Hentges Racing’s Kody Kamm Tops the Podium for Second Time This Season

Teammate John Malmstrom Continues to Make Progress

DEADWOOD, S.D. – Hentges Racing’s Kody Kamm topped the box in Deadwood, South Dakota, at Round 5 of the AMSOIL Championship Snocross series, and now sits runner-up in the point standings. His first win at the track in the premier class was almost a decade ago, in 2014.

Coming off of his pro debut and top 10 finish at the prior round in Minnesota, teammate John Malmstrom fought against falling snow and below-zero temperatures at the Days of ’76 Rodeo Grounds. It was also the first track of the season where riders contested on natural, rather than manufactured, snow.

Round 5

Kamm snatched the holeshot in his first heat race of the weekend and pulled away from the competition to score the win by more than 6 seconds. He claimed the holeshot once again in his second heat, but collided with another rider in the second turn. Kamm remounted his machine, and made a hard charge to catch back up to the rest of the field. He was only able to make it up to sixth by the end of the race. When it came time for the final, Kamm immediately placed his Polaris 600R in the lead and controlled the race from there. He kept his competitors behind him for the duration of the race. The 28-year-old added to his wins in South Dakota, making it his third time on top the box in Deadwood. 

“I’ve been struggling with the starts in the heat races all year,” said Kamm. “It pretty much takes all day to learn and start going fast for the final, but I think we got it sorted out today. I usually like the racing here. It’s a small, tight track. I was fast all day and had great starts.”

Malmstrom jumped the start in his first heat race and had to head to the back row. It made it even more challenging for him to get in a good position early on. He attacked the track and ultimately took seventh at the line. In his second heat race, Malmstrom took sixth. When it came time for the final, he put in 27 solid laps to take 13th.

“On Friday, the snow was more compact and heavy,” said Malmstrom. “Every track is new to me since this is my first year racing in the United States, so I’m still settling in.” 

Round 6

Kamm went 6-1 in qualifying. In the final, the Wisconsin-based rider blasted off of the line into a top-five spot. He soon settled into fourth, with limited line options. Despite trying to make his way into a podium spot, he battled in the fourth-place spot for the remainder of the race. 

“Saturday went good as well,” said Kamm. “With much colder temperatures, we also had to fight to stay warm. The snow was a lot more of a sugar consistency. That gets pretty tricky to race on, as the track can develop into one race line and single-file racing. I had good starts all night but was fourth off the start in the final. I rode in that position all the way to the finish.”

The 2022 Pro Lite Swedish Snocross Champion tallied 6-6 in his qualifying races. Twenty-one-year-old Malmstrom put himself inside the top 10 early on in the final. Within a few laps, he had made his way up to eighth. He put in a fierce battle for several laps before dropping back to 10th. For most of the final, Malmstrom remained in the top 10. Nearing the end of the race, he fell back two spots. He crossed the line in 12th.

“Saturday, the snow was more like sugar,” Malmstrom said. “It was good to ride in different conditions this weekend, so I could feel how the sled was responding and learn from it.”

Looking Forward

Kamm moves up into the second-place spot in the Pro class after the weekend. He now holds 205 points for the season. Malmstrom, the Swedish rider new to the series, is continuing to push himself while experiencing all of the tracks for the first time. He is 14th in the Pro class with 75 points.

“Deadwood was the typical ‘bull ring’ we are used to seeing,” Kamm said. “I was having a lot of fun, showing great speed and even better results. I’m very happy with first and fourth, along with a heat race win each day. A couple minor mistakes in the other two heats throughout the weekend held me back from having an even better points weekend. I’m looking forward to New York!”

“The weekend in Deadwood was challenging, but I learned a lot on the sled,” Malmstrom said. “I’ll continue to train and get more comfortable.”

Next Race: February 17-18 – Salamanca, New York

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About Hentges Racing
Established in 2000, Hentges Racing is a factory Polaris Snocross team that fields two pro class competitors – Kody Kamm of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and John Malmstrom of Kalix, Sweden – in the AMSOIL Championship Snocross series. The team is owned by Nate Hentges and headquartered in Shakopee, Minnesota. Visit HentgesRacing.com for more info.

Sponsors
Monster Energy, Polaris, FXR, Pirtek, Polaris Engineered Lubricants, IAMACOMEBACK, Woody’s Traction Control, S.M. Hentges & Sons, Forterra Pipe & Precast, Walker Evans Racing Shocks, C&A Pro Skis, Camso, Apple Autos, Ergodyne, 139 Designs, Rox Speed FX, Heel Clicker, Starting Line Products, EVS, Uncharted Supply Company, and High Gear Success.