Polaris Starts the 2008 Snocross Season King of the Hill
The Duluth National Snocross Race on November 23 - 25 put Polaris snowmobiles and their drivers at the top–of the hill, and the World Power Sports Racing points for the 2007 - 2008 snowmobile racing season.
In the WPSA top classes–Pro Open and Pro Super Stock–13 of the top 20 placings went to Polaris (Ross Martin, Levi LaVallee, Dennis Eckstrom, Mike Shultz, TJ Gulla, Matt Judnick and Sean Crapo). Arctic Cat took three of the ten spots in Pro Open, with Tucker Hibbert grabbing first place in every heat and the final, on his return to snocross. Indeed, the Pro Open top ten placings shut out Ski-Doo altogether, as Blair Morgan and Robbie Malinoski (first year on Ski-Doo after a year with Yamaha) came in 11th and 12th. The two Yamaha sleds placed below the top fifteen point earning positions.
Ski-Doo fared a little better in Pro Super Stock, where Morgan captured 7th and Malinoski 9th. However, it was Polaris 1st through 5th, with Tucker Hibbert landing the 6th spot, and Arctic Cat in 8th and another Polaris in 10th.
Early race results look like Polaris is in for another top year after coming out victorious in the 2006 - 2007 season. Pro Open high points for 2006 - 2007 went to Polaris drivers in three of the top five positions: Ross Martin (1), TJ Gulla (3), and Levi LaVallee (4). In that season Arctic Cat driver, Ryan Simons took second, and Blair Morgan took fifth with Ski-Doo.
The 2006 - 2007 Pro Stock National year-end honors went to TJ Gulla on Polaris, with Polaris drivers Mike Shultz and Ross Martin in fourth and fifth. Second for last year went to Ryan Simons with his Arctic Cat and Blair Morgan took third for Ski-Doo.
While both Arctic Cat and Ski-Doo brought out considerably lightened sleds for the new 2007 - 2008 season, so far it hasn’t translated into big changes on the snocross track. The WPSA National Snocross racing schedule, however, gives drivers seven full weeks to fine-tune their sleds before the next competition at Shakopee, MN on January 11 & 12, 2008.
Will Polaris stay King of the Hill? Or will Tucker Hibbert’s grand sweep in Duluth’s Pro Open class be repeated in the next race in the Pro Open and Super Stock classes? Can Morgan or Malinoski, both former WPSA champions, get Ski-Doo to the front of the pack?
Stay tuned!
by Linda Aksomitis,
Managing Editor for SnowRider Online Magazine
and www.guide2travel.ca
