BEST BRINGS THE BATTLES 
TO BROOME-TIOGA
  Round 5, 2003 Big East Snocross Tour (B. E. S. T.)
Binghamton, NY, February 1-2, 2003

Story and photos by Jim P. Sanderson Click here to email

Doug Quigley (535) nails the holeshot aboard his Polaris in the Semi Pro 440 Liquid final at round five of the Big East Snocross Tour at the Broome-Tioga Sports Center. Trailing were Ed Hawkins (699) and Douglas Wilbert (300).  

The 2003 Big East Snocross Tour (B.E.S.T.) rolled into the Broome- Tioga Sports Center on Saturday, February 1^st and Sunday, February 2^nd, for round five of their eight round Snocross series. This event was Hurd Motorsports fifth year hosting Snocross at the Broome-Tioga facility.

BEST’s races are two-day events. Saturday is a full day of jam packed racing action of preliminary qualifying races that narrows each class of drivers down to 12 for Sundays Finals. Driver sign-up was just under 400. Spectators packed the stands both days, cheering on their favorite Snocross racers.

Polaris driver, Jason Stone nailed the holeshot and went wire to wire for the final event win in the Jr. Novice 440 Fan 10-13 class. Arctic Cat driver Will Lux III took runner up honors with fellow Arctic Cat pilot, Joe Hall rounded out the Jr. Novice 440 fan class podium.

Trailing Stone off the start of the final event were Lux and Hall. By the middle of lap two, the top five running order was Stone, Lux, Alex Bartell, Hall and Eric Stritzel. The son of Hurd MotrSports promoters Tom and Peggy Hurd, Marshall, worked his way up to sixth by lap three after rounding the first turn dead last.

By lap four, Lux closed the gap on Stone while Bartell did all he could to hold off fellow Arctic Cat diver Hall who was pressuring him for third. Bartell just couldn’t hold off the determined Hall who made the pass for third with a lap and a half to go. Stone hung on for the final win with Lux, Hall, Bartell and Derek Cotton trailing.

Ski-Doo driver, Ed Hawkins earned top honors and took home the lion’s share of the purse in the super fast and competitive Semi Pro 440 Liquid class final. Rounding out the Semi Pro 440 Liquid class podium were Doug Quigley and Doug Wilbert.

Quigley got the jump on the rest of the field off the start and rounded the switch back first turn with the early lead. Trailing were Hawkins, Wilbert, Ryan Yarrow and Joel Notaro. After a half a lap was completed, the top four were unchanged while Chris Hall passed Notaro to take fifth relegating Notaro to sixth.

By lap three the top five were spreading out which allowed the leaders to go for the big air to the absolute pleasure of the huge crowd of spectators who lined the bleachers along the front section of the racecourse.

On lap four the top three were still unchanged but behind them, Hall caught and passed Yarrow to claim fourth. Yarrow was relegated to fifth.

Out front, Hawkins charged after Quigley and narrowed the gap between him and the leader to a sled by lap five and made his move for the lead on lap six by doubling right pass Quigley into turn three. Quigley dropped to second. While that battle was being decided, Wilbert was doing all he could to hold off the charge of Hall for his quest to take over third place.

Hawkins pulled away to a two second lead by the final lap of the Semi Pro 440 Liquid final and held on for the win. Rounding out the top five were Quigley, Wilbert, Hall and Yarrow.

Arctic Cat driver, Kerry Smith, of Rochester, NY, topped the podium of the super competitive Pro 440 class. Rounding out the Pro 440 podium were the two Polaris drivers of Kelly O’Hara and Glen Babineau.

Babineau claimed the holeshot and the early lead in the final Pro 440 main with Smith, Dave Stephenson, O’Hara and Bill Daly in tow. At the tail end of lap two, Smith caught and passed Babineau to take the point position, relegating Babineau to second. Babineau, maybe a little rattled by the pass of Smith, was unaware that Stephenson had also closed the gap on him. Stephenson made the pass on Babineau, dropping Babineau to third on lap three.

The leaders remained unchanged for 4 laps. On lap seven of this 12-lap final, O’Hara passed Babineau to claim third, dropping Babineau to fourth. Just before the start of lap eight, Stephenson got a little too hot coming into a corner and went off the track which gave Smith some breathing room and also allowed O’Hara to take second, Babineau third, Daly fourth and Jason Rudd fifth.

Smith crossed the finish line with a whopping six and a half second advantage. Rounding out the top five were O’Hara, Babineau, Rudd and Daly.

Babineau laid claim to more holeshot bragging rights in the Pro 600 performance class final event. Trailing Babineau off the start were Smith, Stephenson, Charlie Haier and Rudd. Smith made the pass for the lead before a half a lap was completed, relegating Babineau to second. Then less than a half a lap later, Babineau went off the track, which allowed Stephenson to take second and Haier third. Babineau got going again in fourth and Jason Glace was now up to fifth.

Glace was charging and quickly caught the fading Polaris of Babineau and made the pass for fourth dropping Babineau back to fifth. Smith had a three second lead by lap four but Stephenson kept his head down and charged. Stephenson made the pass for the lead at the start of lap seven. Smith dropped to second. Rounding out the top five were Haier, Glace and Rudd.

On the following lap, Glace passed Haier for third, relegating Haier to fourth. The top three was pretty much decided when the two laps to go marker came out but the battle for fourth and fifth was still yet to be decided. Rudd finally made the pass on Haier to claim fourth with a lap to go.

Stephenson took the checkers with a huge seven-second advantage. Rounding out the top five were Smith, Glace, Rudd and Brain Wellman.

Dale Petrus, of Copenhagen, NY, topped the podium of the Semi Pro Open class final. Brett Bender took runner-up honors while Rob Marshall rounded out the podium.

Petrus got his Polaris out front quickly off the start of the Semi Pro Open final with Bender, Wilbert, Marshall and Doug Larry in tow. Petrus pulled away and had a four second lead by the start of lap three. Second through fourth were unchanged while Kent Reigel moved up to fifth.

The top five spread out and maintained the same running order until lap seven when Marshall caught Wilbert to take third. Petrus got the final event win with Bender, Marshall, Wilbert and Reigel trailing.

O’Hara got his Polaris out front off the start and in to the early lead of the Pro Open final ahead of Stephenson, Glace, Rudd and Smith. The top five spread out rather quickly and did not change for six laps. Stephenson made a mistake that allowed Glace to get around for second. Stephenson dropped to third. Rudd and Smith held fourth and fifth, respectively.

With tow laps to go, Glace closed the gap on O’Hara and did all he could to get close enough to make a pass. But every time Glace got close, O’Hara just picked it up and pulled away again. O’Hara held on to get the Pro Open final win. Rounding out the top five were Glace, Rudd, who made a last lap pass on Stephenson to take third, Stephenson and Smith.