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Two Podium Fnishes for Iain Hayden

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Press Release –

What was essentially intended to be a weekend of testing the developmental four-stroke FX Nytro® racing sleds turned into a bonanza for Yamaha Factory Racing with a first and second place podium finish by Iain Hayden at the Canadian National Sno-Cross event held in Kirkland Lake, Ontario.

With a weekend off from the ISOC National Tour schedule, Yamaha Factory Snocross team manager Andre Laurin opted to showcase the FX Nytro® 4-stroke performance at the CSRA event.

Unfortunately, Hayden’s teammate Steve Taylor was unable to participate due to an injured foot. He’s expected to be back in action this coming weekend in Hayward, WI.

“It was a last minute decision to go up to Kirkland Lake. But seeing we were in Canada anyway, we thought it would be a good opportunity to further test our sleds under racing conditions, to see if the improvements we made in Valcourt could be enhanced,” said Laurin. “We expected to do well and we weren’t disappointed. As usual the crew worked very hard in the paddock and Iain did a fabulous job on the track. It would have been even better if Steve had been able to race, but I am really pleased with the performance of the FX Nytro® this weekend. It was nice to reward Yamaha race fans in Canada with the Yamaha factory presence and show them, and the competition, that the FX Nytro® is the four-stroke to reckon with”

Hayden, a 3-time CSRA Pro Open champion, came, saw and conquered as he returned to his old stomping grounds. He harnessed the explosive power of the FX Nytro® to grab four heat holeshots and basically put on a clinic leading wire to wire to take the checkered flag ahead of the pack.

In the Pro-Open final, he again pegged the holeshot with another lightning start and looked to be on his way to victory only to have to contend with a mechanical issue on the second lap.

Despite this setback, Hayden saved the day by losing only one position in the 15-rider field to finish in a well earned second position.

In a special Pro/Am tribute race to Blair Morgan, who suffered a career-ending injury at the Montreal Supercross last September, Hayden and his FX Nytro® ran flawlessly.

After quickly working his way into the lead, he charged hard the entire race to finish and impressive 18 seconds ahead of second place.

“My sled ran near-perfect and my shoulder really cooperated this weekend, so I was able to run strong. Winning the Blair Morgan Inspiration Final was really special for me, seeing I was part of Blair’s team for a number of years. It meant a lot to me and I was excited to be part of that,” said Hayden. “I wish I could have taken the top spot in the Pro Open final to go with all the heat wins that I had during the weekend. But to holeshot six out of six and to win five out of six races does feel special. We’ll take it!”

2010 Arctic Cat Z1 – Underrated Awesomeness

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2010 Arctic Cat Z1 – Underrated Awesomeness

By: Mike Lester

Yeah fine, it’s not a turbo or even an LXR, but this sled just may be Arctic Cat’s best kept secret for 2010.

As 4-strokes go, the 1056cc parallel firing twin pushes out an impressive 123 hp when blasting across lakes or when it’s opened up on straightaways.

Throttle tip-in is buttery smooth and there’s ample mid-range power available at your thumb. The sled even sounds better this year.

Twisting through turns, the newly lightened Z1 hugs the trail and takes tight corners with virtually no inside ski lift or chassis roll thanks to the addition of a third mounting bracket that improves sway bar transfer.

Last year’s changes to the chassis (the tunnel angle at the footrests was “flattened” so the front spindles are on a more vertical plane) are immediately noticeable and the weight pared from the muffler and rear of the tunnel this year have turned this sled into one of the most nimble 4-strokes on the market.

Cat’s new seat design for 2010 is a winner. The chopped off appearance gives the Z1 a sleek and modern look and several of our riders commented the Z1 is “so comfortable we felt like we could have ridden another 100 miles without tiring”.

One rider said: “I think I rode the quickest 100 miles I’ve ever ridden and the Z1 kept pace with every sled in the fleet effortlessly. At each stop, everyone passed it up to ride the latest and greatest stuff and I thought to myself, “These guys don’t know what they’re missing.”

The Z1’s sliding arm skidframe still delivers one of the best rides in the biz – even with basic steel bodied gas cell shocks.

Who sez you can’t evolve existing product every year and end up with perfection? This one’s definitely worth an extra look. We guarantee you’ll be impressed.

OFSC Joins OPP Call for Greater Responsibility

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Press Release –

Less Than 6% of Fatalities Occur on Open OFSC Trails

With snowmobilers riding more than 150 million cumulative kilometres this winter, the vast majority arrive home safely after every ride.

To maintain this safety record, the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs reminds snowmobilers that the safest place to ride for the rest of the season continues to be with care and control on open OFSC trails.

The OFSC joins the Ontario Provincial Police in their recent call for snowmobilers to make smart choices and for the vast majority of snowmobilers who are law-abiding people to take more responsibility for their peers.

This safety message is particularly important because OFSC snowmobiling has attracted more participants this year thanks to renewed interest and a long winter.

Although this has meant more riding activity, the OFSC is pleased to report several positive developments.

To date, only 6% of all fatalities have occurred on open OFSC snowmobile trails…94% happened off trail, where the riding risk is considerably greater.

In relation to the rise in overall participation, the rate of fatalities this winter has not increased. And so far, fatalities among youth has reduced to zero, compared to six under 18 tragedies last winter.

The OFSC also notes that 70% of this winter’s fatalities occurred after dark. Off-trail riding, riding after dark, excessive speed and alcohol are each well-documented and preventable causes of snowmobiling incidents. They result from riders making foolish choices and from their peers continuing to condone their risky behaviour.

Given that the majority of fatalities this winter are among adults over 33 years of age who should know better, the OFSC renews its call for family and friends to help save lives and reduce injuries by speaking out against irresponsible riding and urging riders to stick to open OFSC trails as weather and snow condition permit.

The OFSC is committed to proactive leadership in promoting safe, responsible riding, on and off Ontario snowmobile trails, by building safer snowmobiling knowledge, attitudes and behaviours through rider education, safety legislation development and enforcement.

POLL RESULTS

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Our last poll asked you what the Best In Class 120 horsepower sled should be for 2009. From 1482 votes, the results were as follows: 
 
46.63% – Ski-Doo MX-Z 600 E-TEC (118 HP)  (691 votes)
26.25% – Polaris 600 IQ (125 HP)  (389 votes)  
17.75% – Yamaha Vector (120 HP)  (263 votes)
09.38% – Arctic Cat Z1 non turbo (123 HP)  (139 votes)

Latest Poll

In this economy, next year I will:

1. Buy a 2010 sled
2. Buy a new leftover ’08 or ’09 sled
3. Buy used (not more than 5 yrs old)
4. Buy used (older than 5 yrs)
5. Keep riding what I have

Click here to see all polls on this website!

Polaris Pro Snocross Racers Dominate in Quebec

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Press Release –

TJ Gulla Leads in Pro Open, Levi LaVallee is Tops in Super Stock

Polaris snocross racers climbed to the top of the ISOC circuit’s Pro Open and Pro Super Stock points standings with a dominating effort in February 21-22 racing at Valcourt, Quebec.

The Polaris Pro-class racers, who enjoy a performance advantage provided by their Polaris IQ® Race Sleds, won Pro Open and earned four of six available podium positions at Valcourt.

Three Hentges Racing teammates – Brett Bender, TJ Gulla and Levi LaVallee – stole the show in Quebec:

• Bender won the Pro Open class and is currently in the top 10 in the Open and Super Stock classes.

• Gulla earned two podium spots, finishing second in Pro Super Stock and third in Pro Open, where he is now the class points leaders by 10 points over LaVallee. Gulla is fifth in Super Stock Points.

• LaVallee finished third in Super Stock and is the class points leader by a 17-point margin. He was seventh in Open in Valcourt and is now second in class points.

In Semi-Pro racing, Bobby LePage – also from the Hentges Racing team – won the Open class in Valcourt, putting him in second place in class points with two races remaining on the ISOC schedule.

Pro Open: Bender Earns First Pro Win

Race fans in Quebec saw the latest step in the development of first-year Pro racer Brett Bender. After a dominant career in Semi-Pro racing, he has struggled at times this winter, but now seems to have found his stride among the Pros. He won the Open class in Valcourt and is now sixth in class points.

Gulla finished third and rose to the top in Pro Open points, and three fellow Polaris racers finished among the top 10 in Quebec: DJ Eckstrom (Amsoil/US Air Force) was fifth, LaVallee was seventh – and is now second in class points – and Matt Judnick (Judnick Motorsports) finished 10th.

Pro Super Stock: Familiar Faces on the Podium
Gulla and LaVallee finished 2-3 in Super Stock to earn spots on the podium, and LaVallee took over as the points leader with two races to go. He is one of five Polaris racers in the top nine in points.

It was a Polaris parade across the Pro Stock finish line in Quebec, as seven Polaris racers finished in the top 12. They were: Gulla in second, LaVallee in third, Andrew Johnstad (Avalanche Racing) in fifth, Eckstrom in eighth, Shaun Crapo (Amsoil/US Air Force) in ninth, Bender in 11th and David Joanis (Royal Distributing/Bourque’s Polaris/Canada’s Polaris Snocross Team) in 12th.

The next race on the ISOC circuit is the HACC Hayward 300, March 6-8, in Hayward, Wisconsin.

About Polaris – With annual 2008 sales of $1.9 billion, Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and the Polaris RANGER™, snowmobiles and Victory Motorcycles for recreational and utility use. Polaris is a recognized leader in the snowmobile industry, and one of the largest manufacturers of ORVs in the world. Victory Motorcycles, established in 1998 and representing the first all-new American-made motorcycle from a major company in nearly 60 years, are rapidly making impressive in-roads into the cruiser and touring motorcycle marketplace. Polaris also enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Pure Polaris apparel, accessories and parts, available at Polaris dealerships.
Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PII,” and the Company is included in the S&P Small-Cap 600 stock price index.
Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories, is available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime from the Polaris homepage at www.polarisindustries.com.

Bunke Wins Pro 600 & Davidson Earns Big Points

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Press Release –

Polaris cross-country snowmobile racers Gabe Bunke and Corey Davidson set the pace at the USCC’s Forks Equipment 100 in Grand Forks, North Dakota, where Bunke won the Pro 600 class and Davidson finished second in both Pro classes to earn valuable points.

The victory should boost Bunke into third place in the USCC Pro 600 points standings (official points had not been released as this press release was distributed). Davidson, who finished second to Bunke at Grand Forks, should remain fifth in points with his strong showing.

In Pro Open, Davidson finished second at Grand Forks, just 5 seconds behind the winning time. That high finish should allow him to remain third in points in the class, just 1 point out of second in the standings.

Bunke finished fourth in Pro Open, which will keep him fifth in points, one position ahead of fellow Polaris Aaron Christensen, who finished fifth in North Dakota.

In Semi-Pro racing, Polaris racer Jesse Thelan had a great day. He raced in Semi-Pro 600 for just the second time this winter and earned his second-straight win. Those 50 points will launch him to the brink of the top 10 in class points.

Derrick Gust was third in Semi-Pro 600, Dustin Holmstrom was fifth and Weston Ramsrud and Carson Kerr finished 7-8, respectively. In Semi-Pro Improved racing at Grand Forks, Thelan finished second and Gust was fifth.

Polaris racer Bill Thomas won his first race of the winter in the Masters 40+ class, where points leader Ken Christensen was second and Chuck Annable was fourth. In Legends 50+, Paul Anderson earned his first victory of the season.

The next USCC event is the Munising 300, February 27-28, in Munising, Michigan.

About Polaris – With annual 2008 sales of $1.9 billion, Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and the Polaris RANGER™, snowmobiles and Victory Motorcycles for recreational and utility use. Polaris is a recognized leader in the snowmobile industry, and one of the largest manufacturers of ORVs in the world. Victory Motorcycles, established in 1998 and representing the first all-new American-made motorcycle from a major company in nearly 60 years, are rapidly making impressive in-roads into the cruiser and touring motorcycle marketplace. Polaris also enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Pure Polaris apparel, accessories and parts, available at Polaris dealerships.
Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PII,” and the Company is included in the S&P Small-Cap 600 stock price index.
Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories, is available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime from the Polaris homepage at www.polarisindustries.com.

SUPERTRAX ACQUIRES SNOWTRAX & DIRT TRAX TV

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**ANNOUNCEMENT**

SNOWTRAX and DIRT TRAX Television Acquired by SUPERTRAX Publishing Group

Paul Massingberd, brother of the late John Massingberd, founder of SnowTrax and Dirt Trax Television, is pleased to announce the sale of both television properties to the Lester family, owners of Supertrax International Magazine, Go Snowmobiling Magazine and All-Terrain Vehicle Magazine.

Terms of the sale of SnowTrax, North America’s #1 snowmobile enthusiast television show and Dirt Trax Television, have been agreed upon and will be finalized in the next 30 days.

Paul Massingberd states: “My brother and the Lester family enjoyed a close and co-operative relationship over the 13 years John established these companies. It was John’s desire to see these businesses continue their role in both the snowmobile and ATV industry. I’m confident, with both SnowTrax and Dirt Trax owned by the Lesters, John’s legacy is in good hands and the television shows will continue to be powersport media leaders.”

Supertrax International Magazine is the largest international snowmobile enthusiast publication in the world and has the largest BPA/CCAB audited circulation in both the United States and Canada.

Go Snowmobiling Magazine is the Official Publication of the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) circulated to over 85,000 Trail Permit holders. All-Terrain Vehicle Magazine is the largest circulated ATV publication in Canada and one of the largest circulation ATV enthusiast publications in the United States.

Supertrax Co-Publisher, Kent Lester, remembers John: “My brother, Mark and I, are pleased and humbled to bring SnowTrax and Dirt Trax under the Supertrax umbrella. John Massingberd was a very special and valued friend. We consider it an honor to ensure his hard work and success will continue. John’s passing has been tough for all of us. We’ve lost a good friend but John’s longstanding friendship with Supertrax serves as a constant reminder of the “Big Guy” who was always a man of his word.”

Further details of the transaction will be made available over the next few weeks. For both SnowTrax and Dirt Trax television, it will continue to be business as usual with exciting new shows coming soon.

Contact (705) 286-2135

HMK Voyager Jacket

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HMK Voyager Jacket

By: Mike Lester

Just had my first ride wearing my brand new HMK Voyager Jacket. Talk about the perfect day for testing riding gear – minus 20 Celsius (4 degrees Fahrenheit)!

This jacket stood up to the test though. The Cordura shell blocked the wind from getting through and combined with the zip-out liner, I was toasty warm even at speed.

The liner is easily removed and you can wear it or shell separately or combine the two for maximum weather protection.

I also like the tall, fleece-lined collar that provided further protection from wind and cold on my neck and is just loose enough not to restrain head movement.

The fit of this jacket is so great too. Pre-curved arms look slick and don’t bunch at the elbow and the cuffs can be worn loose or closed shut and stay shut tightly better than some of the other jackets I’ve had.

The ghosted spider-web pattern over the black exterior is so cool I’m positive you’ll be seeing more of it next season. Combined with the orange highlights, you’ve got yourself a head-turner.

Check out more HMK gear online at www.hmksnowmobiling.com and call (541) 386-3262 for ordering information.

When it Snows, People Go Snowmobiling

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By Ed Klim

It’s been cold and yes, this has been a great winter snowmobiling season for most of us. The snow in most of North America fell early and allowed many trails and riding areas to be open the first week in December 2008.

The snow stayed through most of the winter with a few expected meltdowns, but generally speaking the snowmobiling conditions have been excellent.

I just received a note from my friend in Sweden and he reports the snow cover and snowmobiling season in Scandinavia is fantastic and people are enjoying the winter snowmobiling in Northern Europe.

The economy is certainly challenging, but most of the dealerships have been busy selling new and used snowmobiles as well as possibly record numbers of parts, garments and accessories.

Much to the surprise of some folks, this has been the second cold, snow-covered winter for most of North America. They call it a local weather phenomenon. According to the National Climate Data Center, 2008 has been America’s coldest year since 1977.

The Northern hemisphere snow cover extent in December 2008 was 16.95 million square miles. This was 0.17 million square miles ABOVE the 1966 through 2008 December average!

I have received numerous reports of record snowfalls and record low temperatures across North America and it leads me to believe the 10 year cycle of colder, snowier winters is just now beginning.

My belief is supported by numerous scientists such as the Imperial College of London Astrophysicist and Forecaster Piers Corbyn, who reports that official data in every year since 1998 shows world temperatures have been colder.

Living in the Great Lakes region, I am heartened by the fact that, the Great Lakes – which is the largest body of fresh water in the world – are experiencing rising water levels.

Last year, Lake Superior rose 17 inches – and still rising! This summer Lake Superior will be at a level above the historical level, according to the Federal Great Lakes environmental Research Laboratory in Michigan.

Virtually all of the Great Lakes are increasing in levels. A key indicator of global health is the level of the Great Lakes – so our earth seems to be continuing its cyclical behavior.

Winter enthusiasts from around the world are showing their interest in snowmobiling.. Those non-snowmobilers, as we know, have a very high desire to go snowmobiling and in fact “they are going snowmobiling.”

Visits to our Go Snowmobiling web sites have increased over 50% this year and more than 40% of the new visitors are non-snowmobilers who are gathering information so they can have their first snowmobiling experience.

The Take a Friend Snowmobiling Campaign, supported by virtually all of the state and provincial associations has proven to be very successful and has helped attract non-snowmobilers onto the snow with us and expanded our family of friends and organized snowmobiling members.

Final counts on the number of individuals who have visited the Go Snowmobiling web site will be tabulated in April 2009, but you can be rest assured the numbers will be encouraging to all of us.

Yes, it’s been a great wintery, snow-filled season and we look forward to the last few weeks of spring riding.

SPORTECH RACING UPDATE

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Press Release –

Andrew Wins First Semi-Pro Final; Chris Nearly Sweeps Plus Classes; Taylor Suffers Season Ending Injury While Leading Pro Women Final

It may sound a bit cliché’ but the International Series of Champions (ISOC) Minnesota Regional race at Elk River Extreme Motor Park (ERX) spelled the best of times and the worst of times for Team Sportech.

The high of the weekend came with Andrew Carlson pulling off the most impressive race of his young career, winning the Semi Pro Super Stock #2 final in dominating fashion.

But just hours later, the low descended upon the Sportech hauler, as Taylor Carlson suffered a season ending injury while leading the Pro Women main event.

Andrew Captures First Career Semi-Pro Win

With huge crowds on hand and more than 260 race entries, there was not a better place for Team Sportech racer Andrew Carlson to land his first Semi-Pro win than in front of his hometown fans. With consistent qualifying efforts, Andrew found himself on the front row of the final field.

Improving holeshots has been a concerted effort for the entire Team Sportech crew these past few weeks and it obviously paid off as Andrew launched from the start line with the lead and proceeded to dominate the race flag to flag.

It was an emotional win for Andrew, as he bested some of the fastest Semi-Pro riders in the country including Kyle Stradlund and current point leader in all three Semi-Pro classes, Devon Bertoch.

In other Semi-Pro Action, Andrew continued with his new found confidence and pulled off a pair of fourth place finishes in Semi Pro Super Stock #1 and Open. The feat was doubly impressive in Super Stock #1 where Andrew clawed his way through the pack from the back row.

Taylor Leads Pro Women But Suffers Season Ending Injury with Just One Lap to Go All indications looked for this to be the biggest weekend of racing for Team Sportech this season. With Andrew bagging a win in Semi-Pro, it was Taylor’s chance to turn up the heat in Pro Women against the always fast and national pro April Moritz.

A monster holeshot by Taylor set the tone early in the Pro Women final, and as the laps progressed she began to pull a more comfortable lead over her archrival Moritz.

But then just as quickly as the weekend was shaping up to be one incredible high, Taylor was pitched awkwardly on the final lap, and was slammed into the backside of the next jump.

As a result she suffered a severe knee injury, tearing both her PCL and MCL, and will require season ending surgery.

“I knew it was pretty bad when I landed,” said a very upbeat and positive Taylor from her Elk River home on Tuesday. “I go in for surgery next week and I’ll know more then on how long I can expect recovery to take. I’m more mad than anything… there I was… first year Pro, leading the point chase and leading April who is so hard to beat and then I crash out.” While Taylor is done competing on the track for the remainder of the season, she still expects to join the team trackside. “I’m so proud of Andrew,” said Taylor. “He rode so well and it was exciting to see how happy he was after the race.”

Chris Carlson Nearly Sweeps Plus Classes

Team captain and self proclaimed weathered and burly snocross curmudgeon Chris Carlson shook off the highs and lows of the weekend and once again laid down an impressive run in the Plus classes.

Chris won both Plus 30 and Plus 40 and nearly swept the field in qualifying action, taking 7 of 8 heat wins.

“It was a tough weekend for us,” said Carlson after his final Plus victory. “We approach racing as a family, and Taylor’s injury really impacted us.

But I know she’s committed to coming back stronger than ever, she’ll be in the trailer and trackside the remainder of this season supporting her racing family.”

Next Up Team Sportech heads north to Hill City, MN and the always challenging track at Quadna Mountain Park for another round of ISOC Minnesota Regional competition, February 28-March.

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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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