Snowmobile Racing Network

Elite Motorsports Cashes in at Snocross Opener - Ironwood, MI

Written by MGR | Dec 20, 2023 3:52:19 PM

 

Follow Elite Motorsports on   


  Elite Motorsports is the newest team on the circuit and they sure are opening some eyes. It was a whirlwind of a weekend for the newly formed team as they stormed onto the snocross scene. A team that was formed with calculated statistics on paper, a young rookie Pro and a 2 year old Sport class champion off the couch, along with a slew of amateur racers to concur the race track.  A friends and family atmosphere inside the trailer created a calm and relaxed weekend for the new team and it showed on track with their results. It was an impressive opening weekend for Elite Motorsports.

Friday Amsoil Dominator:

    It was an action packed weekend for the Pro side of the team. Both racers Gustav Sahlsten and Adam Ashline set out for the Amsoil Dominator qualifying Friday afternoon. 40 riders set out to capture 1 of 8 open spots in the Dominator bracket race. The Amsoil Dominator is a 16 racer, 1v1 style, bracket race. Gustav put in a a heater of a lap time to make the fast 8 and put himself into the night show.

  • Round 1 would see Gustav line up against sophomore pro racer Travis Kern. Gustav would not look back and take the checkers to start off the night with a bang.
  • Round 2 Gustav would face the 5x Pro champion of Elias Ishoel. A feat that not many have tamed and a previous winner of the event. Elias would get the early lead but at the top of the uphill after lap 1, Elias would find himself on the ground and Gustav cruised to the finish line
  • Round 3 Gustav would face Hunter Patenaude. Hunter would get the early jump but officials would determine he jumped the start and showed him the black flag to fall in behind Sahlsten. Gustav would hold off Hunter for the remainder of the race to advance to the finals!
  • Finals - It was a 3 way race. 2 Polaris vs Gustav on his Ski-Doo. Emil Harr would get the lead heading into turn 1 but in turn 2 Gustav attempted the big balls move and launched it to the moon to catch up to Harr. Harr would fumble a mistake and nearly go off the side of the track causing him to roll the first jump of the down hill rhythm section while Gustav nailed his marks and sailed past his fellow Swedish countryman. Gustav would put in the best laps of the night so far in this final and gap his way to his first ever Amsoil Dominator and a $10,000 paycheck! The crowd went absolutely WILD when the flames lit. Something I have not heard in a long time at a snocross race. 

Saturday:

    Saturday marked the official start of the championship for the Pro and Pro Lite classes. Both Gustav and Adam would line up and see where they stack up against the best in the world. Hot off the Dominator win, everyone in the pits had their eyes on Gustav. 

    Adam put in some amazing heat race rides in Pro Lite. He would go 2-2 for an amazing 1st qualifying spot of the season, straight into the main event. His starts were on point all day long. Not knowing where he would stack up after a long time off of racing Adam was more than pumped to get to the final. Adam would rocket off of the line in tow of Tyler Archambault, sitting P2 and hot on Tyler's tail. Tyler's sled would suffer a mechanical after a couple laps and handed the lead over to Ashline. Adam would lead for about half of the race until getting passed. It was smooth sailing and putting in the laps when a small mistake would buck Adam from his snowmobile for a brief second. He would remount and only lose 1 position. Adam would cross the line to earn his first professional podium, 3rd place.

    Gustav, hot off a dominating win Friday night was poised to do big things on Saturday. That he did, he backed up his performance with a solid effort all day. Qualifying would deem a hair trickier, on this course, against the best in the world. He would go 6-3 in his heat races to qualify for the main event on the front row. A solid start to the night for Sahlsten. Gustav would rocket out of the gate in the final, hot on the heels of reigning champion Elias Ishoel. Sahlsten would apply the pressure early in the race to the race leader, Elias. Running in the P2 position for quite some time and pushing the limits of himself and the snowmobile would have the race not play out the way he had hoped and Sahlsten would drop down the race order to finish in a hard fought 5th place. Sahlsten's career best championship race finish in the USA. It was a great showing for him at round 1. Gustav sits in a 3 way tie for 4th place in points. (He is credited with 5th place points from his finishing order). Gustav and Elite Motorsports will find themselves in opening ceremonies for round 2 coming up in Shakopee, MN January 12th. That is huge for a rookie and a new team.   

OTHER TEAM NEWS FRIDAY:

Class Racer Heat 1 Heat 2 LCQ Final
Transition 9-13 Charlie Lucas 7 1 10 19th
  Jacob Daniels 6 7 - -
  Beckum Pete 3 2 - 16th
Sport Lite Ethan Boon 1 3 - 3rd  🏅
  Kaden Helsel 3 8 - -
Sport Jan Even Ronsdal 7 8 1 10th
Pro Am 30 Matt Greenwood 9 7 5 16th

OTHER TEAM NEWS SATURDAY:

Class Racer Heat 1 Heat 2 LCQ Final
Jr 10-13 Charlie Lucas 7 4 - 15th
Transition 9-13 Charlie Lucas 1 7 2 16th
  Jacob Daniels 4 4 - 14th
  Beckum Pete 4 7 5 12th
Sport Lite Ethan Boon 3 5 2 13th
  Kaden Helsel 5 8 - -
Sport Jan Even Ronsdal 8 7 6 -
Pro Am 30 Matt Greenwood 10 7 5 13th

 

ELITE Motorsports would like to thank all of their partners in helping them get on the racetrack:

Nick's Powersports - Dickeyville, WI - https://www.nickspowersports.com/

FLY Racing - https://www.flyracing.com/ 

Ski-Doo - https://ski-doo.brp.com/us/en/ 

Goodwin Performance - https://www.goodwinperformance.com/ 

Donks Designs - https://www.donksdesignsmi.com/ 

Stud Boy Traction - https://studboytraction.com/

C&A Pro Skis - https://www.caproskis.net/ 

Rox Speed FX - https://roxspeedfx.com/

ENZO KYB Suspension - https://www.enzocanada.com/

3d Logik - https://3d-logik.com/

HD Equipment - Grand Mound, IA - https://www.hdequipmentinc.com/ 

Pete Transfer/Transport LLC - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064029481018 

Saunders Propane/Oil Company - https://www.saundersoil.com/ 

Lucas Concrete Construction - https://www.facebook.com/lucasconcreteconstruction/  

About Nick's Powersports

Come see us in Downtown Dickeyville, Wisconsin! You will be glad that you did.
 

Everyone at Nick's Powersports is always committed to making you a satisfied customer. Nick's Powersports is a BRP certified dealer. We offer new Ca-am ATV's, Side-by-sides (including the Defender, Commander and Maverick) and Ski-doo snowmobiles. We also sell all makes and models of used ATVs, UTVs & Snowmobiles. Nick's Powersports has a full service shop that works on all makes and models of sleds, ATVs, UTVs, etc... Check out our clothing and accessories too when you come to visit us in Downtown Dickeyville, WI! We hope to make your experience at Nick's Powersports a great one and to provide the best possible service to you! Customer satisfaction is our #1 goal. Our staff will be happy to assist with your purchase or service order!

At Nick's Powersports we are powersports enthusiasts, and we are excited to help you experience the fun and adventure that a quality Can-Am® or Ski-Doo vehicle can bring into your life! We are a powersports dealership serving the Dickeyville area, offering the best in new and pre-owned powersports vehicles. Our friendly and knowledgeable sales, financing, service, and parts departments are ready to offer outstanding service at every point, from assisting while you're making your choice to ongoing maintenance and customization. At Nick's Powersports, we value the opportunity to create a long-term relationship with our customers, and we do that by making sure to exceed your expectations.

 

25 Years of FLY Racing

Founded in 1998, FLY Racing is a leading apparel brand for motocross, street, BMX, mountain bike, adventure, and watercraft riders. We are driven by a desire to create high-quality products to enhance the performance and safety of fellow riders.

Now in its 25th year, FLY Racing offers a wide range of products including helmets, jerseys, pants, gloves, boots, goggles, and protective gear. Known for our innovative designs, cutting-edge technology, and attention to detail, we are committed to providing riders with the best possible products to help them achieve their goals and reach their full potential.

In addition to our focus on quality and performance, FLY Racing also places a strong emphasis on style. Our products are designed to look as good as they perform, with bold graphics and eye-catching designs that stand out on the track or on the street.

Follow Elite Motorsports on