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MORRISONVILLE — Morrisonville's Dusty Gehrke and Nick Lagoy are off to a flying start to the 2010 snowmobile ice oval racing season.
The two high-school seniors will jump into the Eastern Pro Tour this weekend coming off outstanding showings at the 47th running of the World Championships of Snowmobile Races in Eagle River, Wis. two weeks ago.
Gehrke, son of racing legend Herman Gehrke, Jr., won the Friday Night Thunder Pro F-500 World Championship Race, outperforming some of the biggest names in the business. He followed that up with a second-place finish in the Formula 500 race on Sunday.
Lagoy, meanwhile, placed second in the Semi Pro championship final on Sunday.
The two will resume their racing season Sunday at the Booneville Snow Festival, the first stop on the 2010 Eastern Pro Tour schedule.
Both young racers enjoyed great season on the 2009 Tour. Gehrke won four classes last winter — Pro Formula 500, Formula 500 Semi-Pro, Pro Stock 600 Fan and Stock 600 Fan. Lagoy came in third in the Semi-Pro Championship Class.
Yet another young rising star, Ethan Currier of Cadyville, tied for first in the Junior 3 (16-17 years) class.
The local stars were looking forward to another big year this winter, but Gehrke and Lagoy experienced some early setbacks.
Gehrke, a successful motocross racer, tore an ACL during racing last summer and only a great deal of therapy and a special brace constructed by
Dr. Philip Volk enabled him to make it to the starting line in Eagle River. As it is, Gehrke faces surgery April 30 that will keep him out of motocross racing this season.
Lagoy, who was tearing up half-mile Eagle River oval in qualifying, nearly broke his hand during a heat race in the pro class. He wound up in the hay bales with a swollen hand and a severe blow to his chances.
Lagoy opted to sit out Saturday's World Cup qualifying and focus on Sunday's semi-pro final. Five laps into the eight-lap final, Lagoy had all but lost any feeling in his left hand and arm, but he perserved to take second.
Gehrke's sponsors this season include Wahl Brothers Racing, Taylor Rental, Riverside Tractor & Equipment, R. Hogan Excavating, Camoplast of Plattsburgh, Green Mountain Forest Products, Gehrke Logging, Ron Marquis Trucking, Hynes Electric Supply, 139 Designs, M & S Off Road Supply, Adirondack Family Chiropractor.
Lagoy's sponsors are Camoplast Tracks (Bruce Dashnaw), C.R.A. and Dick Nephew, Spy Optics, Dick's Customizing, Ski-Doo, Signs Now, Woodys, Jefford's Steel, Taylor Rental, Roberts Sports Center and Gehrke Logging.
