The following story from Sportech Racing tells about the Elk River-based snocross team’s ISOC Regional season opener at Quadna Mountain in Hill City, Minnesota.
The opening round of the ISOC Minnesota Regional series and the 2009-2010 snocross season started with a bang for Team Sportech Racing during the ISOC Minnesota Regional event at Quadna Mountain in Hill City, as both pro rider Paul Bauerly and semi-pro Andrew Carlson looked to be in mid-season form with convincing qualifying efforts and podium finishes in their respective classes. Pro-Women’s rider Taylor Carlson is still on the mend from knee surgery as is expected to return to competition in 3-4 weeks.
Bauerly dominated in qualifying with three heat wins in National Pro Stock and a 1-3-1 performance in National Pro Open. In the stock final, traffic battered the first year pro early on, but he battled through to earn a second place finish behind Tim Tremblay at the checkered. In Pro Open, a first turn melee shuffled Paul back in the pack but he hung tough for a fourth place finish.
Meanwhile in Semi-Pro action, Andrew Carlson competed in all three Semi-Pro classes and qualified first in Semi-Pro Stock #2 with three heat wins; was the second qualifier in Semi-Pro Stock #1 with a 1-3-3 performance; and was the number four qualifier in Semi-Pro Open.
The short track was challenging, funneling riders into a tight turn one, and it was here where Andrew was caught up in a first lap incident in Semi-Pro Stock #1, forcing the young rider to battle back for a second place finish behind winner Jacob Muller. In Semi-Pro Stock #2, Andrew pulled a massive holeshot and cleared the first turn and led for several laps before an over-aggressive second place rider pushed Andrew off the track and off his sled. The crash also gave Carlson a severely cut finger, but the injury did little to hamper Andrew’s push in the Semi-Pro Open final where he finished second behind
winner David Joanis.
Quadna proved to be an excellent start to the season for Team Sportech, as they got their first tastes of competition on the season and prepared them for the first national race of the season in Duluth, Minnesota, December 11-13.
