Snocross continues to be snowmobile racing’s highest profile outlet. And, if you haven’t paid attention in a couple of years, you’re clearly missing out: The racing has been as competitive and high-flying as ever, with sky pilots from across the globe coming to the U.S. to be the king of international snocross scene.
Best yet, it’s also easy to follow – with highly entertaining, professional livestreams on Friday and Saturday nights of all ISOC Amsoil Championship Snocross races in January through March, although this year you’ll have to buy a FloRacing subscription to catch the action. For free, though, you can also play the Fantasy Snowmobile Racing Challenge game on SnowGoer.com. It’s free, simple to play and fun – merely pick drivers in the order you think they’ll finish from pull-down windows and then check back to see your results. Check it out here.
It all kicks off with the season-opener at Shakopee, Minnesota, on January 7-8, and wraps up in Cannonsburg, Michigan, on March 25-26. In between are stops in Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, New York, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
To get you ready for the season (and prepare you for the Fantasy Snowmobile Racing Challenge), let’s look at the field of drivers who will compete in the Pro class.
The Top Dogs
- Elias Ishoel, No. 200 Ski-Doo – The 23-year-old from Norway is three-time defending champion, but he’ll be racing for a different team (Thene Motorsports) this year after his previous team folded.
- Francis Pelletier, No. 220 Ski-Doo – The former Pro-Lite champion from Quebec finished second in points last year in his first year as a Pro. He’s aggressive and fast on his Warner Racing ride.
- Oskar Norum, No. 40 Polaris – The Swede has only raced in North America for a couple of years so he seems young, but at 28 he is in his prime. His Hentges Racing team finished strong last season.
- Kody Kamm, No. 53 Polaris – Norum’s teammate at Hentges, this Wisconsin-native was the 2017 points champion who shows flashes of greatness at times but lacks consistency. Time will tell if the 27-year-old can reclaim his former glory.
- Hunter Patenaude, No. 8 Ski-Doo – Like Pelletier, last year was this Vermonter’s first as a Pro, and he shined, finishing fourth in points. The 23-year-old could be a rising star for Scheuring Speed Sports.
The Returning Front-Runners
- Logan Christian, No. 43 Ski-Doo – The hard-working native of Fertile, Minnesota, jumps to Scheuring Speed Sports and Ski-Doo after years on his family’s now-closed Christian Bros. Racing Team.
- Daniel Benham, No. 221 Arctic Cat – Racing for the new All Finish Racing Arctic Cat and with a championship-winning mechanic, this Minnesota native is one to watch in 2022.
- Lincoln Lemieux, No. 13 Ski-Doo – The Vermont native has won many finals and is trying to revive his career on his new One Three Racing team.
- Kyle Pallin, No. 324 Polaris – Now 30, this personable Ironwood, Michigan, native is peeking late. He became a podium regular last season for Team LaVallee.
- Emil Harr, No. 31 Polaris – The 21-year-old Swede finished fifth in points last year on his Judnick Motorsports ride and was consistently fast.
The Newcomers
- Adam Peterson, No. 113 Polaris – Last year’s champion in Pro Lite, the Wisconsinite is stepping up to the Pro class for Team LaVallee.
- Travis Kern, No. 201 Polaris – A longtime force in Pro Lite, the Minnesota native is getting the chance to showcase his talents on the big stage for Cottew Motorsports.
- Filip Harr, No. 48 Arctic Cat – Emil’s older brother comes to North America for the first time racing for Zandstra Motorsports.
Other Pros To Watch
- Jacob Yurk, No. 727 Arctic Cat – Michigan native, 24, has shown surprising strength at times, and could shine for the new All Finish team.
- Trent Wittwer, No. 115 Arctic Cat – This Minnesotan has bounced around a bit despite his young age (21), but earned an impressive podium finish last year while dealing with a wrist injury.
- Cole Cottew, No. 201 Polaris – Naturally talented Wisconsin native had a best finished of fifth last year in Iowa.
- Travis Muller, No. 436 Arctic Cat – The 28-year-old Minnesotan is only running a partial schedule for his Muller Motorsports team.
- Aki Pihlaja, #128 Ski-Doo – The Finish racer is scheduled to run the first couple of rounds for Belair Racing. He’s won finals before and could surprise again.
- Scott Vandeborne, #188 Ski-Doo – The veteran Pro racer on the Canadian Snowcross Racing Association (CSRA) was a surprise late addition to the ISOC roster. Time will tell if he’s just here for a cup of coffee or if he’ll run the full schedule.
