[nggallery id=11]
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. (Feb. 24, 2014) – While the state of Massachusetts may not be the part of New England most folks associate with snowmobile racing, it does receive ample snowfall in places and can indeed be a hotspot for snocross competition.
East Coast Snocross (ECS) made its long-awaited debut in Berkshire County last weekend, and the Ingles Performance/Ski-doo team came away with numerous victories. Leading the hit parade was former series champion Mathieu Morin, who swept both Pro Open finals. Morin led every lap in both races in his most dominant effort to date.
“Going to North Adams was very exciting because I knew I had a brand new Ingles-built sled waiting for me,” Morin said. “I started the weekend with a lot of trust in my machine, and that’s a big thing. I nailed almost every holeshot, thanks to excellent tuning by my mechanic, Sebastien Fortier. I enjoyed a perfect weekend, because everybody on the team helped out. I want to thank Robin and Mike Ingles for their support. It is a pleasure to win races for them and Ski-doo.”
In Pro Lite action, Ingles-sponsored rider Leo Patenaude returned to 100% health with a clean sweep of the finals. Leo’s younger brother Hunter followed him across the stripe in second on Sunday, making it a 1-2 finish for the Vermont-based duo. On Saturday, Ingles-sponsored rider Jesse James Bonaduce kept his title hopes alive with a solid second-place finish.
“After that injury in Fonda affected my title hopes, I’ve had a different approach to these races,” Patenaude said. “I got good holeshots and found some great lines, but that’s not the only reason I swept the finals. I just went out there and had as much fun as possible. It worked out pretty well for us.”
All in all, it was one of the most successful outings of the season for the Ingles squad. In a winter where clean sweeps are the norm, these results are both gratifying and satisfying. For team co-owner Robin Ingles, the effort and energy put forth has yielded a fantastic return.
“Mathieu is riding as good now as I’ve ever seen him,” Ingles said. “All of our riders, from Matt and Danny in Pro Open, to Leo, Hunter and Jesse in Pro Lite, have all worked hard to get results this winter. They’re winning races and hitting the podium often, which is all Mike and I can ask. We feel very fortunate to have such a great group of riders doing this well. It’s very rewarding for us.”
Morin got off to a slow start this season but now has five wins to his credit. In fact, of the 13 ECS stand-alone finals contested this season (Valcourt excluded), Mathieu and Danny have claimed 10.
With just two weekends of ECS points racing remaining, it’s all on the line for those in title contention. The 2014 Pro Open championship is within reach, and Poirier is poised to grab it. Leo Patenaude, Hunter Patenaude and Jesse James Bonaduce will battle it out for the Pro Lite crown, with Ingles Performance and Ski-doo bound to win either way. Be sure to stay tuned as the 2014 season finale draws near.
