The Winnipeg Returned: Tales from the 2017 I-500 Cross-Country

The 2017 USXC Winnipeg-to-TRF-to-Bemidji I-500 returned this past weekend, with a new generation of racers writing their names in a new chapter of this magnificent race.

Bitter cold, rough ditches, river, trail...it delivered three grueling days of competition that more than lived up to its legend.

Click to read the story.

SnoWest Rings Out the 2018 M 8000 Sno Pro

Another sweet vid of the M 8000 Early Release getting its groove on, this time via the SnoWest Magazine gang.

Black Cat McClure on the 2018 Arctic Cat M 8000 Sno Pro Early Release

Check out this sweet video of Black Cat David McClure threading the trees on the new 2018 Arctic Cat M 8000 Sno Pro with the C-TEC2 8000 DSI engine.

Winnipeg I-500: The Grand-Daddy Cross-Country Begins

At 10am Wednesday morning, Feb. 7, 82 brave men and women will begin leaving the starting line on the outskirts of Winnipeg to embark on the 2017 USXC I-500.

It is the most fabled cross-country race in the world; its origins going back to 1966 when a few dozen pioneers rumbled out of this same town on their way to St. Paul, Minn.

There’s something special and magical about snowmobile racers barreling down a ditchline, chasing the snow dust in front of them while they chase the dream of making it to the finish line.

Click to see a few pix of this magic (as well as the starting list for this year’s race). And join me in wishing ALL I-500 competitors the very best of luck.

Team Arctic Kicks Some Fanny at TRF 300 and RMSHA Opener

Team Arctic has been kicking fanny in recent weeks, as evidenced by the results from the USXC TRF 300 and RMSHA hillclimb opener.

Click to read the official team press release.

Q&A with Scott Eilertson

This past month, Scott Eilertson closed a chapter on an 18-year career as a district sales manager for Arctic Cat. Outgoing, passionate about Arctic Cat and always smiling, Scott had been a welcome presence at motorsports events for more than 30 years.

He chatted with me about his amazing career that included jumping snowmobiles with Evel Knievel, riding to Moscow and helping to save a young girl’s life.

Click to read the interview.

Arctic Cat at the Soo International 500 Enduro

This weekend marks the 49th running of the Soo International 500 enduro in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

Team Arctic racers are there in full force, with a fleet of mod ZR 6000R race sleds powered by Speedwerx-built Arctic Cat C-TEC2 EFI engines.

Will this be the third year that Cat wins this big one?

Click to see some Cat race sleds in the pits.

Next Gen: Mini I-50 Cross-Country Feb. 4-5

Next week, when a hundred plus cross-country racers from all over North America come to NW Minnesota for a crack at the famed I-500, it will be yet another great chapter in a tradition that goes back to the 1960s.

Likewise, on the weekend of Feb. 4-5, the DMC group will once again hold their "Mini I-500" for 120- and 206-class racers (as well as Transition, Junior, Sport and Vintage), helping foster the next generation of I-500 racers.

This year the Mini is actually going to be an I-50. Yep, a 50-mile XC.

Click for more info.

Just Released: 2017 Arctic Cat VLX 700 ATV

Arctic Cat just released the 2017 VLX 700 ATV, a full-sized machine with 700-class power with an MSRP of just $5,999 U.S. ($7,199 Canada)!

As Cat says, that's 400-class pricing for a 700cc machine.

A no-frills, rugged ATV with a 700 EFI engine, selectable 2WD/4WD and a price that's SO EASY to justify...I think this machine is exactly what a whole bunch of people want.

Click for more info.

Keith Badour's Amazing King Kat Vintage Mod

There's so much great racing to see and experience in January and February.

Case in point: this awesome final at the Vintage World Championships, in which Team Arctic's Keith Badour shows the AMAZING speed of his custom King Kat Mod 800.

So fun!

The Winnipeg is ON! Great Northern Snow Means USXC I-500 Route Change

The 2017 USXC I-500/I-600 is going to happen (albeit in three days instead of four)!

Instead of a four-day, 600-mile race ending in Willmar, Minn., the newly revised route calls for a three-day, 500-mile route that begins in Winnipeg and finishes in Bemidji, Minn.

Winter is alive and robust between Winnipeg and Bemidji, which will make this an I-500 to remember. Registration ends tomorrow night.

If you've been on the fence about competing in this race, I can tell you from experience that it's an experience of a lifetime. You will cherish the decision to race. So come run with the boys from Winnipeg to Bemidji!

Click for more info.

48 Hours Later: Thoughts on Textron's Purchase of Arctic Cat

It’s been 48 hours since we learned the news that Textron has agreed to buy Arctic Cat for $247 million.

I've had dozens of conversations with people from across the Arctic Cat spectrum.

Amidst the uncertainty that comes with an announcement like this, there runs a deep and powerful optimism.

Click to read my humble thoughts and opinions.

Arctic Cat to Be Acquired by Textron in $247 Million Cash Transaction

Arctic Cat  to Be Acquired by Textron in $247 Million All-Cash Transaction

*Delivers substantial all-cash premium to Arctic Cat shareholders;

*Textron committed to continued, long-term growth of Arctic Cat;

*Combined businesses better positioned to be powersports industry leader

Click to read the financial release.

New Arctic Cat C-TEC2 8000 Engine with DSI

Learn more about the new Arctic Cat C-TEC2 8000 engine.

Just Released: 2018 M 8000 Sno Pro Early Release with C-TEC2 Engine

Yeehaw!

Arctic Cat took the wraps off a pair of 2018 M 8000 Sno Pro models today, each featuring the new C-TEC2 800 2-stroke engine and new extra-narrow Next-Gen bodywork.

Available in 153- or 162-in. track lengths, the two Early Release models will be at dealerships next week.

For now, here's the full-skinny on these extra-skinny models.

Just Released: 2018 ZR 8000 Sno Pro Early Release with C-TEC2 Engine

2018 is coming early for Arctic Cat fans, in the form of the all-new early-release ZR 8000 Sno Pro 129/137 featuring the all-new Arctic Cat C-TEC2 800 engine with DSI.

Along with the early release M 8000 Sno Pro, the new machines will be at Arctic Cat dealerships beginning Feb. 1, 2017. See, demo ride and buy it then!

For now, click to ready all the details of the new ZR 8000 early release.

Everything You Wanted to know about the Arctic Cat C-TEC2 8000 Engine

The wait is over! Arctic Cat has an all-new 8000-series C-TEC2 800 2-stroke engine for 2018. Arctic Cat is saying it's for the 160-hp class, and that it has more power than the Suzuki engine that it's replacing.

I've ridden this new engine several times over the past couple of seasons and I'm pumped to report that it's excellent. Three words to describe the new engine: Powerful, crisp & refined.

Grab a big ol' handful of interweb throttle to read all of the details.

Watch and Listen to Tucker's X Games Prep

Man I love listening to a Pro Open sled, especially when it's being ripped around a track by the fastest snocrosser in the world.

Win #124: Tucker Hibbert's 2017 Deadwood Recap

Tucker Hibbert claimed his 124th national snocross win in the Pro class this past weekend in Deadwood, South Dakota. Here are the video highlights.

Ross Spoonland's 334-Mile Thursday

Periodically I hear from Ross Spoonland, the uber Arctic Cat snowmobiler who consistently racks up more miles than anyone I know, and whose knack for documenting his travels is second to none.

Last Thursday Ross had another one of his big adventures, logging a whopping 334 miles on a big loop that took him from his home in Park River, ND, to Thief River Falls and back home.

Click to see some really cool pix from his adventure, as well as hearing his set-up for such rides.