Melrose, Minnesota-based Pflipsen Racing has picked up Pro-Lite rider Kenny Mandryk to fill a seat that was made vacant when their new Sport rider Kellen Chapuran, tore his ACL in his final high school football game just prior to the snocross pre-season. Mandryk, who is all too familiar with knee injuries is coming off a Pro Lite debut where he got the call to fill in for the One Three Motorsports team less than 24 hours prior to the season opener in Fargo, North Dakota.
This pairing should be a great fit for both parties, as Pflipsen is an up and coming team with growing support and will benefit immensely from Mandryk’s popularity with fellow riders, fans and sponsors, as well as giving them a presence in a Pro division. For Mandryk, this may be the ultimate second chance after have much success in the Junior and Sport classes only to have his move to Pro Lite get side tracked by injury at the start of each of the last two seasons. Adding to the frustration, Kenny lost out on a development ride with Hentges Racing when the team scaled back this season and his friend and crew chief Chris Takacs moved on from Hentges to the new Skogquist Racing Team.
Mandryk did have a deal in place to start 2022-23 on an Arctic Cat with Zandstra Racing, but when complications with equipment and support became an issue in November, that program imploded, leaving Mandryk on the sidelines again. Several players in the industry were trying to help put together an eleventh hour deal for Mandryk and encouraged him to at least show up at Fargo with his riding gear. Then, the night before round one, One Three made the call for Kenny to fill in, short term, for their injured Pro Lite rider Jeremy Beaulieu, and the wheels were in motion.
Having never ridden a Ski-Doo prior to race weekend, Mandryk turned in a pair of top 10 finishes in a stacked Pro Lite class, firmly putting himself back in the spotlight, which is when team owner Bill Pflipsen reached out. “It started by me just messaging Kenny the Monday after Fargo congratulating him on a good ride over the weekend”, said Pflipsen. I felt like this guy needed a ride, he put the time in and rode really good for first time on a Ski-Doo. Then I asked if 13 Motorsports was going to pick him up for the rest of the year. He said they wasn’t sure yet as they were waiting to hear back from Jeremy Beaulieu. Then I said if they don’t pick you up I might be interested in bringing you on the team with Kellen out with knee injury for the year. That Thursday he called me back and said their rider was going to come back. So then that we started getting everything together to make it happen.”
“I went home from Fargo feeling very confident and knowing that I can run with the top guys,” said Mandryk. “I was a little nervous jumping on a Ski-Doo on race day, I was actually feeling a little nauseous going our for practice when all the other guys had been on their sleds for five weeks. I just told myself learn the sled but fast. So right away I started jumping everything and just forced myself. I definitely jelled with the Ski-Doo and by the second day was really comfortable and I love it.”
Both team and rider will now have several weeks to get to know each other and come into one of the series’ marquee events at Canterbury Park in full form.
