SNOCROSS 2022-2023 MID-SEASON UPDATE

Writing and photos by Crystal Magiera / Crystal Wallem Photography
 
Snocross has reached the mid-way point in the 2022-2023 season with 8 rounds in the books at 4 different venues—Red River Valley Speedway in Fargo, ND, Canterbury Park in Shakopee, MN, Days of ’76 Rodeo Grounds in Deadwood, SD, and ERX Motorpark in Elk River, MN. The original schedule included the Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino in Salamanca, NY, but after unseasonably warm weather and rain, the decision was made to migrate Rounds 7 & 8 to ERX.

We’re checking in with some of our FXR-backed teams and athletes for a mid-season update.

THENE MOTORSPORTS

There’s no doubt that Thene Motorsports is one of the most dominating teams in the sport this season, boasting two riders leading their class in points and the other two within the top 10. Four-time champion, Elias Ishoel #200, continues to hold the advantage in the Pro class with 294 points, six podiums, and a handful of heat race wins.

Marcus Ogemar #58 has scooped up five qualifier wins so far this season and six top-5 final finishes, including double podiums at ERX. Ogemar has worked his way up to 3rd in overall points in the Pro Lite class.

Pro Lite rookie Emeric Legendre #144 is currently sitting 8th in points and has obtained two 5th place final finishes within the first 8 rounds.

Crayden Dillon #906 held a perfect record until Round 5 where he settled for 3rd. Dillon picked back up on his winning streak at ERX where he swept the Sport class and now has 3 wins in a row. Dillon currently holds a 45-point lead in the Sport class.

ONE THREE MOTORSPORTS

Tougher than nails, Malene Cottew #93 is sore but not sidelined after taking a couple of diggers. Cottew suffered a fractured tailbone while racing the Midwest Snocross regional at the RK Compound leading up to Rounds 7 & 8 (but still won!). Cottew powered through the pain and picked up her fourth straight win in Round 7 at ERX. Cottew suffered another gnarly crash in Round 8, but walked away healthy and remains 1st in points in the Pro Women class.

Jeremy Beaulieu #122 returned to racing for Rounds 3 & 4 after sitting out the first weekend due to injury. Beaulieu earned three top-3 heat race finishes plus a heat race win between Rounds 3-6, but suffered broken ribs and a partially collapsed lung after an extreme crash Saturday night in Deadwood. Beaulieu is currently recovering and hopes to be back on the track before the end of the season.

Cael Firth #140 unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury at the Grand Prix Ski-Doo de Valcourt and is at home getting ready for next season. Taking Firth’s place is Adam Ashline #710, last season’s Sport champion who, oddly enough, had no ride until Rounds 7 & 8. Ashline bumped up to the Pro Lite class for his 2022-2023 season debut and earned a top-3 heat race finish.

Brothers Hudson Kuhn #170 and Holden Kuhn #180 have been succeeding in the junior classes, including a handful of top-5 finishes and a couple of podiums. Hudson is sitting 3rd in points in the Transition 8-10 class midway through the season and Holden is 5th in points in the Stock 200 class.

TEAM LAVALLEE RACING

Out of the 16 qualifying races so far this season, Adam Peterson #3 has placed within the top-5 in all but one race. Additionally, Peterson secured three top-5 finishes in his finals plus a 2nd place podium finish in Deadwood. Peterson is currently sitting 8th in points in the Pro class.

Ryley Bester #151 is a holeshot machine, first off the line nearly every time he’s on the track. Bester has picked up a multitude of heat race wins over the course of the first half of the season as well as four podiums finishes. Currently 2nd in points in the Pro Lite class, Bester continues his chase for the championship.

Andy Lieders #57 continues his winning ways, taking 1st in every single race, both qualifiers and finals, that he’s been on the track for in the Pro Am Plus 30 class this season. Even though Lieders skipped Rounds 5 & 6 in Deadwood, SD due to sketchy travel conditions, he still leads the class in points. Lieders also dabbles in the Pro Lite class on Fridays, as the Plus 30 class only runs on Saturdays, and has earned multiple top-5 finishes.

HENTGES RACING

Kody Kamm #53 started off the season with a bang, winning the Amsoil Dominator and claiming two podium finishes—all in just the first weekend of racing. Kamm has since went on to scoop up his third win in Deadwood—the perfect tight, rough track for his riding style—and a handful of top-3 heat race finishes. Kamm sits 2nd in points in the Pro class, only 17 points behind the leader.

Oskar Norum #40 is likely out for the remainder of the season after suffering a torn patellar tendon in Round 2 at Fargo. Hentges Racing brought over John Malmstrom #4 from Sweden as Oskar’s replacement. Malmstrom competed in the Pro class for Rounds 3-6 but has since returned to Sweden and is unable to finish the remainder of the season in the U.S. due to prior commitments.

 

 SKOGQUIST RACE TEAM

New team on the block, Skogquist Race Team, fields riders in seven different classes. Leading the team is Sweden native Petter Narsa #27 in Pro. Narsa previously raced in the states for Hentges Racing and returned to the U.S. after a few-year hiatus. Narsa has five top-5 heat race finishes under his belt so far this season as well as two 4th’s in finals.

Drew Freeland #821 has proven to be one of the top competitors in the Sport class this season, snagging podiums in six out of eight rounds. Freeland is currently 2nd in overall points in the Sport class.

Currently 4th in points in the Sport Lite class, Brady Freeland #831 has picked up three podium finishes at the midway point in the season, including one win.

Twin brothers AJ Skogquist #113 and Wyatt Skogquist #172 both race in the Transition 9-13 and Jr. 10-13 classes. AJ has obtained a whopping 9 podium finishes between the two classes so far this season and sits 2nd in points in the Transition 9-13 class and 2nd in the Jr. 10-13 class. Wyatt has earned 3 podium finishes between the two classes and holds 3rd and 5th place currently in the points races.

HEMMER MOTORSPORTS

Redbull athlete Nick Lorenz #572 returned to racing for Rounds 7 & 8 after breaking his hand the first weekend in Fargo. Though Lorenz has a ways to go to make up points after missing much of the first half of the season, he capitalized in his heat races—reeling in three top-3 finishes. Lorenz placed 8th in both Pro Lite finals at ERX.

Hemmer Motorsports’ satellite rider Tyler Archambault #901 has raced to 3rd in overall points so far this season. Archambault claimed 6 podiums in the Sport class by the midway point of the season, including one win, and looks to keep his momentum rolling.

Not only does Avery Hemmer #415 compete in the Junior Girls class on Saturdays, but she also races in the Transition 9-13 class on Fridays. So far this season, Hemmer has won two of her finals in the Junior Girls class and is currently 3rd in points.

 

Lila Hemmer #005 also races in two classes—120 Champ on Saturdays and Transition 8-10 on Fridays. Hemmer has 5 heat race wins in the 120 Champ class under her belt so far this season, a podium finish, and sits 6th in points in both classes.

GREEN MOUNTAIN RACING

Finnish athlete Aki Pihlaja #128 has reeled in a handful of top-5 heat race finishes in the Pro class so far this season but suffered an ankle injury Saturday night at Canterbury Park. Pihlaja is expected to return to racing for Rounds 9 & 10 in Sioux Falls.

Prior to Rounds 3 & 4, Gustav Sahlsten #81 joined GMR as an additional Pro rider. Sahlsten picked up some notable heat race finishes before making the decision to finish out the season back home in Sweden and chase the championship in his stomping grounds.

It has been a few years since we’ve seen him on the race track, but Jake Scott #42 had plans to return to racing for Rounds 7 & 8 in the Pro class for Green Mountain Racing. Unfortunately, Scott suffered a broken foot in practice prior to the race weekend and was unable to compete.

In place of Jake Scott, Green Mountain Racing brought on Pro rider Robert Lunden #77—two time Norwegian champ, Nordic champ, and European champ. Lunden was looking comfy on his GMR sled until an off resulted in injury.

 

Topi Posti #43 has earned three top-5 final finishes in the Pro Lite class so far this season as well as a handful of top-3 heat race finishes.

 

Jan Even Romsdal #117 has endured a rough start to the season including an injury which sidelined him for Rounds 7 & 8. Romsdal had picked up a handful of top-5 heat race wins prior to his injury and plans to return to racing for Sioux Falls.

Emil Mikalsen #119 boasts two 2nd place podium finishes and a multitude of top-3 heat race finishes, including two wins. Mikalsen is currently 4th in points in the Sport class.

Gustav Vesterlund was the new addition to the team for Rounds 5 & 6 in Deadwood, racing in the Junior 14-15 class. Vesterlund earned four top-2 heat race finishes as well as two podiums—1st and 3rd.

WOODIES RACING

Taven Woodie #873 has stood on the podium in every single round of racing so far this season—8 total podiums including two wins. Woodie continues her chase for the championship and is currently 2nd in points, only 14 points behind the leader in the Pro Am Women class.

Oskar Englund #339 has had some tough luck with getting tangled up this season but has still managed to pull off a couple of heat race wins and top-5 qualifier finishes. The Sweden native looks to continue his progress in the second half of the season.

Nemo Fahlander #169, also hailing from Sweden, has earned a handful of top-10 finishes in the Sport class, including a 4th place finish in Deadwood from the backrow. Unfortunately, Fahlander suffered a broken wrist in Round 7 at ERX and has returned home to Sweden for recovery.

 

One of the original Woodies Racing athletes Mike George #307 came out of retirement and re-joined the team. George pulled off a 3rd place podium finish in the Pro Am Plus 30 class at ERX.

(Photo by Max Fierek)

FRATTALONE RACING

Inanna Hauger #331 is one of the top athletes in the Pro Women class this season, boasting six podium finishes at the midway point in the season. Hauger is currently 4th in the points race, only three points behind 3rd place.

Pro Lite rookie Eric Downs #129 earned his career best and first career Pro Lite podium in Round 5, taking 3rd place at the rodeo grounds in Deadwood. Downs has also placed a notable 4th in his final at ERX and is 11th in points.

PFLIPSEN RACING

After lack of racer support left one of the most likeable athletes around Kenny Mandryk #61 without a team going into the season, Mandryk filled a spot for One Three Racing the first weekend in Fargo while their Pro Lite rider was out due to injury. Mandryk was then signed to Pflipsen Racing for the remainder of the season and is looking to be a good fit. Mandryk has had a series of highs and lows—highs including multiple holeshots and top-3 heat race finishes, lows including a couple of nasty crashes. Mandryk has a history of success racing and has high hopes for the remainder of the season.

 

Caiden Pflipsen #323 races in both the Junior 14-15 and Sport Lite classes. Pflipsen has reeled in three podium finishes in the Junior 14-15 class so far this season, including one win, and a 3rd place podium finish in the Sport Lite class.

 

SNOWBIKE

ISOC announced a different format for the Snowbike class this season—a triple crown—instead of 16 full rounds of racing. Snowbike athletes will compete at three of the stops on the national tour including Canterbury Park, ERX Motorpark, and the finale at the Sundown Mountain Resort. At the midway point in the season, Snowbike has underwent one of the three weekends of racing.

Troy Horbaty #57 rode with a broken ankle and managed a 3rd place overall Friday night at Canterbury Park. Horbaty went on to secure a perfect score Saturday night, winning both of his Moto’s and the overall. Horbaty sits 2nd in points, only 1 point out of the lead, and is chomping at the bit for his chance to surpass the leader at ERX.

 

Jesse Kirchmeyer #42 took the win in Moto 1 on Friday night at Canterbury Park but was unable to finish Moto 2 due to a mechanical issue. Saturday night, under the lights, Kirchmeyer earned a 3rd place in Moto 1 and 6th in Moto 2, resulting in 5th place overall.

Snocross has 4 more stops on the 2022-2023 national tour. With 8 rounds remaining, every lap will count towards the chase to the championship!

 

 

 

 

 

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