Morin claims Pro Stock final at Rockingham Park for East Coast Snocross Series,
Presented by Woody’s Traction & AMSOIL
SALEM, N.H. (Feb. 26, 2011) — Veteran snocross racer Mathieu Morin rolled into southern New Hampshire this weekend with one thing on his mind – to win more finals and take another step towards securing the 2011 Pro titles.
Morin (Ingles Performance/Ski-doo), of Val-D-Or, Quebec, is a little closer to reaching that goal, as he dominated the Pro Stock final in East Coast Snocoss (ECS) series competition Saturday afternoon at Rockingham Park.
Former champion Danny Poirier (Hulten Speed Sports/Polaris) ran second for much of the race and pressured Morin in the closing laps. He got within three sled lengths on two occasions, yet settled for second. Poirier’s teammate Matt Piche filled out the podium in third.
For Morin, it was one of the more difficult wins of his career.
“The track is very demanding here,” Morin said. “I’m pretty tired out after that one. If we (Pro riders) didn’t train as much as we do all week and during the off-season, we could never do this. My sled ran great today, it takes a great team like my guys at Ingles and Ski-doo to make this all work. I knew Danny was right there, but I sure am happy to hold him off.”
Poirier won the regional Pro titles back in 2004, but still manages to run up front against younger riders every week. Joined by his young daughter Amy in the Winner’s Circle, he talked about the challenging track laid out here in Salem.
“I tried to catch Mathieu but he was simply too fast today,” Poirier explained. “This track is rough and hard on suspensions, but my Polaris was handling well and I just kept pushing as hard as I could. I’m happy today, but will do my best to beat Mathieu again tomorrow in Pro Open.”
Piche is a native of Lake Shore, Minnesota, but is staying in New York this winter while racing here in the east. A rider with national experience, Piche trains constantly and is always a contender when the green flag flies.
“My sled ran very well today, and I’m thrilled to be back up here on the podium,” Piche said. “A rough track like this is definitely hard on riders and sleds, but the fans sure get to see some excitement when we hit the throttle. I’m anxious to go again tomorrow.”
Sunday’s card will be highlighted by the inaugural ECS $3,000 Challenge, a special non-points dash-for-cash style race that pits Pro riders against the best Semi-Pro racers. It’s a unique format that should generate some additional excitement.
Gates will open at 10 a.m. Sunday, with racing getting under way promptly at 11 a.m. Along with the ECS Challenge, Sunday’s card will also feature qualifying and final rounds for Pro Open, Semi-Pro Stock Day 2, action in the Sport, Women and Junior divisions, plus another gravity-defying show from the Rave-X Freestyle squad.
Admission is $15 per day for adults. For more information, please go to www.rockinghampark.com.