Nicholas Van Strydonk of Tomahawk, Wisconsin repeated as the grand winner of the 29th running of the Grand Prix Ski-Doo of Valcourt presented by La Capitale General Insurance.

The final race of the day on Circuit Yvon Duhamel’s ice oval track featured the 12 best racers in the Pro Champ 440 class that made it through the qualifying rounds on Sunday. The race produced two leaders with 17-year old Travis MacDonald from Winnipeg leading the first five before being passed by Van Strydonk who led the rest of the way.

Joel Diamond of Lapeer, Michigan was the third man on the podium. Jason Lavallée of Drummondville was the top Quebec rider with a seven-place finish.

Jacques Villeneuve easily qualified for the Valcourt grand finale finishing fourth in his first qualifying heat race and second in the next two. Still hampered by his rib injuries, the Quebec rider did not push his snowmobile to the limit, but he made sure he garnered enough points to make it to the finale without having to run the last chance qualifying race. Unfortunately, the three-time Valcourt winner retired with a mechanical failure on lap 10 of 15 while running fifth.

On the infield snocross track, Tim Tremblay of Sainte-Jeanne d’Arc, QC was the other grand winner in Valcourt as he dominated the Pro Open field, crossing the finish line with an eight-second lead over Robbie Malinoski of Aurora, Minnesota.

For the Ski-Doo factory-backed driver, it was his second win in as many days. Emil Ahman of Sweden finished third. Danny Poirier of Saint-Théodore d’Acton, QC, who was down in eighth place on the opening lap, drove through the field to finish fourth ahead of Iain Hayden of Holland Center, ON and local ace Kaven Benoît from the nearby town of Notre-Dame du Bon-Conseil.

The two-wheeled machine were back in action for a second day in-a-row and they put in quite a show for the crowd on a sunny Sunday afternoon on the ice oval track with Karl Daigle of Sherbrooke, Québec winning again in a carbon copy of the Saturday race.

Samuel Desbiens of L’Ange-Gardien (QC) took second place again ahead of Maxime Sylvestre of Berthierville. The 10-lap event was red flagged twice because of off-course excursions with the first stoppage costly for Desbiens who led the first six laps. At the first restart, Daigle quickly got off the mark to take the lead and run to the checkered flag.

The second finale of day was held on the snocross track, an 11-lap affair in the Semi Pro Super Stock 600 class. From the start, Dylan Hall of Ayr, Ontario quickly took the lead, but by lap six he was being challenged by Pierre-Vincent Fillion of Desbiens, QC who was moving up the field. On the following lap, Fillion moved pass the CSRA points leader on the front bump straight to go on and win the event, thus depriving Hall of a second win in as many days. Jeremy VanDolder of Annan, Ontario finished third

Next year, the Grand Prix Ski-Doo of Valcourt presented by La Capitale General Insurance will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its annual event February 17-19, 2012. It’s an event that Xtreme race fans will not want to miss.

The world’s best power tools are on board to support and sponsor the world’s best snocross racers. ISOC and the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series are pleased to announce Makita USA as its Official Power Tool Sponsor.

Makita applies leading edge technology to engineer tools that are more compact with less weight yet deliver industrial strength power and results.

All Makita products are put through rigorous testing and have the tightest tolerances for lasting performance. These high standards are similar to those of the professional athletes of the ACSS, and it’s just one of the reasons Makita and snocross racing are a perfect match.

Another reason is Makita’s ongoing sponsorship of competitive racing, which includes supercross, motocross, off-road, and more.

“Makita’s commitment to competitive racing, the fans and the teams continues to grow each year,” said Brent Withey, Makita Director of Brand Marketing. “We support the sports that support the Makita brand, so it’s awesome for Makita to be The Official Power Tool of ISOC. We know these racing fans are the real deal and they appreciate leading product innovation and power tools engineered for the demands on the jobsite and at the track.”

“It just makes sense to include Makita as a series sponsor for the ACSS,” John Daniels, CEO of ISOC Racing said. “Makita makes the best power tools and we have the best snocross athletes.”

Makita power tools are a popular choice for professional contractors and mechanics, so it’s no wonder they are found in snocross mechanical trailers nationwide. Fans at National ACSS events can see for themselves at the Makita demonstration booths.

TEAMS WORKING TOGETHER IN USCC, IRON DOG AND ARCTIC MAN RACES

Two of the most powerful snowmobile racing teams are joining forces to take on three of the toughest snowmobile races. Warnert Racing, one of the most experienced snocross racing teams in the lower forty eight, and Team CC, one of the most experienced cross country racing teams in Alaska, are announcing their partnership for three cross country races in February, March and April this season.

The joint team begins their effort at the world renowned Iron Dog event starting this Sunday February 20th in Big Lake, Alaska (near Wasilla) and concluding 2000 miles later in Fairbanks.

Their second race is the United States Cross Country (USCC) event in Warroad, MN March 13th and the final race in 2011 will be the Arctic Man Classic April 6th-10th. Tyler Aklestad will be handling the driving duties at all three events and will be joined by three fellow Alaskan racers at the Iron Dog event.

The team drivers for the Iron Dog are:

Team # 8 Tyler Aklestad and Tyson Johnson
Team # 14 Marc McKenna and Dusty VanMeter

The team will draw on the wealth of knowledge and resources that both organizations have amassed in more than 20 years of racing.

“We’re extremely happy to align ourselves with Team CC on the cross country side of racing and really look forward to working with Korey Cronquist and his team” stated Mark Warnert, President of Warnert Racing “We can learn a lot from each other and move forward faster by combining our talents” Warnert concluded.

Fresh off its successful performance at the Soo I-500, the Bunke Racing team headed to Walker, Minn., for the USCC Chase On The Lake Walker 100 this past Sunday, February 13.

Race day saw temperatures pushing 40-degrees Fahrenheit and the sun was trying to bust out all day making for a pleasant day of racing. USCC laid out an 18-mile course on Leech Lake that wound around Walker Bay, taking riders across the lake and along shorelines and into bogs. It was a fun course for the riders and a challenging one for the teams when it came to sled setup.

“These types of courses are tough because there is such a mix of rough stuff and ice,” said Gabe Bunke. “Setup ends up being a compromise between speed for the ice and suspension for the bumps.”

The day started with a two-lap Pro Open race and Bunke tackled the course with a time of 35:37.910, good enough for 6th place. Bobby Menne IV logged a two-lap time of 36:17.806 in Semi-Pro 600 Improved, good enough to put him on the podium in third place.

With solid results already posted, the team lined up for the Pro 600 and Semi-Pro 600 race later in the day. The Pros were set to run five laps with a fuel stop and Semi-Pros were down for three laps, no fuel stop.

Bunke used a solid race strategy to keep his Polaris IQ600R at the front of the pack and finished 9th, posting a five-lap time of 1:30:51.933. Menne put in another podium performance in Semi-Pro posting a three-lap time of 54:08.111, good enough for another third place.

“The course was challenging since it was such a mix of terrain, but that made it really fun,” said Menne. “We had a really good setup and I just kept pushing until the end. Third place is good, but I’ll be looking to win next weekend.”

The Walker 100 went on as scheduled despite the passing of USCC founder and President Pat Mach a little over a week prior to the race.

“Pat was a good friend of mine so this race was tough for me mentally since it was so soon after Pat’s funeral,” said Bunke. “But I know he would have wanted us to go racing and that’s what we did.”

Next up for Bunke Racing is the USCC Red Lake 75, February 19, and the Red Lake 100, February 20, in Red Lake, Minnesota. For more info on Bunke Racing visit www.bunkeracing.com. Follow Bunke Racing on the team’s Facebook fan page.

The Founder of Arctic Cat and Industry Pioneer Dies at Age 90

The legendary founder of Arctic Cat, co-founder of Polaris and “grandfather” of snowmobiling died on Saturday, February 12, in Grand Rapids, Minn. He was 90 years old.

An innovative visionary who turned the concept of an over-the-snow machine into a playful winter pastime, Edgar made deep, lasting tracks that led to a new means of experiencing winter.

“Edgar did more than just make tracks,” said Roger Skime, Vice President of Engineering at Arctic Cat, “He broke a trail. From the frozen farmlands of Northwest Minnesota to every state, province and country that has snow. Along the way he built a company, nurtured an industry and shaped the culture of winter recreation with an unbridled optimism that made the sport what it is today, and will be tomorrow.”

In 1954 Edgar, along with his younger brother Allan and brother-in-law David Johnson, formed a manufacturing company in Roseau, Minn. The company produced its first snowmobile in 1956, a concept that Edgar initially scoffed at. But he quickly and wholeheartedly embraced the snowmobile, and soon became its greatest promoter.

His flair for adventure and promotion led him on an unprecedented 1,200-mile snowmobile trip across Alaska in 1960, which brought national exposure to a fledgling sport despite unanticipated derision “back home.”

Undeterred, Edgar founded Polar Manufacturing in Thief River Falls in 1961, where he began producing snowmobiles that reflected his dreams. One year later he changed the company name to Arctic Cat, and began a series of innovations that transformed hulking snow ‘machines’ into small, playful snowmobiles.

Edgar didn’t invent the snowmobile, but he envisioned its near-limitless opportunities with a clarity and passion that made him the greatest pioneer the sport has ever known.

“Edgar focused on the ‘mobile’ aspect of snowmobiles,” said Skime. “At the time few had any idea where the sport would go, but Edgar had a unique vision. He could imagine the possibilities, especially the social relationships. Perhaps his greatest insight was that snowmobiles were a means for people to recreate together.”

Five decades later, Edgar’s vision continues to propel a sport and an industry.

“Today, snowmobiling continues to capture our imagination,” said Claude Jordan, Arctic Cat President and CEO. “It fuels our spirit of adventure and, as an experiential, social winter recreation; it builds and strengthens the relationships we have with friends and family.”

Although the family of employees, dealers and snowmobilers sheds a collective tear, we raise our hands to cheer the sport, industry and culture that Edgar so profoundly shaped. While the long, lifetime-track Edgar made has ended, the trail he blazed continues onward.

Godspeed to you, Edgar Hetteen.

TREMBLAY AND MALINOSKI TAKE PODIUM SPOTS WHILE ROSEMEYER LEADS FLAG TO FLAG IN SEMI-PRO

The ISOC national snocross series hit the Silverdome in Detroit, Michigan for stop number five this past weekend and BRP’s Ski-Doo X-Team came ready to race in the warm confines under the canvas and steel roof.

Tim Tremblay of Warnert Racing and Robbie Malinoski from Scheuring Speed Sports continued their consistent podium performances in the Pro class again this weekend.

Both riders have shown great speed and stamina through the gruelling season and their efforts brought home a second for Tremblay and third for Malinoski in the fastest of the fast, Pro Open class.

Chase Rosemeyer had his best race ever In the Semi-Pro ranks as he broke through for his first National tour win on Saturday. The Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin native has raced as an independent for years on the national tour but was offered support from Bauerly Racing when their Pro, Paul Bauerly, was injured earlier this season.

Rosemeyer showed his appreciation by leading the final from flag to flag in a stellar performance – no doubt both the team and Chase are happy with results!

The Sport Class also brought some new faces to the podium for the X-Team. Kevin Wallenstein posted a win and in joining him was Michael Duncan who grabbed the second position.

Congratulations guys – we appreciate your efforts

For complete race results throughout the season visit the Ski-Doo X-Team home page at www.ski-doo.com

15 Class Victories in USCC Cross-Country, On Top of ISOC Snocross

The wins keep coming for Team Arctic cross-country and snocross racers, with another dominant performance at the USCC cross-country race in Walker, Minn., and Pro win at the ISOC National snocross at the Pontiac, Mich., Silverdome.

D.J. Ekre was the man-of-the-weekend, winning both the Pro 600 and Pro Open class at the USCC race in Walker to notch his first victories of the season.

Racing for the dominant Arctic Cat/Christian Bros. Racing team, Ekre’s victories, along with teammate Chad Kyllo’s win Semi Pro Improved, set in motion an unstoppable wave of winning for Team Arctic racers who claimed 15 of 20 class wins during the day.

Ryan Greening scored another win in Semi Pro 600 – his third of the season – while Jon Arneson topped the highly-competitive Expert 85 class for the first time.

Proving the depth of the Team Arctic program and the strength of the Sno Pro 600 and Sno Pro 500 race sleds, 12 different racers stood atop the podium in Walker, with six podium sweeps.

“When one team wins 15 of 20 class finals, I call it a phenomenal performance,” said Team Arctic Race Manager, Mike Kloety. “Yet it was a bittersweet weekend for us, as we’re still grieving the death of USCC President Pat Mach, who guided the circuit into a premier venue for cross-country racing. One week after his passing, USCC crew provided a first-class event to honor Pat and the entire Mach family. I’m as proud of that as I am Team Arctic’s domination.”

Meanwhile, Team Arctic’s Tucker Hibbert delivered another scorching win in the Pro Stock class in Pontiac, where ISOC ran an abbreviated class program for the indoor event.

Garth Kaufman notched his second ISOC podium in a row, with teammate Logan Christian just missing the box in fourth. Hibbert was on his way to another double-win before an uncharacteristic get-off in the Pro Open final shuffled him back to fourth.

Although bad luck prevented the usual podium-sweeping performance, Team Arctic motored out of Pontiac with the championship points lead in four of six classes.

The next race in the USCC circuit is Feb. 19 in Red Lake, Minn., while the next ISOC National is March 5-6 in Hayward, Wis.