Van Strydonk Wins World Championship With Last Lap Pass

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 Eagle River World Championship

.     The late move by the 21-year-old from Tomahawk, Wisconsin, came in a 30-lap race that featured an incredible series of twists and turns. At various points during the race, it looked like any one of five drivers could win the race – for most of the event, those five ran within a half-straight of each other.

.     Crashes, red flags, restarts and changing track conditions had a major influence on the race, but in the end, Van Strydonk was the deserving winner and will have his name written into immortality when it’s engraved on the Snow Goer Cup.

An Ever-Changing Race

The 49^th annual Amsoil World Championship was held on a rough and grooved track under murky skies, with a slight mist in the air. Thousands of people watched in anticipation after the most competitive qualifying process in years – going in, there was no pre-race favorite; instead, most longtime observers agreed that seven of the 12 drivers who qualified for the final were virtually even.

Matt Schulz led until the last couple hundred yards and came up a ski-length short of winning his second title.

.     On green, Schulz of nearby Wausau, Wisconsin, launched into the lead on his No. 38 Ski-Doo, with pole sitter Brandon Johnson of Greenbush, Minnesota, snapping at his heels on his Wahl Bros. Polaris. Right behind him was Van Strydonk – the fastest qualifier in time trials, and then Travis MacDonald and defending and four-time champ P.J. Wanderscheid.

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World Championship Day: Here’s The Field, And The Odds!

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.

.     In fact, in all the years that Snow Goer has been making fictional odds on this World Championship race, we have never had such a difficult of a time placing the racers in order – we debated long into the night, and still aren’t satisfied with the result.

Dustin Wahl was undefeated in qualifying. Photo by Snow Goer.

.     You’ve got three past champions in the race, including four-timer and defending champion PJ Wanderscheid, two-timer Gary Moyle and 2010 champion Matt Schulz – how can one bet against any of them? Yet the fastest laps turned on the track this week have been run by Nick Van Strydonk of nearby Tomahawk. Then, there’s the Wahl Bros team – Brandon Johnson won Friday night and is the poll sitter going into the final; Dustin Wahl was undefeated in qualifying on Saturday and looked fast and smooth; Champ 440 rookie Jordyn Wahl was also a winner – and a survivor. He won his heat race, crashed while leading his semi-final, then pulled his sled out of the haybales and charged hard after the restart to earn a spot in the final.

.     So the dilemma, allow us to give you an example: How do you put the fastest qualifier (Van Strydonk) behind the Wanderscheid, given the laps he’s been running this weekend; but how do you put Van Strydonk ahead of the defending champ? How do you place Moyle? In past years, he’s proven crafty enough to now show his hand on Saturday, yet he hasn’t looked dominant. How do you pick against Johnson, the polesitter, or Dustin Wahl, the undefeated driver? But what about Schulz and Chartier? Whoever you choose, we’re predicting another classic final at the sport’s most fabled event.

.     In the fictional odd that we’re printing in the Snow Goer tip sheet at the track, here are the odds as we see them – but we’re honestly more unsure of these odds than we’ve ever been. It should be a great final. Two more drivers will qualify for the final today in a last chance qualifying race. Here are the finalists so far:

Nick Van Strydonk was running the fastest laps and definitely would win his first.

• Brandon Johnson, #22, from Greenbush, MN on a Polaris – The polesitter has been fast, smooth and strong; he has the equipment, but also a bum ankle. ODDS: 4-1
• Matt Schulz, #38, from Wausau, WI on a Ski-Doo — Switched to backup sled on Saturday after breaking a track bar in the Friday night program, but that backup sled is still super stout. Has the engine, and has won here before ODDS: 4:1
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Outlaw 600s, Pro Open Snocross Dazzle The Derby

The Parts Unlimited Friday Night Thunder program at the Eagle River World Championship Snowmobile Derby featured more than Champ racing: The new Outlaw 600 class put on an epic debut, top snocross racers in the world flew over the infield track and other close races were held into the night.

The Outlaw 600 class was the brainchild of master chassis builder John Hooper, and is in its first year on the ice. It’s a combination of a cockpit-style snowmobile and a go-kart, and they just look fun sitting still. They exceeded expectations on the track, however, with a great final that featured rubbing and a last-lap pass.

Rich Bickle at Eagle River

Former NASCAR racer and chassis builder Rich Bickle led the field on his No. 45 sled, but coming through the crowd and driving on the edge of control was Nick Dolezal, a former snowmobile racer who was competing in Gary Moyle’s Hooper-built sled.

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Johnson Wins Friday Night TLR: Earns Poll For World Championship

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 in a dozen classes put on a great show for the sizable crowd that circled the famed banked oval at Eagle River, Wisconsin. Despite a heavy layer of hanging snowdust and rough tracks – both on the iced oval and the infield snocross course – racing was safe, fast and fascinating.
.     The highlight was the Champ 440 final – a combination of the Sweet Sixteen Pole Position race that has recently become a Derby tradition and, for the first time, a leg in the big-dollar TLR Cup season-long points battle. Time trials and heat races earlier in the weekend pared the crowd of 24 contestants down to 16; two heat races Friday night trimmed it down to a 10-sled final.
.     In the first heat, Wahl Brothers Racing teammates Brandon Johnson and Dustin Wahl finished first and second on their Polaris-powered mods, four-time and defending World Champion P.J. Wanderscheid was third on his Hooper-built Cat, some folks’ pre-event pick Malcolm Chartier was fourth on his Houle-built Ski-Doo and fast qualifier Nick Van Strydonk grabbed the final qualifying spot in fifth. Heat two saw 2010 World Champ Matt Schulz lead green-to-checkered on his Ski-Doo-powered mod, with two-time Champ Gary Moyle second, super-fast Derby Pro Champ rookies Ryan Kniskern and Jordyn Wahl third and fourth and 2008 and 2009 champion Brian Bewcyk fifth.
.     In the final, Schulz got off to another fast start and paced the field early, but Johnson was snapping at his taillight, followed by Kniskern, Moyle, Van Strydonk, Wanderscheid, Chartier, Dustin Wahl, Bewcyk and Jordan Wahl. Jordan Wahl only lasted a couple more laps before pulling to the inside of the track with an apparent mechanical problem.
.     Schulz maintained the lead through the mid point, but Johnson was never more than five sleds lengths back, maintaining constant pressure. The real mover in the crowd was Van Strydonk. He held off Wanderscheid, then chased down and passed Moyle, then set-up and whizzed past Kniskern. The top three were running so close you could throw a blanket over them, if you could find a way to throw a blanket over missiles traveling 100 mph, that is. The snowdust was incredible – and the windless night let it hang over the track.
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UPDATE: Friday Night From Eagle River World Championship

A familiar front row qualifier, some big-air, paint-trading snocross racing and a notable comeback marked an action-packed Friday Night Thunder program at the 48^th Annual Eagle River World Championship Snowmobile Derby in Eagle River, Wisconsin, January 14. Let’s get right to the action.

Wanderscheid Seeks Fourth Title

PJ Wanderscheid, seen here driving his sled away from an interview, goes into Sunday as a favorite. He'll likely where a helmet then!

For a split second, three-time World Champion P.J. Wanderscheid jokingly held up four fingers Friday night while posing for photos after winning the Sweet 16 Qualifier that will allow him to advance directly to Sunday’s final. He was asked to do it again for a photo but grinned instead, refused and stuck to holding up a single finger while two sponsoring Amsoil representatives held up the four fingers behind him.

            Apparently the popular PJ didn’t want to jinx himself as he seeks to become the sport’s first four-time champ at Eagle River.

            Wanderscheid was close to flawless Friday, first streaking away with his qualifying heat race on his Hooper-powered Arctic Cat mod, then winning the final on a snowy night in northern Wisconsin. He was the only competitor to run a sub-18-second lap, clocking a best-lap speed of 17.914 seconds on the banked oval – a full three-tenths faster than the nearest competitor. His margin of victory was a cool 2.367 seconds – would have been more, but his brakes were fading late in the race.

            For his efforts on Friday, Wanderscheid earned a huge $1,000 check from the sponsoring World Snowmobile Headquarters – and, most importantly, is the only competitor guaranteed a spot in Sunday’s big race. Everybody else will have to roll the dice in today’s qualifying races.

            Bottom line: Wanderscheid is wearing the “favorite” crown right now.

The starting line for Friday's Sweet 16 final.

            Asked about his sled after the race, Wanderscheid told Snow Goer that it’s all-new this year.

            “It’s a little bit lighter and it has a little bit different geometry,” Wanderscheid said. “It’s made to win Eagle River…. The sled is working awesome.”

            It should be noted, however, that Wanderscheid found himself in the same position last year when he claimed the Friday night qualifier, but he came up short on Championship Sunday, finishing second to winner Matt Schulz.

            Speaking of that defending champion, it was Schulz who finished second in the qualifying race Friday night, and Schultz was also the fastest qualifier in Thursday’s time trials on the Champ sleds. He won last year on a Polaris-powered machine but has switched to Rotax/Ski-Doo power for 2011. Do not count him out.

            Gary Moyle is looking for a third World Championship, and also looks strong. He won his heat race Friday night and was second fastest in Thursday’s time trials, but he ran in the middle of the pack in the final Friday – finishing fifth, 10 seconds behind Wanderscheid. The unanswered question was whether the cagey veteran was truly giving it his all, and the flying snow created a lot of snowdust.

First-year pro Justin Broberg beat a star-studded field in the Pro Open final Friday night at Eagle River

            Malcolm Chartier finished third in Friday’s final on his Houle-built Ski-Doo mod, followed by Nick Van Strydonk on a Polaris mod.

            The Wahl Bros team of Dustin Wahl and Brandon Johnson has been really fast elsewhere this year, but they haven’t showed well so far here in Eagle River.  

            Qualifying continues this afternoon — check back tonight for a full report on today’s heat, plus read our fictional odds for Sunday’s World Championship.

A Snocross Split

Schuering Speed Sports’ Robbie Malinoski claimed the Pro Super Stock final on the snocross course early in Friday night’s program, surviving a slugfest with Ross Martin on the bumpy infield course. Martin made several charges on his Polaris, including slamming hard into Malinoski’s Ski-Doo in turn three coming to the white flag, but Malinoski fought back and held the spot to the waving checkered flag.  

            In the Pro Open final a couple hours later, Malinoski got the jump again and led early, but Martin provided the night’s biggest entertainment on the snocross course. The first lap, he was totally out of control, coming up the front stretch completely crossed up and bouncing off competitors on both sides of him. He miraculously saved it, but couldn’t do the same in turn two – he came off hard and had to re-mount while the rest of the 9-sled pack pulled far away.

            Martin remounted and raced with anger, flying farther and charging harder than anybody on the track while working his way back up to fifth.

            That was entertaining, but there was real action to watch up front, as first-year-pro Justin Broberg was keeping Malinoski honest by riding in his shadow. Then, 10 laps into the 15 lap final, Malinoski had the lap from hell – nearly dismounting three times by his own recollection after the race. Broberg streaked into the lead while Malinoski struggled to get his timing back and slipped to third when the hard-charging Brett Turcotte claimed second.

 Fontaine Returns, And Wins!

A year ago at Eagle River, the nastiest-looking crash of the weekend was experienced by Trevor Fontaine. The young racer lost the handlebars going into turn three want went hard into the haybales, severely damaging his left, including a dislocated foot and a broken femur. Eight days in the hospital and multiple surgeries followed.

            It’s been a long year, but Fontaine is back, and he completed his comeback Friday by winning the Semi Pro Champ final on his No. 3 mod late in the program. While he was being interviewed over the P.A. system, several of his competitors were loudly cheering him on – it was a very popular victory.

A Sledding Funeral, Trails Open, More Racing And Ben Stiller

Here are some notes to get your snowmobiling weekend kicked off:

Legend Honored With Snowmobiling Procession

A legend in Wisconsin Northwoods snowmobiling has died, and this morning he will be ushered into the next life with a procession that will truly honor his passions.

            Friday morning, a procession of snowmobiles will leave the Tomahawk Sports Center in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, at 10 a.m., weave through the town where dealership founder and owner Dick Calhoun served his community in so many ways, and will end at the church where his funeral service will be held. More than 100 snowmobiles are expected.

Dick Calhoun and his family ran Tomahawk Sports Center for 44 years.

           Calhoun, 80, died Monday after a battle with cancer.

          After riding his first snowmobile in 1965, Calhoun became hooked. By 1966, he was in the dealership business, starting Tomahawk Sports Center, a Ski-Doo dealership, and his passion for the sport of snowmobiling was strong and constant for the past 44 years. He started snowmobile clubs, was very involved in and promoted trail development, was named the Dealer Of The Year by local, state, national and international organizations and was named a Most Valuable Snowmobiler by Snowmobile Magazine in 1998.

           “He is one of the most avid snowmobilers I’ve ever known, he really was,” said longtime friend Dick Decker of the Derby Track and Decker Sno Venture Tours in Eagle River, Wisconsin. “He was always up for a ride, and he was very involved.”

            Calhoun was also involved in various other community organizations – from the local American Legion and Lions Club to the Chamber of Commerce.

            The dealership, which also carries Can-Am and Honda ATVs and motorcycles, Sea-Doo personal watercraft, Sanpan, Sweewater, Alumacraft, Manitou, Godfrey and AquaPatio boats and other boat and powersports products, was also at the center of Calhoun’s life. It’s open seven days a week, and through the years it seems Dick was always there.

         “He lived in that business, he went down every day he could get up, even when he was going through the chemotherapy – that business was his passion,” Decker said.

 Oval Races, In Iowa

The Oval Racers Alliance (ORA) season kicks off this weekend in Iowa for the now annual Rock Rapids event hosted by the Lyon County Sno-Lyons. There will be vintage classes, modern classes and even the high-end Champ 440 class.

            Its but one of several races this weekend, which will wrap up December racing in most areas, as circuits take the following two weekends off for Christmas and New Year’s weekends.

 More Trails Opening

Snow continues to fill is in various areas across the country, and more states are opening their trails, as extended hunting seasons wrap up in some areas.

            Do you have plans to go out riding? If so, remember to bring your camera so you can take some images and submit them for our What’s Hot What’s Not department in Snow Goer magazine. The best images in our Spring issue can win prizes from HMK!

 Don’t Loan Your Sled To A Short Actor

Comedic actor Ben Still entertained the crowd on the Jimmy Fallon show recently with a tale of him wrecking one of fellow actor Tom Cruise’s snowmobiles.

            According to Stiller, Cruise allowed Stiller to use his Colorado vacation home last winter over the holiday season. Still repaid Cruise by ghost riding one of Cruises snowmobiles off the side of a mountain!

            There’s a full account of the situation here.

Snowmobile Oval Racing Schedule for 2010-11

 A friend of mine left me a phone message moments ago asking where he could find a complete schedule of modern oval races (read: not just vintage, not that there’s anything wrong with vintage racing) for this coming winter. Not knowing where to find one, I decided to create my own!

            Below is a combined schedule of the oval races for this winter for the USSA Pro Star, Oval Racers Alliance (ORA), Super Competition Motorsport (SCM), Midwest International Racing Association (MIRA) and Canadian Power Toboggan Champion events.  Click on the names of any of these circuits to find out more information about them or their events.

            If I missed some events or circuits, drop me an email at jprusak@affinitygroup.com and I’ll add to the list. Thanks.

•  Dec. 4-5, Beausejour, Manitoba — CPTC
• Dec. 18-19, Rock Rapids, Iowa – ORA
• January 1-2, Amherst, Wisconsin — USSA
• Jan. 13-16, Eagle River, Wisconsin – USSA
• Jan. 22-23, Caro, Michigan – MIRA
• Jan. 22-23, Big Lake, Minnesota – ORA
• Jan. 22-23, Manitowaning, Ontario – SCM Eastern Pro Tour
• Jan. 29-30, Boonville, New York – SCM Eastern Pro Tour
• Jan. 29-30, Wausau, Wisconsin — USSA
• Jan. 29-30, Drummond Island, Michigan – MIRA
• Jan. 30, Waconia, Minnesota (vintage) — ORA
• Feb. 5, Sault Ste Marie, Michigan – Soo I-500, MIRA
• Feb. 5-6, Bancroft, Ontario – SCM Eastern Pro Tour
• Feb. 5-6, Plymouth, Wisconsin – USSA
• Feb. 12-13, Weyauwega, Wisconsin – USSA
• Feb. 18-20, Valcourt, Quebec – SCM Eastern Pro Tour
• Feb. 19-20, Crystal Lake, Michigan – MIRA
• Feb. 19-20, Grey Eagle, Minneesota — ORA
• Feb. 19-20, Richland Center, Wisconsin – USSA
• Feb. 26-27, Eganville, Ontario – SCM Eastern Pro Tour
• Feb. 26-27, Garrison, Minnesota — ORA
• Feb. 26-27, Lincoln, Michigan – MIRA
• March 5-6, Beausejour, Manitoba – CPTC
• March 12-13, Roberval, Quebec – SCM Eastern Pro Tour

Johnson wins at Beausejour; Johnstad Out, Elam In At Schuering Speed Sports

Let’s get you caught up on some quick racing news this Monday:

Johnson Wins At Beausejour

The ice oval racing season started this weekend at Beausejour, and the final results that are posted at the CPTC web site list Brandon Johnson as the winner on his Wahl Bros. No. 22 Polaris. But, according to the buzz on the message boards at snowgoer.com, it wasn’t as simple as that.

Brandon Johnson, pictured here on last year's sled at Eagle River, claimed first in Champ 440 at Beausejour, Manitoba

           Michigan’s Gary Moyle led several laps at the beginning of the race on his Rotax-powered mod before he blew a belt. That handed the lead to “Flyin’” Bryan Bewcyk of neighboring Winnipeg, who later succumbed to problems related to a coolant leak.

            All of this is not to say that Johnson was slow on his Jimmy John’s backed sled, however. He was the only driver to make it through all four of his heat races with victories. Michigan’s Malcolm Chartier finished second on his Houle-built Ski-Doo, with three-time World Champ PJ Wanderscheid third on his Hooper Cat.

           It appeared to be a good weekend for Team Wahl Bros. Dustin Wahl took the Champ 600 final ahead of Matt Schulz and Brandon Johnson. Jordan Wahl claimed the Formula 500 final.

            For more, and for some cool photos of the event by Rob Bye, make sure to check out the Ovals board on the SnowGoer website.

Elam In, Johnstad Out With Schuering

The Amsoil-backed Schuering Speed Sports team will have a new look this weekend at round two of the ISOC season. Andrew Johnstad has left the team and has been replaced in the Pro class by Willie Elam.

Willie Elam will join the Pro ranks for Schuering Speed Sports

            Johnstad, 24, of Beltrami, Minnesota, is a former Semi-Pro points champion on the national snocross circuit, but he looked quite bad at the season-opening Duluth Snocross race November 26-28, with a fifth being his best Pro Super Stock class finish, and a seventh was his best heat in Pro Open. Not surprisingly, he didn’t qualify for either final. No word on whether the problem was related to injury or mechanical issues, but Johnstad looked noticeable slow and unenthused going around the track.

            Elam, of Buhl, Idaho, is a longtime racer out West who has made appearances in Pro and Semi Pro on Cat, Polaris and Ski-Doo equipment over the years. Last year he only raced one weekend on the ISOC circuit, and claimed third in the Semi-Pro Open final at Utah.

            ““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 is also an experienced free rider and is expected to take part in the Speed & Style competition at the Winter X Games.

The ORA is Here to Stay, 2009-10 Schedule Released

The Oval Racers Alliance, otherwise known as ORA, has officially released their 2009-2010 race season schedule.  In their inaugural season, the ORA will host three races featuring both modern and vintage snowmobiles.

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Ask and You Shall Recieve

Ask and you shall receive. With temperatures above freezing putting the track in peril, Saturday night racing under the lights was cut short early.
Perhaps too many of us were hoping too much for cooler conditions on Sunday, because they
certainly came. Despite freezing temperatures and close to 50 mile per hour winds, the race hosted by WSA Pro-Ice Racing and
the Rock Rapids Sno-Lyons in Rock Rapids, Iowa continued on.

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