockbuster move. First, Tremblay, 25, stays on Ski-Doo snowmobiles, so no brand switch is in play. Secondly, he’s moving from one super team to another, so it’s not a dramatic move up or down the snocross team pecking order.
Still, to have a points champion announce a team switch less than two months after earning the national title is attention getting. He also joins an expanding team – according to the Scheuring Speed Sports press release (below), it is keeping both of its Pro drivers, the popular and strong veteran Robbie Malinoski (third in points this year) and the Pro Rookie of the Year, New York-native Darrin Mees.
From Ste-Jeanne-D’arc, Quebec, Tremblay burst on the scene a few years ago and claimed a Semi-Pro Open points title in the 2008-09 ISOC season for the Warnert team before jumping to the classes in 2009-10. Once there, he immediately made his mark, winning the Pro Super Stock championship and finishing third in Pro Open. The following season (2010-11) Tremblay finished third in points in Pro Super Stock and Pro Open.
For the 2011-12 season, ISOC narrowed the Pros to one class – Pro Open – and Tremblay shined. He won four ISOC nationals (in Shakopee, Minnesota; Pontiac, Michigan; and two finals at Fargo, North Dakota) as well as high-profile victories at unaffiliated events – the Eagle River World Championship Snowmobile Derby and the Grand Prix de Valcourt.
It will be interesting to see how the high-quality Warnert Racing team fills the hole Tremblay is leaving. Here’s the press release from Scheuring:
Aurora, MN (May 9, 2012) Steve Scheuring, owner of Scheuring Speed Sports, is pleased to announce the signing of defending AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series Pro Open champion Tim Tremblay. The two time Pro Champion will join the reigning Team of the Year for the 2012-13 ACSS tour, racing out of the AMSOIL/Ski-Doo trailer alongside top pro riders Robbie Malinoski (third overall in points) and Pro Rookie of the Year Darrin Mees.
“With the addition of Tim to our race team, and with Robbie and Darrin already on board, we will be a force to be reckoned with this year,” said Scheuring.
For Tremblay, the move is one he believes will bring continued success and stability as he enters the prime of his career.
“Steve Scheuring has a true professional race team and his team never stops working on being better, and that is the team I want to race for,” said Tremblay. “The AMSOIL/U.S. Air Force/Rockstar/Ski-Doo sleds they put together came out of the holeshot strong at every race last year. And the way the Fox Shox handled the rough national tracks was impressive. I am excited to race for Scheuring Speed Sports and still stay with a great company like Ski-Doo.”
Since moving back to Ski-Doo, the AMSOIL/Scheuring Speed Sports team has been one of the most consistent race teams on the national circuit, finishing with two riders in the top five in points last year.
“Ski-Doo is a great company with a rich history of racing and winning,” said Scheuring. “We are constantly sharing ideas with the race group to develop and improve future products that will make there way to the consumer’s snowmobiles.”
The official unveiling of the new-look AMSOIL/U.S. Air Force/Rockstar/Ski-Doo team will take place at the annual Sno-Baron’s Grass Drags September 8-9, 2012.
For continuing information visit www.scheuring-speedsports.com
