Debut at Mount Southington Ski Area next up for East Coast Snocross,
Presented by AMSOIL, Woody’s Traction and FXR
CLARKSBURG, Mass. (March 11, 2016) – Whenever a touring series visits a new venue for the first time, there’s a certain amount of excitement and anticipation among teams and race fans.
On Saturday and Sunday, March 19-20, fans of snowmobile snocross and many who’ve yet to enjoy the sport in person will converge on southern New England, as East Coast Snocross (ECS) makes it first-ever visit to the beautiful Mount Southington Ski Area in Plantsville, Connecticut.
Spectator gates open at 10 a.m. each day. Admission is $12 per day for adults or $20 for a weekend pass. Children age seven and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Pro Open and Pro Lite classes will hit the track at approximately 11:30 a.m. for first-round qualifying. Sport, Women and Junior classes will also compete for points over the weekend as the championship season winds down.
Leading the charge into Mt. Southington is current point leader and defending Pro Open champion Danny Poirier, of St. Theodore, Quebec. The 35-year-old veteran is close to securing his sixth regional title in 12 years on the tour. Ready to challenge Poirier is his hard-charging teammate, Mathieu Morin, also a native of Quebec with national experience. Other Pro riders to watch include New Hampshire veteran Jake daSilva, along with Swedish invaders Mikko Osmo and Pieti Puhakka.
In the Pro Lite class, current point leader Emil Hansson has been impressive during his debut season with Massachusetts-based Team Southside/Polaris. He’ll carry a ton of momentum into Mount Southington, while his teammate and Connecticut native Cody Paolella (Wallingford) will strive to win in his home state. Others to watch in Pro Lite include fellow Constitution State native Connor Roscoe, of Cheshire; Scott Vandeborne of Ontario, and Dalton Jacquier, of Canaan, Connecticut.
Mount Southington opened in 1964 on the site of an old dairy farm. The ski area was a vision of Dr. Harold Richman, who, along with other family members and the Palmisano family, of Bristol, CT, purchased the farm, carved out trails, installed lifts and snowmaking equipment and began to create the Mount Southington Ski Area of today. After 52 years, their efforts are still producing great memories.
“We’re all very excited about hosting the state’s first sanctioned snocross event,” ski area president and general manager Jay Dougherty said. “Mount Southington offers a special charm I think both teams and race fans will enjoy. Our local patrons will be amazed at what these athletes can do on a sled; and we hope some of those racers and other new fans will return to our facility again in the future. We can’t wait to see teams roll in on Friday.”
Mount Southington features 14 trails serviced by seven lifts, including two triple chairs and two double chairs. For more information on this gem of a winter haven, visit www.mountsouthington.com.
East Coast Snocross, presented by AMSOIL, Woody’s Traction and FXR, is an ISR-affiliated sanctioning body for snowmobile racing in the northeastern United States. ECS maintains a regional circuit intended to keep grass-roots snocross racing healthy in this part of the country while also cultivating new talent for tomorrow’s factory-backed national Pro teams.
