Rounds 10 & 11: ERX Re-Dux the Elk River Triangle
March, 7th 2021
The ISOC Snocross Series returns to the fame ERX Motor Park because a wise man once said you shouldn’t bet on a three-legged horse in a race. The venue was not the only return of the series as Dan Benham all healed up returned to competition.
Friday practice on the delta-shaped course resembled more of a grass-roots event. All the riders seemed to struggle with the track layout and lack of flow in the rhythm sections. Pelletier posting some competitive times during the practice sessions, commented, “this track is REALLY bad, but it’s the same for everyone.” While his teammate Benham seemed to be easing himself back into the mix. The first round saw both riders lining up together in the opening heat. With a much more favorable gate pick on the inside, Benham was able to garner a 2nd position on the opening lap. Meanwhile, Pelletier was busy counting sheep on the light found himself pushed wide and checked up in the first corner. Lap 5 saw the #221 machine getting tired of eating roost and push past into the lead, winning the heat. Pelletier watching carnage take place in front of him, capitalizes on a multi-rider tangle to move into 4th. Last lap, last corner, a “Hail Mary” move by the defending champ saw the #220 machine getting pushed back to 5th at the finish. Benham, calm, comfortable, and coming in with a heat race win, lined up once again with his teammate for the second heat of round two. 221 can punch it, pin it and pull off another wire-to-wire heat race win! Pelletier, meanwhile having not quite finished counting his flock, cuts another uncharacteristically late light and is last around the first corner. Pelletier, unable to put together any creative lines on the abhorrent course, takes the final position in the qualifier. For the final, both riders line up with odious picks on a tendentious first turn. Dan, your number one qualifier locks, spindles in the first turn, severely damaging his sled front end. Gathering himself up, he finds himself deserted by the rest of the field. Pelletier, relegated to the second row for a start, takes a different perspective of the first turn. As havoc unfolded in front of him, he could tuck inside the first turn rounding the course in 10th the opening lap. Pelletier put his head down and began to pick away at the field. Having worked his way up into 5th position, the race was red-flagged for a fallen rider on the course. Due to the race being past the halfway point, on the re-start, the riders are lined up in staggered single file fashion by their race position. On the restart, Pelletier tenaciously drove through the first corner. It is unclear whether he contacted another competitor or simply an ice rut that had formed from the delay, but the 220 machines splintered the front right upper A-arm extinguishing his charge. Meanwhile, Benham’s machine resembled a vehicle from Mad Max, tattered from his original first corner excursion. Dan decidedly makes lemonade from the lemons he collected in the opening laps. #221 quickly drives his Speedwerx tuned machine into 4th place. With only four laps to go, Dan’s hand slips off the handlebar, sending him into a spectacular “Flat Stanley” formation off the sled. Dan, uninjured, was able to remount and finish the final in 6th position.
View the rest of the weekend’s race photos here.
A new day of competition dawns a fresh set of bumps on the deltoidal course. With a fresh set of faster and smoother flowing sections, the riders can post times inside of the top five of the only practice for the day. Round one in the opening heat sees 220 linings up in the center of the gate. As the field squeezes down for the first corner, Pelletier is sent into a frantic swap like the ball in an arcade game. Forced to play catch up, he can run his ski-doo up through the field into third. In the following heat, 221 lined up outside due to a lousy gate pick with knuckles down with a superb holeshot. Gapping the field in the opening two straights, Benham comes into the corner before finishing a smidge zesty. Over jumping and missing his mark, he high centers himself on the inside berm knocking his tether off at the same time. The field quickly passes the lifeless sled in the corner, relegating him to last. When the snow dust cleared and settled, Benham could only reel in and pass for one position. The next round had #221 lining in the first heat, undoubtedly embittered from his misfortune in the first-round miss anticipated the green light. With a poor start, Dan worked his way into 4th place with only enough points to qualify 11th. The next heat had Francis fixated on the green light, stretching the throttle cable and tucking to the inside; he can squeeze out the holeshot. Virtually unchallenged, Pelletier clicks off perfect laps to finish with a five ¾ second gap over the next competitor. Frank’s efforts placed him as the number one qualifier for the day. For the final, Frank finds himself in second as they field rounds the first turn, Dan mired in the pack due to his back row start. The action was fast and furious as challenges for the podium came and went. Francis rode a smart and controlled race, only being bettered by the defending champ for his second runner-up position of the season.
The series now heads into an off weekend before heading into the back-to-back remaining rounds at Eagle River and Sioux Falls.
Snocross – Elk River, MN - Results
Friday
6th - Daniel Benham (Pro Class)
11th - Francis Pelletier (Pro Class)
Saturday
2nd - Francis Pelletier (Pro Class)
11th - Daniel Benham (Pro Class)
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About Warnert Racing
Hill City, Minnesota-based Warnert Racing is the premier team in professional snocross racing and one of the sport’s pioneering “superteams.” After the most successful auto racing operations, the team models, managing the day-to-day operations of two snocross racers, including sponsorship, transportation, marketing, sled set-up, driver development, and technology development.