Team Highside Racing - Snowmobile Watercross

2011 Race Schedule

2011-04-20T15:22:00.001-04:00

What's up everybody? Here's our 2011 race schedule. Keep checking back here for more news and updates from us as the season is not far away!

Jun 11-12 NYSWRA 1 - Flat Rock Spring Classic Lowville, NY
Jun 25-26 Camoplast Eastern Watercross Tour - Hamilton Hamilton, NY
Jul 9-10 NYSWRA 2 - Flat Rock Smoke On The Water Lowville, NY
Jul 15-17 International Watercross Championships/East-West Challenge Grantsburg, WI
Aug 13-14 NYSWRA 3 - Flat Rock New York Championships Lowville, NY
Aug 27-28 Camoplast Eastern Watercross Tour - Norwood Lake Norwood, NY
Sept 3-4 NYSWRA 4 - Flat Rock September Splash Lowville, NY
Sept 17-18 Camoplast Eastern Watercross Tour - Walton Walton, NY
Oct 7-9 Camoplast Eastern Watercross Tour - Eastern Championships Epping, NH

2010 EWA Semi-Pro 600 Champion

2010-10-28T08:03:00.004-04:00

Team Highside's Matt Schebaum #99 is the 2010 Eastern Watercross Series

Semi-Pro 600 Oval Champion!

Accepting the Semi-Pro 600 Oval Championship trophy
at the 2010 EWA Awards Banquet. Matt also finished
3rd overall in the Semi-Pro 800 Ovals.
He will be going Pro for 2011!

Race Report - Epping

2010-10-28T07:51:00.000-04:00

Heading into the final round of the 2010 Eastern Watercross Series at Epping, NH #99 Matt Schebaum was in the midst of a 3-4 rider battle atop the Semi-Pro season points standings. Strong finishes were going to be needed at the biggest race of the season to follow his points boost a few weeks prior at Norwood.

The weather in October in Epping, New Hampshire, about 25 minutes inland from the shores of the North Atlantic; is unpredictable. In years past, rain and cold became distractions from the racing, but this year's forecast called for sunshine and decent temperatures, allowing everyone to focus on the task at hand.

Epping is a unique track. Located right in the middle of all the action that takes place during the huge 3-day snowmobile event which includes grass drags, Rave-X freestyle shows, tons of vendors and displays from all 4 manufacturers; the course is a hybrid of pin-to-pin short track racing broken up in turn one with a 2-stage corner around a flat island. The grass bank around 2/3 of the pond makes for great stadium style spectating.

Saturday

This race typically draws the largest number of racer entries of the season in almost every class and throughout the day Saturday during the 3-round qualifying session, Matt Schebaum took numerous wins qualifying 3rd in the 600 Semi-Pro Oval class. Out of lane 3 in the 5-man Final, he took the lead on lap 3 and ran away to his 3rd consecutive Semi-Pro 600 Final win of the season. In the Semi-Pro 800 class, Matt qualified just outside the Top 5 and didn't make the final.

600 Semi Pro Ovals - #99 Matt Schebaum - 1st

Sunday

Qualifying in both the Semi Pro 600 & 800 classes went well for #99 on Sunday as he qualified 2nd and 4th for Lane 2 in the 600 Final and Lane 4 in the 8's. Spray from the sled on the inside of Matt got the best of his Ski Doo in the first turn of the 600 Final and he was forced to watch the rest of the race from the water. He would eventually be awarded 5th out of 6 as another rider was DQ'd for riding on and back off the island later in the race.

Shortly after he and his sled were retrieved and dried out as quick as possible, Matt was back on the line in the Semi Pro 800 Final. From what seemed to be a mechanical issue stemming from going down minutes earlier, an engine bog put Matt down in almost the same place as the race earlier. Again Matt took a 5th as he made it farther then another rider who wiped out off the start.

600 Semi-Pro Ovals - #99 Matt Schebaum - 5th

800 Semi-Pro Ovals - #99 Matt Schebaum - 5th

Also, the Camoplast East/West Challenge was held Sunday in Epping where Eastern Pro racer Kevin Hunter #28 went 2-1 in the two race (1 left, 1 right) challenge to take the win on his Ski Doo XP.

Photos Nicole Boyce

Race Report - EWA Round 2 Norwood 9/11-9/12

2010-09-26T21:10:00.002-04:00

With the NYSWA season over for 2010, the focus for the rest of the watercross season is on the final two rounds of the Camoplast Eastern Watercross Tour at Norwood, NY and the championships in Epping, NH.

It was all the way back in June when we had Round 1 on the Eastern Tour at Six Flags Darien Lake and now here in September we roll into Norwood; a venue famous for its short course, choppy waves, and enthusiastic fans.

The racing format on the EWA is different than Flat Rock's NYSWA program. At Norwood, each class has 3 independent heat rounds where riders generally get a look at each lane and each rider at least once and points are given based on your finish in each heat; 1 for 1st, 2 for 2nd and so on. The top qualifiers in each class, the riders with the lowest scores, are in the final.

Back at Darien Lake, Team Highside's Semi-Pro rider Matt Schebaum #99 finished 2nd in the 600's and 7th in the 800's overall. With only Norwood and Epping left for 2010, there is little room for error as far as the season's points races go...

Saturday at the track the conditions were perfect with clear skies, mild temperatures, and calm winds. The good weather brought out the fans and after a moment of silence to remember 9/11, the weather wasn't the only perfection on the day the fans got to witness.

Photo by Nicole Boyce

Matt Schebaum #99 won his first heat race in both classes. And then won his second heat race in both classes. And then he won the third heat race in both of his classes. Team Highside's Semi-Pro #99 rider made it through the entire program, in the 600 and 800 oval classes, untouched, going 1-1-1 in both of them for the best possible qualifying score you can get heading into the finals. One other rider in the Semi-Pro 600 Oval class besides Matt did the same. In the event of that sort of tie, lane pick is determined by where each rider falls on a random computer generated class roster. Matt was below the other rider so was given Lane 2 for the Semi-Pro 600 Final. He was the lone #1 qualifier in the Semi-Pro 800 Oval class therefore lining up in Lane 1, the inside, for that final.

At the start of the Semi-Pro 600 Final, Schebaum #99 and the rider in Lane 1 were side by side off the line. After the first corner, Matt found himself in a close 2nd place, following the leader, Andy Ferrucci #2, for three laps. Around lap 4, Ferrucci #2 went wide for his one required equalizer lap giving up the lead to Matt. Now out front, Matt Schebaum #99 tried to pull away as much as possible to gain enough time to take his wide lap on the last lap and still have some distance on Ferrucci #2 who was still behind him in 2nd place. When it came down to the checkers, Matt went wide around the last turn equalizer lap as Ferrucci set up on the inside course buoy.

Team Highside's Semi-Pro rider Matt Schebaum won his first ever Final of his career. Building up enough of a lead after taking it on lap 4 to cross the checkers about 5-6 sleds lengths in front of the 2nd place finisher.

"I kinda knew I had it by the last lap or two" said Matt later on. "I was coming around the far course buoy setting up for my equalizer in the next turn and saw that I had a decent lead on Andy and that without any mistakes on my last turn I would have him. This is something I have been working so hard for since I started racing in 2007. Some other newer riders in Semi-Pro have had their first final win come quicker but I feel I've worked for it, my whole season seemed like it was leading up to this. It's paying off now and this couldn't be a better time."

Tradition on the EWA circuit calls for the winner of the Final to take a victory lap with the checkered flag in their life vest. But since Matt was also in the very next race, the 800 Oval Final, he had to skip the celebration and go get ready.

"I remember thinking to myself...Man, I win my first final and because I have to go cool down and fuel up for the next race I can't even do my checkered flag lap. But that just means I have to win this one too and I can do two victory laps after..."

He did just that. Holeshotting out of Lane 1 in the Semi-Pro 800 Oval Final and leading the entire race to round out a perfect day. 1-1-1 in both classes during qualifying and going 1-1 in both of the Finals. As one other rider said, he was "untouchable".

Matt Schebaum #99 on his victory lap after winning both
the Semi-Pro 600 & 800 Finals on Saturday at Norwood.
Photo by Nicole Boyce

The weather on Sunday was calling for rain showers and wind which means one thing at Norwood: waves. Starting Sunday's renewed program, Matt took another two 1sts in heat round 1 of the 600 & 800 classes. A 2nd and 2nd respectively in the second heats. And another pair of 1sts in the 3rd heat round. While it was not the perfect qualifying day he enjoyed on Saturday, it was still good enough for Lane 2 in the Semi-Pro 600 Oval Final and Lane 3 in the 800 Final.

The days order called the 800 Final to the line first. With two riders on the inside off the start, Matt made his way from 3rd to take a 2nd place finish behind Dustin Quinn #419. After another quick cool down and fuel up, he was on the line in Lane 2 for the Semi-Pro 600 Oval Final. With a good number of holeshots already in the books during the last two days of qualifying, this was the race he could use another one. The same rider was on the inside as in the 600 final the day before, but this time Schebaum #99 rocketed off the line and took the inside line after the Lane buoys and took the lead in the first turn. He would lead the race from there on out and finish the day 2-1; 2nd in the 800 Final, another 1st in the 600 Final, and 1-1-2-1 on the weekend.

Although the weather wasn't, Matt's performance despite the waves
on Sunday was almost perfect yet again, going 1-2 overall on the day.

With such a successful weekend, Matt is in solid position in both the Semi-Pro 600 & 800 EWA season points heading into the Eastern Championships at Epping, NH October 8-10 and will be once again alongside Pro rider Luke Janiszewski #14 under the Team Highside tent. One of the largest snowmobile events in the country, the New Hampshire Grassdrags & Watercross is considered the "HayDays of the East", marks the final watercross race of 2010, and this year is the host of the Camoplast East/West Challenge, an annual meeting of the best riders from the IWA and EWA watercross circuits.

Race Report - Flat Rock Final Round Sept 4-5

2010-09-08T13:05:00.000-04:00

The inaugural "September Splash" marked the 3rd and final round of the NYSWA season at the Flat Rock Inn and after it was all said and done, the 2010 NYSWA season points standings would be finalized.

Looking for more success in the morning drag classes, Team Highside's Luke Janiszewski #14 started off the weekend with a 2nd in the 700 Semi-Pro Drag Final, but by the midday intermission realized he had blown a base gasket in his motor and needed to pull out of the afternoon Pro Ovals so it could come apart and be fixed.

Semi-Pro #99 Matt Schebaum was looking to concentrate on racing how he knew he could without any of the bad luck/mechanical issues that wavered his results the last time they were at Flat Rock. Matt moved quickly into both the 600 & 700 Semi Pro Oval semifinals with two 1st place heat finishes. Things kept falling into place as a win in the 700 semifinal put Schebaum into his first final in 3 events at Flat Rock. He went on to take 2nd in the 6-lap Semi-Pro 700 Oval Final to tie for his best finish so far in 2010.

Team Highside started Sunday morning off with the drag program once again, and with what Janiszewski #14 thought was a fixed motor, made the 600 & 700 Semi-Pro Drag Finals. He would go on to take 4th in both of them, good results nonetheless, but would once again question his equipment finishing outside the Top 3.

On the other hand, Matt Schebaum #99 had full confidence in his machine and raced his way into both the 600 & 700 Semi-Pro Oval Finals, going 1-2 in his heats and 1-2 in the semifinals (2nd or better moves on). With the outside lane in the 600 Semi-Pro Oval Final, Matt followed another rider to the inside of him around the wide equalizer buoys on the first lap. Caught up in the strong spray of water off the other sleds track, Matt couldn't make a pass and settled into 4th where he would finish 5 laps later. After the race Matt said...

"I followed Jesse around the island and then the equalizer and caught the spray off his track. It was so strong because we were both wide open that it went in my helmet and behind my goggles, filling them up like a fish bowl. I couldn't see for the rest of the race. I thought about tossing them on the next lap but I just rode it out blind for 4th..."

That's not the last Matt would see of spray off opponents' tracks. In the 700 Semi-Pro Oval Final, he was 2nd from the inside as all four sleds went into the first turn side by side and the water roost from the inside rider was too much for his sled to overcome, bogging it down and sinking it for a default 4th place finish.

Overall, it was Semi-Pro Matt Schebaum's best weekend at Flat Rock in 2010, making 3 of 4 possible finals for a 2-4-4.

Here are the full results and a link to a newspaper article on the event...

Saturday 9/4/10

Semi Pro 600 Drags
Mark Miller
Brad Crocker
Logan Hosley
Ron Cooper

Semi Pro 700 Drags
Adam McLean
Luke Janiszewski
Claude Labonte
Brian Komosinski

Semi Pro 600 Ovals
Dustin Quinn
Cathy Rinker
Mark Miller
Jesse Hunter

Semi Po 700 Ovals
Eric Gauthier
Matt Schebaum
Justin Devoe
Danny Mussot

Sunday 9/5/10

Semi Pro 600 Drags
Logan Hosley
Mark Miller
Brad Crocker
Luke Janiszewski

Semi Pro 700 Drags
Adam McLean
Claude Labonte
Logan Hosley
Luke Janiszewski

Semi Pro 600 Ovals
Steven Day
Jesse Hunter
Danny Mussot
Matt Schebaum

Semi Pro 700 Ovals
Mark Miller
Danny Mussot
Claude Labonte
Matt Schebaum

Team Highside is heading to Norwood, NY this weekend September 11-12 for Round 2 of the Camoplast Eastern Watercross Tour and will finish out the 2010 season at the Eastern Watercross Championships at the NH Grassdrags & Watercross in Epping, NH October 8-10. Matt Schebaum #99 is currently 2nd (600cc) and 7th (800cc) in Semi-Pro Oval EWA season standings heading into the last 2 races.

Final NYSWA Round this weekend at Flat Rock

2010-09-01T20:41:00.000-04:00

This Sat. and Sun. Sept 4-5 marks the 3rd and final round for the 2010 NYSWA season at the Flat Rock Inn outside Lowville,NY. Come see Semi-Pro Matt Schebaum #99 and Pro Luke Janiszewski #14 compete amongst some of the best riders in the country as each an every round this season at Flat Rock has seen a great rider turnout which has made for great racing.

Team Highside will continue their 2010 watercross season at Rnd 2 of the Camoplast/EWA Eastern Watercross Tour the following weekend Sept 11-12 at the Norwood Lake Regatta in Norwood, NY and Rnd 3 at the Eastern Championships in Epping, NH October 8-10.

Flat Rock Race Report - Aug 14-15

2010-08-25T11:57:00.000-04:00

We were back at Flat Rock August 14th & 15th for the 2nd Round of the 2010 NYSWA season.

Saturday's race program set the record for most racer entries ever at a NYSWA/Flat Rock watercross event. The Pro class saw a number of riders returning from semi-retirement and/or hiatus while the ever-growing and increasingly competitive Semi-Pro class contained the usual contenders and new riders alike.

For Team Highside, Luke Janiszewski #14 was hoping to extend his luck from July in the 600 and 700 Pro Oval classes in the midst of added heat this weekend. Barely his first full season running Pro, Luke has consistently run just outside the Top 5, many times making finals through LCQ wins. With the largest Pro class ever at Flat Rock this weekend, he was a few positions shy of that. Even with holeshots like clockwork, unlucky outside lane picks in such a tight class were too much to overcome, placing 3rd and 4th in his heat races and failing to make the finals.

Even though Luke didn't make any Pro Oval finals on Saturday, it was impossible not to notice his holeshots. For Sunday, he entered the 600 and 700 Drags, taking a 1st in the 600 final and 2nd in the 700 final.

Can you say Holeshot? Races like this gave Luke confidence to enter Drag classes for Sunday.
He placed 1st and 2nd in the Drag finals.

In Semi-Pro, Matt Schebaum #99 came away last month looking for more speed on the longer course at Flat Rock. He seemed to have found it with some clutching and gearing changes in practice. He enjoyed the new speed through the first Semi-Pro heat race by taking the win, but then the string of bad luck started...

Somewhere between the last lap of the first heat race and the start of the Semi-Pro 700 heat, a bolt in his primary clutch had backed out, mis-aligning the belt. With little time to fix the problem (riders get 2 mins from when they're called to the line) he started the race and actually led until it finally gave loose, causing him to go down. The problem was fixed by Sunday morning and with another successful practice, Schebaum #99 was looking to start fresh and find better luck in that day's program.

Moving into the Semi-Final rounds of both the Semi-Pro 600 & 700 with heat race wins, things were going well. In the 600 Semi-Pro semifinal, Matt had the inside lane pick, took the holeshot and led for 3 laps, holding off Steven Day #139 and Jesse Hunter #78. Coming around to begin what Matt thought was the 3rd of 4 laps, the flag person had the white flag out. Confused that his strategy of leaving the equalizer lap until the very last turn was foiled, he was forced to unnecessarily give the lead up and go wide a lap early. The flag person had made a mistake counting laps and displayed the white flag a lap early. After the race Matt said:

"I usually count laps to myself and rarely go by the flag person unless its a yellow or red or something because I know they have made mistakes in the past counting laps. This time I lost count to myself because I was too busy concentrating on holding off (Steven) Day and Jesse (Hunter) because they were right on me. The hesitation after seeing the white flag caused me to bobble for a second and you can't do that with fast guys like that behind me..."

Matt Schebaum #99 battling Steven Day #139 around the first corner island.

Also, on two separate occasions, Matt's sled quit on him while he was way out front. It is rare to have a machine quit out front with clear water. Usually other riders' spray, waves, etc are main factors in sinking a sled; so when one quits out front, just dies like someone pulled the key, it usually means a serious electrical issue or the motor is toast. When Matt's Fly Racing Amsoil Team Industries Ski Doo was out front twice and shut down, he was expecting a major mechanical issue; not the simple, yet just as frustrating culprit.

At the end of the day; after confusion caused by the flag person and two mysterious engine shutdowns while out front, Matt was drying out his sled on the stand in the pits and noticed the engine cutting in and out, much like it did on the water. With a few wiggles of the tether switch assembly, he realized his tether key rattling loose causing the motor to cut in and out. Both frustrated and relieved, Matt said...

"I can't believe it was my tether key! The main assembly that attached to the dashboard console on my sled came loose a little bit and the key wasn't pushing the post down quite far enough. And apparently if I hit a wave just right or whatever out there it would pop up and I would go down. I'm happy that the problem wasn't something more serious though, like electrical or blowing my top end or something... I guess that's racing. I pumped for the next race now knowing that it was just dumb bad luck this weekend. I know I can win now"

Team Highside would like to thank our sponsors: Fly Racing, Amsoil, Team Industries, Scott Goggles, and MotoOption Clothing. We will be back at Flat Rock Labor Day weekend Sept. 3-4 for the 3rd and final round of the NYSWA season and in Norwood, NY the following week, Sept 11-12 for Round 2 of the Camoplast/EWA Eastern Watercross Tour. Our season concludes October 8-10 at the Eastern Championships in Epping, NH, part of the largest combined snowmobile event in the East.

TrailRex - Annual Northeast Trail Riders Expo

2010-08-04T18:03:00.000-04:00

Team Highside will be at the TrailRex event Thurs-Fri, Aug 12-13, in Mariaville, NY with merchandise, videos, photos, autographs and your chance to see and hear the race sleds up close.

Look for the Team Highside booth and check out www.trailrex.com for more info on this huge powersports event.

Also, the NYSWA has added a points race at Flat Rock Inn Sept 3-4!

Schedule Changes

2010-08-04T09:09:00.001-04:00

We have just received news that EWA Round 2 at Whitesville, NY scheduled for this coming weekend, August 7-8, has been cancelled by the promoter due to permitting issues.

We will be announcing some exciting new events for thus season in the next fees days, so check back, and we will see you next week, Aug 14-15 at Flat Rock for the 2nd NYSWA race.

Flat Rock Race Report

2010-07-21T21:35:00.000-04:00

The first stop of the 2010 NYSWA Season at Flat Rock outside Lowville, NY was this past weekend and Team Highside came home with much to be pleased about. Going in, Semi-Pro #99 Matt Schebaum was looking to carry his luck from a few weeks earlier at Darien Lake and finish within the Top 5. Meanwhile, Pro #14 Luke Janiszewski was hoping to once and for all shake the streak of bad luck and mechanical issues he has been battling since the end of 2009 and finally have a chance to get back towards the front.

The track at Flat Rock is unlike any other in the country. While EWA courses are known to be shorter, "pin to pin" type racing; Flat Rock is much bigger with long straights and sweeping corners. The team looked forward to Friday afternoon practice for many reasons...Luke needed to get a new ignition in and see if he could shake the ghost of an electrical problem that has kept him out and Matt needed to see how his sled setup performed on a longer course.

FRIDAY

Janiszewksi #14 never made it out for Fri. practice, unable to get spark from his ignition; and Schebaum #99 said he felt slow on the back straight from a combination (he thought) of short gearing and the back straightaway facing directly into a stiff wind...

There was still a schedule practice Saturday morning for another chance to dial things in, and it looked like Team Highside was going to need it.

The main focus Friday night, though, was on the #14 sled, continuing the effort to at least get it on the water the next morning. By 11:00pm Fri. night, the team had their hands on yet another complete ignition and got to work under flashlights in the pits to try to get some spark. Sometime around midnight they had it, and with the spark, a renewed spirit knowing they could at least put it to the test in the morning.

SATURDAY

Saturday morning, while Semi-Pro #99 Matt Schebaum was testing some clutching and gearing to find a little more on that back straight, Pro #14 Luke Janiszewksi was hoping the hard work by the team the night before would pay off and his machine would let him race.

Heading out that morning Luke said "I'm just going to ride it like there was never anything wrong with it. That's all I can do, we've tried everything and at this point it's either going to be fixed and hold up or it's not, there's nothing more we can do right now. I'm going to ride it as hard as I can for more than 6 laps and if it holds up I'll know I can go and race".

It held up and it appeared that Luke had finally shook it. He could finally battle his competitors instead of his sled.

The #14 was back and he qualified for both the Pro 600 and Pro 700 Finals through the LCQ rounds by winning both of them. A major accomplishment after struggling to even finish a race with constant sled trouble since late 2009. While 4 sleds line up for a final, the 5th rider (who qualified via LCQ) starts on a delay. Luke would go on to finish 2nd in the Pro 600 final and 4th in the Pro 700 final, from a delay both times. Not only is the #14 back, he's clearly fast as well, able to reel in and make passes from the delay.

In Semi-Pro, Matt Schebaum #99 missed the Semi-Pro 600 final by one position, finishing 3rd in the semi-final round where only the Top 2 move on. In the Semi-Pro 800 class, a somewhat scary crash kept him out of the finals as well when he hit the equalizer buoy on a very fast EQ lap, was thrown off his line, and hit shore.

"The wind was still blowing pretty hard into that corner and as I came around it blew me right into the buoy. I was wide open when I hit the buoy and it pitched me towards shore. I was still wide open and thought that even if I let off and tried to square up and make the corner I still would hit land and by then be sideways. Instead of hitting shore sideways and probably going for more of a ride, I decided to just kind of ghost ride it straight at shore..."

"...Luckily I got tossed and my tether shut down the motor because it was headed right for some spectators and a few RVs and I just slid on the grass. I was ok... Today was Luke's day though, we're pumped that he's back. I told him before his finals that the other #14 (Kevin Windham returned to Outdoor Motocross Saturday as well) got the holeshot and led Moto 1 at Millville, maybe that game him some inspiration haha"

SUNDAY

The fast and hard racing that is the norm at Flat Rock is always good for a few crashes. Both riders of Team Highside experienced that on Sunday. In Janiszewski's Pro 600 heat, he took the holeshot from lane 1 (the outside) and attempted to take the inside line into the first turn. Another rider (who started from the inside lane) blew the first turn and took out the back of Luke's sled, sending him for quite the ride. He was scored in 2nd though, and moved on to the Semi-finals; not without a few sore ribs though, to take another 2nd and draw lane 4 (the inside) for the Pro 600 final.

Here's a video a spectator took with a cell phone of Luke's turn 1 crash

And some photos...

In Semi-Pro, #99 Matt Schebaum raced into the Semi-Pro 800 Final with lane 2 while missing the Semi-Pro 600 final once again by one position. In the Semi-Pro 800 Final, all 4 riders went into the first corner side by side and only 3 came out. Matt was forced to evade the lane 3 sled that started pushing wide, over corrected, high-sided, and was tossed off; going down for a 4th place overall.

"I've always heard that a big difference between Semi-Pro and Pro is how close everyone takes and holds their lines in corners. I had the outside and didn't want to let #911, who had the inside get to far away so I put a lot of trust in everyone inside me to hold their line because I went pretty tight. Then I saw Brad (Crocker #127) start to drift towards me and had to pitch it right to evade him, and then square up again. I got all squirrely, my track caught, and I flipped."

Time for the Pro 600 Final, and Luke had the inside lane; no LCQ, no delay. The plan was to take the holeshot and gain as much of a lead as possible, saving the EQ lap for last, and hopefully his lead would be big enough by then to take a win. The plan went almost exactly as planned....Luke got the holeshot, came out of turn 1 with the lead and raced the inside buoys for 5 straight laps, with control of the lead the entire time. The 2nd and 3rd place riders were close the whole race, and while Luke was forced to go wide on Lap 6 for his Equalizer, the two riders behind him who had already taken their EQ passed him right before the finish line. Luke took 3rd... but for him and the team it was almost as good as a win.

Luke Janiszewski #14 - 2nd, 3rd Pro 600 Oval; 4th Pro 700 Oval
Matt Schebaum #99 - 5th, 5th Semi-Pro 600 Oval; 4th Semi-Pro 800 Oval

Team Highside would like to thank all of our sponsors: Fly Racing, Amsoil, Team Industries, Scott Goggles, MotoOption Clothing, XWEO, R.J. Millworkers, and Hometown Deli & Grocery in Oneonta, NY

The Eastern Watercross Tour resumes for Round 2 August 7-8 in Whitesville, NY and then we are back at Flat Rock the following weekend August 14-15.

Team Highside and XWEO

2010-07-13T10:55:00.000-04:00

We would like to announce our recent partnership with XWEO (Exclusive World Entertainment Online). XWEO is an extreme sports photography and videography company from the Northeast with experience in motorcycle filming, snocross, and other events with a focus on advertising and promotion. A partnership between Team Highside and XWEO will promote the sport of snowmobile watercross with high quality photo and video media, as well as future promotional events and ideas, in order to bring new fans and sponsors into the sport.

Team Highside and XWEO both have a vision of leading the next generation of extreme sports, and snowmobile watercross is the next big thing in snowmobile racing. We are excited to join forces with XWEO and push our sport to new levels.

Check out the XWEO website for more information and make sure to preview their upcoming brand new website as well.

Snug Harbor Fourth of July Weekend Demo

2010-07-05T21:48:00.000-04:00

Team Highside and some fellow watercross racers got together this past Saturday to ride an exhibition show at Snug Harbor Restaurant & Marina near Cape Vincent, NY. We had a great time riding and showing our sport to new and returning fans, a great way to celebrate America's birthday. Big thanks to everyone at Snug Harbor and everyone who came out.

Race Report - Darien Lake

2010-06-28T13:09:00.000-04:00

The EWA Eastern Watercross Tour sponsored by Camoplast returned to Darien Lake Theme Park in Western New York for the opening round of the 2010 season.

A new format spread the program over 2 days; qualifying rounds on Saturday and Quarterfinal, Semifinal, and Final races on Sunday. As the weekend unfolded, it became unclear exactly what Saturday's races affected besides lane pick should you make the final. Along with Team Highside, defending points champion Daryl Ortleib of Team Miller and a lot of returning racers, the first race of 2010 had a promising amount of newcomers.

Running both the 600 & 800 Pro Ovals, Team Highside's Luke Janiszewski #14 got off to a promising start. After battling mechanical issues throughout most of last season and this preseason, Luke came to Darien Lake hungry to get back in the mix. Early on he did just that, leading races and keeping pace with top pros until sled failure began taking him out again. Now that we know he has the speed to lead, it will just take a little more time in the race shop to keep the #14 Team Highside/Fly Racing Ski Doo up front.

Team Highside Semi-Pro rider Matt Schebaum #99 is coming into 2010 looking for his first Final win and chasing the 2010 Semi-Pro Oval Championship. A consistent top 5 overall in 2009, Matt was the number 2 qualifier in the 600 Semi-Pro Oval class at Darien Lake after Saturday and the number 1 qualifier in the 800's. His luck continued into Sunday through the Quarter and Semifinal rounds of the 600 class as he made the 600 Semi Pro Final with 2nd lane pick. In the 800 Semi Pro Oval class, a bad start and first turn mistake put Matt down in the Semifinal where only 2 riders moved on, keeping him out of the final and into a 3 rider race for 7th-9th place overall.

Starting from Lane 2 in the 600 Semi-Pro Final next to Steven Day #139 in Lane 1 and Dustin Quinn #419 in Lane 3, Matt and S. Day set pace and pulled away from the pack, S. Day running 1st from the inside lane and Matt keeping pace, trying to reel in the leader each lap. Matt crossed the checkers on his Team Highside/Fly Racing Ski Doo in 2nd position.

Team Highside would like to thank Darien Lake for hosting the EWA Season Opener and providing a first class venue to showcase snowmobile watercross. We would also like to thank Fly Racing, Team Industries, Amsoil, Scott Goggles, and MotoOption Clothing for all their help.

Come check us out this weekend, July 3rd at Snug Harbor Restaurant & Marina near Cape Vincent, NY for a watercross demo featuring Team Highside and other professional watercross racers putting on a free show for the fans which will also feature a chicken BBQ and beer tent.

Countdown to 2010 Race Season Opener

2010-06-20T14:43:00.002-04:00

This spring has been busy for us in preparation for the 2010 season. A lot of time has been spent in the shop, testing, and practicing; all in preparation for this coming weekend, June 26-27 at Six Flags Darien Lake Theme Park and Resort for Round 1 of the Camoplast/EWA Eastern Watercross Tour.

This year's opening round will be a 2-day race program with qualifying all day Saturday and Finals on Sunday. With everyone racing to make the big show on Sunday, you can expect the excitement levels to be up all weekend long.

Returning in Semi-Pro for 2010, Matt Schebaum #99 is chasing the Semi-Pro Oval Points Championship and will be in the Semi-Pro 600 & 800 Oval classes. The Semi-Pro oval class is considered to be one of the most competitive so be sure to follow it.

Luke Janiszewski, who is debuting the #14 this season, will be returning to the Pro 600 Oval and Pro 600 Drag classes. With many of last year's top Pros moved on or retired, and a lot of new guys moving up, Luke is hoping to take hold and establish a name for Team Highside in the Pro division.

You can stay up to date on everything Team Highside this season online here and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamhighside. We will be posting photos, news, and results as they happen from all the races and events all season long!

See you at the races...

Get Team Highside for a Watercross Demo at your Event

2010-04-27T18:55:00.006-04:00

Team Highside is available to perform snowmobile watercross demos and exhibitions. If you want to host an exciting attraction at your event that spectators and fans of any type of motorsports will enjoy, Team Highside can put on a show for you.

Our team of 3 professional riders can perform snowmobile watercross ovals, jumps, and or drags on a variety of venue/water types. We also participate in autograph signing, meet and greets, sponsor/venue promotion. We can supply references of events we have been to in the past, but believe us, not one person who has seen watercross has been anything less than blown away.

Bring the exciting new extreme sport of snowmobile watercross to your event with a demo from Team Highside!

Contact teamhighside@gmail.com

New Hampshire Grassdrags & Watercross

2009-10-14T12:11:00.003-04:00

The NH Grassdrags & Watercross event is one of the largest snowmobiling events in the country and is the final stop of the 2009 EWA Eastern Watercross Tour presented by Camoplast. Peterson's Pond is the center of attention surrounded by a vendor area complete with dealers, aftermarket companies, and even the manufacturer rigs. On either shore of the watercross pond, spectators were also entertained by the Rave X Outer Limits Freestyle Tour featuring numerous X-Games athletes and Championship grassdrags with sleds reaching well over 120mph.

As far as watercross goes, lots of points battles were to be decided heading into New Hampshire, including the combined Pro O

val champion as well as the final Top 5 order in Semi-Pro Ovals. We'll wait and see how everything panned out in 2 weeks at the EWA Awards Banquet. Until then, here are some of Team Highside's results and a few pics from the weekend...

Tim Doi #56 - 4th Pro 600 Drag

Matt Schebaum #99 - 5th Semi-Pro 800 Oval

2009-09-23T11:35:00.001-04:00

Makin' Pro finals is what it's all about

2009-09-23T11:34:00.001-04:00

Results: Round 3 Darien Lake II

2009-09-21T20:40:00.002-04:00

Sat.

Tim Doi#56 - 600 Pro Oval - 2nd

Matt Schebaum#99 - 600 Semi Pro Oval - 5th; 800 Semi-Pro Oval - 5th

Sun.

Tim Doi#56 - 600 Pro Oval - 5th

Matt Schebaum#99 - 600 Semi Pro Oval - 4th; 800 Semi Pro Oval - 4th

Matt has moved to 3rd in the season points standings for the 600 Semi Pro Oval class and up to 5th in the 800 Semi Pro Oval class. Tim remains 5th in the 600 Pro season standings. With one round left, October 10-11 in Epping, NH, Team Highside is looking at locking up multiple Top 5 season overall finishes on the 2009 Camoplast Eastern Watercross Tour.

One Saturday in September...

2009-09-14T19:29:00.004-04:00

The finale to the atypical NYSWRA season at the Flat Rock Inn concluded this past Saturday with a one-day, double points race. The Semi-Pro Oval class was packed with between 15-19 riders in each (cc) class battling for the (4) four available spots in the main. That meant a lot of semi-finals and LCQs before each final was lined up by early evening.

Matt Schebaum #99 blazed towards the 600cc, 700cc, and 800cc finals by winning all his heats and semi-finals except for 2 (a second place and a saved

flatslide that caused him to miss a buoy). Although the finals played out with less than desirable final finishes due to a not-saved high speed flatslide in turn 2, some really fast 800s, and a "wet sled"; Matt finished the day with 4th place finishes in all three finals.

Just getting him sled and himself to all the finals and being part of the 4 best out of 19 Semi-Pro riders Saturday is an accomplishment not to be ignored. Look for Matt to continue his solid rides into Darien Lake II this coming weekend, September 19-20 at Darien Lake Theme Park for Round 3 of the EWA Camoplast Eastern Watercross Tour where he is currently 4th in Semi-Pro 600 season points.

2009-09-10T12:35:00.004-04:00

If you happen to find yourself browsing the 2010 WPS Snow catalog, don't forget to check out the picture of Team Highside's Matt Schebaum #99 on page 542.

Shopping for replacement idler wheels and bearings was never so cool...

Rounds 3 & 4 of the Camoplast Eastern Watercross Tour

2009-09-10T12:27:00.002-04:00

September 19th-20th is Round 3 of the Camoplast Eastern Watercross Tour making it's second stop at Darien Lake Theme Park in Western NY. What many are calling Darien Lake II promises to be an exciting race as many riders become mindful of the season points standings going into the last round in Epping, NH, October 10-12, at the NH Grassdrags & Watercross.

As the temperatures begin to drop, most snowmobile fans are counting the days until they can dust off their machines...but on the Watercross scene, things are in full swing and heating up. The Pro class is looking to crown a 2009 combined points Champion while the Semi-Pro riders are looking to stake their claim at the top of the standings and show that they mean business.

Don't miss EWA Watercross action September 19-20 at Darien Lake Theme Park and the season finale at the NH Grassdrags & Watercross October 10-12 in Epping, NH; the East's answer to Haydays!

Flat Rock Watercross Finale

2009-09-10T12:19:00.003-04:00

This Saturday, September 12th, the awesomeness that is Snowmobile Watercross descends upon Flat Rock pond for a one-day, double-points finale to close out the 2009 NYSWRA season. Many racers, and fans, consider this course and venue to be one of the best, both for spectating and racing...

Flat Rock Inn, Flat Rock Rd. Lowville/Martinsburg, New York

Gates open at 7 a.m., racing at Noon.

See ya there!

Windy Morning

2009-08-30T09:17:00.000-04:00

After a calm but overcast day of racing yesterday, today's conditions
are a bit different. A good amount of blue sky but a strong, constant
south wind is blowing whitecaps directly towards the starting line.
The waves are similar to those made by the sleds about 4 laps into a
final. The wake by the end of a race should be interesting if we're
leaving the line with those waves already out there...

Practice should open up soon and we'll be back with updates later.

2009-08-29T13:30:00.000-04:00

Pro 600 Oval Final- Tim chased Andy Collins all race and battled Ryan
D to the finish line but pulled through his best Pro finish yet with a
2nd. Luke had the delay start, caught up to Lane 2 by the first
corner but caught a wave on the inside and went down for a 6th.

2009-08-29T11:40:00.000-04:00

Practice just ended. Air is finicky today but everyones running good.
Order of events today- Drags, which Luke is running today along with
Pro Ovals. Pro Ovals following drags, Tim and Luke both in 600 Pro
Ovals. Jump class will follow that with Semi-Pro Ovals in which Matt
is running both 6's and 8's.
Let's hope the weather holds, be back later with updates.

Norwood Watercross

2009-08-26T08:12:00.000-04:00

Round 2 of the Eastern Watercross Tour will be in Norwood,NY this
weekend August 29-30. The event is part the town's annual Norwood
Lake Regatta will other festivities throughout the weekend.

Check back as we will be updating with pics and up-to-date news as the
weekend goes on. Also, follow our Twitter page http://twitter.com/teamhighside
for instant updates.

2009-08-11T11:38:00.003-04:00

RESULTS

Tim Doi - 3rd 600 Pro Oval Final (Sat.); 4th 600 Pro Oval Final (Sun.)

Luke Janiszewski - 4th 600 Pro Oval Final (Sat.); 5th 600 Pro Oval Final (Sun.)

Matt Schebaum - 3rd 600 Semi-Pro Oval Semi-Final (Sat.); 4th 800 Semi-Pro Semi-Final (Sun.)

2009-08-10T10:14:00.002-04:00

A fan video of Saturday's 700cc Semi-Pro Oval Qualifier. Team Highside's Matt Schebaum #99 is the black sled in the outside lane. He ended up finishing 3rd...

2009-08-08T20:23:00.000-04:00

Tim and Luke in the Pro 600 Oval Final. Luke made it through the LCQ
and finished 4th. Tim got in with a 2nd in the Semi-final and finished
3rd. It's nice to have Team Highside well repesented in a Pro final.

Matt got a 1st in the 600 Semi-pro oval heat on his way to the final
but flat-slid in the Semifinal with the lead after a holeshot and went
down. A solid ride but some bad luck in the end.

2009-08-07T19:35:00.000-04:00

Done with practice and got a feel for the new course layout. After a
few minor clutching adjustments things are dialed.

The only thing left to do is race.

Weekend lineup:
Tim Doi #56 - 600 Pro Ovals
Matt Schebaum #99 - 600,700,800 Semi Pro Ovals
Luke Janiszewski #556 - 600 Pro Ovals

2009-08-07T14:37:00.000-04:00

Pits are filling up. Waiting to practice. Preparation in advance
means less stress on race day.

2009-08-07T11:11:00.001-04:00

Friday morning...building the starting line. Practice today 3-5

2009-08-06T22:51:00.001-04:00

That's a test picture. It's go time for pics and news. Technology is
great isn't it?

2009-08-06T22:47:00.000-04:00

2009-08-06T22:45:00.001-04:00

News flash...check here all weekend for up to date pics and news from
the weekend.

Updated Schedule

2009-07-24T13:38:00.001-04:00

July 26 Moonlight Rider's Pond Hop Hamilton, NY (non-points)

August 8-9 New York State Watercross Championships, Flat Rock Inn, Lowville, NY (NYSWRA)

August 21-23 North American Watercross Championship, Victoriaville, QUE, CA (SCM)

August 29-30 Norwood Watercross Norwood Lake Norwood, NY (EWA)

September 19-20 Darien Lake II, Darien Lake Theme Park, NY (EWA)

October 10-12 NH Grassdrags & Watercross (Eastern Championships) Fremont, NH (EWA)

Upcoming Events

2009-07-17T17:08:00.002-04:00

July 26, Team Highside will be at the Moonlight Rider's Pond Hop in Hamilton, NY. The event is a benefit for the Moonlight Rider's Snowmobile Club and is a chance for those ordinary trail riders out there to fire up the sleds in the summer and try a little watercrossing.

Team Highside will most likely be joined by a few other riders from the Pro circuit to ride in some friendly motos throughout the day.

The event site entrance is on Bonney Hill Rd in Hamilton, NY.

Following the pond hop, August 8-9 is the New York State Watercross Championships at Flat Rock Inn in Lowville, NY. The first event at Flat Rock for the 2009 season is a points race on the NYSWRA circuit. Finally we all get up to Flat Rock and we are sure the party will make up for the first two events that were cancelled this season.

Also, check out Team Highside on Twitter for regular updates and pics from our part of 'awesome world'.

Round 1 - Camoplast Eastern Watercross Tour - Darien Lake, NY

2009-07-06T17:28:00.006-04:00

The first stop of the 2009 Camoplast Eastern Watercross Tour rolled into Darien Lake, NY as part of the Six Flags Theme Park's Extreme Sports Weekend.

(Darien Lake ranks as one of the best spectator tracks)

Matt Schebaum #99 and his sled were running good on Saturday, taking the fast track to Lane 1 in the 600cc Semi-Pro Oval final by winning his heat and semi-final rounds. In the 600cc final, a great holeshot was taken back on account of a bump by another rider on the line. Another good start on the restart was taken away as the Lane 2 rider and Schebaum got together halfway to the first corner and went down for a 6th place finish overall.

(A great holeshot on the restart until getting together with the Ski Doo in Lane 2)

Tim and Luke faced fast competition in the Pro Oval class as only the winner from each heat, semi-final, or LCQ made it to the final. Look for Team Highside's Pro riders to improve their sleds with some testing and tuning on the off weekends before the next event and come back fast. Overall, a good showing in the 600cc Pro Ovals by Tim Doi #56 and Luke Janiszewski #556.

(Luke Janiszewski, third from left, with some fast company: the 600cc Pro class)

Matt Schebaum #99 raced his way into both the 600cc & 800cc Semi-Pro Ovals finals on Sunday aboard his Ski Doo REV 600 Mod. This time in Lane 4 in the 600cc final, he got a taste of the challenging outside lanes on the Darien Lake course layout and went down in the spray of 3 other sleds in the first turn for another 6th place overall. Matt also finished 6th in the 800cc final moments later as water in his carburetors caused him to bog off the starting line.

(Matt Schebaum turning a fast lap on Saturday, with rollercoaster in the
background, on his way to the finals)

We have a few weeks off until the beginning of August when the race season gets busy again. With a few non-points events and the East/West Challenge in the meantime, there is plenty of watercross action to come.

2009-06-17T09:46:00.002-04:00

Check out www.highsidefilms.com frequently as all the segments from H2OXII will be added (in case you haven't seen them).

*Making room for some '09 video footage I hear....

The unofficial official start

2009-05-24T21:08:00.010-04:00

It's the unofficial start of summer as Team Highside puts in two days of practice. The time of year many of us look forward to as soon as the last final of the previous season is over; the day all the preseason shop time is put to the test; the kick off to 2009...

New digits on Matt Schebaum's number plate...

"You'll say 'wow' every time you use it". Luke Janiszewski #556 spotted with a Shamwow...

After working out a few kinks (like in the left hyfax) and some clutch tuning, LJ was turning some fast laps...

Very solid (and fast) laps from Matt...
Going left...

and right...

Follow us on Twitter

2009-05-15T12:48:00.002-04:00

Hey fans, follow Team Highside on Twitter for more updates, mobile uploads, and a closer look into our awesome world....

2009 Watercross Schedule

2009-02-24T19:41:00.010-05:00

June 27-28 EWA Season Opener Darien Lake Theme Park Darien, NY (EWA)

July 17-19 Watercross World Championship, Memory Lake Park, Grantsburg, WI (IWA)

July 26 Moonlight Rider's Pond Hop Hamilton, NY (non-points)

August 8-9 New York State Watercross Championships, Flat Rock Inn, Lowville, NY (NYSWRA)

August 21-23 North American Watercross Championship, Victoriaville, QUE, CA (SCM)

August 29-30 Norwood Watercross Norwood Lake Norwood, NY (EWA)

October 10-12 NH Grassdrags & Watercross (Eastern Championships) Fremont, NH (EWA)

Welcome to Team Highside's New Blog Spot

2009-01-29T23:07:00.003-05:00

Your source for news, results, and updates from the Highside world. Check back soon for more updates, including photos and video, as the season progresses