Morin sweeps Pro finals at Pittston Farm for East Coast Snocross,
Presented by AMSOIL, Woody’s Traction and FXR
ROCKWOOD, Maine (Mar. 14, 2016) — Former series champion Mathieu Morin notched his first sweep of the Pro Open finals since his 2011 championship season, as East Coast Snocross (ECS) completed Round 6 on the 2016 schedule at historic Pittston Farm.
Morin, of Val-D’Or, Quebec, powered his Ingles Performance Ski-doo to victory on Saturday after a strong effort in qualifying. Swedish invader Mikko Osmo (Team Southside/Polaris) chased Morin throughout the final yet settled for second, while New Hampshire veteran Jake daSilva (daSilva Racing/Ski-doo) put in a strong performance to round out the podium in third. Points leader Danny Poirier (Ingles Performance/Ski-doo) came off his sled, unhooked his tether and had trouble getting the sled refired. He would soldier on to finish fourth, while series newcomer Emil Hansson (Team Southside/Polaris) completed the top five.
On Sunday, Morin blasted off the line as if shot out of a cannon, handling his sled like a toy on the challenging track in Maine’s famed North Woods. Poirier was closer to his usual form in second, yet Morin, now in the best physical shape in years, would simply not be denied. Jake daSilva capped a stellar weekend with his second straight third-place finish, while Pieti Puhakka, of Finland, (Team Southside/Polaris) and Hansson finished fourth and fifth respectively.
In Pro Lite action, Hansson proved why he was brought over from Europe with a brilliant effort. The point leader notched another victory on Saturday ahead of Ontario native Vandeborne, while former Sport class standout Dalton Jacquier hit the podium in third. Defending class champion Cody Paolella (fourth) and veteran Austin Kodey filled out the top five in a hotly-contested final.
On Sunday, it was Vandeborne’s chance in the spotlight, as he showed the skills he brought to the table from his experience on the CSRA Canadian National circuit. This was his first win in New England, and most veteran observers knew it was just a matter of time. Hansson capped a stellar weekend by finishing second, while Paolella landed on the podium in third. Jacquier and Kodey were fourth and fifth with solid performances.
Jared Gessner powered his way to victory in Saturday’s Southside Sales/Team Southside Sport Super Stock 600 final. Former Junior class standout Tucker Kierstead (Kislowski Racing/Arctic Cat) was rock-solid and came home second, while Nathan Bourassa edged Ryan Dupont for third. Bruce Gaspardi Jr. completed the top five in one of the best Sport class finals of the season.
On Sunday, Gessner made it a clean sweep by outgunning Gaspardi for top honors. Dupont found redemption with a solid third-place finish, while Kierstead and Bourassa were fourth and fifth. Gessner also claimed the Sport Super Stock 600 Weekend Final, with Dupont and Gaspardi Jr. earning second and third-place finishes. The Sport class has delivered some of the most competitive racing all season, and will continue to do so at the finale.
In Pro Women competition at Pittston Farm, defending points champion Nykea Williams came out on top in an exciting final on Saturday. Maine native Kassie Thibodeau, also racing for Team Southside, Mystic Lubricants and Polaris, powered her way to second, while Alissah Ashline finished third. Thibodeau bounced back to claim top honors in Sunday’s final, while Williams settled for second. Ashline and Rachel Serra finished third and fourth as the Women closed out another solid weekend.
East Coast Snocross would like to thank Jennifer and Guy Mills, owners of historic Pittston Farm, for hosting the 2016 Northwoods Sledfest. Pre-race warmth and rain made it a challenge to pull off, yet those who march on despite less-than-ideal conditions get results. A special thank you goes out to our teams and fans who endured difficult travel in this remote wilderness area. In most winters, that mud would still have been weeks away, and those snowbanks would have still been eight feet high.
All that remains for the 2016 season is the season finale, set for Saturday and Sunday, April 2-3, at the beautiful Peek’n Peak Resort in Findley Lake, New York. It’s been a tough season, yet the finale is sure to be filled with plenty of emotion and thrills.
East Coast Snocross, presented by AMSOIL, Woody’s Traction and FXR, is an ISR-affiliated sanctioning body for snowmobile racing in the northeastern United States. ECS maintains a regional circuit intended to keep grass-roots snocross racing healthy in this part of the country, while also cultivating new talent for tomorrow’s factory-backed national Pro teams.
For more information, please go to www.eastcoastsnocross.com.
Official Finish: ECS Round Six
Historic Pittston Farm
Rockwood, Maine – March 12-13, 2016
Pro Open Saturday:
1. Mathieu Morin Val-D’Or, Quebec Ski-doo
2. Mikko Osmo Kauhajoki, Finland Polaris
3. Jake daSilva Salem, NH Ski-doo
4. Danny Poirier St. Theodore, QC Ski-doo
5. Emil Hansson Rannelanda, Sweden Polaris
Pro Open Sunday:
1. Mathieu Morin Val-D’Or, Quebec Ski-doo
2. Danny Poirier St. Theodore, QC Ski-doo
3. Jake daSilva Salem, NH Ski-doo
4. Pieti Puhakka Kouvola, Finland Polaris
5. Emil Hansson Rannelanda, Sweden Polaris
Pro Lite Saturday:
1. Emil Hansson Rannelanda, Sweden Polaris
2. Scott Vandeborne Denfield, ONT Polaris
3. Dalton Jacquier Canaan, CT Arctic Cat
4. Cody Paolella Wallingford, CT Polaris
5. Austin Kodey Endwell, NY Arctic Cat
Pro Lite Sunday:
1. Scott Vandeborne Denfield, ONT Polaris
2. Emil Hansson Rannelanda, Sweden Polaris
3. Cody Paolella Wallingford, CT Polaris
4. Dalton Jacquier Canaan, CT Arctic Cat
5. Austin Kodey Endwell, NY Arctic Cat
Pro Women Saturday:
1. Nykea Williams Lyndonville, VT Polaris
2. Kassie Thibodeau Rumford, ME Polaris
3. Alissa Ashline N/A Ski-doo
Pro Women Sunday:
1. Kassie Thibodeau Rumford, ME Polaris
2. Nykea Williams Lyndonville, VT Polaris
3. Alissa Ashline N/A Ski-doo
Sport Super Stock 600 Saturday:
1. Jared Gessner Cuddebackville, NY Polaris
2. Tucker Kierstead Alton Bay, NH Arctic Cat
3. Nathan Bourassa Newfields, NH Ski-doo
4. Ryan Dupont Canterbury, CT Polaris
5. Bruce Gaspardi, Jr. Cheshire, MA Polaris
Sport Super Stock 600 Sunday:
1. Jared Gessner Cuddebackville, NY Polaris
2. Bruce Gaspardi Jr. Cheshire, MA Polaris
3. Ryan Dupont Canterbury, CT Polaris
4. Tucker Kierstead Alton Bay, NH Arctic Cat
5. Nathan Bourassa Newfields, NH Ski-doo
Sport Super Stock 600 Weekend:
1. Jared Gessner Cuddebackville, NY Polaris
2. Ryan Dupont Canterbury, CT Polaris
3. Bruce Gaspardi Jr. Cheshire, MA Polaris
4. Nathan Bourassa Newfields, NH Ski-doo
5. Michael Newman Stamford, CT Arctic Cat
* NOTE: This was a points race for Pro, Pro Lite and Sport teams only.
