Yamaha’s Frigon Wins Maine 100 Cross Country Race

Eric Frigon rode his Yamaha FX Nytro RTX to victory at the Maine 100 in Greenville, Maine on Mar. 17. Frigon led Scott Brownell on another FX Nytro RTX to the flag for a 1-2 Yamaha sweep in the Semi Pro class, and in doing so, wrapped up his second career cross-country championship.

FX Nytros earned more podiums at the event, including a third-place finish for Michael Ewaschuk in Sport 600, and another third for Bryce Murphy in Sport 600 Improved. Murphy led a trio of Yamaha sleds to the flag for a group 3-4-5 finish that also included Ewaschuk and Joshua May.

Conditions at Moosehead Lake were ideal for the final east coast cross country race of the season, with good-quality snow and temperatures in the mid-30s at the start. Frigon drew the 12th starting position in the time trial-format event, meaning that passing slower competitors would be crucial to putting down fast times during the three-lap event. The course was 6.2 miles, mostly shoreline but also including some fast sections on the frozen lake surface and detours across several small islands. Fortunately, the varied nature of the terrain perfectly matched the versatility of the FX Nytro RTX, which combines horsepower, handing and durability into one dramatic performance package.

After catching the first pair of competitors along the twisting shoreline within minutes, Frigon pulled the trigger on the FX Nytro’s 1049cc four-stroke engine and rocketed past on the frozen lake. He then went on to pass more sleds every lap until the finish, setting the lowest total elapsed time in the combined pro, semi-pro and amateur field. At the flag, his nearest rival was Brownell on another FX Nytro, a scant 6.5 seconds behind after the 18.6 miles. So fast was Frigon that, even as a Semi Pro Improved competitor, he thoroughly trounced the entire Pro class, beating the fastest driver by more than 20 seconds.

“The FX Nytro is a combination of strengths including durability, power and handling,” says Frigon. “The complete package is awesome, but the torque and power of the motor really makes it effortless to pass.”

“This is the first time in three seasons that we’ve focused on the east-coast races, so this is a great result,” says Yamaha’s Eric Josephsen. “Erik Frigon going three-for-three in event wins, and then being faster than all the Pros in the finale, totally proves the merits of the four-stroke FX Nytro. Congratulations to Erik and the whole team for the championship.”