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Morin, Sundvisson earn big wins in Rumney for East Coast Snocross series, Presented by AMSOIL and Woody’s Traction Poirier, Bonaduce also claim Final round wins
RUMNEY, N.H. (Dec. 16, 2013) – Former champion Mathieu Morin and Swedish sensation Emil Sundvisson earned impressive wins in their respective divisions Sunday, as East Coast Snocross (ECS) kicked off its 2013-14 season at the Riverbrook RV Resort in Rumney, New Hampshire.
Morin (Ingles Performance/Ski-doo), of Val D’Or, Quebec, put on a remarkable show in the Pro Open final as he outgunned Mike Bauer (Jess Racing/Arctic Cat) and teammate Danny Poirier for top honors. Sundvission (Team Southside/Mystic Lubricants Polaris), of Ostansjo, Sweden, led all 12 laps of the Pro Lite final as Jesse James Bonaduce (Miksen Racing/Ski-doo) and Montana Jess (Jess Racing/Arctic Cat) filled out the podium.
Sunday’s card featured a doubleheader for Pro and Pro Lite teams to make up for not racing Saturday due to a lack of snow. Mother Nature dumped a foot of fresh powder on Rumney overnight, allowing officials to improve the track significantly for Sunday’s busy schedule.
For Morin, the victory was sweeter than usual after a shoulder injury plagued him last winter. Now back in top physical condition, the 2010 RMR champion and 2009 Duluth winner is inspiring to watch.
“I jumped a little bit on the start, so they put me in the third row,” Morin said. “I was pretty mad, so I think that motivated me to get out front early. A few riders tangled in the first corner, but I was lucky enough to sneak by them.”
Series newcomer Mike Bauer slotted into second after the first lap and started to gain on Morin. Just past halfway in the grueling 14-lap final, Bauer took the lead, forcing Morin to dig deep yet again.
“Mike is pretty fast, and when he passed me I knew it would be a good battle,” Morin added. “I found a good line on a pretty nasty track going down the backstretch and retook the lead. I have to thank my Ingles Performance team and Ski-doo, they gave me the sled to pull this off. It feels fantastic, and I can’t wait to get to Fonda Speedway next month for Round 2.”
Sundvission is returning to Sweden on Wednesday of this week after running the first two ISOC races of the season and our ECS lid-lifter in Rumney. His skills and finesse shined brightly in the fresh snow Sunday, putting a big smile of Bruce Gaspardi Sr. and every Team Southside supporter.
“I didn’t qualify as good as I wanted to, but I was focused on the light in the final and took the holeshot,” Sundvission said. “The sled worked well the whole race, but in the last two or three laps, I was getting a little tired. The track is very difficult, but I hung on for the win. I need to thank Team Southside, Polaris and Bruce for this opportunity. Now I’ll go home and train for our own season.”
In the second Pro and Pro Lite finals, Poirier came out on top in Pro over Morin and Lincoln Lemieux (Lemieux Racing/Ski-doo), while Bonaduce prevailed over Jason Boron (Team Southside/Mystic Lubricants Polaris) and rookie Hunter Patenaude (Ingles Performance/Ski-doo) in Pro Lite. The exciting doubleheader gave fans a chance to see plenty of action after digging out from the storm.
Other final round winners over the weekend in Rumney include Nykea Williams (Pro Women Saturday and Sunday); Joseph Lemieux (Plus 30 Pro Am); Bruce Gaspardi Jr. (Plus 25/35 Stock Sat.); Rene Desrochers (Plus 25/35 Stock Sun.); James Obine (Sport Super Stock Sat.); Cody Paolella (Sport Super Stock Sun.); and Marco Travaglini (Jr. 16-17 Saturday and Sunday).
East Coast Snocross would like to thank John Killion and the entire staff at Wicked Snocross, Inc. for hosting our season opener. Despite a number of challenges and issues to overcome, the event took place and a new season of competition began in earnest. We look forward to better times for all of us when the series returns to Rumney in early March of 2014.
Next up for the series is the debut of snocross at historic Fonda Speedway outside Albany, New York. ECS officials would like to take this time to wish every rider, team member, sponsor representative and race fan a happy holiday season. May you all enjoy the things that matter – family, good friends and the true meaning of Christmas. Stay safe, and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year.
East Coast Snocross, presented by AMSOIL and Woody’s Traction, is the eastern affiliate of International Series of Champions (ISOC), the national sanctioning body for snocross. ECS strives to maintain a healthy level of grass-roots snocross in the northeast, while cultivating new talent for tomorrow’s factory-backed Pro teams.