I hope anyone reading this has been following the National Snocross circuit this winter via Livestream, or if lucky enough, in-person. The racing (especially in Pro and Pro Lite) has been top notch, exciting and the variety of winners sharing the top spots has been ever-changing and incredible.
Below, is an excerpt from ISOC’s Deadwood press release regarding Team Arctic/Zandstra Motorsports Pro, Jacob Yurk. His Pro win Friday night had me standing on the couch yelling at the TV with joy and proudness for Jacob and the Zandstra team. Congratulations! You can catch the fourth stop of the tour next weekend, February 5-6, in Fargo, ND. Keep reading to see why Jacob’s win was so special…
There’s something about Deadwood, South Dakota. Something about the Days of ’76 Rodeo complex that calls for redemption. Something about the tight track that plays like its bigger brothers on the National Snocross circuit.
Friday night’s USAF Snocross National saw Deadwood offer-up a perfect mix of its charm and history with a whole lotta of that redemption in the Pro classes.
Yurk Back on Top
Jacob Yurk’s career is all about bouncing back. The 2017-18 Pro Lite champion entered the Pro ranks last season after missing part of the 2018-19 season with injuries. He was an early season surprise, notching two podiums in his first three races. But as quickly as his rebound was, so was the drop.
The Deadwood track is not small, but it is shorter than most tracks on the tour. But it can also be big, with long whoop sections, big jumps that can lift into triples for the brave. It also changes dramatically, lap-after-quick-lap, and riders need to be aware of its looseness and its edges.
In 2020, Yurk found one of those edges, and how the Bull Ring can buck you off in a hurry. A harsh crash led to a season-ending back injury. It was the type of injury that is tough to come back from. But just 12-months from the injury, Yurk’s redemption was complete.
Yurk entered the final as the number six qualifier, thanks to a solid second-round qualifier that secured his front-row starting spot. In the final, the Minnesotan utilized a fabulous start down the long, bumpy back-stretch to come out in front of the pack. He had early pressure from Logan Christian (Arctic Cat) and then Kody Kamm, but Yurk wrote the final lines of his comeback story with an impressive push late in the race for his first career win against the Pro field.
“That track was really, really rough tonight,” said Yurk. “I took a long time looking at it and figuring out what I was going to do. I got the holeshot and just tried to execute my plan. Last year, Friday night wasn’t ideal, obviously. So, to do this on Friday night, first Pro win, it’s unreal, man.”
