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Arctic Cat Wins the I-500!

Roger Skime, VP of Engineering at Arctic Cat

Let’s start with what was the emotional epicenter of most Arctic Cat fans for the weekend, Roger Skime (VP of Engineering) entering the I-500 at the ripe young age of 66. Here’s Roger prior to the start of Day 2.

 

Roger Skime, VP of Engineering at Arctic Cat

Roger rode smart, fast and in control for three solid days, pounding the ditches when he he had good visibility. No crashes for this racer.

 

Roger Skime, VP of Engineering at Arctic Cat

Without question, Roger was the guy with the most fans throughout the weekend, as friends, family and people inspired by his story came to pat him on the back. And no lie…every time Roger got off his sled at the finish line, it was all smiles and joking around.

Roger finished fourth in the Legends 50-plus class with a time of 10:56:43. Thanks for being you, Roger! It was an honor to chase you all weekend.

 

Arctic Cat/Christian Bros. pro, D.J. Ekre

After finishing second last year, expectations were high for D.J. Ekre of the Christian Bros. Racing team. Setting the fast time on Day one confirmed he was the man to beat…

 

Arctic Cat/Christian Bros. pro, D.J. Ekre

…But if this year’s I-500 proved one thing, it’s that ANYTHING can happen in cross-country. On Day Two, Ekre came into the first fuel stop with a broken brake lever — the result of some no-holds-barred battling with his own teammate, Ryan Simons.

After getting fuel, Ekre pulled out of the fuel area to perform a quick repair (he lost a brake lever a couple years ago in this race, and now carries a spare). Meanwhile, his other CBR teammate, Cory Davis, was flying along at a pace that would give him the fast time of the day and put him within seconds of first.

 

Arctic Cat's Ryan Huston

Ryan Huston also delivered a scorching run on Day Two to move from sixth to second, just six seconds shy of Ekre. The drama was building.

 

Cory Davis, CBR/Team Arctic

Cory Davis moved into third, 23 seconds of Ekre, by airing the same race-winning pace that brought him a win at the USCC opener two weeks prior to the I-500. But as Davis would learn the next day, cross-country racing can be cruel, even to those who seem destined to win. Yet with Team Arctic racers occupying the top-4 positions, it seemed as if a return to victory was a solid bet.

 

Some ArcticInsiders?

When there’s a cross-country race in NW Minnesota, the majority of race fans wear either Arctic Cat or Polaris colors. The rivalry between these two brands is most fiercely fought in cross-country, and especially at the I-500.

 

Who is this guy?

There were some familiar faces in attendance at this year’s I-500, including this Monster-drinking dude with the sweet shirt.

 

Arctic Cat Product Manager, Joey Hallstrom getting fuel

Joining Roger Skime in this year’s race was Arctic Cat Product Manager, Joey Hallstrom, whose love of cross-country racing spans decades. Here’s Hallstrom during the second fuel stop on Day two. Like Skime, Hallstrom would finish the race without incident, and will undoubtedly use his experience to help improve future Arctic Cat snowmobiles.

 

Ebert's race sled during the maintenance session

During the one-hour work session on Dan Ebert’s sled following Day Two, Russ Ebert (r) and Fred Olson worked effeciently and optimistically, as unofficially time keepers indicated that Dan had moved into fourth place overall, within two minutes of Ekre.

 

Bent A-arm from Ebert's sled...day two

But even the Ebert crew had reason to worry, as replacing a bent lower A-arm clearly illustrated how temporary any high finish might be.

Day Two had proven to be one of the most brutal legs in the past decade, with seasoned racers proclaiming it the toughest day of running they’d ever experienced.

 

An all-Arctic Cat top 10 seemed possible.

The starting grid for the final day looked good for Team Arctic.

 

D.J. Ekre, Arctic Cat cross-country ace

A few miles before the first fuel stop Ekre had built up a huge lead over second place, and the crowd who were listening to race-radio gave him the universal sign for “You’re killing it, so race smart.” Ekre got the message and was racing like a man ready to assume the mantle of I-500 champion.

 

Cory Davis watches his sled get loaded

While Ekre was blazing out front, Cory Davis came into the first fuel stop with a shredded track. His day was done.

Within moments of loading his sled onto the trailer, a report from race radio said that Ekre had also blown a track and was out of the race.

 

CBR Semi Pro Chad Kyllo

Fears kicked into overdrive when Chad Kyllo, who was in good position to win the Semi Pro class, was reported out of the race…with track failure.

 

Arctic Cat's Dan Ebert in the lead at the I-500

Ebert had moved into second place behind Ekre prior to Ekre’s track blowing, and inherited the lead. When Ebert came into the second (and final) fuel stop, his dad asked him if he’d heard his track ratcheting.

Mechanically wise like his father, and with Polaris racer Gabe Bunke hovering in second place only couple minutes back, young Ebert understood the gravity of the situation.

He headed out for the final 50 miles of the race, hoping for the best.

 

Arctic Cat's Dan Ebert in the lead at the I-500

Having competed in his first I-500 the previous year, Ebert knew he couldn’t ride too cautiously or too crazy. If he was going to make it to the finish line in first, he would have to ride the fine line.

 

Arctic Cat's Dan Ebert winning the I-500

After what seemed like an eternity for Dan, his dad and the entire Team Arctic camp… Ebert flew down the ditch and across the finish line with a cumulative time of 8:11:35, scoring his first-ever cross-country win…and the biggest victory of his career.

 

Dan and Russ Ebert

A last-minute decision by the Eberts to race the I-500 proved wildly worthwhile, and the father and son share the joy (and relief) at the finish line.

 

Ebert and USCC President Pat Mach

USCC President Pat Mach was one of the first to congratulate Ebert. Mach and his amazing crew put on an incredible race. With 124 entries and some very interesting people in attendance this year, the I-500 is on a path to once again becoming the most important race in snowmobiling.

 

Arctic Cat's Zach Thoma of Clearbrook, Minn.

Finishing the I-500 is a monumental achievement, as 15-year-old Zach Thoma of Clearbrook, Minn., learned. A fresh batch of young racers like Thoma raced the I-500 this year, indicating good things for cross-country.

 

Trevor John won Expert 85

The only solace for Christian Bros. Racing was Trevor John’s win in Expert 85. Trevor hit a drainage ditch at 75 mph on the final day, putting just a SLIGHT forward bend in the handlebars. He was stiff, but okay.

 

Jolene Bute wins her fifth I-500

The most decorated woman in cross-country history — Jolene Bute — won her fifth I-500. Despite a couple tumbles on the third day, Bute was all smiles when receiving her trophy from USCC’s Chad Colby.

 

L-to-R: Leroy Lindblad, Dan Ebert, Kirk Hibbert

Dan Ebert is all smiles with a hefty check and his name in the record books. On his right is two-time I-500 winner Leroy Lindblad. And on his left is two-time winner Kirk Hibbert. Will Ebert join these two as a multiple winner of this famed event?

The following Team Arctic racers also won classes at this year’s I-500:

Cole Nymann, Semi Pro

Erik Bute, Semi Pro Improved

Chad Lian, Vet 30-plus

Jon Arneson, Masters 40-plus

Chris Sobeck, Trail

Jeff Gruhlke, Expert 85 Improved

Chris Hoff, Trophy 600

Marty Feil, Trophy 85

Congratulations to everyone who competed in the I-500!

For full results, go HERE.

 

Outlaws and insiders

Anyone else see the ArcticInsiders at the I-500, getting hauled off to jail?

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13 COMMENTS

  1. John;

    Nice meeting you up at the 7 Clans Casino at the end of the I-500. Hope we have some time to sit down and shoot the bull again some time.

  2. Sandberg. That was the most refreshing race coverage/pictorial Ive seen in a long long time! Great job!

    Im not sure why, but that photo of Tucker in that red shirt really made me laugh!!!!!

  3. Great article and pictures , Any details on what was happening with the track failures? Was not this year track suppose to be more durable?

  4. Great write up on the race. Post more pics and videos.

    Congratulations to Dan Ebert and the rest of all the Team Arctic racers who won there respective classes! Kitty has bragging rights!

    Jolene Bute – FIVE I-500 wins! Incredible! Way to go! Keep riding Cat! Go for SIX next year!

    What’s up with the blown tracks? Single ply tracks getting pushed to the limit?

  5. Dick: Awesome to connect with you… we’ll sit down and chat Arctic Cat stories sometime when the winter has faded to summer. ERIK — Awesome race! Congrats on winning the Improved class…you’re awesome. And it was our pleasure to help get you moving on Day 2. The video is coming from a friend who was sitting in the truck. I’ll mail it as soon as I get it.

  6. The tracks were ripping lengthwise, in the exact locations as the two inner rear idler wheels. Nothing prior to this race even remotely suggested this could happen. There was one 8-mile stretch of course on the third day that was entirely gravel road. Racers could (and did) go right on top of the road, rather than in the ditch. Extremely hard on the track, but still shouldn’t have caused such failure. Cat is investigating the torn tracks this week. I’ll post more when info is available.

  7. John; nice to meet you at the 500. Excellent story. We all enjoyed the picture of my nephew Zach Thoma! He just turned 15. He is a really nice kid, and we are very proud of him.

  8. Very nice win for Dan and it was great to see Roger on the course. But Cat better take a good look at their track supplier’s quality control operation, and find out why these tracks failed.

  9. John
    Your a classic. I have known you since you were racing and I just can’t thank you enough for all you do for cross-country racing. You are just the perfect fit for all of the outstanding classy people at Arctic Cat & The Arctic Cat race Deptarment. We are so fortunite to have a great racing family there. Have a good one!
    Talk to you soon Jolene

  10. Thanks for the kind words, Jolene. Cross-country is where my heart has always been, in part because of the amazing people like your family, and also because of the amazing drama that unfolds. Great job once again at this year’s race…you’re an inspiration to us all.

  11. Any chance those were clipped-every-third tracks?? With the long run with minimal lube and two rear axle wheels I’m sure ugly things happen.

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