Tapio Takes King of Kings. For results click here.

Photo: RIA Novosti

From Voice of Russia:

Finnish snowmobile racer Erik Venalainen has become the sport class winner in the Yamalkan First International Snowmobile Marathon held in the Russian city of Salekhard on the Yamal peninsula above the Arctic Circle. He covered a difficult route in the tundra in 2 hours and 49 minutes at an average speed of 80km an hour.

Salekhard racer Anton Taishin was the best in the utilitarian snowmobile class.

“Many guests have come from all over the world to see the unique beauty of the North,” Governor of Yamal Dmitry Kobylkin said. “People know about Yamal as a region of Russian gas fields but I would like them to see the beauty of this land,” the governor said.

72 sportsmen from Russia, Finland, Norway and Sweden took part in the competition.

TASS

Photo: Volga-Dnieper Airlines

Volga-Dnepr Airlines has delivered snowmobiles from Saint Petersburg to the Russia town of Salekhard, located on the Yamal peninsula above the Arctic Circle.

The IL-76TD-90VD freighter carried 25 snowmobiles weighing a combined 10 tonnes, for use in the Yamalkan Internaitonal Snowbile Rally. The cargo flight was operated on behalf of the Government of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District.

The international snowmobile marathon rally was held on March 24, and included 72 competitors from Russia, U.S., Austria, Norway, Finland and Estonia. Professional and amateur snowmobilers raced along a 250 kilometers long track. Volga-Dnepr will fly the snowmobiles back to Saint Petersburg.

Source.

Unofficial: 1. Petter Narsa; 2. Tim Tremblay; 3. Kyle Pallin – Narsa came from behind and passed Tremblay to take the lead and the win.

Malcolm Chartier ran lap times almost as fast as the Champ 440s at Eagle River on his Factory 600. A Factory 600 is a Champ chassis with a stock single pipe 600cc race engine.

The rules for the chassis in the Factory 600 class are the same as Champ except for Titanium and exotic materials which are not allowed. You can use your chassis, buy a used Champ chassis or buy a Wahl or Houle chassis.

Ski Doo and Arctic Cat sell complete kits for mechanics but you can also buy a new or used Snocross engine and use the parts stipulated in the rules and to build a Factory 600. You must use the hood, decals and the seat stipulated by the manufacturer of the engine. For 2012 Ski Doo selected the hood manufactured and sold by Samson Racing, Arctic Cat selected the hood manufactured and sold by P.J. Wanderscheid. Polaris had chosen hood design Van Strydonk uses but they later decided not to support the class on EPT for 2012.

We do not intend to make the Factory 600 class the Premiere class for 2013 or any time in the near future, but the manufacturers, spectators and some new sponsors are interested in this class. At EPT we will follow the wave of the offer of those who want to pay for the races and the request for those who pay to come to see the races. They are the ones who will ultimately bring back oval racing.

Here are the contingencies offered by the manufacturers in 2012:
Artic Cat (wins only)
Pro Champ = $500
Semi Pro Champ = $250
Factory 600 = $500
An “Arctic Cat” decal measuring a minimum of 2″ X 12″ Must be displayed on both sides of the cowling

Ski Doo (wins only)
Pro Champ = $300
Factory 600 = $200
OEM hood, OEM hood decals, prominently displayed XP-S High Performance Lubricants decals

VALCOURT
Ski Doo (wins only)
Pro Champ = $5000
Factory 600 = $500
OEM hood, OEM hood decals, rominently displayed XP-S High Performance Lubricants decals

Thank You and have a good day.

Claude Paiement
EPT

Elections & Dinner
Saturday 3/24/12
Happy Hour from 4-5pm
Voting from 5 – 5:30pm
Dinner at 6pm
Blue Goose: 9347 Us Highway 169 Garrison, MN 56450

The FUN part of this evening will be a social dinner with all our ORA members and friends. Due to the limited events we had this year, many of you already know we are not able to provide year end awards. However, Hoglund Law will provide a dinner for each and every Driver that participated with us this season. Sorry, only the driver gets the free meal.

The Blue Goose is supplying a big round silver thing full of an adult malt beverage other wise know as (cerveza; sauce; nectar ;brewski; barley-pop) for happy hour.

To help us and the Goose plan for this event, please RSVP the drivers name along with dinner choice, and any guests names via email to: INFO@SNOWMOBILERACING.MN

Dinner Choices:
BBQ Pork Dinner
10oz Sirloin Dinner

The BUSINESS part of the evening will be an election of several board seats that are vacant or up for election.

These are 2 year terms
Seats Open or Up for Election:
Jeff Darr (incumbant running for another term)
Mike Meghar (incumbant running for another term)
_________________ Vacant

If you would like to add your name to the ballot, or if you would like to nominate someone, Nominations are due Monday 2/19/12 via email to: INFO@SNOWMOBILERACING.MN

2012-2013 Rules & Divers Meeting
Saturday 4/14/12
2pm – 5pm
Dave and Busters in Maple Grove MN

This date was selected as we feel its important to hold our meeting prior to the ISR meeting end of April. This will gives you a chance to tell us what you need or what your concerns are before we meet with the ISR and other affiliates.

To make this meeting successful, we will adhere to a strict agenda. Any current RACER – MEMBER that has ANYTHING you wish discussed, it will need to be placed on the agenda or for ever hold your peace! LOL

Agenda items will need to be e-mailed to:
INFO@SNOWMOBILERACING.MN
no later than 4/11/12

Cain’s Quest is one of the most grueling snowmobile races on the planet and it’s happening right now. fans can follow the race via live tracking as the riders navigate the rugged territory of Newfoundland and Labrador. For more info on the race visit http://cainsquest.com/

March 18, 2012 – Monster Energy/Arctic Cat’s Tucker Hibbert suffered internal injuries after crashing in a downhill section at the ISOC Nielsen Enterprises Grand Finale Saturday evening in Lake Geneva, Wisc. Hibbert walked off the track under his own power but after his abdominal pain gradually increased, he chose to check himself into an ER at a local hospital. It was quickly determined he had a moderate laceration in his left kidney which caused internal bleeding along with bruising on his pancreas. He was transferred to a trauma center in Milwaukee where he is currently being closely monitored by his doctors and nurses.

He is fully alert and received no head trauma from the crash. His doctors are optimistic by his improvements overnight and expect him to make a full recovery without surgical repairs. Hibbert was scheduled to fly to Sweden tomorrow to compete in the Clash of Nations Super Snowcross event March 23-24. It would have been his final snocross event of the 2011/2012 season.
Stay connected to his Facebook and Twitter accounts for more updates.
Tucker’s Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TuckerHibbert

Tucker’s Twitter: http://twitter.com/hibbert68

Ross Martin

MINNEAPOLIS (March 13, 2012) – The exceptional breathability and waterproof capabilities of MotorFist outerwear was put to the extreme test this weekend, as Team MotorFist athletes battled at ERX Motor Park in Elk River. Faced with incredibly warm temperatures and a mountain of sloppy man-made snow, Ross Martin, Mike Bauer, and James Johnstad kept their attention on the track, leaving their MotorFist gear to handle the elements.

The divide and conquer strategy paid off for the team, but not before a freak mechanical failure parked the former year-end champ Friday evening. Looking to charge the podium in hopes of capturing the year-end championship yet again, Martin experienced a catastrophic engine failure when a chunk of his fly wheel let loose while leading Friday’s main event.

“We’d been pulling our hair out all week attempting to diagnose a strange hesitation with that engine,” said team owner and manager Scott Judnick. “I guess we found the problem, unfortunately it cost us the podium.”

The setback however didn’t slow Martin, who returned to action Saturday evening with fresh Liberty power under the hood, and the podium in his concentrated glare. After winning both of his qualifying races, Martin bolted from the line in the main event and easily led the pack of 15-sleds for much of the race. However despite the massive ERX track that clicked off-lap times nearing over a minute, Martin encountered slower traffic with just two-laps remaining. Startled by the speed and sudden appearance of Martin on their bumper, the lappers inadvertently forced Martin to abort his winning run. While the last second move avoided injury to both Martin and the slower competitor, it also dashed Martins’ hope for victory, finishing the race in the bridesmaid position.

“That’s racing,” said Judnick after the podium awards ceremony. “After Friday’s let-down, I’m proud of how our team turned things around so fast. We could have thrown in the towel, but instead Ross came out and nearly won it all. He’s focused right now, and I wouldn’t bet against him in Geneva next weekend.”

Fellow MotorFist athlete Mike Bauer continued to ease back into the national pace after recovering from a wrist injury earlier in the season. While Bauer finished in the top-ten Friday, he also bruised his mended wrist, and the team deemed it best to sit Mike out Saturday evening in hopes of better results in Geneva.

MotorFist athlete and Pro-Lite rookie James Johnstad, continues to ride strong and looks to finish the season in the top three of the Pro-Lite year-end championship chase.

Next up for Judnick Motorsports and the MotorFist athletes is the Nielsen Enterprises Grand Finale in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, March 16-18, 2012.

Brian Dick

Fertile, Minn. (March 12, 2012) – Christian Brothers Racing cross-country riders put a stamp on their 2012 USCC cross-country race season at the Warroad 100 and Warroad 75 this past March 10-11. The team’s two Pro 600 victories on the weekend made it 5 of 6 for the season, proving the team’s dominance on the circuit. An even bigger stamp was CBR riders Ryan Simons winning his second consecutive Pro 600 points championship and D.J. Ekre locking down the Pro Open points championship after winning 4 of 6 Pro Open races on the season and his first Pro Open points championship since he won it in 2010.

In a winter that saw unseasonably warm temperatures and extremely low snowfall, CBR riders followed the USCC circuit onto frozen laketops for 4 of its 7 events. Proving their adaptability in both setup and riding, the team nabbed all but one of the victories on the ice. When the circuit met the more familiar terrain-style racing of Northern Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota CBR riders proved unbeatable, winning all of the terrain-oriented Pro 600 and Pro Open races.

At Warroad the team once again took to the ice, racing on the frozen surface and snow-filled shorelines of Lake of the Woods, located on the border between Minnesota and Canada. Brian Dick, fresh off finishing his first ever Iron Dog cross-country race, claimed the Pro 600 win during Saturday’s Warroad 100 event. Dick’s Troy Lee Designs Arctic Cat finished nearly 11-seconds clear of the second place rider to take his second class win of the season. After sealing the Pro Open points championship in his favor earlier in the day on Sunday, Ekre claimed his second Pro 600 win of the season aboard his Stud Boy-backed Arctic Cat, posting a time just over half a minute faster than his teammate and second place finisher Simons. But it was Simons who took home the biggest prize of the weekend, his second consecutive Pro 600 points championship.

Ryan Simons

“This is unbelievable,” said Simons. “When I first came out cross-country racing I never thought I’d be winning points championships five years later, no less two of them! This just shows the support I have from Christian Brothers Racing, they are the reason I can go out and win.”

“We race to win, and we won our fair share of USCC races this season,” said team co-owner Dwight Christian. “I’m really proud of the team. It’s been a crazy season with the low snow conditions and having to go ice racing – they did such a great job adapting to the season. They all came together and made the season a huge success bringing home the points championships.”

Just north of Minneapolis, Minn., the other half of the CBR team was battling it out at the ISOC ERX National snocross race in Elk River, Minnesota. Logan Christian was forced to sit out the weekend as his bruised lungs needed more time to heal. Garth Kaufman, who has been fighting two bruised heels and a bruised spleen, suffered a dislocated elbow during Friday’s racing, ending his season. That left Cory Davis to battle it out alone and he represented the team well with a hard-fought 7th place finish during Saturday night’s Pro Open final.

Evan Christian won the 120 Champ final after he took the lead on the last lap of the race. Christian made an exciting pass for the lead in the last corner before the finish line after tailing the leader for most of the race. Christian also took a second place podium finish in the Transition Limited 8-12 class.

Next up for Christian Brothers Racing is the ISOC Nielsen Enterprises Grand Finale in Lake Geneva, Wis., March 16-18, 2012. For more information on Christian Brothers Racing visit www.christianbrosracing.com.