AMSOIL Team Shines In Michigan Mud
AMSOIL/U.S. Air Force/Milwaukee Tool/Ford riders Lincoln Lemieux and Tim Tremblay finished 1-2 in the Pro final on Friday night to open the weekend in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Tremblay was the only rider to return to the podium on Saturday, with five different faces making their way to the box representing all three brands.
Much like the previous rounds in New York, the central region of Michigan had been hammered by rain in the days leading up to the race and although there was no natural snow to be found, ISOC had done a fantastic job of getting ahead of the weather, piling up massive amounts of snow prior to the event. Conditions in the pit area and surrounding the race course were less than ideal with boot-robbing mud and rivers of flowing water, but the track itself was great with the traditional Mt. Pleasant right-hand uphill and a downhill that was over 12 feet deep in places.
Lemieux and Tremblay started the final battling in the fourth and fifth positions, with Kristoffer Holm and Kody Kamm at the front of the field. Point leader Tucker Hibbert, who did not get a good start, was hit by Jake Angove as the two were completing the first lap and dropped to 13th before he could get his sled separated from Angove’s Polaris and rejoin the race.
Holm cross-rutted in front of Kamm as the two made their way down the treacherous downhill, causing Kamm to land on him and come off his sled. Johan Lidman, who has been a quick starter all season, took advantage of the situation and moved into the lead where he immediately began gapping Holm.
Lemieux and Tremblay quickly chased down Holm passing each other in the process. Lemieux would take over the spot from Tremblay for good on lap six and make his way past Lidman on lap 10. Tremblay would slide by to on lap 14 locking in the podium order, with Adam Renheim racing into the the fourth spot on his Makita Tools Ski-Doo.
On Saturday, Kamm jumped into the lead of the round 12 final with Lidman in second and teammate Peter Narsa in third. Hibbert was mired in another mid-pack start and while he clicked off three positions on the opening lap, was still well back of the leaders.
On lap six, Hibbert made his way past Lidman into second and the countdown was on for yet another late race confrontation with Kamm. The reigning champion held his ground for several laps but in the end the 10-time champ Hibbert found the better lines and raced away for a six second win. Lidman appeared to be on his way to his second straight podium, but wily veteran Tremblay took advantage of lapped traffic in the final corner to get by for third.
