Faust Tastes First Cross-County Snowmobile Racing Victory At USXC Willmar 100

Faust Scores a   Two-for-One at USXC Willmar 100
Ryan Faust (Pol) Earns   First USXC Win in Pro Stock at Willmar Area Lakes 100

Willmar, MN (January 18, 2014) – After alternating Arctic Cats in the Yamaha   Pro Stock winner’s circle in the first two rounds of USXC competition,   Polaris got off “the schneid” this weekend with Ryan Faust at the controls.   The Willmar Area Lakes 100 wrapped up round three of the schedule, as well as   the pure lake racing portion of the circuit.

A lemans-style ice track couldn’t get any more technical, as 10 miles of   lefts, rights, chicanes, and straights snaked around Foot Lake in Willmar,   MN. A fresh blanket of snow covered the area the night before the race,   forcing USXC owner Brian Nelson behind the wheel of a plow truck at 4:30 AM   Saturday to clear the course. By the time the 8:30 AM driver’s meeting   adjourned and riders staged for the first race, the sky was sunshine blue   with a stiff breeze to help with snow dust.

Saturday appeared to be the day a few riders figured things out in a big way.   In the Semi-Pro class, Cale Anseeuw piloted his slammed ice setup, turning   some impressive laps to grab Ski-Doo their first major victory of the season.   The top three in Semi-Pro, Anseeuw, Cole Nymann (Cat), and current point   leader Casey Pries (Cat) were only separated by about 2 seconds, besting   veteran Jon Arneson (Cat) and Polaris rider Alex Hetteen.

At the end of the day, all eyes turned to the 10 lap, 100 mile Yamaha Pro   Stock final. Coming into the race, Christian Brother’s Racing rider Brian   Dick (Cat) won the Speedwerx Pro Open class, setting a best lap time of the   day at 8 minutes and 47 seconds. Dick did this aboard his usual Pro Stock   sled, despite competing against some true “open” equipment. Anyone placing a   bet, would have put large coin on the Pro Stock win being a slam-dunk for   Brian Dick. Not so fast.

Always in the hunt, Ryan Faust (Pol) decided the hunt was over and it was   time to go for the kill. From the moment Faust jumped over the start/finish   line, bar-to-bar with Aaron Christensen (Pol), something looked different.   All clichés aside, Faust appeared like he had been shot out of a slingshot   right into the first turn. Brian Dick gave some early signs he was going to   make it a race, but he just never found the pace, while Faust threw down some   eye-watering laps. For the first half of the race, Faust bested each one of   his laps down to an 8:48, just one second slower than the day’s best.

Even with only a 20 second fuel stop and brief surge, it wasn’t enough for   Brian Dick and Ryan Faust logged his first Yamaha Pro Stock win in USXC   competition by over a minute, an impressive gap in pro competition. “The sled   felt the best it has all year,” Faust said through a sweaty ear-to-ear grin.   “I really liked the more technical layout here and it felt good to get my   first USXC win.”

A few side notes of the day included both Chad Lian (Cat) and round one   winner Zach Herfindahl (Cat) finishing the Pro Stock race with no brakes.   There was also a Ryan Simons (Cat) sighting, taking laps in the Speedwerx Pro   Open race aboard, of all things, a Christian Brother’s Racing-badged Arctic   Cat four stroke.

Now it’s on to the terrain at the Oslo 100 in Oslo, MN January 25, 2014.

The complete recap of winners from Willmar include:
Yamaha Pro Stock: Ryan Faust (Pol); Speedwerx Pro Open: Brian Dick (Cat);   Semi Pro: Cale Anseeuw (Doo); AMSOIL Semi Pro Improved: Lance Efteland (Cat);   Drift Racing Super Stock: John Koch (Cat); Polaris Expert 85: Parker Thilmony   (Yam); FOX Expert 85 Improved: Parker Thilmony (Yam); Ski-Doo Masters 40+:   Corey Davidson (Yam); Action Graphics Sport 600 Improved: Chase Nordstrom   (Cat); Red Lake Outdoors Legends 50+: Erik Nymann (Cat); Carver Performance   Sport 85: Dalton Fredrickson (Cat); Woody’s Sport 600 Stock: Chase Nordstrom   (Cat); C&A Pro Trail: Matt Prusak (Pol); FLY Racing Vintage: Gary Tintes   (Cat); Arctic Cat Vintage Legends 50+: Gary Tintes (Cat); TEAM Industries   Classic IFS 18-50: Matt Prusak (Pol); On Snow Magazine Women’s: Jolene Bute   (Cat); Seven Clans Casinos Junior 10-13: Paul Brown (Cat); Mattracks Junior   14-17: Ean Voigt (Cat); Applied High Performance Products Junior Girls 14-17:   Kelsey Pladson (Pol).

USXC Racing is the largest cross-country snowmobile racing organization in   North America. The USXC is set to hold eight races during its 2013-2014 race   season which runs from December 2013 to March 2014. Follow USXC on Facebook   or visit www.usxcracing.com   for more information, registration, news, and race results. Contact USXC at   320-894-5839 or e-mail info@usxcracing.com. For sponsorship   information contact Noel Schanilec: noel@usxcracing.com.   Media can contact Tom Clement: tom@usxcracing.com.

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