Poirier overcomes mechanical issues to claim sixth career title at East Coast Snocross,
Presented by AMSOIL, Woody’s Traction and FXR
CLARKSBURG, Mass. (April 4, 2016) – In one of the closest Pro class championship battles in series history, Quebec native Danny Poirier overcame a number of mechanical issues and a hard-charging teammate to record his sixth career title, as East Coast Snocross (ECS) concluded an abbreviated yet highly competitive 2016 racing season.
Poirier, of St. Theodore, edged Mathieu Morin by the narrowest of margins after 11 Pro Open finals were contested. The Ingles Performance/Ski-doo riders battled side-by-side all season, with Poirier sweeping the finals in Bangor, Maine, and Morin notching a sweep of his own at the season finale at Pittston Farm. Congratulations to our six-time champion and his teammate for their historic one-two finish in points. It was a thrill to see the great battles, and we hope to see more in 2017.
In the Pro Lite class, series newcomer Emil Hansson (Team Southside/Polaris) earned the crown with the speed and consistency of a seasoned Pro. Finishing in the second position just 37 markers back was 2015 champion Cody Paolella (Team Southside/Polaris), of Wallingford, Connecticut. Paolella and Ontario native Scott Vandeborne made it a 1-2-3 sweep in Pro Lite final points for Team Southside.
Series newcomer Jared Gessner, a former ATV racing star also riding for Team Southside, finished with a 20-point advantage over Michael Newman (Kislowski Racing/Artic Cat) in Sport Super Stock 600 Saturday action. Newman bounced back to claim the crown by a mere five points over Bruce Gaspardi Jr. in the final tally for Sunday competition. In overall Sport Super Stock Weekend points, Ryan Dupont came out on top with a slim 11-point advantage over Gaspardi.
Nykea Williams (Team Southside/Polaris) went back-to-back in the Pro Women class, earning her second straight title in Saturday action by just 13 points over her teammate Kassie Thibodeau. It was an even closer contest in the final tally for Sunday racing, with Williams prevailing by five points.
In the Junior ranks for 2016, Tucker Kierstead (Kislowski Racing/Artic Cat) was the athlete with an upper hand on his rivals. His margin of victory in Jr. 16-17 Saturday action was a sizable 38 points over Trevor Parent, while the gap was much closer at just 13 in Sunday competition. In Jr. 14-15 Saturday action, Travis Emery earned the title by one point over Kierstead. In Sunday battles, Brandon O’Neill came out on top with a three-point advantage over Gavin Fleury.
Other ECS class champions for 2016 include Bruce Gaspardi Jr. (Plus 25 Saturday and Sunday); LeRoy Walker (Plus 35 Masters Saturday and Sunday); Alissah Ashline (Women Sport Sat. and Sun.); Nikos Soklaropoulos (Jr. Sport 12-15 Saturday and Sunday); and Josh Connolly (Jr. Stock 10-13 600 Fan Sunday). Congratulations to all of our 2016 class champions on a job well done in a tough season.
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 cultivating new talent for tomorrow’s factory-backed national Pro teams.
