Textron Off Road just released their 2018 Youth and Entry Level model ATVs.

Rebadged from their previous iterations, these premium-quality models do for youth EXACTLY the same thing that new, big machines do for adults: They make 'em want to ride!

The great news is that they're already shipped to Textron Off Road dealers, waiting for (stationary) showroom rides.

Click to read the dirt about the Alterra 90, DVX 90, Alterra 150 and Alterra 300.

When Team Arctic snocrossers aboard the incredible ZR 6000R SX race sled grabbed 14 out of 20 class wins and 25 out of 60 podium places at the ISOC National opener in Duluth, I thought they'd reached the top of what was likely to happen.

Boy was I wrong.

And they proved it at the second stop of the season, in Jackson Hole, Wyo., with 15 of 19 class wins and 35 out of 57 podium spots (including a sweep of the podium in six classes)!

Click to read the press release.

Remember that lawsuit that BRP brought against Arctic Cat over chassis design and rider position (the same lawsuit that had a ruling in favor of Arctic Cat by a Canadian court last February)?

There was a ruling by a Minnesota jury last week in favor of Arctic Cat.

Click to read the story from Law360.com.

Want insight into Kirk and Tucker Hibbert? You'll find it in this genuine look at where their family has its roots in Alta, Wyo./Driggs, Idaho.

Definitely worth watching.

Do we enjoy the same earning power today that we did in 1994?

If snowmobiles are too expensive, what does that say about our smartphones, internet and cable television?

These are some questions that are worth answering, which is what I try here in Part III of the series, Snowmobiles Are Too Expensive.

Click for a dose of my family's reality.

ISOC National Snocross returns this Friday-Saturday, Dec. 8-9, at Jackson, Wyo.

Will Team Arctic deliver another stunning performance like they did two weeks ago at Duluth?

Tune in to the free Livestream by clicking on the image above and watch it unfold.

Winter returned to Arctic Cat (above) yesterday, in a blowing, howling whiplash of weather that went from 40s and rain to 20s and snow. This is how things look today, captured by Mike Baker.

The same storm coated a large swath of Minnesota, the Dakotas and parts of Manitoba and Ontario.

And the 10-day forecast says "winter," with overnight lows that dip down into the low-teens and the possibility of more snow.

December...as it's supposed to be!

I'm hoping the same comes soon to everyone in snow country.

Carry on...

Last week we launched into a great discussion about the price of new snowmobiles.

Today I want to talk trucks.

I was curious how its price has changed over the same period of time that we compared snowmobiles in Part I. 

Jump to see some interesting numbers.

Watch this video and see if you agree with me that this Tucker Hibbert dude just might have what it takes to be a great racer someday.

Oh, BTW, these are the highlights of the opening weekend to the 2017-18 National snocross season for the Monster Energy / Arctic Cat / RAM racer, who crushed it with two wins in the premier Pro class.

Bam!

It was a strong opening to the 2017-18 ISOC National snocross season for Christian Brothers Racing. Check out the video highlights!

Thanks to complete overuse and #fakenewz marketing, the word "domination" has lost much of its meaning in world of snowmobile language. But I can't think of a better word to use for Team Arctic's assault on the opening round of the 2017-2018 ISOC National Snocross season in Duluth, Minn., last weekend.

The women and men in green -- aboard the new Arctic Cat ZR 6000R SX snocross race machine -- truly did dominate in a way that I don't remember seeing, ever, in the 26 years of this fine event.

I've been to 'em all, and I've never seen anything like it. The raw numbers prove it: 14 wins (out of 20 possible classes) and 25 of 60 podium positions.

Click to read my race report.

“Snowmobiles are way too expensive these days.”

 “I haven’t bought a snowmobile for (fill in the blank) years because they’re so much more expensive than they used to be.”

I’ve heard these two statements enough times over the past decade that they’ve become cliche. People utter them and believe them without actually thinking about them. When I ask how much more today’s sleds cost compared to 20 years ago, the answer is always “Thousands.”

Which is complete bullshit. I know this because I just did the math.

Click to read why some new snowmobiles are priced thousands lower than famed machines from a couple decades ago.

True confessions...

I'm the guy at 1:03 on the Merc, who gets sideways yet still keeps it pinned.

I'm also the guy who kisses the wall at 1:35.

Real People = Embarrasing me.

The first Caterpillar side-by-side utility vehicle, built at Arctic Cat/Textron Off Road in Thief River Falls? It certainly appears to be the machine.

At this moment 27 years ago, Team Arctic racers and mechanics were busy puting wrenches and hope into a snowmobile that would ultimately re-aim the trajectory of Team Arctic's race results.

The machine: the 1990 EXT Special. 

By the end of the season (and in the capable hands of growing contingent of Team Arctic racers), the machine would claim wins in the Jeep 500 cross-country, Eagle River World's Championship and dozens of other key races.

It would mark the beginning of a loooooong line of race-focused, limited-built "specials."

And it would launch the success (and fortune) of FOX Shox in the snowmobile arena.

Click to read more about this iconic machine.

It's been 10 years since legendary snowmobile journalist CJ Ramstad and his son J.J. died in a tragic automobile crash.

Today would have been CJ's 72nd birthday. I’m remembering his life by sharing this awesome column he wrote for the Dec. 13, 1975 edition of Snow Week magazine.

It’s a column about subjects dear to his heart: cross-country snowmobile racing; the workingman racer; the independent spirit.

Like much of CJ’s writing, it captures the subject with honesty and insight.

Happy Birthday CJ. And thanks for the gifts you gave us.

When the sun set on this past summer, so too did the career of a truly remarkable snowmobiule racer who has competed for more than 35 consecutive years: Dale Lindbeck.

If you grew up going to races in the Midwest or reading Snow Week magazine, you know Lindbeck as a Team Arctic racer who raced in snocross, ice LeMans, cross-country and watercross, where he’s a 4-time World Champion.

At 57 years old, the married father of one who lives in Chisago City, Minn., will stop chasing checkered flags and start chasing new life experiences.

Dale has been one of my all-time favorite personalities since I started covering this sport as a journalist in 1989, and he was gracious to let me interview him about his career.

Oh man, sometimes it's a story of human greatness that puts everything into perspective.

Five-year-old Sunshine Oelfke, who had been saving to buy a ZR 120 but then gave all her money to buy milk for her classmates, is one such story.

Yesterday Sunshine received a BIG surprise: a brand-new ZR 120, courtesty of Arctic Cat and Textron Specialized Vehicles.

Awesome!

Click to read one really, REALLY cool story.

Yep, the riding season has begun!

Arctic Cat Black Cat shredder Caleb Kesterke made some tracks in Cooke City, Montana a few days ago.

Arctic Cat and Speedwerx have had a very close relationship for a whole bunch of years, from race engines to concept vehicles to Black Cats sleds to high performance products to...well the list goes on and on.

For the first time ever, there are now Speedwerx Hypershift Clutch Kits available for most recent model machines, from all Arctic Cat dealers, and via the online store.

These kits deliver the same promise as all of Speedwerx's stuff: more perforemance.

Click to read the details and see if it's something you're interested in.