World Champion, Then And Now
January 23, 2012
Here's this year's World Champion -- 11 years ago.So I was sitting here in my office today, working on a story for another magazine our company produces in another market, but I couldn’t get a singular thought out of my head related to the yesterday’s new World Champion, as crowned at the 49th annual Eagle River World Championship Snowmobile Derby. Somehow, I just knew that I had taken... [Read more]
Van Strydonk Wins World Championship With Last Lap Pass
January 22, 2012
Just when it seemed the Eagle River World Championship snowmobile race couldn’t get any better, Nick Van Strydonk used a dramatic pass in the last corner to win his first title on the famed Derby Track in Eagle River, Wisconsin. Van Strydonk beat 2010 World Champion Matt Schulz to the waving checkered flag by a ski length. The margin of victory was 0.025 second. Nick Van Strydonk won his first... [Read more]
World Championship Day: Here’s The Field, And The Odds!
January 22, 2012
This is the year of parity in the ultra-exciting Champ 440 class. The World Champion will likely come from a group of seven racers who have all run incredibly well here on the famed Derby track – after time trials, heats, a Friday Night Thunder final, then more heats and semi finals on Saturday, it was still next to impossible on Saturday night to truly nail down a top one or two drivers. . ... [Read more]
Johnson Wins Friday Night TLR: Earns Poll For World Championship
January 20, 2012
Any fear that the drama of last year’s amazing Amsoil World Championship Snowmobile Derby final could not possibly be repeated may have been laid to rest Friday night, when a fast and tight Champ 440 final in the Friday Night Thunder program reflected in the incredible parity at the very top of the oval racing world. . With the mercury dipping to double digits below zero Fahrenheit, racers... [Read more]
Curtis Boivin injured in Beausejour
December 7, 2011
During the Pro Champ final, #19b Curtis Boivin from Fort Frances, Ontario was involved in a serious crash. He was airlifted to a Winnipeg Hospital where he remains in critical condition. Curtis is a rising star in ice oval racing. I will post updates as the information is available, please keep the Boivin family in your thoughts and prayers. Read More →
The Outlaws have arrived!
December 6, 2011
Early in the spring of 2011, I began to hear some internet chatter about the creation of a new class of snowmobile ice oval racing. This revolutionary new idea was going to place the driver in a left-side cockpit driving position, surrounded by a full roll cage and driven much like a Sprint car, with a steering wheel, foot pedal controls, and a 5-point harness. Considering the high amount of injuries... [Read more]
Sled Racer Gets Hall O’ Fame Recognition
May 31, 2011
It’s not often that “one of us” from the snowmobiling world gets mainstream recognition from a community hall of fame, so when it does, it’s cause for celebration. Therefore, let’s all give three loud cheers (or at least publical recognition) for the accomplishments of former oval and ice drag racer Gord MacDonald. Last week, MacDonald was inducted in the Cape Breton Sport... [Read more]
Will FI Twin Trackers Again Lead The Way In Oval Racing?
March 17, 2011
Are twin-trackers coming back to lead the way in snowmobile oval racing? That possibility was the source of much talk and debate on the Ovals message board here on snowgoer.com for much of the early winter, and now it sounds like it’s one step closer to reality. An organization called the Pacific Group Inc. sent out a press release this week announcing the Formula... [Read more]
O.R.A. Caps off 2011 Season on Lake Mille Lacs
March 2, 2011
The Blue Goose Inn, in Garrison, Minnesota, has a long standing history of great food, live music, fishing, thirst-quenching drinks, and the list goes on. Also included in the history of the Goose is their role in playing host to a wide variety of motorsport races. The last weekend in February was no exception, as ATV’s, bikes, cars and snowmobiles (modern, vintage and kids) each had their... [Read more]
O.R.A. U.S. Nationals at Ogilvie Raceway
February 8, 2011
Over the weekend of February 4, 2011 the Oval Racers Alliance teamed up with the Ogilvie Raceway (in Ogilvie, Minnesota) to host the 2nd Annual O.R.A. U.S. Nationals. With close to 400 class entries and over 90 drivers the raceway stands filled with fans and the event kicked off with the Friday Night Country Cat Spectacular. [Read more] Read More →