19th Annual Snowmobile Expo March 13-15
February 24, 2009
The West Yellowstone World Snowmobile EXPO March 13-15, 2009 is celebrating its 19th year. EXPO is recognized worldwide as the “Largest Snowmobile Event in the West.” Arctic Cat, Polaris, Ski-Doo and Yamaha will unveil their new 2010 snowmobile lines for the first time to the public at the same location. Hundreds of new aftermarket exhibits will also be on display at the West Yellowstone Holiday Inn Conference Hotel, center for the 2009 EXPO.
EXPO 2009 brings annual favorite racing events and new competitions including ATV racing, freestyle aerials, and a Toughman Enduro Race. Yellowstone Park tours by snowmobile and snowcoach will also be available through EXPO for the first time ever. (For a full events schedule, go to www.snowmobileexpo.com.)
The Mountain West Racing snocross 2009 finale will be held March 13-15th at the 19th annual SnoWest Snocross.
The 6th annual Snow Drags March 14-15 is sanctioned by the Washington State Snowmobile Racing Association (WSSRA). Starting pads enable everyone equal start conditions, as 4 lanes of head-to-head racing will take place this same weekend. The radar run takes place on Friday, March 13; drags on Saturday and Sunday.
Bid on Malinoski, other racers’ helmets
February 23, 2009
The sale of Ski-Doo driver Robbie Malinoski's helmet will raise money for spinal cord injury victims.
Want to get an authentic snocross race helmet and support a cause at the same time? As the snocross season winds down, so will Operation Inspiration, the program designed to raise money for Blair Morgan and other victims of spinal cord injury. But there are still opportunities to bid on authentic, race-worn helmets. [Read more]
Bender Takes First Career Pro Podium at Valcourt
February 23, 2009
Arctic Cat Sweeps Semi-Pro Super Stock with Ebert, Davis and Salemark
It was perhaps fitting that it was at Valcourt’s circuit Yvon Duhamel during the Grand Prix Ski-doo de Valcourt, that young Brett Bender (Polaris) championed his first pro victory of his career. In a community known for its passion for snowmobile racing and at a venue rich with racing lore named after famed ice oval racer Yvon Duhamel, Bender scored his memorable victory where his father, world champion oval racer Tim Bender, also competed.
It was only a few weeks earlier in Brainerd, Minnesota that Bender found the podium for the first time in his fledgling pro career, finishing second behind snocross king Tucker Hibbert. At the time it was one of the most emotional moments of his young racing career, but in hindsight it will pale in comparison to his AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series victory at Valcourt. [Read more]
Copper Peak Hillclimb Results
February 22, 2009
Posted on behalf of the MASTERs circuit
Levering, Michigan’s Joe Van Kalker and Roseau, Minnesota’s Nick Gustafson won the coveted Copper Peak Championship Snowmobile Hillclimb Pro Stock and Pro Mod King of the Hill this past Saturday. Gustafson, who took a second in last years competition edged out last years Pro Mod King of the Hill, Matt Tingstad. Van Kalker defeated the 2007 and 2008 Pro Stock King of the Hill, Wyler Miller.
Van Kalker followed Coon Rapids, Minnesota’s Jesse Stanton as the first two drivers to qualify for the Pro Stock King of the Hill ’shootout.’ Stanton won the Pro Stock 500 Class, followed by Van Kalker taking the Pro Stock 600 Class. It was in that Pro Stock 600 Class that Van Kalker first defeated Tingstad. Tingstad took a second in that class. Van Kalker beat Tingstad by over 4 seconds. Then in the Pro Stock 700 class, the Ski-Doo driver kept Miller from securing a spot in the ’shoot-out’ by beating the 2007 Pro Stock King of the Hill by over 4 seconds, with an amazing second qualifying run of 17.46 seconds. Miller came back to win in Pro Stock 800 and Pro Open Stock.
[Read more]
Dustin Wahl Weekend in Valcourt
February 22, 2009
Dustin Wahl was the Pro Champ victor both Saturday and Sunday at the Grande Prix de Valcourt.
After winning the Pro Champ race Saturday, Dustin Wahl took top honors for the class winning the Pro Champ feature Sunday. Wahl also was the defending champion from the race event last year. But the final didn’t come all rosy.
During the second round of Sunday’s Pro Champ qualifying, Wahl was ejected from his sled in a turn 1 battle and sent to the bales. Though landing hard on the ice, he walked off the track under his own power. His sled was rebuilt in time for round three qualifying. He won his round three heat, but was short on points to qualify for the feature. He only advanced to the final after winning the LCQ.
In the final, two successive first-lap crashes caused two restarts. Jacques Villeneuve had the holeshot the first two times the race went green, but the red flag flew before a lap was in the books negating his starts. Three times wasn’t the charm. On the third start, Wahl took the lead from VanStrydonk and pulled away using a low, inside line. He quickly built a big lead. Villeneuve stole second from VanStrydonk but made no other progress. He was in position to finish second, but he broke down 100 yards from the finish. VanStrydonk inherited second and Joel Diamond, after coming through the LCQ, finished third.
- Nick VanStrydonk was powerful off the start, winning almost every holeshot in his heats Saturday and Sunday. He finished second to Wahl in Pro Champ Saturday and played runner-up to Wahl again Sunday.
- Travis MacDonald, at 15 years old and running Pro Champ for the first time at Valcourt, campaigned successfully all weekend. He was competitive against teammate and 2009 Eagle River World Champion Brian Bewcyk. He qualified for the final and finished sixth. MacDonald was presented as the youngest-ever qualifier at the Grand Prix.
- The Pro Stock 600 winner Craig House was affected by an injury. He was unable to put weight on his weakened appendage, but he raced a hard-fought battle with Malcolm Chartier. Mason Hamilton went into the wall on lap three, bringing out the red flag. From his last-place restart position, he battled back to third, his running order when he crashed.
- The final was off to a rocky start. Near the end of what would have been lap 1, Bewcyk was the victim of tight-pack contact. He wrecked on the inside snowbank after some contact from behind and brought out the first red flag. Without a lap in the books, there was a restart. Heading into turn three after the first restart, No. 66 Jason Lavallée wrecked through the outside wall. After the third restart, and with two fewer sleds than the original start, the 15-lap final ran flag-to-flag.
- In addition to his impressive starts in the Pro Champ feature, Grand Prix de Valcourt legend Jacques Villeveuve won a qualifying heat to the delight of the crowd. Unfortunately, the mob was unable to gesture their approval with wild applause after he broke on the final lap and coasted to a stop 100 yards from the finish. He remained the hero driver of Quebec after tossing Villeneuve artifacts over the fence and made a broken heart gesture while getting towed off his home track.
- All weekend long there were special tributes to Ski-Doo celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Look for features on the anniversary celebration soon on Snowgoer.com.
Pro champ
Dustin Wahl 74 Greenbush MN Wahl Polaris
Nicholas Van Strydonk 113 Tomahawk WI Polaris
Joel Diamond 2 Lapeer MI Ski-doo
Malcolm Chartier 33 Marine City MI Ski-doo
Mitch Diamond 65 Lapeer MI Ski-doo
Travis MacDonald 8 Lackport Man Ski-doo
Brandon Johnson 22 Holt MN Wahl Polaris
Jacques Villeneuve 96DNF St-Cuthbert QC Ski-doo
Jeff DeJong 16DNF Pembroke ON Gifford/Ski-doo
Jason Lavallée 66DNF Drummondville QC Ski-doo
Felipe Roy-Lalonde 71DNF St-Jude QC Ski-doo
Brian Bewcyk 39DNF Winnipeg MN Ski-doo
Pro stock 600
Craig House 11 Brant Lake NY Ski-doo
Malcolm Chartier33 Marine City MI Ski-doo
Mason Hamilton 37 Diamond Point NY Ski-doo
Mitch Diamond 65 Lapeer MI Ski-doo
Curtis Weatherdon113 Barry’s Bay ON Ski-doo
Erik Frigon19 Pownal ME Yamaha
Pro Formula 500
Serge Ouellet 14 Lachute QC Polaris
Dustin Gehrke 131 Morrisonville NY Ski-doo
Luc Lauzon 17 Rivière-Beaudette QC Polaris
Kevin Coulson 43 Milford Bay ON Arctic Cat
Hubert Côté 27 St-Jean Richelieu QC Polaris
Stephen Gorham 91 South Portland ME Yamaha
Rob Sheppard 330 Mindemoya ON Polaris
Olivier Paiement152 Ile Bizard QC Ski-doo
Anthony Pettinelli177 Rome NY TRC/Ski-doo
Serge Desilets 66 St-Nicéphore QC Polaris
Brad Moore 24DNS Winchester ON Polaris
Vintage 800
David Pettinelli 63 Rome NY Chaparral
Jocelyn Lesieur 72 Shawinigan QC Chaparral
Anthony Pettinelli177 Rome NY Chaparral
David Jr Pettinelli961 DNF Rome NY Chaparral
Tony Pettinelli 176DNS Rome NY Chaparral
Gaston Ferland 12 DNS Québec QC Ski-doo
Éric Champigny 221 DNS Bonsecour QC Ski-doo
Wahl Wins Saturday Pro Champ at Valcourt (complete results)
February 21, 2009
Dustin Wahl was the recipient of good fortune from his teammate to win Saturday’s Pro Champ 440 feature race at Valcourt.
Wahl chased race leader Nick VanStrydonk until the last turn of the white flag lap. VanStrydonk nailed the start and had the lead. Wahl advanced and kept pressure on the young VanStrydonk, with Brian Bewcyk in third. But Wahl was the one in position to win.
“I was right on his bumper going into 3-4,” Wahl said of his VanStrydonk pursuit. “I’m not sure what happened. I stayed on it and came out of four in front. It’s nice when things work out like that — when it comes out in my favor. I’ve been on the other side of things like that too many times.”
VanStrydonk knew exactly what happened, however. He watched Wahl’s teammate, Brandon Johnson, on previous laps and guessed wrong on his line. Johnson, about to go a lap down to VanStrydonk and Wahl, respectively, ran a lower line on the white-flag lap — the same lap VanStrydonk was running.
“I didn’t want to go high,” VanStrydonk said. “That was a bad line. I took it once and almost went to the bales. I stayed low, got behind Brandon and I just had to follow him through the corner.”
No ill will, mind you. That’s racing, and VanStrydonk was pumped. “I was having fun,” he said. “It was a fun race.”
Wyman Winter Carnival Hosts XMR Races!
February 20, 2009
Craig, Colorado – February 16, 2009 – The Wyman Museum hosted their annual winter carnival this past weekend and provided a great site for Xtreme Mountain Racing’s snocross and enduro races. Almost 5,000 spectators visited throughout the weekend to watch races, see vintage snowmobiles, ice sculptures, the museum and more. Wes Selby built a great track for the races and all the riders, Pro’s to 120’s, had a great weekend.
Semi-Pro Riders Comin' at Ya!
In addition to bringing his skills to the helm of the groomer, Wes Selby proved victorious in the Semi-Pro races in both the Stock and Open classes. He rode his black Cat well and put on a great show for fans. Zach Acord was in the chase as well and despite a sore hip took second in both events. The Sport classes were rounded out by the usual suspects and the points race between Peterson and DePalma continues. Dylon Moss rode hard in the sport classes as well, but had a few offs that set him back. He did however ride his Polaris to victory in the Junior 16-17 class, followed by Trevor Corbin and Trent Chanell. Debbie Montgomery rounded out the Montgomery race team and found herself on the podium in the Sport Women class, with TJ and Logan also riding well in the Masters and 120 classes respectively. Dylon Thomas won the Junior 14-15 class with the Stoffles, AJ and Michelle not for behind. The racing was good and the fans and riders had a great time. [Read more]
First Time Women Take “King Run”
February 13, 2009
It has been a long time in coming, but RMSHA has changed it’s rules and pro women racers now can race against their male counterparts in the King Runs. The first women to ever take a King Run in a hillclimb event is veteran racer Amy Zollinger. After winning the women’s stock class at Preston, she is pictured here taking off for her historic run. Amy has raced for four years and had countless wins on the RMSHA circuit. She is the reining Women’s World Champion.
Christy Frisby
The second is a newcomer to RMSHA, Christy Frisby. This is Christy’s first year on the circuit and she is Russell Frisby’s new bride.
These two women are ripping up the RMSHA circuit both on Arctic Cats. At Bear Lake last week, Amy won both Stock and Improved Stock. On her Mod run, Amy bobbled and Christy was right there to take the win. Once again they shared the King Runs.
The next race on the RMSHA circuit is Afton. This is one of Amy’s
Amy Zollinger
favorite courses. Amy is pictured here after sweeping all three classes two years ago at Afton.
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for The Jackson World Championship Hillclimb starting March 26th – 29th. www.snowdevils.org for more info.
Legendary Yvon Duhamel Invited by Ski-Doo to Grand Prix de Valcourt
February 12, 2009
For some twenty years now, the circuit hosting every winter the Grand Prix Ski-Doo de Valcourt bears the name of one of motorsports greatest legends: Yvon Duhamel. A member of both the international motorcycle and snowmobile racing Hall of Fame and of the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame, the Montreal native has been the very first Ski-Doo racing team star. His memorable accomplishments in snowmobile racing have been a world championship title earned on the Eagle River oval in 1970 and his win in the challenging Winnipeg/St-Paul 500-mile cross-country race in 1972. Also a winner of the Daytona motorcycle race in 1969 and a World Champion in 1972, Duhamel will be an honorary guest of BRP Inc. during the Grand Prix Ski-Doo de Valcourt weekend, a few months before he turns 70, next October.
SNOCROSS RACING AT GRAND PRIX SKI-DOO DE VALCOURT:
February 12, 2009
QUÉBEC’S TIM TREMBLAY PLANS TO SHINE ON HIS HOME TURF