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Team AMSOIL Looks Good at Season’s Mid-Point

Eckstrom and Tate in Top Five of WSA Pro Open

Shakopee, MN ~ With five World Snowmobile Association races in the books, Team AMSOIL can look at the glass half-full. There’s strong optimism at the mid-point of the Snocross World Championships, AMSOIL riders DJ Eckstrom and Justin Tate are within climbing distance of the top rungs of the overall standings.

With their performances at the Polaris Canterbury Snocross at Canterbury Downs Eckstrom is in second place for Pro Open and Tate is fifth. Eckstrom is the personification of consistency while Tate is a come-from-behind racer who shows his best in the second half of the season. In Pro Stock, Eckstrom is sixth in the very tight standings. Tate is holding strong at 11th.

Call the AMSOIL snocross team the “Cardiac Kids.” Keep the paddles close because they are heart-stopping to watch. In an early round of Pro Open qualifying, Eckstrom’s Polaris suffered a mechanical problem that nearly sent him over the handlebars. That quick stop caught another driver napping and he ran into Eckstrom. It could have been nasty, but the resilient Eckstrom continued. Tate had trouble, too. He found himself off the track and off his snowmobile on a couple occasions.

When a team rides and practices as hard as the AMSOIL guys there’s going to eventually be fatigue to the sleds. Apparently that was the case as Team Owner Steve Scheuring was forced to replace three broken torque arms from the sled suspensions. Troubles, such as those, hurt the team, particularly Tate who had to run two last-chance-qualifiers. He missed making the Pro Stock final, but gained entrance to the Pro Open. A mechanical cost Eckstrom in the Pro Stock main event. He limped to 14th place finish in that race.

Sunday’s big show was the Pro Open final. Eckstrom and Tate launched off the starting line. Eckstrom was second and Tate fifth. Over the finish line jump went Eckstrom nearly side-by-side with Blair Morgan. Roost from Morgan’s sled pummeled Eckstrom in the face. As he went to clear his goggles Eckstrom let off the gas a tad which allowed two sleds to sneak by. Now in fourth, Eckstrom was in hot pursuit. Meanwhile, Tate was holding position and gaining on the leaders. Eckstrom also made gains, but couldn’t make a pass in the final laps. He finished in fourth place. Tate crossed the line right behind in fifth.

Team AMSOIL has four events including two indoor races and the 2004 ESPN Winter X Games before resuming WSA series action at Valcourt, Quebec in February. The WSA Polaris Canterbury event will air on the Outdoor Life Channel January 25 at 5:00PM EST.

See AMSOIL/Polaris/Scheuring Snocross Team Page

News Contact:
AMSOIL Racing Coordinator
AMSOIL Building
Superior, WI 54880
(715) 392-7101 ext. 220
racing@amsoil.com

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