Winnipeg, MB – Aki Pihlaja raced to two Pro Lite podium finishes, including a win on Saturday night, as the national snocross tour made it’s first ever visit to the state of Iowa at the Sundown Mountain Resort in Dubuque.
Pihlaja has been in control of the Pro Lite championship since the second weekend of competition in December. While he has been on the podium nearly every round since, managing his lead with second and third place finishes was not sitting well with the Finnish rider. On the podium Friday after a third place result, Pihlaja commented about not having a win for several weeks, stating that maybe he was being too conservative.
On Saturday he put all that behind him chasing down Andy Lieders and making the pass for the win. “Yeah, I wanted to get a win,” said Pihlaja. I was still careful but I felt good all day so I didn’t have to take it too easy. I didn’t take any big risks but I was fast. The downhill was gnarly but I loved it.”
On Friday, Adam Renheim made a return to the Pro Open podium with one of his best performances in recent weeks. Renheim started the race in the fifth spot and advanced two positions early on to secure third overall. On Saturday, Renheim finished the night in the sixth spot, climbing one position in the championship to ninth.
The series will wrap up in two weeks at the Grand Finale in Lake Geneva, WI. Pihlaja will have to defend his lead in Pro Lite over two more days of racing, while Renheim will have three opportunities to improve his standing, including Sunday’s main event which will air live on the CBS Sports Network.
Race Results - Round 13
Pro Open Heat 1 Heat 2 Final
Adam Renheim 4 4 3
Pro Lite
Aki Pihlaja 2 1 3
Race Results - Round 14
Pro Open Heat 1 Heat 2 Final YTD
Adam Renheim 6 7 6 9
Pro Lite
Aki Pihlaja 1 1 1 1
Coming Up
T.V. Schedule
Episode #13 Iowa National 3/18/2017 Noon
Episode #14 Iowa National 3/18/2017 1:00 p.m.
Live Streaming: http://snocross.com/livestream