While on my recent trip to Arctic Cat in Thief River Falls, I snapped a shot of this test rider leaving the factory and riding a covered/disguised sled. The fact that the hood can’t be seen, in concert with the bright green spindles/A-arms and seat pattern, suggest it’s a 2011 model

I know it’s a few weeks before Arctic Cat releases information on its 2011. Anyone care to venture a guess about this sled?

Every few weeks throughout the winter, a handful of Arctic Cat engineers spend the day riding and evaluating snowmobiles.

Make the jump to read about it.

Shown here at the recent USCC Red Lake 200 cross-country race is Team Arctic's D.J. Ekre, literally piloting an Arctic Cat Sno Pro 500 in the Expert 85 class (which he won). The short clip clearly illustrates why Ekre is one of the fastest cross-country racers in the world.

D.J. is the second of the two racers to come through.

It was a golden X Games once again for Tucker Hibbert.

Make the jump to read about it and the other Team Arctic finishes from the weekend.

With a half-season of testing, riding and racing the Sno Pro 500, improvements have been discovered. Based on what cross-country racers have learned and changed – particularly during the I-500 – I’ve made some tweaks to my Sno Pro 500 and can verify the improvements.

Make the jump to read them..

Recently discovered in a Northwestern Wisconsin barn...the very first Monster Arctic Cat mod racer that dates back to 1973.

Make the jump and read more.

When it comes to green, Arctic Cat went from red to black in 3rd Qtr. results. Make the jump and read the release.

Check out a nice video interview with 2010 USCC I-500 Champion Dan Ebert, HERE at SnowGoer.com.

At the Canterbury snocross, Tucker Hibbert delivered what people are calling the most exciting race performance of recent memory.

Make the jump and read Tucker's official release.

Team Arctic had an excellent weekend at the ISOC Canterbury snocross, and a good weekend at the Preston hillclimb.

Make the jump and read the release.

Team Arctic's Dan Ebert...winning the 2010 I-500. Here's a couple clips of Ebert on the third and final day, in the 50 miles between the final fuel stop and the finish line.

Awesome race, Dan! Congratulations.

Team Arctic's D.J. Ekre had a heart-breaking 2010 I-500. He was leading by several minutes with roughly 70 miles to go...when his track tore, ending his race. Up to that point, D.J. was ON FIRE. Here's a short vid of him just prior to the first fuel stop on the third day.

Here's a short video of Roger Skime, 66-year-old VP of Engineering at Arctic Cat, racing to fourth place in the 2010 I-500 cross-country. This guy is amazing!

The 38th I-500 concluded on Sunday, with a nice victory celebration enjoyed by Team Arctic.

Make the jump and read all about it.

Looking pretty green in the top-10 places in the Pro class following Day 1 of the I-500.

(Sorry, no times yet, just overall placings)

1. D.J. Ekre (Cat)

2. Ryan Simons (Cat)

3. Brian Dick (Cat)

... more after the jump...

Among the 124 racers who will leave the starting line of the USCC I-500 cross-country race this morning in Thief River Falls, Minn., only one is a Vice President of Engineering for a snowmobile manufacturer.

For those who have been waiting for Arctic Cat to offer power steering on an ATV, the wait is over. Six new 2010 models will come with Variable Assist electronic Power Steering (VAPS): three 550 models (including one TRV), and three 700 machines (including one TRV), which will arrive at dealerships beginning around March 1.

Make the jump to read more.

The 47th World Championship Snowmobile Derby takes place this weekend in Eagle River, Wis.

During the excitement, drama and spectacle, one of the world's great oval racers will do something special to help people impacted by breast cancer.

Make the jump to read about it.

Yes, Tucker Hibbert is human after all. And yes, Team Arctic keeps on winning.

Make the jump and read the release.

Photos courtesy of Gary Walton.

Will P.J. Wandershcheid be the first racer to win four Eagle River World Championship titles?

We don't know either, but when he goes for it this coming weekend, he'll do so wearing the newest sponsored gear by DRIFT performance race apparel.

Make the jump to read the release.

Wishing your sled was a little bit faster?

You're probably giving up free horsepower and top speed.

Make the jump to read more.

Some important news out of Speedwerx.

First: a product recall on their early-build Z1 Turbo Mufflers.

Second: their new blog. Make the jump to read more.

Arctic Cat launched into the New Year with an outstanding performance at the USCC cross-country race in Grafton, ND.

Make the jump to read the official release.

Team Arctic's Dan Ebert (right) and Cody Thomsen have both risen to a new level in ISOC snocross this season. Literally, as they both jumped a class - Ebert to Pro and Thomsen to Semi Pro.

Unlike most of their contemporaries, Ebert and Thomsen work on their own sleds, every day.

Captured here inside the Ebert race shop in Lake Shore, Minn., by photographer Gary Walton, the duo are preparing for the National in Sandy, Utah, this coming weekend.

Look here for a full story on these two racers in the next couple weeks. And in the meantime, see if you can detect any top-secret race tricks on this sled.

Team Arctic racers rang in the New Year with a helluva bang, the loudest of which came from Cory Davis who dominated the USCC cross-country in Grafton, ND.

Is Kirk Hibbert preparing to race cross-country once again, or is he test riding a sled to help a friend?

If I was a Twitt(erer), here are some of the various things I would have Tweeted the past week:

Taking self-promotion to a new level, ArcticInsider.com pays a visit to the Team Arctic Race Shop.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, especially when it comes to promotion. You know that when ArcticInsider is willing to bribe Arctic Cat engineers like Troy Halvorson, times are tough.

Four distinguished racers and/or snowmobilers will be inducted into the Snowmobile Hall of Fame this February, including one of the all-time greatest Team Arctic racers: Jim Dimmerman.

Make the jump to read their bios.

There's a little something for everyone at ArcticInsider, including Arctic Cat Product Manager, Joey Hallstrom.

Day two at the ISOC snocross in Milwaukee concluded with a familiar name atop the Pro Open podium: Tucker Hibbert, scoring career victory #50.

From the Pro Stock final at the Milwaukee Mile in... Milwaukee.

1. Tucker Hibbert (Cat)

2. Ross Martin (Pol)

3. Garth Kaufman (Cat)

That marks career win #49 for Tucker. And the second week in a row that Garth Kaufman worked his magic to get through most of the pack to finish third.

One day after another sensational performance at the Duluth Spirit National -- at which he won every heat and final -- Monster Energy/Arctic Cat racer and major cookie hog Tucker Hibbert chatted with the ArcticInsiders about getting yelled at by his mom, his favorite gas-station food and more.

We were at the 2009 Spirit National Snocross, looking for the ArcticInsiders.

It was a stellar weekend for Team Arctic at the ISOC Spirit National in Duluth, Minn. Wins in both Pro classes and in two Semi Pro classes are a nice way to start the season.

The Arctic Cat/Bi-Polar team that won last year's Baja 1000 off-road race took on the Best In The Desert race series in 2009. Make the jump to read about their podium placing.

Once a month Arctic Cat sends us press releases on their latest new parts and clothing. Here are November's goodies, available now at most Arctic Cat dealers.

A quick trip to Thief River Falls, Minn., with a stop in Fertile, Minn., produced the sights, sounds and smells of a snowmobile world that's ready to ride (and race).

Racers accustomed to white/clear plastic fuel tanks value the ease of determining fuel level. This is especially true for cross-country, where fuel stops can play a meaningful role in the race’s outcome. So when racers received their 2010 Sno Pro race sleds, there was some serious grumbling about the black-coated tanks.

SledRacer.com got the skinny on the situation, and posted about it HERE.

Have a 2010 Crossfire 800 and want optimized gearing for either high-speed or mountain riding? Read on for some recommendations.

The Fall 2009 issue of Arctic Cat Pride magazine is now posted on the Arctic Cat Website.

Click HERE to see it.

A 130-hp (stock) Sno Pro might be available right now at your local dealership, tempting you to buy it and rule the trails this winter. There's just one catch...

The respected (and independent) dyno gurus at DynoTech recently tested a produciton 2010 Arctic Cat F8.

Compared to the pre-production engine they tested last spring, the production engine... made more hp. Read the download after making the jump.

Team Arctic has released their 2009-10 roster information. Read below to see what's new for this season.

I'm beginning to think that Tucker Hibbert believes this site is a total joke. Not sure if I'm flattered or hurt?

To conclude the series on the new Sno Pro 500, let's look at possible solutions to the "It-doesn't-have-enough-horsepower-for-me" dilemma: the aftermarket.

Here, in Part III of the Sno Pro 500 Series, I want explain my own time aboard the Sno Pro 500, put it in a historical perspective, then perhaps challenge some of the assumptions we tend to make.

There's been some confusion and misinformation regarding which track comes stock on certain 2010 model year Arctic Cats. THIS Excel file is the official chart with the correct information.

When Arctic Cat coaxed 160-plus hp out of its 800 laydown twin via new exhaust, pistons, cylinder porting, EFI calibration, ignition timing, APV valves and the good ol’ Greg Spaulding voodoo, it prompted the strong recommendation that owners use 91-octane fuel.

In Part I of this series we established that the 800 H.O. and 600 consumer twins don’t fit into the Sno Pro race chassis. The question I had is, “Why wasn’t the chassis designed to accept these consumer-friendly engines?”

Arctic Cat says there will be no Sno Pro 800 or consumer-friendly Sno Pro 600. The reason: not enough space for the larger engines. Can this really be true?

Arctic Cat Engine engineer Greg Spaulding, discussing the four liquid-cooled 2-stroke engine options in the Arctic Cat arsenal.