LAKE GENEVA, Wisc. (March 18, 2012) – The 2011-’12 AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series came to a thrilling crescendo on Sunday at Lake Geneva Resort & Spa for the Nielsen Enterprises Grand Finale, presented by Bully Dog, as Ski-Doo’s Tim Tremblay wrapped up the overall ACSS Pro Open title – his first – while newly-crowned Pro Lite champ Kody Kamm (Polaris) stepped up to the Pro Open class for the first time and topped all the big dogs on Lake Geneva’s Mountain Top ski hill. And in the Pro Lite division it would be Polaris’ Jake Scott winning his first-ever main event.
AMSOIL’s Race Program Manager, Jeremy Meyer, put it best from Sunday’s Pro Open podium with Tremblay (3rd) and Polaris’ Ross Martin (2nd) flanking Kamm for the trophy presentation: “Great champions up here on the podium (Martin won the 2009-’10 Pro Open title) and a future champion standing between them.”
Eighty-degree weather made for a Hay Days-like scene at Lake Geneva, though in remarkable fashion – as it has been all winter long for the ISOC team, producers and promoters of the ACSS – the track held up one last time and delivered some incredible racing. From the various amateur and semi-pro classes, through the world’s top women racers and two Pro divisions, the 2011-’12 ACSS was put into the record books on what will no doubt go down as the most successful competition snow machine season of the warmest winter on record!
AMSOIL Lake Geneva Pro Open Sunday Final
For all intents and purposes Tim Tremblay (Ski-Doo) won the 2011-’12 ACSS Pro Open class overall championship after his second qualifier on Sunday. Needing only to inch his sled off the line in the Pro Open main and steer clear of a DQ black flag – something Tremblay has had zero problems doing this year – the always fast and, more importantly, most consistent rider on the Pro Open tour put up one final podium effort with a 3rd place finish at Lake Geneva.
“I’ve been racing here for four years in the United States, won a couple titles leading up to the Pro Open class, but struggled a bit last year,” said the Canadian Tremblay. “So this championship feels really good to win. Thanks to my team and family. This is like a dream come true.”
Tremblay’s title acknowledged, Kody Kamm (Polaris) stole the show on Sunday. Moving up from the Pro Lite division, where he secured the overall title yesterday, Kamm pulled the Stud Boy Holeshot in the Pro Open main and held off a furious charge from Saturday’s Lake Geneva Pro Open main winner, Ross Martin, to take 1st place in his first-ever Pro Open main event.
“This is awesome!” said Kamm. “I never thought this would happen. I got the holeshot, stayed out front of Ross and rode my own race. I’m really happy to be up here.”
While Martin was clearly the fastest racer on the Lake Geneva track if you look at the lap times, Kamm did the best job taming the ever-changing, rough and rugged conditions. Sopping up the rhythm sections by going double/double to Martin’s blitzkrieg triple/triple passes, Kamm made zero errors to Martin’s two errors – the first of which tossed him from his sled at the ultra-tricky base of the downhill section.
“I just tried to get out front early, but the roost was so bad – almost like last year when it was pouring rain here,” said Martin, who hails from nearby Burlington, Wis. “I made a mistake there on the downhill section and that was it. Kody rode great and congrats to Tim.
“It’s gonna be and exciting series next year for sure!”
While Martin gave Kamm the thumbs up after the race and Tremblay stopped to shake his Kamm’s hand, race color commentator and blazing racer in his own right, Levi LaVallee, said: “In his (Kamm’s) first Pro Open race he rips the holeshot and holds off Ross Martin for the win.” Added announcer Paul Mack: “Unbelievable.”
Noteworthy: Arctic Cat’s Tucker Hibbert wadded up pretty bad on a tricky downhill section at Lake Geneva on Saturday. He left the track under his own power, but was soon taken to the hospital with internal injuries. At this time he’s still in the hospital, but his camp reports that he’s doing better and should be leaving the Milwaukee-based trauma center within a day or so.
Sledhead 24/7 Pro Light Sunday Final
With 2011-’12 ACSS Pro Lite champ Kody Kamm moving up to race the Pro Open class today, Polaris’ Jake Scott stepped ‘er up and won the final Pro Lite contest of the season, grabbing lead on lap three when Dylan Hall (Ski-Doo) swapped out on the base of the downhill section, and running it clean through the checkers to top Ski-Doo racers Derek Ellis (2nd) and John Stenberg (3rd).
“I couldn’t be more excited. Trained for this so hard all year – I’m so happy to be up here,” said Scott from atop the ACSS Pro Lite podium. “I was thinking I’d screw something up, Stenberg’s fast and Derek’s fast. Just kept waiting for one of them to pass me up.”
After Scott pulled the holeshot to start Sunday’s Pro Lite main, Hall quickly took the lead. One lap later Hall would swap at the base of the downhill section – and was unable to recover. Scott went to the lead and put the hammer down in the open air, clocking a 40.9 second lap for the best time through the midway point of the race. Charging hard into 2nd was Ellis, who would match Scott’s 40.9. But Ellis was unable to close the gap as Scott maintained three seconds on Ellis through the checkers.
“I’m pretty sure I was the most consistent 2nd place finisher of all the classes this season,” said Ellis. “But I’m pumped to be up here one last time this year.”
With his 1st place effort in the final Pro Lite main Scott joined Ellis and Kamm on the overall season podium in 3rd place, having trailed Andrew Lieders (Polaris) and James Johnstad (Polaris) heading into the season’s final contest.
Lake Geneva, Wis., Snocross National Pro Open Sunday results
1st – Kody Kamm (Polaris), Wisconsin
2nd – Ross Martin (Polaris), Wisconsin
3rd – Tim Tremblay (Ski-Doo), Canada
4th – Robbie Malinoski (Ski-Doo), Minnesota
5th – Mathieu Morin (Ski-Doo), Canada
6th – Justin Broberg (Ski-Doo), Wisconsin
7th – Kyle Pallin (Arctic Cat), Michigan
8th – Cory Davis (Arctic Cat), Alaska
9th – Emil Ohman (Ski-Doo), Sweden
10th – Cody Thomsen (Arctic Cat), Minnesota
11th – Dan Ebert (Arctic Cat), Minnesota
12th – Mike Bauer (Polaris), Wisconsin
13th – Bobby LePage (Polaris), Minnesota
14th – TJ Gulla (Polaris), Vermont
15th – Darrin Mees (Ski-Doo), New York
Pro Open overall points (after 15 rounds)
1st – Tim Tremblay (Ski-Doo), Canada – 583*
2nd – Ross Martin (Polaris), Wisconsin – 564
3rd – Robbie Malinoski (Ski-Doo), Minnesota – 538
4th – Darrin Mees (Ski-Doo), New York – 447
5th – Tucker Hibbert (Arctic Cat), Minnesota – 432
6th – Justin Broberg (Ski-Doo), Wisconsin – 392
7th – Mathieu Morin (Ski-Doo), Canada – 365
8th – Cory Davis (Arctic Cat), Alaska – 342
9th – Brett Bender (Polaris), New York – 331
10th – Emil Ohman (Ski-Doo), Sweden – 330
*Denotes overall champion
Lake Geneva, Wis., Snocross National Pro Light Sunday results
1st – Jake Scott (Polaris), New York
2nd – Derek Ellis (Ski-Doo), North Dakota
3rd – John Stenberg (Ski-Doo), Sweden
4th – Andrew Lieders (Polaris), Wisconsin
5th – Travis Muller (Ski-Doo), Minnesota
6th – Andrew Carlson (Polaris), Minnesota
7th – James Johnstad (Polaris), Minnesota
8th – Joey Sagan (Ski-Doo), Canada
9th – Matt Bristow (Polaris), Minnesota
10th – Casey Boylan (Ski-Doo), Alaska
11th – Chase Rosenmeyer (Ski-Doo), Wisconsin
12th – Matt Pichner (Arctic Cat), Minnesota
13th – Devin Bertoch (Arctic Cat), Minnesota
14th – Colby Crapo (Polaris), Idaho
15th – Dylan Hall (Ski-Doo), Canada
Pro Light overall results (after 15 rounds)
1st – Kody Kamm (Polaris), Wisconsin – 557*
2nd – Derek Ellis (Ski-Doo), North Dakota – 533
3rd – Jake Scott (Polaris), New York – 434
4th – Andrew Lieders (Polaris), Wisconsin – 429
5th – James Johnstad (Polaris), Minnesota – 425
6th – Travis Muller (Ski-Doo), Minnesota – 397
7th – John Stenberg (Ski-Doo), Sweden – 383
8th – Corey Watkinson (Ski-Doo), Canada – 369
9th – Andrew Carlson (Polaris), Minnesota – 355
10th – Colby Crapo (Polaris), Idaho – 327
*Denotes overall champion
