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Looking Back at North America’s Top Snowmobiler 2016 & 2017

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Looking Back at North America’s Top Snowmobiler 2016 & 2017

Luke reflects on the last two years of the Supertrax Media and Ski-Doo created contest: North America’s Top Snowmobiler. Year one of the contest saw Troy Burt of Newfoundland, Canada take the coveted title as a number of contestants entered to vie for the rights of North America’s Top Snowmobiler, and thousands of votes contributed to Troy’s success. In year two, the contest was transformed into a competition pitting Canada versus the United States where we would crown a new champion in the form of Canadian Justin Evans of British Columbia.

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TEAM ARCTIC TRIUMPHS AT 50TH ANNIVERSARY SOO INTERNATIONAL 500 ENDURO

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TEAM ARCTIC TRIUMPHS AT 50TH ANNIVERSARY SOO INTERNATIONAL 500 ENDURO

St. Cloud, Minn. (Feb. 06, 2018) – After 500 miles of battling snow, bumps and the fastest endurance racers in the world on the famed 1-mile oval in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., Team Arctic triumphed at the 50th Annual Soo International 500 Enduro. The Christian Brothers Racing duo of Zach Herfindahl and Wes Selby prevailed to win the historic event in stunning fashion following a 100-lap dogfight with the top four teams, with the Cadarette Collision team of Troy DeWald, Ryan Spencer and Bill Wilkes taking fourth overall.

“That was one of the gutsiest, most hard-faught racing performances I’ve had the pleasure to witness” said Team Arctic Race Manager Mike Kloety, referring to the battle that ensued between the top four teams during the final 100 laps. “To have the top-4 teams finish within 20 seconds after 500 miles shows the parity and tenacity of the sport’s best racers. To prevail was a testament to our racers and their teams.”

Nine teams competed at the 50th Anniversary event aboard Arctic Cat ZR 6000R snowmobiles, and several appeared ready to take the win. Troy DeWald led a Team Arctic sweep of the top-5 places in Thursday’s 25-lap Woody’s Challenge event, plus set the fastest qualifying lap to take the pole position for Saturday’s main event. As a previous two-time winner, Dewald knew what it would take to claim a third crown. The Bouchard Racing, Langaas Racing and Arneson Racing were in the mix for the first half of the race. The second Christian Brothers Racing team of Ryan Trout and Re Wadena finished third in 2017 and were in the mix until a track came apart on lap 285.

Likewise, the duo of Herfindahl and Selby were equally ready, having finished second in 2017 (with Selby winning the 2015 event with then-teammate Brian Dick) and regarded by many as two of the fastest terrain racers in the world today. They showed their intent by running near the front for the first few hundred laps, with a strategy putting themselves in a position to sprint for the win in the final 50 laps. They did precisely that.

The final outcome would reflect the expert preparation of the Arctic Cat ZR 6000R race sled with a Speedwerx-modified C-TEC2 engine, a dedicated crew that kept pit stops to a minimum, and remarkable driving by two outstanding athletes. Herfindahl’s charge during the final 100 laps gave the extra margin needed to score the third win for Team Arctic since DeWald and teammates first put Arctic Cat on top in 2010.

Team Arctic Results from the 50th Annual Soo 500 Enduro in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

1. Zach Herfindahl / Wes Selby – Christian Brothers Racing
4. Troy Dewald /Ryan Spencer– Cadarette Collision
12. John Booth / Kyle Roe – R&S Racing
19. Ross Erdman / Chad Lian / Dylan Stevens – Bouchard Racing
20. Ben Langaas / Tyler Ottinger – Langaas Racing
27. Matt Town / Luke Krantz / Greg Town – KMW Racing
28. Bob Spears / Michael Leinberger / Jordan Erickson / Matt Hoos – Team Scream
29. Ryan Trout / Re Wadena – Christian Brothers Racing
30. Timmy Kallock / Cody Kallock / Cody Shinault – Arneson Racing

About Arctic Cat


The Arctic Cat snowmobile brand is among the most widely recognized and respected in the industry. The company designs, engineers, manufactures and markets snowmobiles, in addition to related parts, garments and accessories under the Arctic Cat® and Motorfist® brand names. For more information, visit: www.arcticcat.com.

About Textron Inc.

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Textron Off Road, Arctic Cat, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training. For more information, visit: www.textron.com

Full REVIEW: 2018 Yamaha Apex

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Full REVIEW: 2018 Yamaha Apex

Mark reviews the newest edition of the long running, iconic snowmobile series – the 2018 Yamaha Apex.

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KIMPEX SEATJACK 2-UP SEAT

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KIMPEX SEATJACK 2-UP SEAT

Kimpex has a solution for converting your sled to a 2-upper in seconds.

The SeatJack 2-Up Seat can be added quickly to allow you and a passenger to ride safely in all-day comfort.

The backrest features adjustable lumbar support and the grip handles adjust to three different heights depending on your passenger’s preference.

The handgrips also include hand guard/wind deflectors to ensure digits don’t freeze up.

The seat has a maximum weight capacity of 225 pounds and is compatible with most snowmobiles on the market.

Visit kimpex.com for more information.

SnowTrax Television 2018 – Episode 6 Sneak Peek

SnowTrax TV
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SnowTrax Television 2018 – Episode 6 Sneak Peek

It’s time to see who can deliver the best of both worlds in terms of on and off-trail experience as we host a Crossover Shootout involving the 2018 Ski-Doo Renegade Backcountry X against the 2018 Polaris Switchback Assault.

Which sled will come out on top in this eight categorical battle involving on and off trail riding and handling, power, ergonomics, features and fit & finish.

AJ is in the Trail Tech shop looking at some potential cool extras to to add to your sled such as the Kimpex Seat Jack for your two-up seat, Skinz Protective Gear Seat Cover and Kimpex F1 Mirrors.

Then in Test Ride, AJ is here to review the king of the mountain – the 2018 Polaris 800 PRO-RMK 174.

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How Rotax Develops the 600R E-TEC Engine

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How Rotax Develops the 600R E-TEC Engine

We get an exclusive invite to BRP’s Rotax manufacturing plant in Gunskirchen, Austria to get an insider’s look at the development of powersports’ engines, including the new 600R E-TEC for Ski-Doo’s recently announced 2018 MXZ 600.

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HYPERSLED ENGINES: YAMAHA 998CC TURBO

Kent Lester
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HYPERSLED ENGINES: YAMAHA 998CC TURBO

It goes without saying Yamaha’s industry leading powerhouse is a jewel-like piece of complex machinery.

Some of this complexity is because of the nature of 4-stroke design. There are cams and valves and valve springs and all kinds of assorted mechanical hardware associated with a dual-overhead cam engine like the Turbo. Add in the fact this engine is a three cylinder and you have a thirty-three percent increase in whiz-bang over even a 4-stroke twin.

We could go into detail with the design and magic of the Yamaha triple itself but it’s probably better to focus on the turbocharger.

The principle behind using a turbo is to cram-pack the combustion chamber with an abnormal amount of fuel and oxygen and then set it off. Yes, it sounds like a bomb and it actually is.

Those explosions generate incredible amounts of power considering the displacement of the engine. The turbo spins at over 100,000 RPM and 180-hp from a 998cc engine is pretty impressive. However, turn up the boost on the turbo and this same engine can produce nearly 100 more!

Although the horsepower stats are impressive, what really blows things off the Richter scale are the torque numbers. The truth is, a turbocharger is first a torque generating device and not primarily a horsepower increasing one.

This is the reason why OEMs can keep the boost low, generating far less HP than the turbocharger can potentially deliver while, even at that lower boost level, the torque has increased substantially.

This is good for long engine life and, on a snowmobile using a CVT clutch, you can gear the driveline so the torque can overcome track friction, weight and aerodynamic drag at high speeds.

What makes this engine so appealing is the way it runs. Drive a SideWinder or a Cat 9000 and it’s so smooth you almost forget how much power is under your thumb. Tip in that throttle though and all the power of the universe is unleashed.

Simply, there’s nothing like it!

HYPERSLED ENGINES: POLARIS CLEANFIRE 800

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HYPERSLED ENGINES: POLARIS CLEANFIRE 800

Cleanfire is the Polaris nomenclature for its Semi-Direct Injection (SDI) technology used on both its 600 and 800cc USA-built 2-stroke twins.

Semi-Direct technology has been around in the snowmobile biz since the early two-thousands and was initially offered by Ski-Doo prior to the introduction of the company’s trademark E-TEC Direct Injection.

In a 2-stroke, Direct Injection effectively seals off the bottom end from inducted oil and fuel and places the fuel injectors right in the combustion chamber, usually at the top of the piston. This is not the case with SDI. The principle behind SDI is to allow the engine to run as lean as possibly safe to deliver clean exhaust.

In a Semi-Direct Injected engine like Cleanfire, the fuel injectors are located in the boost ports and deliver gasoline to the top of the piston as crankcase pressure moves the charge up through the boost ports.

Meanwhile, oil in minimal mounts, metered by an electronic oil pump, is injected into the crankcase. Residual oil is transferred to the top of the pistons as the engine cycles so there is adequate lube for the cylinder walls and piston rings.

In order to meet EPA standards, it’s really important with an SDI engine to use a “knock” or detonation sensor. This electronic device, usually mounted on the cylinder head, “senses” an overly lean situation with the fuel-air mixture and alters engine timing to keep heat to a minimum. Today, you can drive a Cleanfire with a knock sensor and it’s so subtle you may not even know it’s working.

Cleanfire has really perfected SDI technology so it is transparent and both the 600 and 800 deliver extremely good bottom end power with incredibly crisp throttle tip-in and response. It’s no surprise they do; these engines are designed to run really lean all the time and that’s exactly what you get with a race engine.

At the same time, the crankcase is getting sufficient lubrication and is kept cool without the need for liquid-cooled cases.

2018 YAMAHA SRVIPER

Mark Lester
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2018 YAMAHA SRVIPER

If there’s one thing Yamaha may be guilty of, it is not changing enough.

Clearly ten years for the Vector and Apex was a too-long-run through the showrooms and when the manufacturing agreement with Arctic Cat came into play four years ago we felt confident Yamaha would keep up with market changes and deliver significant new-ness more frequently.

As a result of this thought process, Model Year 2019 just may be Yamaha’s year. Listen up.

HERE’S THE BEEF

The Viper has become familiar – real familiar – and if there’s one thing we know to be true about the new sled marketplace, the latest and greatest sells first and sells most.

So what does the Viper look like in 2018? It looks really good and has since its intro back in 2014. To Yamaha’s credit, the melding of Cat’s production talents with its own engine building expertise has been a decided win for the company and its dealers.

The Viper scores big on reliability and has proven tough, durable and worthy of carrying a Yamaha logo. The 1049 triple cylinder EFI 4-stroke is still among the best 4-stroke engines in this business producing righteous power from engagement to full whack. In fact, this engine’s performance is legitimately comparable to a 600 2-stroke.

WISH LIST FOR 2019

We’re hoping Yamaha includes its new beefed up, overdrive, turbo primary and roller cam secondary on the Viper for MY19. While the Yamaha clutch duo on the current Viper is effective, the secondary is still not a roller design. There’s potential for even better acceleration with a roller secondary.

We also think there’s room on the Viper for the 1049’s fully developed drive-by-wire (DBW) throttle that’s currently in use on the Vector. The Vector has to be approaching the end of its production life and the DBW throttle should now be a part of the Viper’s engine control system. It is completely transparent, creating no throttle lag or negative side effects, just nice, light and linear throttle actuation.

One issue we’d like Yamaha to address is a move to a more compliant brake pad material on the drive axle mounted hydraulic brake caliper. This chassis is noted for requiring a rather heavy pull on the radial master cylinder lever and also for a lack of “feel” or modulation.

Ski-Doo has suffered from the same issue with its drive axle brake but has made incremental improvements to the over-all feel and effort required at the lever.

In terms of ride compliance there are two pieces of advice we’ll offer those considering a Viper. First, don’t leave the showroom without QS3 Fox dampers up front and on the rear arm. Second, go for the 137-inch Viper as it, in combination with the QS3 shocks, delivers hands-down the best ride in Yamaha’s fleet.

The Slide Action skid out back in combination with the 3-position QS3 shocks can be tuned to provide an excellent ride for a variety of pilots and the 137-inch skid bridges moguls and noticeably reduces trail chatter better than the 129.

If you’re sold on 4-strokes, the SRViper should be a serious contender in your quest for a new ride. If you’re not sure if you’re ready to drink the 4-stroke Kool-Aid just yet, then you need to give the Viper a try. Other than over-all machine weight we feel it is among the lowest compromise 4-stroke sleds available.

Arctic Cat’s Ride of a Lifetime

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Arctic Cat’s Ride of a Lifetime

SnowTrax departs to the frigid Arctic Circle to take one incredibly lucky contestant winner on Arctic Cat’s Ride of a Lifetime giveaway. Watch as Luke embarks on a two-day, near 400km group snowmobile trek through the harsh, natural terrain of Norway to the familiar and tranquil landscape of Finland where no two trails are the same.

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    SNOWTRAX has established itself as the most watched snowmobile TV series in North America.
    Each season, the SNOWTRAX crew guides viewers through informative and entertaining content; revealing the inside scoop on the latest snowmobiles, accessories and riding destinations that make snowmobiling winter's greatest adventure sport.
    SNOWTRAX can be viewed weekly during the winter season in Canada on City TV, Wild TV, REV TV and Sportsman Channel Canada and across America on Sportsman Channel.

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