Berardo Racing News Page

Return to Barton Fairgrounds next stop for Rock Maple Racing, Presented by the New England Dodge Dealers
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HAMPSTEAD, NH (Mar. 5, 2007) - A visit to one of New England's most rural yet scenic regions is always a pleasure, especially for snowmobile enthusiasts. Hundreds of race teams from around the northeast will converge on the Barton Fairgrounds in Barton, Vermont, this weekend, Mar. 10-11, as Rock Maple Racing (RMR) returns to the beautiful 'Northeast Kingdom' for two days of high-flying snocross competition.

Spectator gates will open at 8 a.m. both days, with racing getting underway at 9 a.m. sharp. Admission is $15 per day for adults, with weekend passes available for $25. Children under the age of 10 will be admitted free with a paying adult. Pit passes will be available for an extra $10.

After this event was cancelled last year due to a lack of snow, teams are anxious to return as northeastern Vermont now enjoys ample snow cover from two major storms. Barton is located within Orleans County, home to some of Vermont's most renowned snowmobile trails.

Leading the charge into Barton is Pro division points leader Jason Boron. Boron, of Leverett, Mass., has 14 championships to his credit (Semi-Pro and Pro combined) in a career that started back in 1997. Battling ski-to-ski with Boron for the coveted crown is Danny Poirier of Quebec. The famed 'Canadian Blast' has earned multiple wins aboard his Cycle Worx Polaris sleds this season, and is known for his 'never let up' style on the track. With just two more points races on the Central series schedule, this battle is going down to the wire.

Other riders to watch in the Pro division this weekend include CW Sirjane, who picked up his first career RMR Pro victory last weekend in Skowhegan, Maine. Sirjane, of Whitehall, NY, spent two seasons on the World Powersports Association (WPSA) circuit before returning to Rock Maple this winter as part of
the WSI/Harrison Motorsports team based in Wells, VT.

Riders of local interest include Joe Lemieux of St. Johnsbury. Lemieux has dominated the Pro Vet and Masters classes again this season, while daughter Steffanie has enjoyed a successful campaign in the Women’s division. Younger brother Lincoln rounds out this family team as he competes each week in the Junior division. Newport’s Rene Desrochers is also expected to compete (Pro Vet division) and would love to score a podium finish in front of the home-state crowd.

Other Vermont-based riders expected to compete this weekend include Cindy Regimbald (Rutland); Chris Chico (Chester); Trever and Travis Boutin (Grand Isle); Brennan Berardo (Essex Junction); Chris, Katie, Wade and Sarah Acker (Bristol); Brad Davis (Cambridge); Jake Melville (Pownal); and Josh Sayers (Plainfield).

Two years ago in Barton, Matt Boron led older brother Jason across the line for a one-two punch in the Pro Stock 440 final. Jason held off a hard-charging Poirier to claim the Pro Open final, while Canadian sensation Simon Belzile settled for third. Both Belzile and Matt Boron are sidelined at this time due to
injury.

Rock Maple Racing is the eastern affiliate of the WPSA, the national
sanctioning body for snocross and ATV racing. For more information, visit us online at www.rockmaple.com.

SCHAGHTICOKE, N.Y. - Matt Boron and Danny Poirier added another win to their impressive 2006 campaigns Sunday, as Rock Maple Racing (RMR) completed its inaugural Central series snocross event at the Schaghticoke Fairgrounds in Schaghticoke, New York.
Boron earned his ninth victory of the season in a thrilling Pro Open final, holding off older brother Jason and Poirier aboard his Outdoor Performance/D&Z Racing Ski-doo. Trevor John, of Cross Lake, MN, brought the Tech Lab Racing Polaris home in fourth, while Alex Moreau notched a solid top-five finish on the WSI/Harrison Motorsports Ski-doo.
Poirier looked like the champion he is in Pro Stock 440, holding off both Boron brothers to post his fifth win of 2006 (West and Central combined) for the Cycle Worx/NSK Ski-doo team. Jason and Matt Rudd claimed fourth and fifth respectively, strong runs for the home-state riders out of Rodman.
Vermont's Joe Lemieux earned his sixth Pro Vet victory of the season, while Cindy Regimbald claimed the Pro Women's final. Lemieux also won the Masters class final, his third sweep of those two classes in 2006.
In Semi-Pro action Sunday, Darrin Mees, Adam Sedlmeier and Cullen Howe all registered wins. Mees held off Joshua Keyes to claim the Stock 440 final; Sedlmeier captured the Stock 600 class over Vermont's Evan Loschiavo and New York's Dale Petrus; while Howe out-gunned Petrus and Nathan Loschiavo for top honors in a wild Semi-Pro Open final.
Shaun St. Onge had a strong performance in his home state, as the Chittenango native posted wins in the Sport Stock 500 and Sport Open finals. Nathan Bourassa prevented a sweep by St. Onge, holding him off to claim the Sport Stock 600 final. Bruce Gaspardi Jr. rode to victory in Stock 600 Fan, while Nathan Leclaire won the Non-Traction final.
Maine's Hillary Hewitt made the long haul to Schaghticoke worthwhile, earning two Women's division victories on Sunday. The Newcastle resident held off Vermont's Steffanie Lemieux to win Stock 600, then out-gunned KC Anderson and RMR veteran Lisa Whalley to win the Stock 500 final. Katie Acker capped another great weekend of Women's division racing with a victory in the Stock Novice class.
In the highly-competitive Junior division, Nick Kelly recorded a pair of wins and just missed a third. Kelly rode his Polaris to victory in two Stock 600 Fan classes, then finished second to Brad Davis in the Jr. 14-15 Stock 500 final. Kelly has been the hottest thing on snow among the Junior ranks in 2006, and appears to have a bright future in snocross racing.
Vermont's Brennan Berardo also claimed a win in Junior action Sunday, holding off Travis Brisbin and Jake Dasilva for top honors in the 10-13 Stock 380 Fan class. Tyler Ask out-gunned Berardo and Team Explosive's Joey Mosher to win the 10-13 Stock 600 Fan final.

Official Results:
Rock Maple Racing
Schaghticoke, NY
Feb. 26, 2006

Pump-X Pro Stock 440:
1. Danny Poirier St. Theodore, QC Ski-doo
2. Matt Boron Leverett, MA Ski-doo
3. Jason Boron Leverett, MA Ski-doo

New England Dodge Dealers Pro Open:
1. Matt Boron Leverett, MA Ski-doo
2. Jason Boron Leverett, MA Ski-doo
3. Danny Poirier St. Theodore, QC Ski-doo

WILMINGTON, VT - While snowmobilers in central and western Maine are suffering through one of the most disappointing winters on record, there is still reason for excitement among enthusiasts. Local trails may be nonexistent, but sleds will soon be pouring into the area.
Thanks to a well-coordinated effort to truck in snow by event organizers, Rock Maple Racing (RMR) will make its annual visit to the Skowhegan Fairgrounds in Skowhegan, Maine, this weekend, Mar. 4-5, for two full days of high-flying snocross competition.
Spectator gates will open at 8 a.m. both days, with racing getting underway at 9 a.m. sharp. Admission is $12 per day for adults, with weekend passes available for $20. Children under the age of five will be admitted free with a paying adult. Pit passes will be available for an extra $10.
Saturday's card will consist of qualifying races for all divisions, while Sunday's program will feature Last Chance Qualifiers (LCQs) in the morning and Finals for all classes in the afternoon. This is a combination event for RMR Central and RMR East series competitors.
Leading the charge into Skowhegan are Pro riders Matt Boron and Danny Poirier. Boron, of Leverett, Mass., had eight final round wins to his credit going into last weekend's Central series race in New York, while 2004 RMR Pro champion Poirier, of St. Theodore, Quebec, is always a threat to win on the Cycle Worx/NSK Ski-doo. Boron's teammate (Outdoor Performance/D&Z Racing Ski-doo) and older brother, Jason, has also enjoyed a successful 2006 campaign and could be a threat to win in Skowhegan.
Riders of local interest include Pro racer Ryan Scripture, of Carmel. Scripture had a terrific career in the Semi-Pro division before stepping up to Pro last season. Kingfield's Justin Jordan also competes each week in RMR's Central series, and would love to score a podium finish in front of his home-state crowd.
Other Maine-based riders expected to compete this weekend include Robyn Smith (Jay); Hilary Hewitt (Newcastle); Cody Wallingford (Auburn); Jacoby Johnson (Skowhegan); Jacob Mairhuber (Jackman); Jordan Taylor of Norridgewock and Michael Poissonnier of Lewiston.
Last year in Skowhegan, Simon Belzile and Jason Boron split the Pro class wins. Belzile is missing this season to recover from a motocross injury suffered last summer, but will return to action next season aboard the WSI Landscaping Stone/Harrison Motorsports No. 74 Ski-doo.
RMR Central is part of a three-series family under the Rock Maple Racing umbrella. The sanctioning body operates the 10-race RMR West series in New York and Pennsylvania; a five-race RMR East series in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine; and the 10-race RMR Central series across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York.
Rock Maple Racing is the eastern affiliate of the World Powersports Association (WPSA), the national sanctioning body for snocross racing. RMR is now in its 14th season of competition. For more information, log on to www.rockmaple.com

February 9, 2006

A sort of snocross homecoming

By Matt Crawford
Free Press Staff Writer

Brennan Berardo gets to sleep in his own bed Friday and Saturday night.

That's big news for the Essex eighth-grader who often sleeps in motels and hotels on the road during the winter months as competes as a junior racer in the Rock Maple Snocross racing circuit.

Berardo, 14, is staying right home this weekend as the Rock Maple circuit makes a stop in his back yard -- the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction. Racing begins at 10 a.m. Saturday morning, continues into Sunday, and more than 8,000 fans are expected to attend the fairgrounds to take in the racing action.

"I think it's really cool we're having it in Essex," Berardo said. "Snocross is always fun, but this is going to be awesome having it in my hometown. I'll have everybody here to cheer me on."

Snocross racing is a lot like motorcross racing, only on snowmobiles rather than motorcycles. Anywhere between eight and 12 riders will leave the start gate together, and whoever gets around the track the required amount of laps first, wins the race. The course features hair-pin curves, jumps and straight-aways and has attracted such a following that it's one of the events at the annual "Winter X Games" put on by ESPN. Look for riders to mix big air with high speeds -- an always interesting combination.

"There a lot of racers who will be here," said Mark Berardo, Brennan's father. "Racers are divided into division based on age, skill level and snowmobile size. There's pretty much a place for everybody who wants to race."

And atop the list of people who want to race is Brennan, who's been riding snowmobiles since he was about 4. This weekend he'll compete in three classes, driving sleds (Skidoos are his brand) that retail for about $8,000 each before the specialized racing equipment is added.

"Yeah," said Mark with a laugh, "as far as hobbies go, this is one of the more expensive ones to get involved in."

The Rock Maple Series -- based in Wilmington -- was born in the early 1990s and has three divisions that race throughout the Northeast. The Berardos race in Rock Maple events and make a limited number of races in other leagues in places as far away as Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Never before has such a big race been so close for the Berardo family.

"This will be a bit of a bonus for us," Mark said. "He's pretty excited. His buddies are coming to watch him; his gym teacher's going to be here. It's quite a treat."

Race organizers had made plans to allow for snowmachines to arrive at the Essex fairgrounds via a nearby Vermont Association of Snow Travelers trail, but because of a lack of snow, that won't happen. Still, Mark Berardo believes the Champlain Valley Exposition will be a great site for a snowmobile race.

"Essex has the best amenities of any location we go to," Mark said. "It's got the most hotels, the best access to the Interstate, the most restaurants. It has the potential to be the biggest race of the year."

And not to mention, it's real close to home.

Contact Matt Crawford at 651-4852 or mcrawfor@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com
Plenty of snow for the weekend's show

It's been a tough winter to be snowmobile rider in Vermont, mainly because there isn't much snow.

Despite the lack of white stuff, the Champlain Valley Exposition has more than enough snow to make an all-white track for the Rock Maple Snocross event scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

"When we discussing the event with the Rock Maple people one of the things they told us it to stockpile snow," said Stephen Mease, a spokesman for the Champlain Valley Exposition. "They told us we couldn't just wait for a couple weeks before the event."

A recent Snocross event in Buffalo, N.Y., was canceled because of a lack of snow. That won't happen here.

The fairgrounds in Essex Junction has been a dumping grounds for local snow-clearing crews all winter.

"The Town of Essex has brought snow here; a lot of the shopping centers have brought snow here. We're in pretty good shape," Mease said. "We're sort of like the ski areas in that we've built up a good base, and even if rains all week, we'll be OK."

Mease said the Expo crew has been in touch with IBM, were more than 100,000 cubic yards of snow has been pushed off parking lots. If need be, that snow can be brought to the fairgrounds.

"I'm sure," Mease said, "that we will have enough snow here."
Big race weekend -- WHAT: Rock Maple Snocross racing
-- WHO: Hundreds of riders in a wide variety of classes, based on age and machine size.
-- WHERE: Champlain Valley Exposition, Essex Junction
-- WHEN: Racing begins at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Gates open at 8:30 a.m.
-- ETC.: Snocross race takes place on a twisted track, with jumps, sharp turns and hairpin curves. Stemming from motocross racing, the snocross is a test of manoeuvrability and acceleration of finely tuned snow machines.
-- DETAILS: Tickets cost $11 in advance. Event expo is open with displays of snowmobiles and accessories. See www.cvfair.com or ww.rockmaple.com for more information.

VERONA, N.Y. - Danny Poirier and Arthur Babcock rode to double victories
on Sunday afternoon, as Rock Maple Racing (RMR) completed Round Two of its
West series 2006 schedule in Verona, New York. The event was originally
scheduled for Oswego Speedway, but was moved to the Pit-X track in Verona
due to a lack of snow.
Poirier rode his Cycle Worx/NSK Ski-doo to top honors in the Pro Stock and
Pro Open finals, while Babcock earned the Semi-Pro 440 and 600 class wins.
New York native Jason Rudd finished second in both Pro finals, a strong
performance from the Rudman Racing team. Dale Annis came home third in Pro
440, while RMR veteran Dale Petrus filled out the podium positions in Pro
Open.
Jason Stone, of Central Square, NY, took home the Semi-Pro Open crown,
with Chad Miller and Will Lux in tow. Stone also finished second in the 600
final, then followed Billy Douglas across the stripe for third in Semi-Pro
440 to round out a successful weekend in Verona.
In Sport division action Sunday, Frederick L'Esperance, a new member of
the Cycle Worx team, rode his Ski-doo to victory in the Open class final.
Josh Duffy and Cass Terrance completed the top three finishers. L'Esperance
also finished second to Paul Wilson in the Sport Stock 500 and 600 classes,
a strong performance from the Valcourt, Quebec native. Jim Meyers claimed
the Sport Performance 600 class over fellow New York riders Adrian Colabello
and Ryan Smith.
Women's division action in Verona saw Ontario's Courtney Tarr take home
the Stock 500 and 600 class victories. Tarr held off RMR veterans Kelly
Conover and Ashley Conway to claim the Stock 500 final, then out-gunned
Conover and Vermont's Steffanie Lemieux for the 500cc win. Stephanie Dilallo
rode her Ski-doo to victory in the Women's Stock Novice final, with New
York's Kathy Shelton and Ontario native Jessica Walker completing the top
three spots.
In the highly-competitive junior division, AJ Bogino earned an impressive
three class wins. The Webster, NY-based rider earned two victories on
Saturday (14-15 Stock 500 and 16-17 Stock 500), then rounded out the weekend
hat trick by holding off Shane Martin and Aaron Pfeifer to claim Jr. 14-15
Stock 500 on Sunday. In the Junior 10-13 division, Vermont's Brennan Berardo
rode his Ski-Doo to a win in the 600 Fan class, while Corin Todd won the
Stock 380 Fan final. RMR veteran Jordan Harrison chocked up another win in
Verona, out-gunning Richard Ghezzi and Andrew Cooney in the new Jr. 8-10 300
Freestyle class.
In RMR's entry-level Trail division, Oneida, New York's Timmy Nye rode to
victory on Saturday ahead of Benjamin Hardy and Curtis Flaitz. Nye repeated
the strong performance on Sunday to record win number two, while Kelly
O'Dell and Scott Danretewicz filled out the top three positions.
Rock Maple Racing would like to thank Pit-X track owner Bob Pawlowski for
making this West series event possible. Weather conditions in Verona went
from wet and unusually mild on Saturday, to bitter cold on Sunday. Yet the
event went off as smoothly as could be expected, thanks to the hard work of
Pawlowski and the RMR West staff. For complete results from Verona, log on
to our Web site at www.rockmaple.com.

http://www.neracing.com/0601-18rm.htm

Official Results:
Rock Maple Racing
Rutland, VT - Jan. 22, 2006

http://www.neracing.com/0601-24rm.htm

Matt Boron sweeps Pro classes in Rutland for Rock Maple Racing

RUTLAND, VT - Matt Boron is a young man on a mission. The 2005 Rock Maple
Racing (RMR) Pro 440 champion has enjoyed a strong start in 2006, and added
two more first-place trophies to his case Sunday afternoon by sweeping both
Pro finals at the Vermont State Fairgrounds in Rutland, Vermont.
Boron, along with his older brother Jason, is headed for Aspen, Colorado
this coming weekend to compete in the prestigious ESPN Winter X Games.
Matt held off multi-time champion Jason to win the Pro Stock 440 final,
while 2004 RMR Pro champion Danny Poirier finished third. In the
high-flying Pro Open final, Poirier rode to a second-place finish while
New York native Dale Annis came home third.
Vermont's Joe Lemieux picked up his second win of 2006 in the Pro Vet
final, holding off Scott Florio and Lyle Turtlott for top honors. Lemieux
went two-for-two on the weekend with a victory in the Plus 35 Masters
final over Turtlott and Joel Santy of Malone, New York. Steffanie Lemieux
captured the Choko Pro Women's final, out-racing New Hampshire's Bethany
Brooks and Melanie Acker for the win.
In Sem-Pro action at Rutland, Arthur Babcock out-gunned RMR veterans Adam
Sedlmeier and Dale Petrus to claim the Stock 440 final. Jason Stone rode
his Polaris to victory in the Stock 600 final over Derek Graham and
Sedlmeier, while Vermont's own Chris Chico held off Tyler Sedlmeier and
Matt Rudd to win the Semi-Pro Open final. The Semi-Pro division is loaded
with talent this season, with a host of teams capable of winning on any
given Sunday.
Darrin Mees continued his spectacular 2006 season in Rutland, chocking up
three more Sport division victories. The Setauket, NY rider claimed the
500, 600 and Open class finals, giving him the upper hand as the 2006
points chase begins to take shape. David Livingston and Trevor Bouchard
claimed second and third respectively in the 500 class, while BJ Bolton
and Shaun St. Onge filled out the Sport 600 podium positions. St. Onge and
Bouchard rounded out a successful weekend with second and third-place
finishes in the Sport Open final.
Bruce Gaspardi Jr. captured the Sport 600 Fan final over Nick Best and
Mike George, while Jeff Whiton rode to victory in the Non-Traction class
with Mark Pillsbury and Steven Patenaude in tow. Jim Genier held off
Christian Ellsworth and Ricky Labrecque to win the Plus 25 Stock final,
while Michaela Lemieux out-raced Martha Wells and Sara Harrison to earn
Jr. Girls 10-13 Stock 600 Fan honors.
RMR veteran Hillary Hewitt earned a pair of victories in Rutland, taking
the Women's Stock 500 and 600 classes. Katie Acker also found success at
the Fairgrounds Sunday, winning the Women's Stock Novice final over Marina
Brunelle and KC Anderson.
In the highly-competitive Junior division, AJ Bogino carried the momentum
he built the previous week in Verona into central Vermont. Bogino rode his
Arctic Cat to victory in the Jr. 16-17 Stock 500 final, with Dustin Fogg
and Chris Ackerman finishing second and third. Nick Kelly added to his
impressive racing resume with a win in the Jr. 16-17 Stock 600 Fan class,
while Vermont's own Brad Davis rode to victory in the Jr. 14-15 Stock 500
final.
Another RMR veteran from Vermont, Brennan Berardo, earned a hard-fought
win over Kelly in the Jr. 14-15 Stock 600 Fan final. Team Explosive's Joey
Mosher, of Salem, NH, was dialed-in for the Rutland track and finished in
the third position. Berardo completed his strong performances in RMR
Central action with a runner-up finish to Corin Todd in the Jr. 10-13
Stock 380 Fan final. Lincoln Lemieux, another of the famous racing
Lemieux's of St. Johnsbury, came home with a solid third-place finish.
Rounding out the exciting Central series action was young Connor Roscoe,
who came all the way up from Cheshire, Connecticut, to compete in
Rutland. Roscoe won the new Jr. 8-10 300 Freestyle class on Saturday and
again on Sunday. RMR veteran Martin Fletcher finished second both days,
while Jordan Harrison (Saturday) and Wade Acker (Sunday) rounded out the
top three.
In RMR East Series action Sunday, Vermont native Josh Sayers rode to
victory in the Woody's Semi-Pro Open final. Josh Mosher earned a victory
in the high-flying Sport Open final, out-racing RMR veterans Trevor
Bouchard and Nathan Bourassa to record the win. Other East Series winners
include Jacques Giroux (Jr. 14-15 Stock 500); Dustin Fogg (Jr. 16-17 Stock
500); Hillary Hewitt (Women's Stock 600) and Brennan Berardo, who won the
Jr. 10-13 600 Fan final. For complete results in all classes from Rutland,
log on to www.rockmaple.com.

For immediate release:

Jan. 9, 2006

Contact: Phil Whipple

Tel.: 207.782.0455

Iain Hayden, Matt Boron take top honors in Malone for Rock Maple Racing, Presented by the New England Dodge Dealers

MALONE, NY — Canadian star Iain Hayden and Massachusetts native Matt Boron claimed top honors on Sunday afternoon, as Rock Maple Racing (RMR) completed its third annual snocross event at the Franklin County Fairgrounds. Hayden, the 2005 CSRA Pro champion who now rides on the WPSA national tour, rode to victory in both Pro finals — while Boron claimed the prestigious $5,000-to-win non-points Woody’s Challenge.

Boron also finished second to Hayden in both Pro finals, completing a very successful weekend for his Outdoor Performance/Ski-doo team. Older brother Jason claimed third in the Pro Open final, while perennial challenger Danny Poirier filled out the podium positions in Pro Stock. Aaron Perer held off a hard-charging Glenn Babineau to capture the Pro Vet final, while Vermont’s Joe Lemieux finished third.

In Semi-Pro action at Malone, another of the Ontario-based invaders brought his broom, sweeping the 440, 600 and Open finals. Joey Sagan, of Elmvale, rode his Ski-doo to victory in the 440 final over New York’s own Dale Petrus and fellow Canadian Justin Parnell. Amsterdam’s Chad Miller followed Sagan across the line for second in the 600 class, with John O’Malley in tow. Tyler Sedlmeier and Petrus finished second and third respectively in the high-flying Semi-Pro Open final.

New York riders had the crowd cheering in Sport division competition, as second-generation racer Shaun St. Onge rode his Arctic Cat to victory in two classes. The son of legendary ice oval racer Oscar St. Onge held off RMR’s rising star Darrin Mees and Mike Calabrese to claim Sport Open, then outraced David Livingston to notch the 600 class final. Mees, a multi-time RMR winner and serious threat to win on any given Sunday, did not go home empty-handed after claiming the Sport 500 final over St. Onge and Trevor Bouchard.

In the highly-competitive Junior divisions, RMR veterans Brennan Berardo, Nick Kelly and AJ Bogino all recorded final round wins. Berardo, of Essex, Vermont, claimed the Jr. 10-13 380 and 600 Fan classes; Kelly was top dog in Jr. 14-15 500 competition while Bogino, of Webster, NY, took home top honors in the Jr. 14-15 600 Fan class.

Fans in Malone were treated to a great race in the new 300cc Freestyle class as well, with Jordan Harrison riding to victory over Jacob Chamberland and Andrew Cooney. Harrison is an RMR veteran and races out of the WSI/Harrison Motorsports trailer. Congratulations to all of these fine youth riders on their strong performances over the weekend.

Action in the Women’s classes was fierce as well in Malone, with Steffanie Lemieux, Angela Vacchino and Katie Acker all recording wins. Lemieux, of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, held off Maine’s KC Anderson and New York native Kelly Conover to claim the Choko Stock 600 final; Vacchino outgunned Lemieux and Hillary Hewitt to win the Pro Women’s final, plus defeated Hewitt and Danielle VanDolder in the 500 class; while Acker earned her victory in the New England Racing Fuels Stock Novice final.

Local riders fared well in the entry-level Trail classes last weekend in Malone. Nathan Leclaire of Stillwater found RMR competition to his liking, capturing the Trail 600 finals on Saturday and Sunday. Sam Heckman and Stephan Brand filled out the podium spots on Saturday, while Wes Belanger and Heckman finished second and third respectively on Sunday. The Trail class is the ideal opportunity for first-time local riders to test the waters of RMR-style snocross racing.

Over 8,000 spectators enjoyed two days of terrific racing during RMR’s third visit to this great facility. Track conditions were ideal both days and the weather cooperated with seasonable temperatures. Rock Maple Racing would like to thank everyone at Woody’s for choosing us to host the nationally-famous Woody’s Challenge. It was a pleasure to conduct a race of this stature.

Thanks to everyone who made the event possible, and congratulations to Iain Hayden, Matt Boron and all the winners over the weekend. For complete results in all classes, log on to our Web site at www.rockmaple.com. RMR’s West series swings back into action this coming weekend, Jan. 14-15, at Bob Pawlowski’s Pit-X track in Verona, New York. Please note this is a change from Oswego, NY, due to a lack of snow in that region.