It seems Mother Nature is about the only one who can keep Ski-Doo snocross racers from the top step of the podium these days. In a delayed start to the season thanks to a historic snowstorm two weeks earlier, Ski-Doo snocross racers stormed the podium in Fargo, ND, this past weekend claiming 13 wins on the weekend.
BOSS Of The Track
Coming off their first Pro points championship last season, the BOSS Racing team left no doubt their sites are set on defending that championship. In the delayed season opener, it was Aki Pihlaja earning a hard-fought Friday night win in low visibility conditions that challenged even the most seasoned riders.
It wouldn’t take long for defending champ, Elias Ishoel, to get back to his winning ways out of the BOSS Racing trailer. He went wire-to-wire in Saturday’s final in bitter cold temps and blinding snow dust to claim his first victory of the young season.
Following behind Ishoel was Adam Renheim of Warnert Racing for second place and his first podium of the season.
Ishoel topped the podium once again in Sunday’s action—a makeup round from the previously cancelled rounds in Duluth, MN. In dominating fashion Ishoel cruised to his second win in a row with a 15-second margin of victory over teammate Aki Pihlaja.
“The whole team is working so hard with the sled and it’s just working so good,” Ishoel said. “I can just go out there and race. It’s good to get the Jimmy John’s sleds up on the box.”
Renheim was ready to continue his strong start to the season, but a bad get-off saw Renheim helped off the track with a broken femur. The Warnert title hopeful underwent successful surgery Sunday night, and is in good spirits already looking forward to a comeback next season.
Patenaude Continues To Dominate Pro Lite
No racer ended last season as hot as Hunter Patenaude (Scheuring Speed Sports) en route to his first career Pro Lite points championship. He showed no signs of rust as he lined up on the starting line nine times this weekend and earned eight wins—including two finals wins. His lone blemish on the weekend was a second-place finish in Saturday’s final.
Patenaude and fellow Ski-Doo racer Francis Pelletier (Warnert Racing) appear to be one of the best battles to watch in the season’s early going. Both won their two qualifying races in Friday’s action. Patenaude claimed the win in the final with Pelletier in second.
In Saturday’s action, it was Pelletier taking the checkered flag in leading wire-to-wire after a massive holeshot put him in front of the pack for the final. Patenaude turned in another podium crossing the line in second.
Patenaude put on a clinic in Sunday’s final, leading every one of the 14 laps to take his second win on the weekend. Blasting off the line in the final, there was little chance of the field catching him with clear vision and clean lines around every corner. Korbyn Anderson (Anderson Racing) held on for his first podium of the season finishing third.
Brodeur Caps Weekend With Three Wins
You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who has had a run of domination quite like the one Megan Brodeur has been on over the past three season. The two-time defending champion showed no signs of relinquishing her title going 3-for-3 in finals on the weekend.
Fellow Ski-Doo racer Alissah Ashline turned in a solid weekend with her first two podium finishes on the season with a third place run on Friday night and a second place effort on Sunday.
Lebel Dominates Sport Class
Ski-Doo’s Jordan Lebel entered the season in the Sport class, moving up after winning the Sport Lite points championship last season. The tougher competition didn’t seem to faze him as he instantly served notice to the rest of the field with wins in the first two rounds of racing, including a perfect 3-for-3 effort on Friday night.
Adam Ashline (Ingles Performance) finished second, behind Lebel, on Saturday for his first podium of the season.
Before the storm two weeks ago in Duluth, Sport was able to get one final in and it was fellow Ski-Doo rider Brian Peterson on the top step with Lebel making the podium in third.
After a break for the holidays, snocross racing returns to Canterbury Park in Shakopee, MN, Jan. 3-4, 2020.