Press Release –

The Avalanche Racing Team earned victories, podiums, and consistent finishes during the 2006-2007 WPSA PowerSports Snowmobile Tour season. A consistent run by its Pro, Semi-Pro, Junior and Sport riders resulted in 10 overall podiums and two victories on the season.

“This season went quite well,” said Team co-owner Bonnie Glefke. “It’s been a lot of hard work, but working with the fans makes it all worthwhile. Momentum is part of any sport, and I think we really set the tone early this season. We had some challenges, but this team never gives up. As a team, we really worked well together, and I think we can pronounce the 2006-2007 season a success on many levels.”

Avalanche’s Pro rider, “Monster” Mike Schultz (No. 5 Avalanche Racing Team/Polaris) fought injury and a bad cold to turn in a thrilling finish in the final WPSA Riders’ Championship. In his second full season as a Pro, Schultz finished sixth in the final Pro Open standings after earning one podium and fourth in Pro Stock with two runner-up efforts. Schultz finished 12th and 13th, respectively, in last year’s points.

“The season was excellent,” said Schultz. “Right out of the gate, we grabbed a podium at Duluth in Pro Stock. That really set the tone for the year and we began building momentum. Every weekend, we were in the hunt. I had one bad weekend at Canterbury, but we shook that off easily. That’s racing and we make no excuses. The team was excellent this year. They gave 110% all season.”

Schultz was pleased with his improvement, and hopes to continue that momentum into next year.

“Last year was my first year as a Pro,” said Schultz. “I wasn’t really prepared mentally to charge with the guys up front. During the off-season, I put my head down and told myself: ‘This is my time. I’m just as good as everyone else out here and I’m going to go for it.’”

Andrew Johnstad (No. 255 Avalanche Racing/Polaris) finished an impressive Semi-Pro season, clinching sixth in Semi-Pro Open on the merit of a single runner-up finish, and second in Pro Stock with three podium appearances.

“We started out strong, and maintained that throughout the year,” said Johnstad. “Every weekend, we were always in contention. You can’t complain about that. I’m planning to return to Semi-Pro next year. We never made the top step of the podium this year, so I have some unfinished business over here.”

Avalanche’s Junior 10-13 rider James Johnstad (No. 154 Avalanche Racing Team/Polaris) had an exciting season, which included two consecutive victories and an additional podium. James Johnstad is Andrew Johnstad’s younger brother.

“Getting my first win at Eagle River was just awesome, and to back that up with another one the next weekend made it even sweeter,” said Johnstad. “The Avalanche Team is just so competitive. They’ve helped me so much this year. I’m learning and having fun. I can’t wait for next season.”

The team’s Sport rider David Glefke (No. 147 Avalanche Racing Team/Polaris) continued to learn this season, and is looking forward to returning next year.

“This year was all about gaining experience, and I can say that mission was accomplished,” said Glefke. “We had some ups and downs this year, but that comes with the territory. The team worked so hard this year for me, and we were always competitive. I’m stoked about next season.”

Avalanche Racing Team co-owners Bonnie and Mike Glefke earned the Team Sportsmanship Award for their efforts in promoting themselves, as well as the PowerSports Snowmobile Tour this season.

Along with several special events, Avalanche partnered with the Tour on the popular Avalanche Racing Crew Member for a Day Contest. The Contest gave one lucky fan a chance to be a member of the Avalanche crew during each race this season, and awarded up to $1,000 to the winner.

Additionally Avalanche hosted a group of local 120 CHAMP racers from Winter Thunder Challenge as their guests during the Geneva event.

“Our hats are off to the Avalanche team for their efforts this season,” said PowerSports Entertainment CEO Rick Murphy. “The Avalanche Crew Member for a Day Contest was a unique and exciting concept that was extremely popular. Mike and Bonnie Glefke truly ‘get it’ when it comes to promoting racing, and they make the Tour better, simply by their presence.”

Press Release –

Warnert Racing concluded a successful 2006-2007 WPSA PowerSports Snowmobile Tour campaign with impressive statistics and consistent results.

Earning five victories and an impressive 20 podiums, the factory BRP/Ski-Doo “Super Team” is ready to continue its success as it joins the WPSA’s tough QuadTerrain Challenge class in the PowerSports ATV Tour next month.

“This has been an exciting season both on and off the track,” said team co-owner Mark Warnert. “The team worked hard this year, fighting through every challenge thrown at them. Success was our goal this season, and I think our statistics show we exceeded that. But the statistics don’t tell the entire story. We helped BRP introduce its new Open sled this season, and though the machine was completely new from the ground up, it performed flawlessly. We’re extraordinarily pleased.”

Leading the Warnert squad this season was French Canadian phenom Mathieu Morin. Morin (No. 27 XP-S/Ski-Doo), in his first full season as a Pro, ran consistently, netting a victory and three overall podiums in the Pro Classes. The Val-Dor, Quebec native finished ninth and 10th, respectively, in Pro Open and Pro Stock points.

“The season went well on many levels,” said Morin, who competed in just the Pro Stock class last season. “This was my first experience running both Pro classes, so I’m very happy with my success this year. At the beginning of the season, I had a rough start. I had trouble in qualifying. Then, once we got to the mid-season, I picked it up in qualifying and it began working out. This will certainly give me a strong foundation on which to build next season.”

Steve Martin (No. 18 Dodge Trucks/Ski-Doo) fought an ankle injury for much of the season. However, the Evanston, Wyo. resident will begin his training program immediately and looks forward to next season. Martin, who recorded one podium finish this season, finished 12th in Pro Open points and ninth in the Pro Stock standings.

“We were really consistent all year in qualifying and the finals,” said Martin. “We had a really good mechanic this year, and the sleds were some of the best I’ve ever ridden. I sprained my ankle at X Games, and that really slowed me down. It’s still not completely healed, so it’s been a tough go. I’m looking forward to next year.”

Aaron Christensen (No. 10 Evinrude/Ski-Doo) spent much of the season on the sidelines with injuries. Christensen finished 25th in Pro Open and 23rd in Pro Stock despite missing most of the races this year.

“The season started off well, then I got hurt before Christmas,” said Christensen. “I came back at Canterbury, and I was quite happy there. My arm isn’t 100%; the muscle mass is down. Yet, I’m pretty happy with how things went. I’m going to run my regular program in the off-season: working in my family’s shop, fixing four wheelers and doing some dirt biking.”

Warnert Racing shined in the Semi-Pro Classes, with Katejun Coonishish (No. 101 DooTalk.com/Ski-Doo) leading the way. Coonishish netted three victories and nine overall podiums. He finished the season eighth in Pro Open and fourth in Pro Stock.

“The season, overall, went quite well,” said Coonishish, from Ouje-Bougoumou, Quebec. “Winning races, and consistent podiums always make for a fun year. We were pleased to welcome new sponsor DooTalk.com. Their support is extraordinarily appreciated. We’re ready to take it to the next level next season.”

Zach Pattyn (No. 99 Torco/Ski-Doo) also had a productive season in Semi-Pro.

“This was a learning season for me, and from that perspective, I’m very pleased,” said Pattyn. “The Semi-Pro classes are very competitive year after year, and they provide the perfect place for racers trying to move up. I learned a lot this year, and I’m ready to put that experience to work next season.”

Jake Erickson (No. 188 XP-S/Ski-Doo) also used the Semi-Pro classes to hone his skills.

“Though the statistics don’t show it, we had a great season,” said Erickson. “I’m extremely pleased with my results. Gaining experience is the key in Semi-Pro, and I am pleased with all I have learned this year.”

Seventeen-year-old Nathanial Bosum (No. 789 XP-S/Ski-Doo) was a star in the Sport Classes this year. The Ouje-Bougoumou racer recorded one win and seven podiums on the season.

“What a great season,” exclaimed Bosum. “We were in the hunt every weekend, and you really can’t ask for anything more. My team gave me the best equipment every race, and our consistency showed.”

Warnert Racing announced recently that it has signed Josh and Kyle Pallin. The pair will compete in the Tour’s Sport Classes, beginning next season. Josh, 18, and Kyle, 15, have an impressive record of podiums and victories on both the Tour’s Regional and National circuits. Both are from Ironwood, Mich.

Warnert Racing will return to action this summer, competing in the WPSA’s PowerSports ATV Tour, as well as the AMA GNCC Series as BRP/Can-Am’s factory team.

Press Release –

It came down to the final race, but Ross Martin and TJ Gulla clinched their respective Pro Riders’ Championships over the weekend at the Nielsen Enterprises Grand Final, the 10th and final race of the 2006-2007 WPSA PowerSports Snowmobile Tour.

Martin (No. 837 Judnick Motorsports/Polaris), on the strength of three victories and six overall podiums, annihilated the Pro Open standings, clinching the title in before the final even took the green flag Sunday.

Martin finished fourth in the Pro Stock points with two class wins, which brings his Pro total to eight podiums and five wins. Ryan Simons (No. 67 Speedwerx/Arctic Cat) finished second in the Pro Open standings, 45 points back, with a win and four overall podiums.

Gulla (No. 44 Pirtek/Polaris) won two races and turned in an additional third-place Pro Open finish to claim third in the final order.

With a sixth-place finish in the season finale Pro Stock final, Gulla won the Pro Stock title, giving Polaris a sweep of both titles. A consistent Gulla won two Pro Stock finals, and earned six podiums, bringing his overall Pro tally to four victories, and nine overall podiums.

Simons was second, just nine markers back, after winning one race and netting four podiums. Blair Morgan (No. 7c Blair Morgan Racing/Ski-Doo) bounced back to finish third in the final order, with a victory and three podiums.

Other Champions are:
Semi-Pro Open: Cory Davis (No. 160 Speedwerx/Arctic Cat)
Semi-Pro Stock: Dan Ebert (No. 602 Speedwerx/Arctic Cat)
Pro Women: Kylie Abrahamson (No. 87 Abe Racing/Arctic Cat)
Pro Veteran: Earl Reimer (No. 100 Blair Morgan Racing/Ski-Doo)

The next race for the WPSA PowerSports Tour is the kick off to the PowerSports ATV Tour. The ITP Tires Southern Open is scheduled for April 27-29 in Macon, Ga.

While 4-stroke perception keeps increasing, we’ve heard faint rumblings from dedicated builder of EPA certified 2-stroke power, Ski-Doo.

Our radar has been picking up tiny blips like this: Suppose Ski-Doo wanted to offer a performance 4-stroke model.

Wouldn’t the new REV-XP platform be a pretty slick place for a lightweight, 120hp 4-stroke twin or triple?

Think about this. The difference between a 600cc 2-stroke and a 120hp 4-stroke is 35 to 40 pounds (don’t ask how we know this).

With the XP tipping in 53 pounds lighter than the original REV, Ski-Doo could intro a 120 HP 4-stroke snowmobile and still be lighter than the original REV and probably lighter than any competing 2-stroke sled.