Leading into Haydays weekend, another big snocross team has unveiled its team for the 2022 race season, and this one involves a change in the Pro class.
The Woodies Racing Arctic Cat stable will include Trent Wittwer in the Pro class for 2022. The Bemidji, Minnesota, native has been around the sport for several years. He first grabbed attention as the national Sport class champion in 2017-2018 before earning multiple victories and finishing fourth in season points in his first year in Pro-Lite in 2018-2019. He jumped up to the Pro class with Stud Boy Racing and finished eighth in point in 2019-20 and then fought some injuries on his way to 14th in points last year when racing for R12 Designs/D&D Racing.
The Woodies press release said, “After a season of battling a wrist injury in 2020/21, Trent Wittwer returns to the Pro category. Last season Wittwer pushed through this injury and extreme cold to land a third-place finish in Fargo, ND, which instilled that podium hunger in his heart. We look forward to seeing what he is capable of now that he is healed and has the full backing of Woodies Racing for the season.”
Joining him at Woodies Racing from the now former R12 Designs/D&D Racing team will be Dylan Roes, who will again be a Pro Lite competitor on the ISOC Amsoil Championship Series (ACS). A native of Lowville, New York, Roes is a former class champion on the East Coast Snocross and Eastern Snocross Tour who has dabbled in select ACS races for several years but now is full-time on the national circuit. He finished 15th in points last year in Pro Lite.
The Woodies press release said, “Roes made huge strides in the Pro Lite category last season and now returns to ‘Leave nothing on the table.’ He has spent the summer riding moto and working on a dedicated training program with his coach Dennis Kopaz to ensure he is doing everything he can to return at the top of his game both mentally and physically. ‘I’m excited for the opportunity to work with Team Woodies, so thankful to Paul for stepping up and providing me a place to take my racing to the next level.’”
Returning from an early-season injury to chase the Pro Women’s championship is Taven Woodie. She started last year strong, with podium finishes in three of the first four rounds before a knee injury ended her season. In the previous two seasons, she finished second in Pro Women’s points behind Megan Brodeur.
The Woodies press release said, “Returning with a fire in her heart after injury last season is Taven Woodie. In Dubuque, IA, last season Taven Woodie damaged essential ligaments in her knee in the middle of her final, despite making it onto the podium this injury meant surgery and months off the sled. Since then she has dedicated herself to getting back into fighting shape, logging hours in the gym & at physical therapy. Her plan for this season? Win the Pro-Am Women’s championship.”
Taven’s older brother Kaden Woodie will be the fourth racer in the trailer when he returns to the track in Pro Lite, but he won’t be out there every week. Instead, he’ll be spending more time helping Taven chase her championship.
The Woodies press release said, “Possibly the biggest news for the season is Kaden Woodie’s return to the Pro Lite class but also his change in focus. Kaden will not be racing a full schedule this winter, instead, shifting his focus towards coaching and wrenching for his younger sister to ensure she takes this season’s championship. ‘I decided to take a step back from racing full time as I have been injured so much in the past. After a rib separation, and a bruised lung at the last race I knew I needed to heal up and help the new faces on the team!’ We are very happy to see Kaden taking care of himself and working to push his sister and support our team.”
Fathers and master wrenches Dale Roes and Jeff Wittwer will be making things work in the truck. “Roes is one of the cofounders of legendary D&D Racing who has been specializing in putting Arctic Cats on the podium since 1988,” the press release noted. “Wittwer has years of experience working within the race department of Arctic Cat and knows the sleds inside and out. They are both extremely excited to get Team Woodies on a new setup that they came up with in the last few rounds of last season and help to push Taven and the boys to the top step this season.”
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