Feb
28th, 2009, Munising, Ml - With over 200 inches of snow to
date and over 58-inches on ground, the ingredients for a great cross-country
race were already in Munising, Michigan. But Arctic Cat rider Cory Davis
made it that much sweeter with his sweep of the Pro classes at the USCC
Munising 300.
After a massive snowstorm blew through the area leaving racers and fans
with windy conditions and even more snow to contend with, the two-day
race got under way this past Friday.
"It seems like we're always fighting to find snow," said USCC
President Pat Mach. "We've had real good snow everywhere this season,
but Munising is crazy. Usually you only see snow like this out West."
#160 Cory Davis |
Indeed,
deep snow led to a 13-mile course that got extremely whooped out
with four to five foot rollers in some sections and, if you got
offline, you could expect to get buried in the soft stuff. This,
combined with a road run and various other terrain, once again made
for a challenging course for USCC competitors. But for Davis, who
grew up riding this type of terrain in his home state of Alaska,
this was like coming home. |
"This isn't new to me," said Davis. "I've been riding this
type of stuff since I was five years old."
Davis, who started last in the FXR Pro 600 class on Friday, had a two-minute
lead on the second place sled of Arctic Cat rider Brian Dick after Day
1. On Day 2 Davis again pulled time on the field but slowed after the
first three laps of the six-lap race because his front arm shock lost
its fluid.
"I felt it go down and I slowed down," said Davis. "I knew
I had pulled a lot of time and I wanted to finish the race because I was
pretty sure I had the win."
Indeed, Davis finished with a time of 2:32:21, besting the second place
time of Dick (2:36:49) by over four minutes. Arctic Cat rider Ryan Huston
finished in third with a two-day time of 2:39:09, making it a clean sweep
of the podium for Arctic Cat. Davis also took the win in the Ryde FX Pro
Open class with a two-day time of 48:36, besting second place rider Dick
(49:20) by nearly a minute. Arctic Cat rider D.J. Ekre took third with
a time of 50:58.
#4 Sam Vandeputte |
Ski-Doo
rider Sam Vandeputte continued to show his dominance in the Stud
Boy Semi-Pro 600 class, taking the win with a time of 1:04:05. Polaris
rider Ryan Faust took second just five seconds behind Vandeputte
(1:04:10) and Ski-Doo rider Cory Grant took third (1:04:26). Vandeputte
lost a bunch of time the first day when he got stuck in the deep
snow in the woods during the Fox Shox Semi Pro Improved Class. At
one point he said he was standing in the snow and the bumper of
his sled was at his chest. |
#432 Ryan Greening |
Yamaha
had a great weekend of cross country racing lead by riders Josh
Carey and Ryan Greening on board the FxNytro as they went 1-2 in
Fox Racing Shox Semi-Pro Improved Class. Carey logged a time of
56:56 to Greening's 57:03, with Greening besting the third place
Arctic Cat Sno Pro of Spencer Fett (58:26) by over a minute. Ryan
Greening also took another this weekend winning on his Yamaha Phazer
in the highly-competitive Yamaha Sport 85 class. |
Other class winners include: Mark Beltnick (Doo), C&A Pro Skis Amateur
600; Adam Brandt (Cat), Newman's Sled Bed Amateur Improved; Paul Anderson
(Pol), Recreational Salvage Fan 600; Jim
Sobeck (Doo), Action Graphics Legends 50+; Nick Uhde (Pol), Scott USA
Vet 30+; Deede Petz (Doo), PowerMadd Women's; Jon Arneson (Cat), Orion
Sleds & Trailers Masters 40+; Zak Mason (Cat), TekVest Juniors 14-17;
Adam Mach (Cat), Carver Performance Juniors 10-13; Sara Larson (Cat),
SNOX Magazine 120 Stock; Sara Larson (Cat), SnowGoer 120 Improved.
The next USCC event, the Seven Clans 125 Presented by Polaris, is scheduled
to take place March 15 in Warroad, Minnesota.
The United States Cross-Country Snowmobile Racing Association
(USCC) is based out of Minto, ND and attracts more than 200 professional
and amateur snowmobile racers to each of its events. The USCC series is
North America’s premier form of cross-country snowmobile racing;
it is the only racing organization that sanctions events comprised entirely
of terrain cross-country races. The race courses include ditch lines,
frozen lakes and deep woods trails. Its 2008-09 schedule marks the circuit’s
seventh season with races hosted in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin
and Michigan. The USCC is sanctioned by International Snowmobile Racing
(ISR); ISR has been serving the racing community for more than 25 years.
Please visit www.usccracing.com
for more information.
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