Will New Swedish Sensation Remind Of The Flying Finn?
July 23, 2010
Quick: Name your favorite Scandinavian snocross star!
When most North American snowmobile race fans think of racers from Scandinavia, the first name that pops into their head is Toni Haikonen. The “Flying Finn” came stateside in the mid 1990s and changed our sport with his high-flying, dynamic style that made him a joy to watch on the track.
What’s even more amazing, looking back at the pictures now, is that Toni made his big impact racing on an F-chassis Ski-Doo. They seemed mildly OK back then (though certainly not as nimble as the Polaris and Arctic Cat race sleds at the time), but go back and look at a photo of one of those behemoths now – would you want to air one of those beasts out?
Following Toni, we had several snowmobile racers come from across the pond and win a national snocross race here or there. Per Berggren proved he could come up big on occasion, and Tomi Ahmasalo was consistent and stronger than an entire team of oxen. Contributor Lynn Keillor reminded me this morning of Chris Hugo Vangen, a Norwegian racer who came over here for a race, made a splash but then was booted out of the country because his paperwork wasn’t complete to allow him to stay here and make money.
The last couple of years, we’ve seen a new wave of imports. In fact, last year Christian Salemark and Emil Ohman became the first Swedes to compete at the Winter X Games in snocross since Berggren and Jonas Perrson ran in 1999.
Well now you’ve got another name to learn: Johan Lidman.
Earlier this week, Team Sportech Racing announced that the 19-year-old Swede will be racing in the Pro classes this year aboard an Arctic Cat and racing out of their trailer. The full press release is below.
Xtreme Mountain Racing Visits the Wyman Winter Festival
February 19, 2010
Selby!
Craig, Colorado – XMR put on a great Show at the Wyman Winter Festival in Craig, Colorado this past weekend. With over 3,400 spectators in attendance the festivities were fun for everyone. From snocross, to drags, the vintage show, the snodeo, fireworks and finals under the lights there was no shortage of winter snowmobiling fun. XMR hauled snow for almost two weeks and built a great track full of bumps that changed a lot throughout the race day with lots of sled traffic. XMR packed two days of racing into one full day and it wasn’t until he sun went down and the lights lit up that the finals took place.
Sport Stock Start
In the Pro/Semi Pro finals Wes Selby took the stock and mod honors over Willie Elam who had been winning the qualifiers most of the day. They put on a great show in the main, and rightfully so, with a $3,000 purse on the lines. It was the same in the sport class where Tyler Dyess had been winning the qualifiers, with Jason Fox Close behind, but Fox was hungry for the win in the main and took both the Sport I and Sport II wins for the day. [Read more]
Xtreme Mountain Racing Lights Up Afton, WY
February 8, 2010
Afton, Wyoming – XMR traveled farther north that it ever has to put on race three of the eight race season. This new location, just south of Jackson invited MWR riders to come mix it up with XMR, and with Coeur d’Alene canceled, many turned out for the fun – from local Pro/semi-pro Willie Elam to 120 rider Brody Hasenack. The horseshoe shaped track at the Afton fairgrounds proved challenging for all and went from fast and smooth on Saturday morning to a total bump-fest on Sunday.
Elam took the holeshot and the honors in both the Semi-Pro/Pro Stock and Open classes followed by Logan Halford and Zach Acord. Taylor Dyess was looking good in the Sport Class as was Jason Fox. Wesley Chapman kept up a strong presence in the junior classes again and is looking good in season points. In the women’s class Erica Potter came out and tried her hand, but didn’t have much luck, and after Michelle Stoffle came off her sled Darla Murphy took the win in the main. AJ Stoffle kept up his winning streak in Junior 10-13, and it was Cody Docheff in the 7-10 class. In the 120’s Jake Gill took the stock win and Peyton Hogan took the Champ win. In the super Sunday Korttney Potter got the win she had been looking for this early season.
Remember it is still early season, and XMR still has 5 more race events planned – the snow is looking good, and it will be back to back for the next five weekends! XMR will be back to Colorado February 13-14th for the Wyman Winter Carnival in Craig, CO with Snocross, Drag races, Vintage Snodeo and more! More information on XMR and full race results and point standings can be found on the XMR website at www.xmrracing.com. Big thanks to the town of Afton who helped make this race happen both hosting and hauling snow – see everyone next week!
Preston Pride Hillclimb
January 25, 2010
The Preston Pride Hillclimb was held on Friday and Saturday, January 22nd and 23rd, just outside Preston, Idaho. 
This was the 18thyear of this hillclimb and this year was especially challenging. Organizers Shawn Atkinson and Bret Rasmussen did an outstanding job. The only thing that did not go off like clockwork was the weather. Most of the hillclimb took place in almost white out conditions. The blowing snow tripped the finish line lights so many times that Matt, at the top of the mountain, built a snow shield around them and solved the problem.
The entire RMSHA staff is to be commended on a job very well done.
But the harsh weather did not cool the hot racing action. Over 150 racers took on the mountain.
Past world champion, Amy Zollinger won all three women’s classes and took home a triple crown for Arctic Cat and the Zollinger Race Team. This is the second triple crown she has won and the only lady to ever accomplish this.
Vinnie Clark won the 1000 stock class and the Stock King title. He rides for Ski-Doo. Vinnie is a past world champion and comes from Valemount, BC, Canada.
Last years Stock King from the World Championship from Jackson went on to continue his winning streak. Tom Roby won Improved Stock King here at Preston. He also rides for Ski-Doo and hails from the Jackson, Wyoming area.
Mod King this year was a racer out of the Boise, Idaho area, Erin Beukelman. Erin rides for
Polaris and was the 2007 Jackson World Championship Improved Stock King.
The Preston Pride Hillclimb was filmed by BAM Film Productions for the TV show “Sledding The West”. It will be featured in their upcoming episode on sledding in Southeast Idaho. For airdates visit: www.sleddingthewest.com.
The next race on the RMSHA circuit is Bear Lake on February 5th and 6th. For a complete race schedule and more information on the Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Hillclimb Association, please visit: www.rmsha.com.
MWR Season Opener
January 20, 2010
Action Packed Racing From McCall, Idaho
The MWR season opener took place January 16th and 17th in McCall, Idaho. Colby Crapo took three class wins including Pro Open. Justin York won Semi-Pro Open and little Konnor May won the Champ Class on his 120. BAM Film Productions was there to film the races for the TV show “Sledding The West”. www.sleddingthewest.com
Here are the complete results:
CLASS: SCOTT – USA PRO OPEN
ENTRIES IN CLASS: 7
2 130 Willie Elam Buhl, ID CAT
3 625 Logan Halford Idaho Falls, ID DOO
4 432 Rylie Hogue Klamath Falls, OR POL
5 987 Stephen Edwards Lake Stevens, WA POL
6 163 Pat McLam Moscow, ID CAT
7 38 Tuffy McDonald Priest River, ID DOO
CLASS: WESTERN POWER SPORTS PRO SS
ENTRIES IN CLASS: 8
2 130 Willie Elam Buhl, ID CAT
3 625 Logan Halford Idaho Falls, ID DOO
4 987 Stephen Edwards Lake Stevens, WA POL
5 38 Tuffy McDonald Priest River, ID DOO
6 163 Pat McLam Moscow, ID CAT
7 432 Rylie Hogue Klamath Falls, OR POL
8 55x Rob Kirsch McCall, ID CAT
Wanderscheid Earns World Championship Pole In Friday Night Program
January 15, 2010
PJ Wanderscheid earned the pole position for Sunday's World Championship with a Sweet Sixteen victory Friday night.
Arctic Cat’s P.J. Wanderscheid started his pursuit to become the first four-time Eagle River World Champion in style, earning the pole position in a smooth and efficient Friday Night Thunder program at the famous Derby Track in northern Wisconsin.
Wanderscheid, age 26, led the World Snowmobile Headquarters-sponsored Sweet Sixteen Pole Position race from the opening green flag all the way to the checkered flag 16 laps later, besting a star-studded field of competitors all aiming for the World Championship title on Sunday. He was chased throughout the race by Nick VanStrydonk and Thursday’s time trial winner Matt Schulz – with Schulz undercutting VanStrydonk on the last lap to claim second. Malcolm Chartier took fourth, with three-time champ Jacques Villeneuve fifth and two-time champ Gary Moyle sixth.
Ultimately, only first place counted on Friday night – that person gets to skip Saturday’s multi-round qualifying process and transfers directly into Sunday front row pole position. Wanderscheid earned that honor in style, and put all of his competition on notice.
Eagle River Time Trials: Schulz On Top!
January 15, 2010
Matt Schulz, pictured here at Shakopee being chased by Dustin Wahl, earned the fast time in qualifying at Eagle River Thursday afternoon.
The time trials for the Eagle River World Championship have wrapped up, and the man at the top of the list isn’t an ex-champion, but rather a young racer who has been lightning fast this year.
Matt Schulz of Wausau, Wisconsin, posted a 17.813 second qualifying time, besting a field that includes three multi-time champions and putting his Wahl-chassis up front in Saturday’s qualifying heat races.
Another young racer from Wisconsin’s Northwoods took the second spot. Nick VanStrydonk of nearby Tomahawk was two-hundreths behind Schulz, posting a 17.833 on his Polaris-powered mod.
Dustin Wahl (18.148) posted the third-fast time on his Wahl/Polaris combination. He’ll try again to be the third Wahl to earn a World Championship on Sunday. Malcolm Chartier (18.198) took fourth on his Houle-built, Ski-Doo powered Champ sled.
The first ex-champion in time trials was three-time winner Jacques Villeneuve (18.203), and he was followed closely by fellow three-timer PJ Wanderschied (18.203). Both are attempting to be the first to earn four titles at Eagle River.
The rest of the top 10 were Dan Fenhaus (18.337), Nick Lagoy (18.355), two-time defending champion Bryan Bewcyk (18.391) and Jay Ryden (18.406). Last week’s winner at the USSA race in Plymouth, Spencer Graff, timed in 11th.
Of the rest of the pack of 25 who took the flag for time trials, the most notable fact was that two-time champion Gary Moyle was way back in 14th place. He’s got a funky new chassis this year, and he may not have it figured out yet. That said, Moyle has done this before – timed in at mid-pack – and came back and won on Sunday.
Maybe it’s because Moyle knows time trials mean very little here. With the Derby’s unique qualifying process, which involve a couple rounds of heat races on Saturday, time trials means very little, other than the seating in those heat races. Still, Schulz showed incredible strength in gaining the fast time, and may have opened some eyes in the pits.
Check back all weekend for updates. Things really get rolling tomorrow, with the big Friday Night Thunder program, and we’ll be there, taking photos and giving you the inside scoop. Tell your friends!
Big Excitement In Utah National
January 9, 2010
People in the pits talk about what it’s going to take to stop the T-Train, the nickname for snocross stud Tucker Hibbert.
He went undefeated last year, and this year he opened the second by sweeping both pro classes at Duluth, Minnesota, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Well in Utah for round three, that train turned into a self described “monster truck” but kept on a roll in Pro Stock.
Hibbert was the No. 1 qualifier and jumped out to a holeshot and immediately started pulling away from the field on his Monster Energy Drink-sponsored Arctic Cat.
Behind him, two first-year pros battled it out for second place, as Minnesota Cat rider Dan Ebert and Quebec-native Tim Tremblay on a Ski-Doo swapped the second spot. Ebert was second off the line, but Tremblay took the spot by the end of the first lap. Ebert grabbed the spot back about four laps later and held the runner up spot until about lap 6, when the two traded paint and Tremblay returned to second.
Behind them, Zach Pattyn, Ross Martin and Levi Lavallee slotted into the next three spots and stayed close to each other throughout the event.
About eight laps into the 22-lap final, however, Matt Judnick and Ryan Simons got tangled up in turn in particularly loose snow, and they and corner workers couldn’t separate the two machines. That created a race-long obstacle for competitors, and it just about ended Hibbert run of perfection.
Shortly before Hibbert entered the turn with about 9 laps to go, a third sled got tangled in the mess, and Hibbert came hot into the turn with nowhere to go.
“It was pretty wild man,” Hibbert explained after the race. “Some sleds were stuck there the whole time, and I came around one lap and there was a third sled there and I didn’t know what to do, I just drove right into them….I thought I was done for sure, I said it to myself in my helmet.”
But then Hibbert went “monster truck” on the whole event, clawing his way over Judnick’s sled to get out of the mess. He lost a couple seconds off of his 5-second lead, but he escaped.
“I think I owe those guy some new parts, because I wrecked their sleds there when I went over them,” Hibbert said with a chuckle.
He expanded his lead back to 4.188 seconds by the time he went by the waving checkered flag with his 51rst Pro victory. Everybody behind him stayed in line, meaning Tremblay (Doo) was second, Ebert (Cat) third, and then Pattyn (Cat), Martin (Pol) and LaVallee (Pol). Kaufman (Cat) held seventh, with Steve Taylor (Doo), Robbie Malinoski (Pol) and Andrew Johnstad (Pol) rounding out the top 10.
Tremblay unleashed a fist pump when he crossed the finish line in second. “Second place for my first year as a pro, that’s a pretty good finish, I think,” the French-Canadian racer said afterward.
Ebert seemed to appreciate his spot on the podium, and his battle with Tremblay.
“We had a little contact there but it was good, it was a lot of fun racing there,” Ebert said.
The Pro Open final is just about an hour away – check back for details.
Wahl Opens Season On Top
December 20, 2009
If you are a snowmobile racing fan within an easy drive of Minnesota’s Twin Cities, shame on you for missing a fabulous event.
The WSA Pro-Ice season opener December 19-20 at Shakopee, Minnesota’s Raceway Park was a really good racing event at a really cool facility. Sadly, it was missed by most, as only a small crowd was on hand to see some very exciting racing, particularly in the Champ 440 class.
Sixteen of the very best drivers in the Upper Midwest, including World Champions PJ Wanderscheid (2002, 2003, 2006), Gary Moyle (2005, 2007) and Bryan Bewcyk (2008, 2009) battled it out on the ice-covered blacktop racing track, but in the end the winner was a second-generation driver that many are expecting to be a future World Champion.
Dustin Wahl of the Greenbush, Minnesota-based Wahl Bros. Racing Team opened the season on top, first claiming the super-exciting 600 class Saturday afternoon and then the event-closing Champ 440 final Sunday afternoon in front of a fast field.
Wanderscheid got the holeshot and held the point for the first half of the race, but standing trackside it was obvious that it was only a matter of time before the talented Cat racer gave way to the faster Polaris-powered mod being driven by Wahl. Just past the halfway point, Wahl claimed the lead by driving under Wanderscheid on the front stretch, then he pulled away. Wanderscheid finished a solid second. Moyle was mired back in traffic on his new, tubular chassis machine, and Bewcyk didn’t make the 12-sled final.
Wahl’s victory was more dramatic Saturday, when he used a last-lap pass to slice past Mike Schultz for the victory.
After the race, Dustin’s father Dave Wahl reported that the sled the team was using was actually last year’s chassis. A new chassis has been completed, but “we thought this one was fast enough,” said the retired three-time champion. We guess so.
Check back with SnowGoerRacing.com later this week – we took a ton of photos and will upload a bunch from snowmobile oval racing, ATV racing on the same surface and, yes, even lawn mower racing. Stay tuned.
Tate, Broberg earn undercard wins at Milwaukee
December 18, 2009
The Pro Super Stock final at the ISOC National at the Milwaukee Mile is about to begin, but here’s a quick update on the last two finals.
In the Fox Shox-sponsored Pro Plus 30 Super Stock class, Justin Tate is already threatening to take the season over. For the second time in as many rounds this season, “Tator” easily pulled away to a commanding victory, though at Milwaukee his level of domination even topped what the Scandia, Minnesota-based Polaris rider accomplished last weekend at the Duluth Nation.
Lap after lap, Tate pulled further and further ahead in the 12-lap final, winning the race by more than 15 seconds over second place Earl Reimer on the No. 100 Ski-Doo.
Even more impressive, Ontario’s Reimer – a seasoned Pro himself – was the only other driver on he lead lap. Paul Bauerly took the third spot on the podium, after finishing as the lead sled of the only two sleds to finish one lap down. That’s right – in a 12-lap final, Tate lapped all but the top four twice.
The Semi-Pro Open final featured an early leader, a middle leader and a winner. The holeshot and early leadwent to Justin Steck, the No. 8 qualifier who pulled off to a surprising early lead ahead of a star-studded field. It didn’t last long, though, as he crashed within the first two laps. That handed the lead to Dylan Martin on his Ski-Doo, and he held the point for the next 10 laps.
Behind him, his Warnert Racing teammate Justin Broberg was clicking off strong, consistent laps and working through lapped traffic with ease. With three and a half lps to go, he claimed the point and eased away from Martin to claim the win. Logan Christian overcame a mid-air paint swapping with Duluth winner Cody Thomsen to finish third, with Thomsen fourth.
Earlier, Kylie Abrahamson continued her domination of the Pro Women’s class, earning a win ahead of Carly Davis, with Nikiya Adomaitis claiming third.