I've experienced the parental years of going snowmobiling with kids who are either too young to ride on their own or (in the case of my daughter), not interested in riding by herself.

Some families opt for dedicated 2-up riding sleds, such as the various Pantera models. Other families opt to "tough it out" using their regular, one-up machines.

These days there's a much more elegant solution for most recent-model Arctic Cats that doesn't require a dedicated 2-up machine, in the form of a 2-up Seat Kit.

Click to read a few virtues and details.

Team Arctic straightline racer Glenn Hall just set another record, this time ProMod class in 1/8-mile asphalt  bike/sled class aboard the Stilson Racing/Hypersports Arctic Cat 9000-Series Turbo:

0.167 seconds:            REACTION TIME

1.140 seconds:            60-FT ELAPSED TIME

3.216 seconds             330-FT ELAPSED TIME

5.041 seconds             1/8-MILE ELAPSED TIME

133.09 MPH               1/8-MILE SPEED

Glenn and the team delivered this outstanding result this past weekend at the Grand Bend Motorplex in Grand Bend, Ontario.

it's a reflection of the team's expertise as well as the incredible power-to-weight advantage of an Arctic Cat Turbo.

Congrats to the Stilson Racing/Hypersports team!

The mother ship is strong, stable and profitable.

Textron Inc. today reported second quarter 2017 income from continuing operations of $0.57 per share or $0.60 per share of adjusted income from continuing operations, compared to $0.66 per share in the second quarter of 2016. During this year’s second quarter, the company recorded $13 million of pre-tax special charges ($0.03 per share, after-tax).

Revenues in the quarter were $3.6 billion, up 2.6 percent from the second quarter of 2016. Textron segment profit in the quarter was $295 million, down $33 million from the second quarter of 2016.

“Revenues were up in the quarter primarily driven by the Arctic Cat acquisition,” said Textron Chairman and CEO Scott C. Donnelly. “We saw strong performance at Bell and were encouraged by the continued strengthening in commercial helicopter demand.”

Click for the full release.

It's mid-July, which means the lakes are just starting to thaw in northern Minnesota. Time to swap the heavily insulated Arcticwear gear with something a little more summer-like.

Arcticwear has some new utility jackets for the 2018 season that might be exactly what you're looking for now and in future months.

Click to check 'em out.

It's going to be fun seeing owners customize the new ZR 200 youth snowmobile, whether it's for little Johnny/Jilly or for their adult selves.

Arctic Cat is first out of the gate with a host of new gear that covers the spectrum from style to comfort and control.

Make the jump to see some of what's available.

The vision of a beautiful new building that displays historic snowmobiles and memorabilia is almost ready to happen at the Snowmobile Hall of Fame in St. Germain, Wis.  With the Classic Sled Roundup weekend festivities happening this coming weekend, the SHOF hopes to bridge the final gap to its building fundraising goal in hopes of hosting a groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, May 27.

“We are so close to our goal of $350,000 that we can taste it,” said Craig Marchbank, SHOF President. "With one last push, and a few spare dollars from those who are able, we’ll put shovels in the ground for this important showcase of snowmobile history.”

Click to read more about helping the SHOF this week with any size donation.

This week, longtime Arctic Cat veteran Craig Kennedy was named Vice President, Snow & International. The announcement was made by Kevin Holleran, President and CEO of Textron Specialized Vehicles.

Kennedy has more than 18 years at Arctic Cat, in a variety of roles. He knows the brand, the customers, the dealers and the employees.

Oh, and his blood is green.

Click for more info.

Yesterday, Textron Industries announced a few big changes that will make an impact on Arctic Cat:

* Production of the (Textron) Stampede will move from Augusta, Ga., to Thief River Falls, Minn. (above)

* Production of the Textron 4-stroke engine (that powers the Stampede) will also move to TRF.

* Arctic Cat's Minneapolis HQ will be shut down, with employees transitioning to St. Cloud

Click for more info.

At a special event held in an airplane hanger in Dallas-Ft. Worth yesterday, Textron Off Road shared with its dealers some plans for incorporating Arctic Cat into its family of vehicles. I was there, and I can tell you it was a powerful and good presentation. One of the key messages was that, going forward, the Arctic Cat name will be substituted with Textron when it comes to wheeled vehicles, while sub-brands like Wildcat, Prowler, Alterra and Stampede will be retained.

Arctic Cat snowmobiles will forever retain the name.

("There are some things that are sacred, and the Arctic Cat snowmobile name is one of them," Collins said to me.)

I have a lot more to say about this, including a soon-to-come interview with company Vice President John Collins in which he answers the questions that so many are asking.

In the meantime, if you have an hour to spare, I recommend watching the presentation. There's a lot of business/dealer talk, but there are also great things for everyone to hear.

If you’re like me, then you want to show Tucker Hibbert the fastest way around the track. You know, show him who’s the boss (and I don’t mean Ross).

And if you’re like me, you know there’s no possible means of doing this on snowmobiles. But there is a slight chance of beating him to the checkered flag on go-karts, and that opportunity is Saturday, April 29 at the MB2 Raceway indoor go-kart race track in Fridley, Minnesota.

There, beginning at Noon, the first Hunter Houle Memorial Foundation fundraiser will unfold with kids, adult-kids and delusional adult-kids who will rip around a sweet track while enjoying the friendship and fellowship of like-minded goofballs.

Click to read about it.

Three days ago, Lakewood Schools student Jared Stevens saw an outpouring from family, friends, teachers and classmates.

The junior in the Marshall, Minn., area battled pinoblastoma, a brain cancer, with treatments occurring last summer at the Mayo Clinic. There, Make-A-Wish volunteers met him and learned his deepest wish.

His answer: a new snowmobile. Arctic Cat, along with Country Cat, Tucker Hibbert, Arcticwear, Fly Racing, the Make-A-Wish foundation and others, partnered to make Jared’s wish come true in the form of a ZR 6000 and all the gear he needs to ride.

Jared is free of cancer as of his last check-up. I’m wishing for happy trails ahead for Jared and his family.

Speedwerx has gone full-tilt into the custom, limited-edition Arctic Cat zone for 2018, producing four turn-key rippers that combine holy-crap! horsepower (on pump gas), dialed-in clutching, key upgrades, sweet wraps and a traction equation that can put that power to the ground.

The models: 2018 Arctic Cat Thundercat, ZR 8000 Limited, and two version of the M 8000 Mountain Cat.

They’ll produce a maximum of five of each version, with orders (and a $1,000 deposit) required by April 15.

Click to see the checklist of custom goodness for each model.

Textron has begun to incorporate Arctic Cat into its brand, as evidenced by this well-done video about the newly-named Textron Off Road division in which Cat now resides.

There's a lot more to come on this, I'm sure. Enjoy the video.

Arctic Cat held its 2018 snowmobile dealer in the Twin Cities a couple weeks ago. Here's an inside look at what the dealer saw, and what many of them thought of the machines (including the Wildcat XX). 

It even has some thoughtful words from the legend, Roger Skime.

Definitely worth checking out (other than the terrible microphone stand that was utilized).

It's official: Textron has acquired more than 50 percent of Arctic Cat's outstanding stock shares, which means that it downs the 55-year old brand.

After the merger, which is expected to occur today, Arctic Cat will be an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Textron, Arctic Cat’s shares will cease to be traded on the NASDAQ.

What this MEANS in terms of the product we love, the dealers we buy from and the brand's path forward is TBD. I expect more news on those big questions to come sooner rather than later.

Click to read the official financial release.

In addition to announcing its 2018 line of snowmobiles (and a few future dirt products) this past week, Arctic Cat also unveiled its 2018 Arcticwear & Accessories catalog.

Not only is it loaded with all the newest gear, it's redesigned to be easier to use, including an Index; Pro Tips from engineers and athletes; more technical specs; and an accessory locator.

Catalogs are arriving at your local Arctic Cat dealer now and in the next few days.

Well, the court of law in Canada has ruled in favor of Arctic Cat in the patent litigation brought by BRP regarding the chassis of Cat snowmobiles built from the Twin Spar in 2007 through the ProCross and ProClimb in 2015.

Apparently Ski-Doo did NOT invent the pyramid. Or something like that.

Either way, great news for Arctic Cat and justice. And, as was predicted years ago, the real winners were the lawyers with the billable hours.

Click to read more.

This past week the Snowmobile Hall of Fame announced the Hunter Houle Memorial New Building Fund.

Conceived by Steve & Charlene, it's a way for people to help fund the construction of a new museum at the SHOF in St. Germain, Wis., while memorializing their son, Hunter, who died this past January.

Click to learn more.

See, touch and ride (if you're a kid) the 2018 line of Arctic Cat snowmobiles on Saturday, March 4 at ERX in Elk River, Minn.

This is the first chance to see all the new sleds.

Plus there will be free youth demo rides; vintage Arctic Cat sleds on display; free Cat winter beanie giveaways; the Arctic Cat 360 Virtual Reality Experience; and more.

Click for more info.

Fan of Tucker Hibbert?...CHECK

Like free gear?...CHECK!

Interested in hanging out with him at 2018 Canterbury race?...CHECK!

Signed-up* for the Ultimate Race Experience Sweepstakes?...Well, are you?

*(Full disclosure: I signed up using every family member's name and various aliases.)