Photos by Gary Walton

Polaris snocross racer Ross Martin (Judnick Motorsports) won one of two Pro finals at the ISOC Ironwood National and extended his early season streak to four straight podium finishes.

Martin won the Pro final on Saturday, Dec. 10, at Bessemer, Mich. and finished second on Sunday, which gave him two first and two seconds in the season’s four Pro finals. Martin left Ironwood with a 13-point lead in the Pro point standings (168-155).

Kody Kamm (Hentges Racing) won one of two Pro Lite finals at Ironwood, Justin Tate (Two-Eight Motorsports) won the Pro-Am Plus 30 final, and Jennifer Pare (JFP Racing) won the Pro-Am Women’s final. Tate and Pare lead the points races in their respective classes and Kamm is second in Pro Lite points.

(Photo courtesy of Gary Walton/Action Graphics)

It was a thrilling start to the 2011-’12 AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series on Friday, Nov. 25 as Polaris pilot Ross Martin sent a statement to the rest of the premier Pro Open class by winning the inaugural AMSOIL Dominator – a one-on-one, 16-rider bracket racing contest that was about as big a hit with the fans at Duluth’s (Minn.) Spirit Mountain as any snowmobile promotion in the 20-year history of ISOC AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series racing at the legendary facility.

(Photo courtesy of Gary Walton/Action Graphics)

Martin, the second seed behind Arctic Cat’s Tucker Hibbert, would meet Ski-Doo mounted Robbie Malinoski in the finals after Malinoski upset the favored Hibbert in the semis. Putting the hammer down on the start, Martin pulled the holeshot and led a feverously-charging Malinoski through the tricky downhill rhythm section and into the second turn. Martin bobbled a bit down the ensuing straight – and Malinoski tasted blood – only to wad up on the start line tabletop jump and hand the win – and a check for $10,000 from AMSOIL – over to Martin.

“This is one of those races where anything could happen,” says Martin, hoisting the over-sized check with a lot of zeros above his head while fireworks blazed in the background. “I’m just glad I made it to the line first.”

“We (AMSOIL) had four guys in the finals and the last race was neck-and-neck – what a great way to end the AMSOIL Dominator,” says Jeremy Meyer, race program manager, AMSOIL Inc.

Here’s the breakdown of the bracket racing leading up to the finals of the AMSOIL Dominator:

Semifinals …
1st (Tucker Hibbert) vs. 4th (Robbie Malinoski) … Malinoski won the drag race to the first turn from the outside gate pick – which may have stunned Hibbert. In his effort to charge back, which you have to do quickly in a 2.5-lap race, Hibbert made an uncharacteristic mistake in the downhill rhythm section – got a bit sideways – and that was it. Malinoski ran fast and hard through to the checkers and Hibbert could never recover, making Malinoski’s AMSOIL Dominator holeshot in the semis the biggest move of the night. Winner: Malinoski

2nd (Ross Martin) vs. 14th (Cory Davis) … Would Davis be able to hand out another upset? Would Martin continue to run flawlessly and dominate? The latter would be the case as Davis’’ luck/skill ran out as Martin turned the holeshot into a five-second victory and trip to the finals. Winner: Martin

(Photo courtesy Gary Walton/Action Graphics)

Polaris Terrain Domination was on full display at the ISOC snocross season opener in Duluth, Minn., where Polaris racers won one of the two Pro finals, earned three Pro podium spots and Ross Martin (Judnick Motorsports) won the first-ever AMSOIL Dominator, a head-to-head Friday night elimination competition among Pros worth $10,000 to the winner.

Martin also won the weekend’s second Pro final on Sunday, and was joined atop the podium by these Polaris racers who won class finals in Nov. 25-27 racing at Duluth: Justin Tate in Pro Am Plus 30; Jennifer Pare (JFP Racing) in Pro-Am Women; Kody Kamm (Hentges Racing) in Pro-Lite 2; and Mike Pilotte in both Sport 1 and Sport 2.

Pro Classes: Martin Cashes In; Polaris Racers Surge

The top 16 Pro racers went through four rounds of head-to-head competition on Friday night, Nov. 25 in the first-ever Dominator. They ran 2.5-lap races on the demanding Spirit Mountain snocross track under the lights in a battle for the $10,000 first prize. Martin won all four rounds to earn the season’s first big payday.

The 20th annual AMSOIL Duluth National was another huge success with thanks to the ISOC team and Visit Duluth! They put on a great show for the fans in attendance and also provided amazing online streaming where 100,000 connections were tuned in to the Pro Final Saturday Night!

Kody Kamm came through the AMSOIL Duluth National Sunday show with something to prove. And he did just that by winning his first Pro Lite race of his career and doing it in convincing fashion.

Kamm got the holeshot and led from flag to flag as he pulled on the field and left a statement of how he plans on running the entire season….nearly untouchable! Kamm was tangled at the start of the Pro Lite Saturday event and when he was able to get free he was already nearly two laps down but still put up the fastest laps of the race. This was a great way for Kamm to start the season and he will be a fun rider to follow all season. As team owner Nate Hentges stated, “I couldn’t be more proud of Kody and I look forward to a long career with Kody at Hentges Racing!”

Polaris racers will have an updated sled for the 2010-11 season. The 2011 Polaris 600 IQ Race Sled featured a new Independent Front Suspension (IFS), which is designed to provide easier, more responsive handling.

Polaris racers piloted the 2010 version of this sled to numerous a pile of race wins and season points titles, and they’re looking forward to the improved handling the new 2011 race sled will provide.

“The 2011 600 IQ Race Sled has a new IFS with new spindles, new control arms and control arm bushings, and a new steering post,” says Chris Wolf, Polaris Snowmobile product manager. “The new front end delivers easier steering and flatter, more precise cornering.”

According to Polaris, the new front end was developed to provide Polaris racers with handling that matches the race sled’s power, suspension performance, and durability.

“Our racers said if there was anything they would like changed, it would be to make the race sled handle
even better,” says Wolf. “We started testing the new front end with some of our racers last season, and we continued our testing throughout the winter and into summer.

“We ran hundreds of miles on snocross tracks in multiple locations to prove the durability and effectiveness of the front end. Racers who rode it love the way it handles.”

Another noteworthy change on the 2011 600 IQ Race Sled is a new front track shock.