PHOENIX, New York (Mar. 31, 2015) – One of the northeast’s top snowmobile race teams has earned a second straight Pro championship, as another season of snocross is in the record books.
Ingles Performance Ski-doo athlete Danny Poirier notched his second straight and fifth career Pro Open title Sunday at the East Coast Snocross 2015 season finale. It capped a season full of great races, highlighted by a clean sweep of the Pro and Pro Lite classes in Louiseville, Quebec.
Poirier, 35, of St. Theodore, Quebec, won 13 of 17 finals contested on the northeastern regional circuit. Had it not been for an injury to teammate Mathieu Morin during Round two in Schaghticoke, NY, the team might have achieved their goals of going 1-2 in year-end points. Morin, who won a final in Bangor, Maine before his injury, is expected to return for the 2015-16 campaign.
Poirier wasn’t the only Ingles Performance rider to enjoy a strong 2015 season. Vermont native Leo Patenaude ran strong in the Sport class on the ISOC national series against stiff competition. Patenaude hit the podium often against several factory-backed riders. Leo also competed in eight ECS Pro Lite events, with three wins and two second place finishes before a knee injury ended his season.
Leo’s younger brother Hunter was excited about the prospects for 2015, yet an injury last November in preseason practice forced him to miss the season. After earning the 2014 ECS Pro Lite title in his rookie season, it looked like the sky was the limit for the talented young Vermont athlete.
“Although we suffered more than our fair share of injuries this season, we still managed to win races and another Pro title,” team co-owner and manger Robin Ingles said. “Danny continues to ride fast and smooth, and we’re just so proud of him. I think Leo progressed a lot this season, so when he and Hunter get back to 100 percent physically next winter we’ll see what they can really accomplish.
“It was quite a setback when Mathieu got hurt so early on in New York. He was finally back to full health and a fast pace when he ran Bangor, and I’m confident he would have won more races. I think that gave Danny even more incentive to go after another title. I’m just so pleased with the efforts of all our riders this season.”
A newcomer to the Ingles umbrella this winter was Joe Bishop, a former motocross racer with a newly-discovered talent on snow. Bishop was impressive all season, hitting the podium a few times against some pretty seasoned competition. Look for him to advance and turn heads in snocross in the coming years.
“We put together a great team of athletes for the 2014-15 season, they just didn’t all get to race every event,” Ingles added. “Those who stayed healthy all winter carried the Ingles and Ski-doo brands to new heights. Mike and I are thankful for the wins and title, we know the work and commitment it takes to succeed in this sport. We hope the guys heal up quickly and get some well-deserved rest this summer.”
