The ISOC Grand Finale weekend concluded in Lake Geneva, Wis. with the inaugural Ram World Cup. Kody Kamm and Kyle Pallin led Team USA squad topping Team World for the title in the three-moto event on Sunday.
The contest was a snocross' version of the popular international Motocross Des Nations contest.
Round 1 - With five Polaris sleds and four Ski-Doos lined up it was Kody Kamm, representing Team USA from nearby Kenosha, Wis., pulled the holeshot and won the opening moto. Kamm was followed closely by teammate Kyle Pallin from Michigan's Upper Peninsula in 2nd, with the World Team's Robbie Malinoski rounding out the top three.
Kamm would tow the field up the big uphill start and shot around the first corner, back down through the high wire downhill rhythm section and into the early lead. Midway through the opening lap Pallin would catch Malinoski for 2nd. Pallin then set this site on Kamm as the two Pro Open sleds would separate from Malinoski and the rest of the World Team.
On the final lap Pallin pulled out all the stops and was right on the roost flap of Kamm's sled, but Kamm would hold of the hard-charging Yooper in a feverous dash to the checkers.
Rounding out the top five in the opening moto of the Ram World Cup were Malinoski in 3rd, Team USA's Jake Scott (Mystic Lubricants/Loctite/Polaris) in 4th - the top Pro Lite class sled - and Team USA's Andrew Carlson (Carlson Motorsports/Polaris) in 5th.
Round 2 - Inverting the start of the second moto of the Ram World Cup saw Team USA's Jake Scott blast out to the holeshot and the early lead on his Pro Lite Polaris. Hot on Scott's tail was Malinoski, followed by Andrew Lieders.
Mired in the back at the start of the five-lap contest would be Team USA's Pallin. But, Pallin picked off Lieders for 3rd place and then was all over Malinoski midway through the second lap - passing the burly Canadian for 2nd place.
The only question on when the white flag flew was whether Pallin could catch the ACS Pro Lite champion. And the ultimate answer would be "Not for long!" as Pallin caught and passed Scott on the gnarliest downhill section of the track.
Team USA, Pallin and Scott, won first and second and were joined on the podium by fellow American Kody Kamm.
Round 3 - Kody Kamm and Kyle Pallin again went 1st/2nd for the American squad as they bested Team World 20-41 in the low-score-wins format.
"This was such an awesome event, being out there with the top USA guys against the World," said Pallin. "The guys all worked hard together as a team and you usually don't have that happen because snocross is such an individual sport."
Lieders got a good start out of the pole position, but his Pro Lite sled was quickly tracked down and passed by World teammate Malinoski.
Kamm would bring the sizable crowd at Lake Geneva its feet on the second lap when he berzerked it down the steep downhill rhythm section and into 1st place past Malinoski.
One lap later it would be Pallin that charged past the veteran Malinoski and in to 2nd place. Kamm built too much of a lead by the time Pallin got past Malinoski and he cruised to a 2.5 second lead over the Michigander - despite Pallin putting up the day's fastest lap time in the Ram World Cup with a blistering 1:12.499.
The victorious Team USA included; Kody Kamm, Kyle Pallin, Jake Scott and Andrew Carlson. The runner-up World Team consisted of; Max Taillefer (Taillefer Motorsports/Ski-Doo), Robbie Malinoski, David Joanis (Royal Distributing/Ski-Doo) and Andrew Lieders.
2013 Ram World Cup Results
Ram World Cup Round 1
1. Kamm
2. Pallin
3. Malinoski
4. Scott
5. Carlson
6. Joanis
7. Taillefer
8. Lieders
Ram World Cup Round 2
1. Pallin
2. Scott
3. Kamm
4. Malinoski
5. Joanis
6. Lieders
7. Carlson
8. Taillefer
Ram World Cup Round 3
1. Kamm
2. Pallin
3. Malinoski
4. Scott
5. Carlson
6. Taillefer
Photos courtesy of Lissa Marsolek/Wayne Davis Photography