Snowmobile Racing News
Matt Schultz was nearly perfect over the entire World Championship weekend. The Wausau, Wisconsin resident was quickest in Champ 440 time trials, won his heat race and then led from the drop of the green flag for his first Eagle River World Championship. Following Schultz were 3-time champ P.J. Wandersheid and Malcom Chartier.
Darrin Mees was victorious in the Pro Open division of the snocross program, while fellow Ski-Doo rider Brett Turcotte earned top honors in Pro Stock.
D.J. Ekre has the overall lead after day 2
FXR Pro 600 order after Day 2: 1. Ekre, 2. Huston, 3. Davis, 4. Ebert, 5. Bunke, 6. Kallock, 7. Thelen, 8. Christensen, 9. Rantanen, 10. Lian, 11. Simons, 12. Anderson, 13. Roehl, 14. Arneson, 15. Slominski, 16. Dick, 17. Kerr, 18. Cymbaluk, 19. Ipsen, 20. Danielson, 21. Gausen (DNF). DNFs: Titus, Omdahl, Carey, Huss, Murphy, Glendenning, Grant, Baxter.
Ekre is five seconds ahead of second place and about 22 seconds ahead of third.
Day 2 Highlights: Teammates D.J. Ekre and Ryan Simons came together on the first leg resulting in an Ekre crash. He bent his bars and lost his brake lever in the crash and lost time swapping on a new brake lever at the first fuel stop.
Cory Davis’ pipe came loose and he limped in the last few miles.
Dan Ebert bent a lower a-arm and rode the sled in on he river and through the last stretch of ditch fighting poor handling. It also resulted in a shock going down.
Gabe Bunke lost a front track shock on the first leg.
Ryan Huston ended the day atop the running order but received two penalties for course violations.
Aaron Christensen ran out of fuel a mile from the first fuel stop.
Ryan Simons crashed on the last leg.
Brian Dick lost a cylinder and it later came back about 23 miles from the finish. Electrical problem?
From Gary Walton
I’m almost ashamed to admit it, but it’s been nearly 20 years since I attended my last World Championship Snowmobile Derby in Eagle River. As oval track racing peaked in the late eighties and cross-country and snocross rose to their respective pinnacles in the sport, I just stopped making time for the trip. After pulling in to the track last week for the Friday Night Thunder event, I realized I have been missing out.
P.J. Wandersheid continues to be the man at Eagle River
Not much about the Derby has changed in 20 years and that’s a good thing. The event and city are a timeless reminder of some of what’s really cool about snowmobiling. The 10,000 plus fans who line the bank of the hallowed front straight, aren’t necessarily there to cheer on their favorite driver. They are here simply because it is Eagle River, a date that’s been on their calendars since the Monday following last year’s derby. The race no longer makes the TV news much farther than the regional network, but for three days, it is the place to be.
The other thing you notice immediately about Eagle River is that it is snowmobiling nirvana. This year, not unlike most, featured great snow conditions on the massive local trail network and it seemed like half of the people coming to and from the event did so on their sled. For those you in the Midwest who’ve been reduced to a couple of rides with your buddies each season and maybe one trip out west, you really should get a weekend in northern Wisconsin back on the radar.
Oval racing, unfortunately, has continued down somewhat of a path of decline. The level of competition is greater than ever and their are some truly great riders and teams leading the charge. The stigma is that the sleds are so specialized and so far removed from consumer models, that there is a disconnect in the marketing value to the manufacturers. But you know what, my Chevy truck does not resemble Tony Stewart’s Impala, so what’s the difference? In fact, while the largest numbers are in the premier Champ class, there are some stock classes that stray no farther that a tunnel enclosure and some serious lowering of stock suspension components. Yamaha is actually putting in a factory effort in the Pure Stock 600 class with Alaska’s Chad Gueco at the trigger, under the guidance of longtime racer and good guy Jesse Strege.
Given the weather related struggle to build quality ice tracks and the fact that the wicked fast sensation of oval racing doesn’t translate well to television, probably means that the genre is destined to be niche sport. But if you’re a racer or race fan, you’ve got to check it out.
Andrew Johnstad scored his first career win as a pro during the Friday Night Thunder race at Eagle River.
Several years ago, the Decker family jumped on the snocross bandwagon, incorporating a terrain course into the oval infield. Initially viewed almost as sacrilege, it has proven to be a brilliant move. Derby weekend is typically an off weekend for most traveling SX teams and while only a handful choose to attend, it makes for a smorgasbord of activity for the fans.
Amsoil race boss Jeremy Meyer was living large Friday night as team riders Robbie Malinoski and Andrew Johnstad traded wins and went 1-2 in the snocross Pro finals. This was followed up by a terrific display on the oval by Amsoil Arctic Cat hotshoe P.J. Wandersheid winning the Sweet 16 final. All fitting considering this was an Amsoil sponosred weekend, giving the Superior, Wisconsin based biz full marketing pop.
It was great to see so many old familiar faces, including all of the Decker family, Indy legend Bobby Unser and of course, Jacques Villeneuve, who at 58 is still there competing at the raged edge just like always.
Unofficial order, FXR Pro 600: Ekre, Simons, Dick, Christensen, Ebert, Huston, Bunke, Lian, Davis, Gausen, Titus, Christensen, Slominski, Kallock, Ipsen, Omdahl
Levi LaVallee is scheduled to practice at Ski Gull ski hill in Brainerd, Minn. today from 2-4PM. No doubt he’ll be throwin down some stuff getting ready for his Winter X run. Get info here:
The USCC Seven Clans Casino Red Lake I-500 Presented by C&A Pro Skis begins today at 10AM. Listen live online here:
MEDWAY, Maine — David Violette has this dream. He imagines thousands flocking to the East Branch Sno-Rovers clubhouse on winter weekends to watch hundreds of sleds race on the club’s new 2,300-foot ice track, with so many patrons jamming hotels, cafes and restaurants “that we need more of all of the above,” he said.
Violette, president of the club, feels his dream is close at hand. The last of the club’s track was being poured Wednesday and the club’s inaugural race kicks off the state’s first drag racing season this weekend for the fledgling Maine Snowmobile Drag Racing Association.
Medway, he says, can be New England’s premier snowmobile drag-racing site.
More here: http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/134702.html
Get your course maps and follow the Red Lake I-500:
http://www.usccracing.com/race_info_2010/2010_red_lake_i500_course_maps.php
They don't call him Launchin' Levi for nothin'
In addition to snocross, adaptive snocross, best trick and freestyle there will be a new snowmobile comp at Winter X Games 14, Snowmobile Knock Out. Here’s how www.expn.go.com describes the new comp:
“Snowmobile Knock Out will feature six athletes competing in a single elimination format. The athlete score is based on the actual distance travelled from take off ramp to landing. Each round, the rider who travels the least distance gets knocked out of competition. Snowmobile champion Levi LaVallee is confirmed to compete in the debut of Snowmobile Knock Out.
“I’m really excited about the new event,” said LaVallee, who made an even bigger name for himself last year at Winter X Games when he attempted a double backflip. “It gives snocross a similar event to Moto Step Up, which is always a crowd favorite. With my snocross and freestyle background, I’m hoping to be one of the front runners.”
Other athletes signed up for Knock Out include Tucker Hibbert, Chris Burandt, Heath Frisby, Joe Parsons, Robbie Malinoski (alternate) and Isaac Sherbine (alternate).
Arctic Cat will be re- programming 2010 Sno Pro 500s for those that will be in Thief River Falls, Minn., for the USCC Red Lake I-500 race this weekend. Please stop by the Arctic Motorsports trailer parked at the Casino to have this done. Please have the ECU off the sled and bring the sleds serial number with you.
For those that are not going to be at the I-500 information will be coming soon as to what you will need to do to get this update completed.
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