Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/328305
SNOWMOBILE East Coast Snocross changes hands Officials at East Coast Snocross (ECS) have announced the sale of the snowmobile racing sanctioning body. The series was launched in May of 2010 when New York native Eric Scott and Connecticut businessman Bob Roscoe purchased the former Rock Maple Racing circuit from New Hampshire native Chuck Minasalli. Kurt Gagne, a race-savvy businessman from Clarksburg, Mass., has purchased ECS and is making a commitment to carry the sport forward with pride, energy and an eye toward the future. After four good years of competition, the time had come for both Scott and Roscoe to move on. Scott's son Jake now competes in the Pro class on the ISOC national circuit for Levi LaVallee, while Roscoe's son Connor will be headed off to college this fall. Both men had (and still have) a deep passion for snocross, and helped the sport evolve a great deal during their tenure. "Eric and I were very proud to own and operate the series for four seasons," Roscoe said. "I am going to miss being involved after 12 years of snocross with my son. Eric and I want to thank our staff, valued sponsors and the racers for supporting ECS during our four- year run. We both wish Kurt the very best in the future, and feel confident the series is in good hands. We're pleased ECS can live on." Gagne, proprietor of Gagne Mechanical Corp., in Clarksburg, Mass., has been involved in the sport for several years as a team owner. "I'm excited about the opportunity to pro- mote snocross and carry this highly-respected series into a bright future," Gagne said. "East Coast Snocross has some great teams and rac- ers; athletes who run strong even against the national teams in ISOC. I'll take great pride in working to expose this sport to new faces, to keep it healthy and growing and to draw in new racers." DIVAS SNOWGEAR ADDS TEAM MEMBER Divas SnowGear announced an addition to its team of employees based in Oregon, Wis. Dani Rae Rury joins DSG with a degree in fashion retailing and five years of experience in the field. Her efforts will focus on marketing DSG's brand through PR, trend following and product planning and development to keep Divas on top of current fashion trends. In addition, she will be responsible in assisting Divas SnowGear sales reps in the field as they keep a pulse on the market and the brand's dealer network. "I've seen Divas SnowGear grow since inception as a brand that really took charge of a need in the marketplace, bringing fashion-forward out- erwear to snowmobiling," Rury said. "I knew I could help them stay on top of their market with my experience in fashion retailing. When I initially met with the team at Divas, we immediately clicked, and the rest is history! I'm anxious to grow within the organization and bring my innovative ideas to the table." Rury will be attending upcoming dis- tributor sales meetings, snowmobile shows and events. MALINOSKI RETIRES, WILL LEAD LEIGHTON EFFORT Robbie Malinoski, one of the most popular pro snocross athletes of the past decade, has officially announced his retirement as a racer. A native of Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Malinoski made the move to Thief River Falls, Minn., for the 2002-03 season where he paired up with Earl Reimer and found moderate success on the tour. Thinking his future in snocross was going to be short-lived, a surprise call from then Team Arctic manager Brian Sturgeon landed him with the upstart Olah Racing superteam for 2003-04. It was there that he rose to prominence, winning a Semi- Pro championship in 2004-05 before going on to sweep both the Pro Stock and Pro Open class championships in 2005-06. During his career, Malinoski held the unique distinction of racing at the top level on all four brands of snowmobiles, winning main events on three, including the first four-stroke win for Yamaha in 2007. His most recent wins came in November of 2012 when he swept the AMSOIL Championship Snocross series opener at Duluth, Minn. He also captured two medals at the Winter X Games, a silver in 2009 and a bronze in 2011. A season-ending practice crash at Canter- bury Park in January would prove to be his final time on the track. When he was unable to come to terms with the Scheuring Speed Sports team at the end of last season, the deci- sion was made to transition into a new chapter in the sport. On May 1, Malinoski was hired as the team manager of the aspiring Leighton Motorsports team, where he will oversee all aspects of rider training/development and sled development, along with the day-to-day opera- tions at the team's seasonal headquarters in Princeton, Minn. PSB 24 • June 16, 2014 • Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com DIGEST DANI RAE RURY P24-PSB8-Snow.indd 24 6/4/14 2:30 PM