Watch a Polaris Switchback Assault 144″ built in Roseau, Minnesota USA on the assembly line from start to finish. This is a very cool video.
The Grand Prix of Valcourt will return the weekend of February 18-20, 2011 for the 29th consecutive running of the Quebec annual winter motorsports classic.
The traditional rendezvous of snow riders, snowmobile travelers and Xtreme sport race fans will once again be sponsored by Ski-Doo and presented by La Capitale General Insurance.
The GPSV features the best ice oval racers and snocross riders who will battle for overall honours on the 0.8 km Yvon Duhamel ice oval speedway and snocross track during the three-day extreme sport extravaganza.
“Valcourt continues the tradition, which began in 1983, with this year’s presentation of the 29th consecutive event from February 18-20, 2011. We are pleased that for the second year, La Capital General Insurance is returning as presenting sponsor of the event,” said Linsay Roberge, Director of Operations of the Grand Prix Ski-Doo of Valcourt. “The 2011 running of the Grand Prix of Valcourt should be a spectacular event and the level of competition at its best. We expect to attract the best snocross and ice oval racers from both sides of the border since there are no other Northeastern professional series competing the weekend of the Grand Prix. During the three days of action, extreme sports racing fans will be delighted by the prowess of the best snowmobile racers in North America. And, just in time for the Holidays, and until December 25, Grand Prix organizers are offering winter sports fans a special pre-Christmas Track Suite Pass price package.”
Exceptional Offer for Xtreme Sports Fans
To celebrate the event, organizers of the Grand Prix are offering Xtreme sports fans an exceptional pre-Christmas package. Until December 25, 2010 inclusively, anyone purchasing a three-day Trackside Suite Pass for the weekend of February 18-20 will pay only $80 per pass, taxes included, a savings of close to 30% off the regular price of $116. This offer will make an exciting gift for all under the Christmas tree!
To take advantage of this offer, fans must order by calling the ticket office at 1-450-532-3443 or toll-free at 1-866-532-7543. A suite pass offers an incredible view of all the action on Circuit Yvon Duhamel from the comfort of a heated suite. To learn more about the weekend festivities, schedule and ticket packages, fans can visit www.grandprixvalcourt.com. Children under 12 are admitted free to the Grand Prix site, but they must be accompanied by an adult. This special offer does not extend to trackside suites where all guests, including children, must hold a valid ticket.
The Snocross Season Is Underway
The snocross season got underway the weekend of November 28 in Duluth, Minnesota with the ISOC Amsoil Championship Snocross Series. The 2011 season opener saw several competitors from Quebec and the Northeastern States enjoying their first outing of the year.
Jennifer Paré of La Doré, Quebec who claimed two-podium finishes last year in Valcourt including a win in Sport Super Stock 600, got off to a strong start at the Duluth Nationals with a win in the Pro Am Women Super Stock Class. Paré crossed the finish line by six-tenths of a second ahead of Carly Davis of Soldonta, Alaska.
Tim Tremblay of Sainte-Jeanne d’Arc marked his best result of the weekend with a third place in Pro Super Stock, while TJ Gulla of Jericho, Vermont finished fourth. In the Pro Open Class, Tremblay was fifth and Gulla eighth. Tucker Hibbert of Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, won both races. In the two Semi Pro Super Stock races, Darrin Mees of Setanket, NY claimed two-podium finishes with a second on Saturday and a third on Sunday.
Kaven Benoit of Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Conseil was Quebec’s top finisher on Saturday in that class with a ninth-place finish, while Renaud Alexandre of Val d’Or finished sixth on Sunday. Round two of ISOC Championship Snocross Series will be held this weekend in Fargo, North Dakota.
In the opening round of the Canadian Snocross Racing Association Championship (CSRA) last weekend at the Calabogie Peak Resort near Ottawa, Maxime Taillefer of Laval finished second behind Gord Nelson of Norwood, ON who won the two Pro Stock Class races. In the Trail Sport 500 Class, Maxime Descoste of Mirabel, QC finished fourth, his best of the weekend. The win went to Dylan Hall of Ayr, Ontario.
On the local front, the Quebec-based SCM Camoplast Sno-Cross Championship is scheduled to get underway January 8-9 in Plattsburgh, NY. On January 22-23, Jacques Villeneuve will begin defending his title in the opening round of the SCM Racing Eastern Pro Tour in Manitowaning, ON. As for the Eagle River, Wisconsin World Championship Snowmobile Derby, it is scheduled to be run the weekend of January 13-16, 2011.
Rock Star Eric Lapointe to Perform at the Valcourt Arena
Event organizers have also scheduled a variety of family-oriented activities including a performance by Quebec rock star Éric Lapointe on Saturday February 19 at 8:30 p.m. at the Valcourt Arena.
Tickets are currently on sale at $25 each, taxes included and can be ordered by calling the Grand Prix ticket office at 450-532-3443 or at 1-866-532-7543. Fans holding three-day trackside suite passes for the Grand Prix Ski-Doo of Valcourt, can obtain tickets to see Éric Lapointe for only $20 each. Quantities are limited.
Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs Improves Rider Experience with Select Sections of Trail are Available for Limited Riding This Weekend
Winter’s off to a great start across Ontario and a few select sections of snowmobile trails are already available on a limited basis for early season riding.
These Early Season Priority (ESP) Trails are a project initiated by the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC), in cooperation with its districts, clubs and volunteers, to provide permit holders with their first riding opportunities before Christmas. Typically, the entire OFSC system trails may not be fully open until January.
ESP Trails are located within driving distance of the 401 corridor, are localized segments not yet linked or connected to most other trails, and are shown as “Limited” (Yellow) on OFSC Trail Status Reports (www.ofsc.on.ca). The first ESP Trails to open are in the Barrie/Collingwood area of OFSC District 8, but others are also scheduled to come on line very soon.
The OFSC is pleased to announce these early snowmobiling opportunities, but as with ski hills who may only have one or two runs open at first, ESP Trails are not intended to provide the full riding experience that will be available later when everything is open.
The OFSC is urging snowmobilers to enjoy the sections that are available, and to show their appreciation and respect to club volunteers and landowners by staying off the many trails that remain closed and are not yet ready for safe snowmobiling.
Specifically, this means that where an ESP Trail section ends, riders must turn around and go back, and not expect to complete a loop or ride the distances that will be available when the whole trail system opens.
“If riders cooperate by sticking to the ESP Trails, then this initiative will succeed and likely be continued. If they do not cooperate, and trespass on adjacent closed trails, then we will have to re-evaluate to protect our clubs, trails and landowners,” said Jeff McGirr, OFSC Administrator, Trails and Risk Management Programs.
The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs is non-profit organization dedicated to providing strong leadership and support to member clubs and volunteers, to establishing and maintaining quality snowmobile trails which are used in a safe and environmentally responsible manner, and to furthering the enjoyment of organized snowmobiling.
While we’re all looking forward to a great season of snowmobiling, Mackie Harley-Davidson is busy getting your ride ready for Spring.
Whether you’re looking to customize your current Harley or you’re looking to purchase a new or used bike, now’s the time to come down to Oshawa, ON to see what we have in store.
Our current “Winter Work” program is rolling along, but will be ending December 31st, 2010. The program is as follows:
· Spend up to $1,500 in parts and labour – save 10%
· Spend between $1,500 and $2,500 – save 15%
· Spend over $2,500 in parts and labour – save 20%
The prices above are before taxes, and can be applied to new purchases or currently owned motorcycles. Didn’t buy your Harley at Mackie’s?
No problem…we’ll take care of you. All bookings must be made before December 31st, 2010; however, the work can be done over the winter months, so when the snow melts, you’ll be ready to ride!
If you’re in the market for a new Harley-Davidson, our showroom is well stocked with 2011 models. If previously enjoyed bikes are what you’re searching for, check out our lineup of used Harley and metric models. Yes, we do have used Japanese models.
If you would like to speak with someone regarding the “Winter Work” program, give our Chrome Consultant – Conrad Thompson – a call. If you would like to look into a new or used bike, call Sales Manager Dan Nadeau.
All units are featured on our website: www.mackiehd.com.
With the recent introduction of the Apex with EPS, the door is open to offer this industry-leading feature on other Yamaha models.
Most obvious would be the flagship Venture GT 2-Upper and the Vector GT. Think about it for a second. All the chassis and body cladding work has already been completed on the Apex to accommodate the power steering servo and gear set.
Taking the same mods across two other models would be fairly cost effective and would clearly establish Yamaha as a leader in other segments with this sure-to-be-copied technology.
Frankly, we believe the Touring category is the first place the competition will go with its ATV-adapted power steering systems and Yamaha probably needs to be there first.
On the other hand, the Vector, once a value priced 4-stroke competing in price with many 600 2-strokes, has risen in the price stakes to become a premium-only model.
Adding EPS would drive its price even higher and we’re not sure that’s a good direction to go in that segment. It’s one of Yamaha’s problems right now.
Its hottest sellers are all in the high priced range and it’s entry level and mid-market customers are moving toward the competition, based on price alone.
To further complicate matters, the competition still has one and two-year-old 4-strokes waiting at dealerships at discount prices.
The price gap is a big deal in this market and Yamaha may elect to stand pat until the market thins out.
Because this is the company’s 50th Anniversary, we think there are some big things about to be released from Thief River Falls.
We’ve been hearing rumors about new engines and a new platform for 2012 and we think there’s much truth here.
This doesn’t mean the Twin Spar Cat will be made obsolete this year, however. We think the EXT series, the Touring models and the Z1 will remain mostly unchanged.
Probably the biggest turnovers will be in the high performance and vertical segments where weight and chassis finesse is top priority to consumers.
Look for a new sled based on Tucker’s racer but with a stretched front clip and similar bodywork. This will be a relatively stripped down, high performance focused sled to appeal to the hardcore trail and mountain market.
Some of the cool innovations like telescopic handlepole and adjustable bars will be available, but this sled’s main priority will be to match or surpass Ski-Doo and Polaris in the weight department.
Cat knows how to build fast 800 2-strokes and we think the results have been so positive with this motor the last few years, the company will suck up the EPA flack and use credits to keep producing it.
However, we think Cat has a new EPA-ready 600 2-stroke in its crosshairs and it just makes sense it would be utilized in the new platform.
Think about all those Tucker Hibbert fans getting to ride a 600, all in black with those crazy looking lime green A-arms.
Can’t wait to see.
Iain Hayden put Team Rockstar Energy Polaris Racing in the winners circle at Round 1 of the CSRA Snowcross Nationals at Calabogie Ski Resort in Ottawa, ON this past weekend.
Hayden, showing true championship form, blitzed his way to take the overall win in the Pro Open class, and along with it the points lead in the title hunt.
Despite the two days of rain leading up to the event, the Calabogie organization still managed to lay down plenty of snow in order to present Canada’s top sled drivers with a national caliber racetrack both Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday, Hayden proved unbeatable in both his qualifiers taking no prisoners on his way to the checkered flag. In the final, he sped through turn one in third place. He quickly swapped that position for second and then set his sights on the lead.
Taking full advantage of his Polaris IQ’s awesome power, Hayden took command of first place around the halfway point of the race. Victory, however, was denied him when he was hit from behind. This resulted in his sled spinning around and tipping over. Undaunted, Hayden quickly up-righted his slightly damaged machine and was able to resume the race in second place, thanks to the huge gap he had on third place.
On Sunday, Hayden recorded a repeat performance of day one handily nailing down first place in both his qualifiers. In the final, he again installed himself in the lead and, without any incidents to mar his progress this time, took it all the way to the finish line.
“I’d like to thank the crew for their great work behind the scenes, making sure my IQ gave me the handling and power I needed to make it a successful weekend. Starting off the season in the winners circle is certainly the way to go,” said Hayden. “I’m quite happy with the way things turned out despite losing first place in Saturday’s final due to another driver’s error. But it is what it is. In the heat of battle anything can happen. Sometimes it’s to your advantage and sometimes it’s not.”
For Hayden’s teammate, Lee Butler, Round 1 of the CSRA 2010-2011 Pro Open points chase proved to be a less memorable occasion. Starting issues and coming to grips with the ultra smooth track kept the reigning champion from performing at his best.
Still, Butler did what he had to do to qualify logging 3-4 results on Saturday. He then went on to secure a noteworthy fifth place finish in the final. On Sunday, he proved to be more on top of his game, recording 2-2 qualifying results.
In the final, a reborn Butler grabbed the holeshot with Hayden in hot pursuit. Unfortunately, while vying for position, the teammates came together with the end result being Butler ejected from his sled. The crash, which took its toll on Butler’s Rockstar Energy Polaris IQ, saw him unable to continue the race.
“On Saturday I struggled mostly with the track. I guess you could say it proved to be my main competition, as a lot of my energy went into finding my groove. Sunday looked like it was going to be a much better day,” said Butler. “I felt I had the track dialed in and my sled was running perfectly. But then in the final Iain and I made contact coming around the top of a hill. We were both kind of surprised because we didn’t see each other until it was too late.”
On Monday morning, December 6, on their way home Team Rockstar Energy Polaris Racing stopped at nearby Black’s Corners Polaris in Carlton Place, ON, which is having an Open House promotion all week long. Team owner Andre Laurin noted it was the perfect occasion for a meet-and-greet and to put the Rockstar Energy Polaris Racing state-of-the-art team truck and competition sleds on display.
Although Ski-Doo’s line-up is already pretty tight from both an engine selection and chassis platform standpoint, we think there’s some room for new ideas.
The company always surprises us with its off-the-wall innovations and has a habit of making very good technology obsolete before its time.
E-TEC replaced SDI and the XP replaced the REV at the peak of their sales impact and both turned out to be incredible improvements to products that were arguably the best in the biz already.
That being said, we think 2012 will be a year of tweaks to existing equipment rather than a broad-based change across the Ski-Doo model line.
There are a couple of reasons for this. Ski-Doo seems to be rather driven to resting on its laurels as an engine and low weight leader right now and, corporately, is very focused on bottom line and survival during the recession economy.
Fact is, it’s product line is so advanced it doesn’t need to offer much new stuff to stay on top and it has already achieved 2012 EPA certification in nearly every engine it makes.
There’s always a danger in adopting this attitude and, as NASCAR drivers will tell you, never lift when you’re in the lead.
Certainly, the competition is aware of this and is pressing hard to gain back market share lost during the REV revolution.
Here’s what we think 2012 will bring from Ski-Doo: Bold, New Graphics.
Scheuring Speed Sports has signed Willie Elam to race the Pro class for the remainder of the 2010-11 ACSS series.
Andrew Johnstad was released from the team following the AMSOIL Duluth National and Elam, a longtime Ski-Doo racer became the logical choice to fill the seat.
“Willie was in Duluth racing out of his own pocket and that alone says a lot about his character and determination.” said team owner Steve Scheuring.
Elam, who hails from Buhl, Idaho is also an experienced free rider and is expected to take part in the Speed & Style competition at Winter X.
For more information, including racer bios, events schedule and team photos, visit scheuring-speedsports.com
In response to Motorhead’s editorial reply entitled:
WHY DOESN’T POLARIS RACE THE RUSH?
Comments:
Dear Motorhead:
I find your comments about the Rev XP somewhat puzzling. While it might not be as successful and dominating as the original game changing Rev (will anything this day forwad ever be) to say it is a disappointment makes me question why the Ontario Motor Vehicle licensing department hasn’t pulled in your right to drive because clearly you have Polaris blurred vision.
In its debut the XP won both its Pro and Semi-pro starts in dominating fashion. While it took three years to achieve a class points title in Pro it has won a semi-pro title and dominated in several other associations around the Snow-cross circuit.
Add the I-500, Soo-500, 2nd in the Iditarod, Cains Quest victory plus several grass drag, watercros, hillcross and hillclimb victories it is quite clear that the only race results you follow as a journalist are the press releases you recieve from AC and Pol on your own website.
No doubt the IQ is an excellant snowcrosser teamed with excellant support and the best riders since its debut it has had a good run in the WSA/ISOC circuit.
The XP’s with different riders and Cat with only Hibbert have caught up. THE XP IS A RACING TRAIL SLED COMPETING AGAINST ONE OFF RACING SLEDS. To veiw it in that context one would have to surmise that it is very successful considering it’s lineage.
Maybe Polaris and Arctic Cat are in the boat they are in now because in their case what wins on the weekend isn’t available at the dealer on Monday. Same goes for oval racing Wahl chassis sleds with Polaris IQ, Ski-Doo or Acrtic Cat stickers on the side makes for some pretty boring Nascar type racing, that’s why Vintage Racing is so popular. What it says on the side of the sled is what’s inside.
My two cents.
Perry
Reply:
Thanks for your email!
There are two things that bug me about letters to the Editor:
1) When expressing your opinion leave your brand loyalty at home and 2) read carefully what was said.
a) I am not a Ski-Doo hater or a hater of any brand period. I am a journalist therefore I have to report the FACTS on every brand.
b) Only an idiot would deny Ski-Doo has had had success with the XP – they have, and the record is undeniable HOWEVER they have not had success like they did with the original REV in its day or to the same degree as Polaris and AC have had with their race sleds. Period. Yes, the Polaris IQ Racer is a purpose built sled – that was exactly my point!! Get it!!
The XP has not produced the big event pro class Sno-X domination the original REV did and that, my friend, is a matter of record and evidenced by disappointment among the Ski-Doo race team leadership.
However, it doesn’t matter as much anymore because – as I said clearly – racing is not dictating sales success like it once was.
In fact, the XP is a better trail sled than the original REV and for that reason and that reason alone it is outselling everything in the marketplace.
If you know any pro racers who have competed on the XP RS you will find out from them that the sled is not as good a sno-X tool as the original REV was back in the day.
Ask any trail rider about an XP and they are in love with it – and that is what really matters!
Thanks,
Motorhead Mark
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SNOWTRAX has established itself as the most watched snowmobile TV series in North America.
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