Colby Crapo Wins At Seeley Lake
January 29, 2009
The MWR SnoCross at Seeley Lake was great event. The SnoCross races were part of the town wide 
Winter Fest celebration. While the weather was cold (-20) the racing was hot. Sam McLam, Colby Crapo, Taylor Dyess and more, fought it out on a well built course made by Curtis Friede of Kurt’s Polaris.
Sam McLam
Sam McLam was taken out just before the finals when he fell from his sled on the far turn and was hit in the head by another racers ski. It rang his bell and he was taken to the hospital to be checked out.
Colby Crapo
That left Colby Crapo to collect top honors on both Pro Open and Pro SS.
Taylor Dyess took the win in Sport SS, Tyler Swarm in Sport 440 and Trevor
Taylor Dyess
Leighton in Sport Combo.
In the Semi-Pros, Stephen Edwards won Open and Logan Halford in SS.
Next week the MWR will be in Alpine, Wyoming. For more
Logan Halford
information and the MWR’s complete schedule, visit their web site
For more photos, visit www.bamfilmproductions.com
Parsons Wins Second Gold In Snowmobile Freestyle at Winter X
January 26, 2009
Joe Parsons has had quite a birthday week. One day after celebrating his 21st birthday, he was the upset winner in Snowmobile Speed & Style. Then on the final night of competition, Parsons topped the week with the Snowmobile Freestyle title and his second Winter X Games gold medal.
“Definitely mission accomplished,” Parsons said. “My team worked super hard this year and this is what you want as your reward.”
His winning run included a no handed back flip, a super flip, a superman to a double heel kick, an indy air back flip on the 100-foot ramp and a Frisby air.
All of which helped him accomplish his second gold medal, a feat that was not an easy one considering who he was up against.
“I knew it was possible,” Parsons said of winning two gold medals. “But to actually do it seems unattainable – especially given the competition.”
Parsons knocked off bronze medalist Heath Frisby to advance to the finals and then defeated Justin Hoyer in the finals 93.66 to 82.00.
“It feels great to get silver,” Hoyer said. “I would have liked to have done better, especially after winning the elimination. But honestly I am just happy to be on the podium.”
Hibbert 3-Peats Snocross Gold at Winter X
January 25, 2009
Hibbert Led all 20 Laps in His Third-Consecutive Snowmoblie SnoCross Title
Fifteen competitors started the 20-lap Snowmobile SnoCross final. Only one rider led a lap, and that rider was Tucker Hibbert.
Hibbert started fast and finished the same way, securing his third-consecutive gold medal in SnoCross winning by 36 seconds over Robbie Malinoski, the silver medalist. ”I have good people,” Hibbert said. “I have a good team and when you have that you get good results.”
The win was his eighth Winter X Games medal, but Hibbert says the ultimate reward is seeing hard work pay off. “Every victory is special,” Hibbert said. “I can’t say one medal is more special than another. When you work hard, you get results and that is what is special.”
The bronze medal went to Dan Ebert, who was honored to be standing with his idols. ”If someone had said you are going to go to Aspen and win a medal – I never would have fathomed it,” Ebert said. “I looked up to these guys growing up, so to be on the podium with them is amazing.”
Snocross Round 1 Winter X Results
January 24, 2009
Winter X Snocross Round 1 Results (From Friday, Jan. 23)
*Top five from each heat advance to the final
** Bottom seven from each heat go to the Last Chance Qualifier
1. Dan Ebert 602 Arctic Cat 461.03
2. Robbie Malinoski 4 Ski-Doo 465.63
3. Garth Kaufman 48 Arctic Cat 467.34
4. Brett Bender 19 Polaris 471.30
5. Matt Morin 27 Ski-Doo 473.30
6. Levi LaVallee 108 Polaris 474.67
7. Matt Judnick 58 Polaris 499.73
8. Steve Taylor 2 Yamaha 503.99
9. Ryan Simons 67 Arctic Cat 593.83
10. Shaun Crapo 3 Polaris 626.89
11. Willie Elam 127 Ski-Doo 641.24
12. Brett Turcotte 16 Arctic Cat 890.58
Heat 2
1. Tucker Hibbert 68 Arctic Cat 436.29
2. T.J. Gulla 44 Polaris 448.56
3. D.J. Eckstrom 25 Polaris 458.52
4. Dave Allard 167 Ski-Doo 464.18
5. Matt Piche 51 Arctic Cat 468.95
6. Andrew Johnstad 255 Polaris 482.40
7. Paul Bauerly 324 Ski-Doo 521.31
8. Carl Schubitzke 6 Arctic Cat 570.14
9. Iain Hayden 93 Yamaha 575.90
10. Zach Pattyn 99 Ski-Doo 827.27
11. Chris Kafka 991 Polaris 911.20
12. Bobby LaPage 244 Polaris 965.09
Joe Parsons Captures Speed & Style Gold at Winter X
January 24, 2009
BRP/Ski-Doo X-Team racer Joe Parsons was the first athlete at the ESPN Winter X-Games in Aspen, Colo. to bring home a gold medal after he won the Speed and Style snowmobile event.
Parsons is a former snocross racer turned freestyle athlete competing in his second X-Games. Just 21 years old, he showed great poise in a head-to-head duel with Levi LaVallee, the event favorite, to claim his win and put Ski-Doo on the top spot to start the Games. Speed and Style combines snocross-style racing with freestyle tricks: 50% of the score is based on race time; the other 50% is based on judges’ scores for the competitor’s freestyle tricks.
Dane Ferguson Wins Inaugual Snowmobile New Trick at Winter X
January 24, 2009
Aspen, Colo. – Dane Ferguson told reporters following the race that when he heard Levi LaVallee was going to attempt a double back flip that he wanted to quit. Luckily he thought better of it and in doing so he walked away with the gold medal in the inaugural Snowmobile Next Trick.
Anticipation and baited breath fell over the capacity crowd as LaVellee attempted the unprecedented trick. Through the sky he flew, two flips complete, but the hard landing jolted the Longville, Minn. native off his sled, eliminating him from the competition.
“I am pumped,” Lavallee said. “I rode away safely and I proved that it is possible to land that trick. I just need to work on the landing and get out there and try it again.”
“I just want to say, I am glad Levi safely didn’t land that trick,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson’s winning trick was his own invention. Called the Twist Off, it’s a trick that he and a buddy developed while sledding in his home state of Alaska.
“That trick is dedicated to my buddy Kristoph, who I grew up riding backcountry with back in Alaska,” Ferguson said of his trick. “One day he just dared me to do a flip and a twist. So I consider this gold medal his.”
The winner was supposed to be determined by text messages from fans, but with the other three riders eliminated from the competition for not completing their tricks, Ferguson was declared the winner. There are no other medals besides gold for Next Trick.
Newly added for Winter X Games 13, Snowmobile Next Trick featured four of the top Snowmobile athletes in the world showcasing never seen before tricks.
Van Strydonk Sets New Eagle River Record
January 20, 2009
Beau Van Strydonk, of Tomahawk, Wisconsin, set a new record at this year’s 46th Annual World Championship Snowmobile Derby. After winning five classes, Van Strydonk broke the previous held record of four class wins in a Derby weekend, coincidentally held by his cousin Nick Van Strydonk.
The XMR Acord-Cornwell Tool Invitational is Fast and Furious
January 20, 2009
Granby, Colorado- January 12, 2009
Sport Riders are Competitive This Year!
Xtreme Mountain Racing was back in Granby January 10th and 11th for the Acord-Cornwell Tool Invitational. This was the second of two weekend long events at the Linke Ranch and after riders had seen the track last week the racing was fast, furious and fun. The pace had definitely picked up…
The finals rounds started with the 7-10 Juniors – the littlest guys on big sleds – where the Green brothers, Jarrat and Kyler dominated on their Ski-Doo’s. Both from Riverton, WY, Jarrat took first with Kyler not far behind. The Minis took to the track next with Cameron “T-Bone” Thomas stealing the lead on a Cat to win over Logan Montgomery on his Indy in the 120 stock class.
The 120's are as serious as the Pros
The 120 Mod class was not even a race, Kyler Green on his loud Cat mini mod took the holeshot and lead for two long laps catching big air on that little sled. In the 10-13 Junior class AJ Stoffle on his Yellow Fan put big distance between himself and pack early in the main and easily took the win. #357 Johnny Johnson on his old bodystyle Polaris gave Dillon Thomas a good race in the Junior 14-15 main, but Dillon did pull of the win on his Top Shelf Cat.
16 -17 Year Old Juniors
In the oldest Juniors class the Tylor Dyess dominated on his zebra striped Ski-Doo, but had some tough luck later in the day with a crash while leading the Sport I main in the white flag lap.
The Official Start Of Hillclimb Season
January 19, 2009
Preston Pride Hillclimb 2009
The Preston Pride Hillclimb is the first race of the Hillclimb racing season. This years event took place under beautiful sunny skies. Qualifying was Friday, January 16th, and the finals were Saturday, January 17th. Both days were action packed.
Most of the top racers were there. Of the 194 member racers of RMSHA, 167 were registered for the Preston Hillclimb. One notable exception was Canadian racer, Vinnie Clark. We were told Vinnie would be at next weeks Soda Springs hillclimb.
One of the highlights of this race was the showcase for the new stock mountain racing sleds that the manufactures have introduced. Arctic
Arctic Cat HCR Sled
Cat has the new HCR, Polaris the Assault and Ski-doo’s model the Summit Hillclimb. All three were impressive on the hill.
The Summit Hillclimb has a 154 X 16 in wide track and 2.25 inch
Erin Beukelman on his Polaris Assault
paddle height, with Kayaba shocks. It’s dry weight, according to Ski-doo, is only 433 lbs. The HCR (Hill Climb Racer) by Arctic Cat has a 153 X 15 in track and 2.25 inch paddles. Fox shocks and an adjustable 42 to 44 in ski stance. Polaris has the new Assault RMK sled. The track is 146 X 15 in wide with 2.125 inch paddles. The Assault has Walker Evans shocks and an adjustable ski stance of 41.5 to 43.5 inches. The dry weight is reported to be 487 lbs.
Another interesting sled this year is Russell Frisby’s mod Arctic Cat Sno-x Sno Pro that has been long tracked for hillclimbing.
Keith Curtis
The competition was within thousands of a second in all three classes. Keith Curtis, the reigning World Champion, took Stock King. Erin Beukelman on his Polaris won Improved Stock King over Nate Zollinger by split seconds. The closest race of the day was for Mod King. Two of the Tapio brothers were riding the same sled for the Mod King runs. Nels was second to last to race on their 800 Mod Arctic Cat and was the time to beat.
Nels Tapio
Kyle, last years Mod World Champion, put on a blistering time, but not fast enough. Nels won Mod King of Preston by a thousands of a second.
For full results go to the Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Hillclimb Association web site: http://www.rmsha.com
Video highlights will be available on Snowgoer 360 in a few weeks.
And photos will be posted on the BAM web site: http://www.bamfilmproductions.com
Dyrdahl wins USCC Red Lake I-500
January 18, 2009
January 18, 2009
Thief River Falls, Minn.
Bryan Dyrdahl on his way to another I-500 win.
Bryan Dyrdahl won the United States Cross-Country (USCC) Red Lake I-500 today, his fifth time winning the race. Dyrdahl’s total time on the 500-mile course was 6:19:44. Arctic Cat’s D.J. Ekre finished second with a 6:21:24 lap followed by Polaris’ Corey Davidson with a time of 6:21:54.
Day 3 started cloudy and overcast, which offered flat light and poor visibility. But shortly after the start, skies cleared, making for ideal racing conditions. “It was fun when the sun came out,” said Dyrdahl, who would rather race on a rough track with bright sunlight than drive a smooth course with poor visibility.
Dyrdahl started the third and final day with a 58-second lead and his day went well, he said, except for a drive belt that blew up while running wide open in a ditch. “It exploded, he said. The belt replacement went smoothly, but Dyrdahl was nervous after swapped the part, thanks to USCC President Pat Mach.
Mach was in his truck following Dyrdahl. When he saw the race leader was in trouble, Mach pulled over and offered words of encouragement to his racer. “Pat was behind me and he said, ‘there’s no one coming,’” Dyrdahl said. ”But I thought I heard him say, ‘here they come.’ So I got on it and started haulin’ ass. I rode tight at first, but as soon as that belt blew, I hung it all out after that.”
Deep snow made landings softer and kept peak speeds lower. D.J. Ekre, shown here, moved up one spot today and finished in second place.
Ekre started in third place behind Davidson. Once he got by the Polaris driver, he set his sites on Dyrdahl. “I just kept pushing. I crashed a couple times, but at least I knew I was trying to catch him,” Ekre said.
USCC reports that 100 professional and amateur drivers started the I-500. The race gets its “International” label because the racetrack crosses into land of the Red Lake Indian Reservation, which is a sovereign nation located south of Thief River Falls. USCC’s next race is January 31 in Ada, Minnesota.
2009 USCC Red Lake I-500 final results
Pro 600: 1. Bryan Dyrdahl (Doo); 2. D.J. Ekre (Cat); 3. Corey Davidson (Pol); 4. Brian Dick (Cat); 5. Dan Ebert (Cat); 6. Chad Lian (Cat); 7. Brandon Gerszewski (Cat); 8. Eric Gausen (Pol); 9. Phil Storlie (Cat); 10. Nathan Potucek (Cat).
Back on Polaris this season, Corey Davidson finished third in the I-500.