Ebert claims two victories
Lake Shore's Dan Ebert left Brainerd International Raceway last December as a winner. Aboard his Arctic Cat, he won the Semi Pro Open final of the World Power Sports Association's Regional MN State Series round.
Back
On Sunday he left BIR again a winner in snowmobile racing. But this time he won twice - the two-lap Semi Pro Improved final and the four-lap Semi Pro 600 final of the BIR 200 sanctioned by the United States Cross Country Racing Association. He also won both of his qualifiers Saturday on the four-and-a-half mile course where the start/finish line was on the snocross track used for the December race. This race also was Round Two of the Sled Head 24/7 Amsoil Triple Crown Series that has a $25,000 payout each round.
"Without the snocross experience, there was no way I would have been as successful as I am," Ebert said. "The only thing I had to get used to was the high speed bumps."
These bumps played a big part in finale of the event, too, the 20-lap Pro 600 where the winner won $3,000.
Lake Shore's Dan Ebert powered his snowmobile through the first turn of a 4.5-mile course in the Semi Pro 600 final Sunday in the U.S. Cross Country 200 at Brainerd International Raceway. Ebert won this final and the earlier Semi Pro Improved final.
» Purchase reprints of this photo.
Brainerd Dispatch/Clint Wood
Baxter's Josh Goble and Brainerd's Steve Emerson were the only area racers competing in this test of the racer and the sled. Emerson on his Yamaha finished 13th and Goble on his Ski Doo finished 17th, two places away from earning prize money.
Other area racers that won on Sunday were Trevor John of Crosslake on his Yamaha in the Sport 85 final. This final also had a slew of area racers who finished. Steve Emerson of Brainerd on his Yamaha was fourth, Stephen Adams of Brainerd was eighth, Erich Lunzer of Brainerd was 12th, Nels Danielson of Brainerd was 14th and Don Underwood of Baxter was 17th.
John also finished third in the 440 final followed by Shane Danielson of Brainerd on his Arctic Cat who finished ninth. Cody Breitbach of Brainerd on his Arctic Cat also finished second in the Vet 30 final followed by John Copham of Brainerd who finished sixth.
The racers started on the former snocross track and the first four turns, including the high-banked turns three and four. The rest of the course winded through several of the turns of the BIR's 3-mile road course. There were several sections of bumps along the way.
Ryan Simons nearly tipped over his snowmobile as he raced through a rhythm section of the 4.5-mile course on Sunday during the Pro Open final in the BIR 200 at Brainerd International Raceway.
» Purchase reprints of this photo.
Brainerd Dispatch/Clint Wood
"It was pretty much like a 4.3-mile snocross track," Goble said.
Ebert said he was able to tackle the bumps, corners and straightaways but his biggest challenge was speed.
"But the sheer speed you're going into those sections was something I wasn't quite used to and at times you would get used to the speed but it would take you off guard and it would be like, "Whoa, I'm going pretty fast.'"
Goble, who is in his second year of cross country racing, noted that he wasn't able to open up his sled on the course during the Pro Open final that started the day of racing. He finished seventh in this final.
He qualified fifth and started in the second row of three racers. He said he was in fifth place in the first lap when the course was still frozen and the bumps were sharp. He was passed in the next lap after he rode "conservatively." He also fell off in this lap.
The rest of the race he said he rode conservatively because he knew the eighth-place racer was several seconds behind him.
After the Pro 600 final, he described the course as "rough." He also said he "limped" his sled across the line.
"Basically I just wanted to finish the race to get the points," he said.
Among his problems was a blown rear shock, an overheated front shock and his sled kept overheating.
The third round of the Triple Crown Series is next weekend at Hayward, Wis.
clint wood may be reached at clint.wood@brainerddispatch.com or at 855-5869.