Sled Racing: May Not Be Big Time, But It’s Easy To Access

Wednesday night viewers of the Speed channel’s “Intersections” show got to see a comparison between Troy Dewald’s winning drive at the Soo I-500 and a truck racer’s efforts at the grueling Baja 500 race. I, in turn, got to enjoy a flashback to my first time seeing the famed Soo I-500 track in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

            I was snowmobiling in the U.P. about a dozen years ago as a part of a Parts Unlimited dealer appreciation ride. Our group was guided out to the track, where we got to make a lap on the famed 1-mile oval that has been holding arguably one of the very best snowmobile races in the world.

          I was jacked up on the way there – I had covered other enduro races and had spoken to dozens of racers who had competed in the epic Soo I-500 race, but had not yet seen the track for myself. This was, after all, where Dan Planck won the very first Soo in 1969, where names like LeRoy Lindblad and Stan Hayes claimed titles in the 1970s, Brian Musselman and Jeff Kipfmiller were each part of three winning teams in the 1980s, and John Wicht III and the Troy Pierce-Todd Krikke combo were taking over the 1990s. It just had to be the coolest place on earth, in my mind!

           We drove our sleds through an industrial park area, got to the edge of town, went through a gate, and suddenly we were there. My first reaction when coming over the hill and seeing the facility?

          “Really? This is it?”

          With all due respect to the Soo crew that works so hard to put on the race every February, the actual race site is a bit underwhelming, with a couple of old buildings, weeds poking up through the snow along the straightaway and a general run-down feeling about the place when you see it on a non race weekend. The day of the race? The place is a carnival of activity. Visit two weeks later, like we did, and not very impressive. Frankly, the visit to the track was a bit of a visual reminder of exactly how small our sport is. I mean, c’mon, what should one expect – that somebody or some thing is going to stick $1 million into a facility that holds one snowmobile race a year? Yeah, the race is definitely the snowmobiling equivalent to the Daytona 500, but it’s still an event in our little world – it’s never going to BE the Daytona 500.

            I had the same feeling when seeing the Haydays track for the first time (before they put up the permanent fences) and several other race sites. And, let’s face it, a lot of our other cool races are either held on sites that disappear in the summer (lake tops), or sites that were first built for and paid by other sorts of activities (horse racing tracks, county fairgrounds, car racing tracks, etc.). The only track I ever remember thinking “WOW!” about what was the first time I saw the Derby track in Eagle River. Folks who pay the high rates to race at, attend or even park at or near the Derby pay a lot for that luxury every year.  

            So yeah, snowmobiling racing isn’t big time like car racing – there’s breaking news for you, right? But you know what? I’m OK with that. That’s not to say that people who are trying to take snowmobile racing to the elusive “next level” are wrong or that I don’t support their efforts. But one of the things that makes snowmobile racing so fun and interesting for folks like me who are into it is that it is still so accessible. A regular guy can put together an effort and go out and try it, without needing $1 million to get involved. If this sport suddenly had to pay for million tracks and the maintenance and other costs related to them, it could easily squeeze out a lot of the “little guys” who make this all happen.

Oval Racers Alliance wraps up season in Garrison, Minn.

The Oval Racers Alliance concluded their first season with an action packed weekend on Lake Mille Lacs in Garrison, Minnesota.  Vintage and modern snowmobile racers and fans flocked to the event that took place February 27-28 with support from the Garisson commercial Club and the Blue Goose.
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Inaugural Oval Racers Alliance Event a Success

The weekend of February 5-7, 2010 marked the beginning of the Oval Racers Alliance’s first season.  A total of approximately 536 entries and 120 drivers made for extremely close racing in both modern and vintage classes at the I-94 Speedway in Sauk Centre, MN.
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Dan Ebert wins USCC Red Lake I-500

Dan Ebert powered across the finish line to win the USCC Red Lake I-500 today in Thief River Falls, Minn.

Arctic Cat racer Dan Ebert won the Pro 600 class in the 2010 United States Cross-Country (USCC) Red Lake I-500 today. He covered the 505-mile course in 8 hours, 11 minutes, 35 seconds. Gabe Bunke (8:13:42) finished second on a Polaris 600 Rush and Ryan Huston (8:16:22) finished third, also on an Arctic Cat.

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Andrew Carlson Wins Elk River Semi-Pro Open

Elk River, Minnesota (January 5, 2010) – Racing your home track  is usually always cause for celebration, but this past weekend such jubilation was held in check for Team Sportech as the challenges of the ERX Motor Park track were heightened by lingering heavy snow dust creating a very difficult  racing environment. Still there was cause for celebration as Andrew Carlson captured his first win of the season in Semi-Pro Open amid very stiff competition.

        With an off-weekend on the national tour, the focus of the snocross racing community turned to the Minnesota Regional ISOC event held at ERX Motor Park in Elk River, Minnesota. Many of the Midwest’s top teams were in attendance taking advantage of the “close” proximity of the event thereby creating a level of competition likened to a national.

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The ORA is Here to Stay, 2009-10 Schedule Released

The Oval Racers Alliance, otherwise known as ORA, has officially released their 2009-2010 race season schedule.  In their inaugural season, the ORA will host three races featuring both modern and vintage snowmobiles.

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WSA Hill X Season Wrap Up at Spirit Mountain

Spirit Mountain once again played host to the WSA Hill X event that took place April 10th and 11th. Racers and fans alike made the trip to Duluth, Minnesota to compete and experience the last WSA event of the season. [Read more]

JACQUES VILLENEUVE PROMISES TO BE PART OF THE UPCOMING GRAND PRIX SKI-DOO DE VALCOURT

RELEASE: Valcourt, January 8, 2009 – Since 1986, there has been only a few Grand Prix Ski-Doo de Valcourt editions that Jacques Villeneuve, by far the most passionate and most courageous driver of Canada’s motorsport history, has not entered. Comes February 20, 21 and 22, expect the St-Cuthbert (Québec) veteran to honour his annual rendez-vous with his fans. He intends to show up healthy, having fully recovered after an accident in the season’s opener at Beausejour (Manitoba) left him with a broken leg. In fact, as he stated this week, he could have entered the Eagle River vintage weekend kicking off tomorrow, or the World Championship Snowmobile Derby next week. But wisdom has prevailed and Villeneuve will instead return to the track at Boonville (New York), January 31^st and February 1^st.

‘’My thighbone has healed well. I don’t still put all my weight on my wounded leg but I could have raced my friend Guy Montminy’s vintage sled this weekend”, says Villeneuve who for a change, doesn’t sound frustrated to be home and away from the iced ovals. He adds: ‘‘ I felt that I had to be a little more cautious and choose to return to the track only at the end of the month. This way, I have better chances to do all of the Eastern Pro Tour races including of course, going back to Valcourt where I couldn’t race last year.”

For the legendary driver who turned fifty a few years ago and can claim a little less than forty winter seasons spent on the iced oval tracks, evidently the flame is still burning. Although, he admits that he is seing some things differently now. ‘’There is stuff that I don’t like or wish to do anymore. For example, I am no longer spending my nights working on my sleds. I let others play the mechanics. On the other hand, I still enjoy travelling and of course being the fastest on track. Here at home, not much beats a walk to the shop in my garage and the sound of an engine on my dyno. I am always willing to devote plenty of time for more power”, says a very serene Villeneuve.

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USCC Grafton Equipment 100 race results

United States Cross Country

January 3, 2009

Grafton, N.D.

Pro 600: 1. Bryan Dyrdahl (Doo); 2. Ryan Simons (Cat); 3. Aaron Christensen (Pol).

Pro Open: 1. DJ Ekre (Cat); 2. Brian Dick (Cat); 3. Gabe Bunke (Pol).

Semi-Pro 600: 1. Ken Christensen (Pol); 2. Sam Vandeputte (Doo); 3. Cory Grant (Doo).

Semi-Pro Improved: 1. Josh Carey (Yam); 2. Spencer Fett (Cat); 3. Ken Christensen (Pol).

440: 1. Scott Pivec (Doo); 2. Ted Horbaty (Doo); 3. Brian Carey Sr. (Yam)).

Amateur Improved: 1. Adam Brandt (Cat); 2. Erik Bute (Cat); 3. Ryan Greening (Yam).

Fan 600: 1. Brad Cierzan (Doo); 2. Marty Feil (Cat).

Legends 50+: 1. Jim Sobeck (Doo); 2. Doug Oster (Cat); 3. Roger Gorder (Cat).

Vet 30+: 1. Corey Davidson (Pol); 2. Chad Lian (Cat); 3. Nick Roehl (Doo).

Junior 10-13: 1. Cole Lian (Cat); 2. Adam Mach (Cat); 3. Cole Davidson (Cat).

Junior 14-17: 1. Stuart Brandt (Cat); 2. Tyler Kemppainen (Doo); 3. Timmy Kallock (Cat).

Vintage: 1. Tom Clement (Yam); 2. Bob Delaloye (Cat).

Women: 1. Jolene Bute (Cat); 2. Jenna Sobeck (Doo); 3. Pamela Williamson (Cat).

Amateur 600: 1. Adam Brandt (Cat); 2. Cody Matthews (Cat); 3. Erik Bute (Cat).

Masters 40+: 1. Ken Christensen (Pol); 2. Jim Sobeck (Doo); 3. Bill Thomas (Pol).

Sport 85: 1. Steve Emerson (Yam); 2. Brad Cierzan (Doo); 3. Paul Anderson (Pol).

120 Stock: 1. Garet Grzadzielewski (Cat); 2. Nathan Lorenz (Cat); 3. Scott McColl (Cat).

120 Improved: 1. Garet Grzadzielewski (Cat); 2. Nathan Lorenz (Cat); 3. Scott McColl (Cat).

On Track 4 Him To Provide Church Services at ISOC Events

MINNEAPOLIS (November, 25, 2008) - On Track 4 Him (OT4H), a ministry designed to bring Christ to the racing community, will be offering religious services at all AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series (ACSS) Nationals as well as all International Series of Champions (ISOC) Minnesota regional races for the 2008-2009 season. Founders Jim Wiles along with Wayne and Peggy Thomsen will provide family based worship services immediately following the driver’s meeting on Sunday mornings. “We are fortunate to have On Track 4 Him as part of our racing community,” said John Daniels, owner of ISOC. “It’s a great way to keep faith an important part of our racing community.”

On Track 4 Him was involved in the regional and national snocross circuits last winter and was very well received by the snowmobile racing community. Much like last year, OT4H will include special guest speakers, testimonials and a weekly message guaranteed to be positive and inspirational. The featured guest speaker at the season opening race in Duluth will be Jesse Stregge, a former professional racer and an active participant in OT4H.

“The church service we provide meets a need for individuals in the racing community who would like to attend church but have made a commitment to racing during the winter months,” said Peggy Thomsen. “Last year the snowmobile community made us feel very welcomed and we are looking forward to serving everyone again this season.”

As a non-profit organization, OT4H is looking for contributions to help offset the costs of bringing the ministry to the track each week; this includes such items as fuel, lodging and meals. To help jump-start the need for contributions, a gracious returning sponsor of OT4H has agreed to match all funds raised from now until the end of November.

 All contributions are tax deductible and should be made to: Christ Community Church to the attention of On Track 4 Him. Contributions can be mailed to:

On Track 4 Him;

PO Box 627; Nisswa, MN 56468;

Or better yet make your donation in person during the AMSOIL Duluth National Snocross, November 28-30. On Track 4 Him will be staffing a booth at the race as well as providing services Sunday morning.

For more information please contact Peggy Thomsen at 218-831-0787 or visit their

website at www.ontrack4him.org.

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