Polaris race report: Mar. 19-21

Polaris likes to say its sleds offer “Terrain Domination.” The Minnesota-based manufacturer backed those words up with its performance at the ISOC Amsoil Championship Series season finale at Lake Geneva, Wis.

Polaris snocross racer Ross Martin (Judnick Motorsports) won both Pro features at Lake Geneva and climbed the podium as the 2009-2010 Pro Open points champion and the runner-up in Pro Super Stock points.

Polaris racers earned five of the top eight spots in the Pro Open points standings, and five of the top 11 in Pro Super Stock.

Other Polaris snocross racers who sewed up ISOC points championships with their performances at the March 19-21 season finale in Lake Geneva were:

• Kylie Abrahamson (Abe Racing) won the Pro Women Super Stock title. • Justin Tate won the Pro Plus 30 championship. • Mike Bauer (Judnick Motorsports) won the Semi-Pro Super Stock 1 title and was second in Super Stock 2 points. • Stephanie Schmidt (Schmidt Racing) won the Sport Women’s Super Stock title. • Dalton Johnson (Team Johnson Racing) won the Jr. Novice 10-14 class title.

For Martin and Abrahamson, the points titles capped successful returns to racing after both sustained injuries that cut short their 2008-2009 seasons. Martin won the Pro Open points titles in 2007 and 2008, but a serious hip injury sustained in a practice crash last winter deprived him of a shot at the 2009 championship. Abrahamson also won titles in 2007 and 2008, but she injured an arm early last winter and missed the chance at a third-straight championship.

Levi LaVallee (Team LaVallee), the 2008-2009 Pro Super Stock champion, finished second in Pro Open points this season, and Robbie Malinoski (Amsoil/Air Force/Makita) wrapped up an outstanding first season with the Scheuring Speed Sport team by finishing fourth in Pro Open points and fifth in Super Stock.

LaVallee won the “Fan Favorite” award and the “True Grit Award,” both of which were voted on by race fans. Andrew Johnstad (Amsoil/Air Force/Makita) was named the circuit’s “Most Improved Racer.”

Martin headed to Lake Geneva with the Pro Open title in hand, and with a chance to win the Super Stock title. He did all he could – winning both classes at the season’s final race – but he fell 16 points short of the Pro Super Stock title.

In Pro Open at Lake Geneva, Martin won, Malinoski was fourth and Brett Bender (Hentges Racing) was seventh.

“I wanted to win so badly in front of my family,” Martin said. “I have been working on this all year. It was a good race. It feels so great.”

In the final Pro Open points standings, five Polaris racers finished in the top eight: 1. Martin; 2. LaVallee; 4. Malinoski; 7. Bender; and 8. Andrew Johnstad.

In Super Stock, Martin won, Malinoski was sixth, Bender was ninth and Matt Piche (No Limits Racing) was 10th.

“There was no way I wanted to lose in front of my hometown crowd,” Martin said after winning the Pro Super Stock final.

In Pro Super Stock points, five Polaris racers were among the top 11: 2. Martin; 5. Malinoski; 7. LaVallee; 9. Bender; and 11. Johnstad.

In Pro Women Super Stock, Kylie Abrahamson won at Lake Geneva to give herself a 14-point cushion in the final points standings. Nikiya Adomaitis (Colorado Sledstyle/Action Polaris) finished third in points and Jennifer Pare (JFP Racing) finished fifth.

In Pro Plus 30 Super Stock, Justin Tate won the season finale race to give himself a 35-point margin over the runner-up in the points race. Derek Krause (Feathered Gold) finished fifth in points, and Michael Berghorn (Sierra Motorsports) was sixth.

Mike Bauer (Judnick Motorsports) won the Semi-Pro Super Stock 1 title by 29 points as Polaris racers dominated the class. Fellow Polaris racers in the top 10 in class points were: 3. Derek Ellis (Star Performance); 4. Colby Crapo (Leighton Motorsports); 5. Chris Kafka (Team LaVallee); 6. Joe Fallen (Scheuring Speed Sports); 7. Andrew Lieders (Hentges Racing); 8. Matt Bristow (Bristow’s Racing); and 9. Kyle Fiebelkorn (Star Performance).

Bauer finished second in Semi-Pro Super Stock 2 points, and Crapo, Lieders and Ellis finished 6-7-8 in points, respectively.

In Semi-Pro Women Super Stock, Stephanie Schmidt won at Wisconsin to win the points title by 26 points ahead of fellow Polaris racer Kendra Dallmann (LePage Racing).

Related Reading Ross Martin sweeps Pro classes at snocross finale