2010 Grand Prix de Valcourt Opening Day Roundup
PRESS RELEASE: Valcourt, QC, February 19, 2010 – Jacques Villeneuve of Saint-Cuthbert, QC won the Eastern Pro Tour Ice Oval Championship Friday’s Pro Champ finale of the Grand Prix of Valcourt, Presented by La Capitale General Insurance. The Eastern Pro Tour defending champion crossed the finish line two-snowmobile length ahead of hard charging Dustin Wahl of Greenbush, Minnesota. Starting on the outside, Villeneuve took the lead going into corner one and led to the checkered flag. Travis MacDonald of Lackport, Manitoba finished third, followed by 2010 World Champion Matt Schultz of Wausau, Wisconsin and Nicholas Van Strydonk of Tomahawk, Wisconsin.
Jacques Villeneuve - Grand Prix de Valcourt - photo credit Flagworld.com (taken in 2009)
In the first final race of the weekend, Manitoba’s Travis MacDonald, winner at Valcourt in 2009, took the win in the Semi Pro Champ class ahead of Curtis Weatherdon of Barry’s Bay, Ontario. Félipe Roy-Lalonde of Saint-Jude, Quebec finished third.
Scott Dawson won the Sports Formula 500 class race finale. The Eganville, Ontario rider took the checkered flag ahead of Gaston Ferland of Quebec City and Eddy Anderson of Saint-Romuald, QC. Harold Carrier of Saint-Lambert de Lauzon finished fourth.
Nineteen year-old Dustin Gehrke from Morrisonville, New York won the Stock 600 Fan class race to push his number of wins to three so far this season. The defending class champion and winner of the 2009 race at the Valcourt Grand Prix crossed the finish line ahead of Dave Baldwin of Carleton Place, Ontario. Michael Soucy of Hopkinton, New Hampshire finished third.
Quebec rider Serge Ouellet of Lachute, QC registered his second Semi Pro Formula 500 class win of the season, beating New York rider Dustin Gehrke and Ben Harris from Douglas, Ontario. Anthony Pettinelli of Rome, NY, Rob Sheppard of Midnemoya, Ontario, and Dany Poudrier of Labrecque, Quebec, respectively finished fourth through sixth.
In the Pro Stock 600 Fan finale, New Yorker Dustin Gehrke won his second race of the season. The class defending champion crossed the finish line ahead of Ontario rider Dave Baldwin and Michael Soucy and Andrew Spenser from the United States.
Camoplast Snocross Championship
In the Camoplast Snocross Championship, Brett Turcotte of Clearwater, British Columbia easily won the Sports Stock 600 class ahead of Quebec riders Keven Benoit of Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Conseil, Dave Asselin of La Doré, Dany Poirier of Saint-Théodore d’Acton, and Dave Allard of Saint-Félicien.
Jennifer Paré of La Doré, QC scored her fifth snocross Sports 600 class win of the season, crossing the finish line by a wide margin over Patrick Brodeur of Coaticook and Leo Patenaude from Hurtland, Vermont. Christopher Ingle of Perreville, NY, finished fourth, followed by Samuel Beaulieu of Stoneham, Quebec and Michael Ouellette of Tingwig, QC.
Jennifer Pare - Grand Prix de Valcourt snocross - photo credit Flagworld.com, taken in 2009
The Grand Prix of Valcourt continues Saturday with ten Eastern Pro Tour ice oval finales and three final rounds of the Camoplast Snocross Championship. Motocross and ATV riders will make their first appearance at the Grand Prix of the weekend.
Tickets for the 28th edition of the Grand Prix de Valcourt, presented by La Capitale General Insurance are available at Circuit Yvon Duhamel ticket office from 8:00 a.m. Saturday and Sunday Daily ticket price are $27 for each day. To learn more on the Grand Prix, fans can log online at:
Release issued by:
Max d’Orsonnens
Media Liaison
Grand Prix Ski-Doo de Valcourt