Snow greeted the participants of the US Air Force Snocross National in Deadwood, S.D. on Friday night, the scene of the fifth round of the AMSOIL snocross championship. A technical and narrow track that Tim Tremblay, a former ISOC pro champion, didn’t appreciate so much, as he left his place to the three kids of the Lebel family in the Warnert-Racing team.
Pro
In Pro, Francis Pelletier had a great finish on Friday with a fifth place. Saturday was more complicated. He was a victim of the “funnel”. He was part of a group of five who wanted to get into a curve, when there was only room for three snowmobiles. Better luck next time! He finished with a tenth place finish in the final, which put him back to eighth in the provisional championship standings.
He said, “The form is good but the starts are so important on a small track. We’ll get back on track in Valcourt in two weeks.
Pro-Lite
In the Pro-Lite class, Jordan Lebel continued his perfect progression by winning both the Friday and Saturday finals.
On the first night, Jordan Lebel came into the first turn tied with Eric Downs, but found a hidden line and took the lead on his Ski-Doo. After that, he chose the best lines and trajectory, jumping and twirling on the narrow track he seemed to have tamed, to reach the checkered flag as the winner.
On Saturday, the Warnert-Racing Makita driver stayed at the front until the halfway point. Then he pushed hard to outrun his rivals and take his sixth consecutive win of the season, making him the favorite for the Pro-Lite title.
Emeric Legendre Perron of Team Athens matched his best result of the season in the Pro Lite division with a fifth place finish on Friday night. Legendre followed up with a seventh place finish on Saturday after qualifying 4-4 and having to start from the back of the grid. Emeric has a lot of potential and he seems very motivated to come to Valcourt in front of his home crowd.
The third Quebecer entered in the Pro-Lite was Jeremy Beaulieu. On Friday, he did not make it to the final. Saturday started well with a first and second place in qualifying. But the final was less satisfying. He was pushed hard on the start line and came out with multiple injuries: two broken ribs, a punctured lung and a concussion. He said, “Rodeo is hard on the ‘body’, I think I’ll take a few days off.”
Pro-Am Women
In Pro-Am Women, Naeli Lebel had a great weekend with a fifth and fourth place in the women’s finals. At 15 years old, Naeli is already in the top of the women’s class and she has a lot of experience, plus two crazy brothers who share her passion. The female member of the Warnert Racing team is not burning up the stages. She’s biding her time and she has an example to follow in the form of Megan Brodeur, multiple Isoc Snocross champion.
With the Sport Lite, we find Dylan Lebel, the youngest of the Warnert Racing drivers who won the Saturday final, allowing the family to register three times the name Lebel on the top step of the podium!
It was not a foregone conclusion. Dylan, in the family tradition, led from start to finish, but he was followed by Brady Freeland and Kenny Goike who battled hard to try and outrun the Chicoutimi driver, without success.
It was a good revenge for Dylan Lebel who had finished fourth in the final on Friday.
But his performances do not stop there. He also competed in the Junior 14-15 series where he finished on the second step of the podium on Saturday. The day before, he was stuck on the start, but he made a great comeback from fourteenth to seventh place.
The next round of the championship will take place on February 17 and 18 at Seneca Allegany resort, Salamanca, NY.
But before that, our Quebecers will go back to the Belle Province to attend the Ski-Doo Grand Prix of Valcourt, from February 10 to 12, where they will also meet many drivers from the SCMX circuit.
