MotorFist Racing Report: ISOC Michigan National

Extreme cold, driving snow, and wind whipped mountains is more often than not the conditions MotorFist athletes are forced to compete in while testing MotorFist gear. However, this past weekend, Ross Martin, Mike Bauer, and James Johnstad of Judnick Motorsports extreme tested their Motorfist race/riding gear in what may have been the harshest environment yet…indoors.

Round 7 of the International Series of Champions (ISOC) national snocross tour, represented the only stop on the 2012 tour to be held indoors. With the ISOC staff making, hauling, and massaging hundreds of tons of snow, a national caliber track was created under the towering roof of the Pontiac, Mich. Silverdome. While racing indoors may seem like a perfect scenario for conditions, in reality it’s anything but, as exceedingly warm temperatures, heavy, wet snow, high levels of humidity, and a punishing track pushed the athletes and the breathability and comfort of the MotorFist gear to their respective limits.

Featuring a cramped track with a tight opening turn, and narrow, mogul filled straights – holeshots, inside lines, and avoiding pile-ups were the keys to success. For the most part, current Pro Open points leader and MotorFist athlete Ross Martin adhered to that winning formula until an unfortunate starting gate position on the far outside of the front row saw Martin get tagged in the opening turn and almost immediately spoil his chances for a podium finish.

“Despite having 28 laps in the final, lap times were only 20 seconds on a very narrow track,” says team owner Scott Judnick. “Ross worked his way up to sixth. It would have been nice to finish higher, but honestly, to get out of there with a firm grip on the points lead and no injuries feels pretty good.”

Fellow Pro Open teammate and MotorFist athlete Mike Bauer continued to nurse a broken wrist sustained in Eagle River a few weeks previous. Despite additional braces and no ill effects during practice, Bauer jammed the injury in the opening laps of the first round of qualifying and was slowed for rest of the night.

In Pro Lite action, first year pro James Johnstad continued to impress with a strong qualifying effort, going 2-1 and selecting a top spot on the front row for the final. Unfortunately a battle for the lead alongside Derrick Ellis saw Johnstad get shoved off the track in turn two. Heavy traffic combined with the narrow track made it extremely challenging for Johnstad to work his way back to the front, and instead had to settle for an eighth place finish at the line. Johnstad is currently sitting in third place for the year-end Pro Lite points championship.

“I’m sure the people who develop and test MotorFist gear have been in some extreme conditions,” says Judnick, “but we’ve never raced in an environment with such an unusual combination of demanding conditions. The athletes were going all out for 28 laps inside an arena that had temps well above 50-degrees while being continuously pelted with heavy wet snow. The team loves the gear, it just works.”

Judnick Motorsports and the Motorfist athletes will return to action in Farmington, NY for the Finger Lakes Nationals, Feb. 24-25, 2012.