SCHAGHTICOKE, New York (Jan. 19, 2015) – Swedish snocross sensation Johan Dahlgren made a clean sweep of the Pro classes over the weekend, as East Coast Snocross (ECS) completed Round 2 of its nine-race 2015 schedule at the historic Schaghticoke Fairgrounds.
On Saturday, Dahlgren, of Tannas, Sweden, worked his way past early leader Jake daSilva (daSilva Racing/Ski-doo) on lap seven of 12 and powered home for top honors. Four-time and defending champion Danny Poirier (Ingles Performance/Ski-doo) made a late-race charge to secure second, while daSilva hung on for a third-place podium finish.
Dahlgren went wire-to-wire in Sunday’s final on his Team Southside/Polaris, with Poirier rock solid in second and veteran Lucas Brunelle third. After many years on Ski-doo, Brunelle is now part of the talent-filled Team Southside squad and is adapting quickly to the red sleds from Roseau, Minnesota.
In Pro Lite action, Vermont veteran Leo Patenaude (Ingles Performance/Ski-doo) took advantage of a little downtime in his ISOC schedule, returning to his northeastern roots. The skilled athlete from Hartland rode to victory in Saturday’s final, while fellow Vermonter Wade Acker (daSilva Racing/Ski-doo) claimed second ahead of Albany native Chris Coleman (Team Southside/Polaris).
“It was a lot of fun to be back racing in my old series,” Patenaude said. “My Ski-doo ran great, and I might have been able to score another podium finish on Sunday but passing room was at a premium. It was a tight track, but at least we had one to compete on in an area that hasn’t had much natural snowfall this winter.”
On Sunday, Connecticut rider Cody Paolella notched his first career Pro Lite win with a brilliant effort. Another member of the Team Southside squad, Paolella led teammate Matt Boron across the stripe with recent Sport class graduate Joe Bishop filling out the podium. Paolella has matured rapidly in the last year or so, picking up steam in a career that seems limitless.
“It takes a lot of practice and concentration,” Paolella said. “You have to try different lines during practice and figure out a way to lean for the turns. You have to be mentally ready for the race. Remembering every little thing to help get you the extra advantage is key, and to never let the race get in your head and psyche you out.”
Tatum Hax earned her first Pro Women victory on Saturday, leading series veterans Janell Smith and Nykea Williams across the line after eight laps. Smith found redemption on Sunday with a winning performance, with Williams and Hax settling for second and third to fill out the podium.
“Before my final on Saturday, I went out with the mindset to just ride my own race and stay focused,” Hax said. “When I realized I had won, I was overwhelmed with satisfaction knowing it had worked out in my favor. That left me ready to go out and push myself to continue to keep up with both Janell and Nykea on Sunday. It was an amazing weekend I won’t soon forget.”
In Sport action at Schaghticoke, it was rising star Marco Travaglini piloting his machine to victory in Saturday’s eight-lap Super Stock final. Jeff Roylance powered his way to second, while Ryan Dupont claimed third. On Sunday, Nick Zielinski held off a hard-charging Austin Kodey for top honors, while Nicholas Edwards settled for third.
Series veteran Bruce Gaspardi Jr. (Team Southside/Polaris) swept the Plus 25 finals over the weekend, keeping his No. 33 Mystic Lubricants/FXR machine out in front of the competition. Heath Bell rode to victory in the Pro Am final with a strong performance.
Other final round winners over the weekend in New York include Michael Newman (Jr. 14-14 Saturday and Sunday, Jr. 16-17 Sat.); Anthony Paige (Jr. 16-17 Sunday); and Kate Gallant (Girls 10-13 Saturday and Sunday). Congratulations to all of our Round 2 winners on a job well done. Given the poor weather conditions on Sunday, we know it was a bigger challenge than usual.
East Coast Snocross would like to thank the fans and media outlets in the Capital District for a warm reception last weekend. It had been several years since sanctioned snocross visited the area, and it was apparent the interest level was still there. Gathering and making enough snow was difficult, yet in the end was worth it with great racing all weekend.
Next up for ECS Pro Open, Pro Lite and Sport riders is a trip north of the border this coming weekend, Jan. 23-25, to compete at the International Snocross in Louiseville, Quebec. The event will include Round 2 qualifying in the 2015 Triple Crown series against Quebec-based SCMX riders.
East Coast Snocross, presented by AMSOIL, Woody’s Traction and FXR, is the eastern regional affiliate of ISOC. ECS strives to maintain a healthy level of competition in grassroots snocross, while also cultivating new talent for tomorrow’s factory-backed national teams.