Final Tally

Lake Geneva, Wis. ~ Consistency may be the best word to describe D.J. Eckstrom's 2004-05 WSA season. The Duluth, Minn. native was constantly out front throughout the year and solidified his rank among the best professional snowmobile riders in the world at the Nielson Enterprises Grand Finale in Lake Geneva, Wis.

Eckstrom entered the last weekend of racing third overall in the Pro Stock point's race and second in Pro Open class. Entering Sunday's final, the 24-year-old Scheuring Speed Sports driver had second in his sights and was the top qualifier for the Pro Stock final. He would start out in mid-pack, but was able to make up ground by finding a fast line coming down the AMSOIL Descent, one of two monster hills set up by the WSA for the weekend. Eckstrom pushed his Polaris IQ 440 into third by the time the checkered flag had dropped and finished the Pro Stock season in second.

"It says a lot about the sled and the guys on my crew," said Eckstrom during the post-race interview. "These guys work so hard every weekend and it paid off for us with another podium and top finish in the points race."

After his first final of the day, Eckstrom had to focus on the Pro Open class. Heading into Lake Geneva, he was only 20 points out of first, but a crash in Saturday's qualifying heat left him with a fifth place finish. He would need a better day of racing to keep pace with series leader Steve Martin. The second qualifier brought Eckstrom a fourth place finish and the third in the final heat. That meant Eckstrom (as did his teammate Mike Schultz) had to qualify for the final through the LCQ.

Thefinal brought a good start, which left him in the top-five after the first turn. Things would settle down for the veteran, who would battle with Robbie Malinoski for fifth for the next few laps. But with five laps to go, things turned from good to bad for Team AMSOIL/Scheuring Speed Sports. A broken chain stopped Eckstrom's momentum in mid-air, slamming his sled into the snow and propelling him a good 10 yards from his sled. Eckstrom was stunned for a few minutes but was able to walk off the track under his own power.

"I wasn't really sure how long I was out," said Eckstrom after the race. "(Teammate) Carl (Schubitzke) said I looked over at him when I was on the ground, but I don't remember seeing him. Next thing you know, I was in the back of the ambulance. But everything's okay, I got a headache, but that's about it."

Eckstrom finished the race 13 out of 15 racers. That was enough for him to hold onto a top three finish, but he did drop to third behind Martin and second place finisher Carl Kuster. For the season, Eckstrom had two wins, two seconds, two thirds and three top five finishes in the Pro Stock class. In Pro Open, he amassed a win in Duluth and two second place podiums.

"What a strong statement for a strong season," said Scheuring Speed Sports team owner Steve Scheuring. "This was the best year so far in our eight-year history. Between both classes, D.J.'s total point's outpaced every other driver. The only downside was Carl's midseason injury (broken arm at Valcourt) that sidelined him for the year."

Mike Schultz was hired to replace Schubitzke after his injury. Coming from the Rock MapleRacing circuit, Schultz had little experience in the WSA pro class. The high flying, edge of his seat racer made all four main events and had a top five finish in the Pro Stock class at Lake Geneva.

"It makes a world of difference when you have a team like this," said Schultz. "These are the best guys out there and it makes my job a lot easier when you get support like that."

While the WSA season has ended, Scheuring Speed Sports will still be racing at selected events this spring. April 2 and 3 they will be in Toronto for the CSRA season finale.

Another Obstacle Returns

Orlando, Fla. ~ Ride hard. Keep pushing. Continue testing. That's all Team AMSOIL/Chaparral/Honda can hope for as the AMA Supercross Series pushes into the later stages of the season. Sure, Kevin Windham and Mike LaRocco are sitting in third and fourth place in the point's race. But the gap is widening between them and frontrunners Chad Reed and Ricky Carmichael, even though Team AMSOIL has only missed two podiums all season. Now things are going to get a little tougher with the return of James "Bubba" Stewart who returned after spending the past eight weeks in the pits with a broken arm.

Windham continued to ride hard, placing in the top five at the Citrus Bowl. During his heat race he rode solid and directly qualified for the main event in second place. Starting fourth in the main event, "K-Dub" showed skills of consistency and determination as he held on the entire race. He moved up to third before getting passed, moving the Mississippi native back into fourth when the final flag dropped.
He remains in third place in the 250cc point standings.

Always known for his consistent and hard riding ability, La Rocco returned to Orlando ready tomake his mark. The 34-year-old made it straight to the finials with a fifth in his qualifying heat. Getting weeded out of the front of the pack in the main, La Rocco had a bad start and had to work his way back up the pack. While doing so, he crashed. He was able to recover and make up a few spots before finishing ninth. LaRocco currently sits in fourth place overall in the 250cc standings.

Joaquim Rodrigues was unable to race this weekend due to a crash during practice in which he had suffered a mild concussion and a sore shoulder. He is expected to see a full return to the track for the Irving, Texas race. Rodrigues holds 10th place in the 125cc East Coast TQ AMA Supercross point standings.

Having performed an incredible race the week before, Josh Grantcame into this week's race with much confidence. The rookie came out of his heat race with a second and qualified instantly to the main event. He started in fourth in the final and held onto that position until the ninth lap where he crashed in the whoops. He was able to get back on the bike and work his way up to a 12th place finish. Grant currently sits in seventh in the 125cc East Coast TQ AMA Supercross Point Standings.

Be sure to catch the AMSOIL/Chaparral/Honda team at the Irving, Texas event on Saturday, April 2. This year's races will receive two hours of next day coverage on ESPN2. Be sure to check your local listings for show times.

Picture of the Week

Orlando, Fla. ~ It look's like someone lost a bet in the Team AMSOIL/Chaparral/ Honda pits. We actually don't know what prompted this pink pursuit. You never really know what goes on behind the closed doors of a Supercross transport. Don't worry, AMSOIL is not coming out with a line of hair products any time soon.