Part 1: Team Arctic’s Mike Kloety Talks About the 2012-13 Race Season

With all but a couple (hillclimb) races to go, the 2012-13 snowmobile racing season is in the books. And like usual, Team Arctic saw its share of success as well as its challenges.

In this first of a two-part interview, Team Arctic Race Manager Mike Kloety talks about the season from his perspective.

Click to make the jump.

Endless Winter: Love it or...

Many of us in the upper Midwest are enjoying a doozy of a snow storm today, April 11.

The talking heads on television and radio are apologizing for the weather.

Friends and relatives are complaining.

What's not to love about an endless winter?

A 1987 El Tigre Custom from The Cat Kid (aka Doug Hanson)

A Before/After of the sweet custom 1987 Arctic Cat el tigre 6000 built by Doug "The Cat Kid" Hanson

Click for some cool pix as well as some background on Hanson himself.

Team Arctic's Tucker Hibbert and Martin Moland win Clash of Nations in Sweden

Team Monster Energy/Arctic Cat's Tucker Hibbert put an exclamation point on of his remarkable season, winning Pro Open at the Clash of Nations in Sweden.

His Team Arctic (and practice) teammate Logan Christian finished third.

And his international Team Arctic teammate Martin Moland of Norway won the Pro Stock final.

Click to read the press release.

Arctic Cat & Yamaha: How Did We Miss All the Hints?

Nearly as shocking as the news of Arctic Cat/Yamaha partnership was that it happened without the industry catching wind of it.

In a sport that feeds on rumor and innuendo, there were no real hints or clues about it from either company prior to the official announcement.

Or was there?

Recently I perused a stack of old sled magazines and brochures to see if there were indeed hints that foretold of this historic event.

I was blown away by what I found!

Feels Like Cheating: 235-Mile Weekday Ride in March

I can think of no better way to spend the last Wednesday of March than on a 235-mile snowmobile ride with friends.

Bonus: We rode to Brainerd, Minn., to demo the new 2014 ZR6000 and ZR7000!

Click to read about a fantastic end-of-the-season ride.

Kyle Tapio & Arctic Cat are King of Kings at Jackson

Once again, Team Arctic's Kyle Tapio absolutely killed it at the Jackson Hole World Championship Hillclimb, taking five wins and the King of Kings title for the second year in a row.

Read the press release about his and the other stellar Team Arctic performances at Jackson.

Friday in March: Another Great Day at Arctic Cat

Snowmobiling, engineers, hockey...

... Check out some of the sights (and even sounds) of what was happening at Arctic Cat this past Friday.

Video Recap: Tucker Hibbert's 2013 Lake Geneva Snocross

If you haven't seen it already, check out this video recap of Tucker Hibbert's 2013 Lake Geneva ISOC National snocross weekend. It's cool!

2014 Sled Demo Ride UPDATE: Brainerd (Minn.) March 27-31

Riders who can make it to the Brainerd Lakes (Minn.) area March 27-31 will get a chance to demo ride the new 2014 Arctic Cat ZR6000 and ZR7000 machines.

I know this might be a turn-off, but I plan to be there either Wed. or Thurs., hoping to see what riders think of the machines as well as taking a few turns myself.

Anyone interested? Click for more info.

Lake Geneva 2013: Five Wins and the Pro Open Championship for Team Arctic

Team Arctic concluded the 2013 ISOC National Snocross season at Lake Geneva, Wis., with five wins and two points championships, including Tucker Hibbert's Pro Open title.

Click to read the press release.

Winter is Still Here (with the Best Riding of the Year)

Who says this was a forgettable winter?

Yep, January sucked for winter lovers in most areas this year. But February and March have been outstanding!

And I'm betting on WEEKS of riding remaining in many areas.

Click to read.

March 2013: Team Arctic Marches to 19 Victories

Last weekend was another impressive run for Team Arctic, with victories in cross-country, snocross and hillclimb.

Click to read the team press release.

Video Recap: Tucker Hibbert's 2013 Fargo National

If you haven't yet checked out Tucker Hibbert's recap of the 2013 Fargo National, it's worth a watch.

The best part? He's a ditch banger!

Mid-School Awesomeness: Kirk Hibbert at the 1999 West Yellowston Snocross

Check out this awesome video of the terrain master, Kirk Hibbert, showing his magic in the Pro Open class at the 1999 West Yellowstone Snocross.

Secret Recipe: Arctic Cat C-TEC2 Synthetic Oil for the 6000 Engine

There have been some questions raised about why the new Arctic Cat 6000 C-TEC2 600 snowmobile engine requires a dedicated oil.

Click to read why this is the case.

28 Class Wins (out of 38) in USXC Cross-Country for Team Arctic

Team Arctic continue their season long (wait for it... wait for it...) domination...

... of the USXC cross-country circuit, nailing 28 class victories (out of a possible 38) at last weekend's event in Park Rapids, Minn., including 13 podium sweeps! Neo pro Zach Herfindahl won 3 of 4 Pro classes.

Click to read the press release.

Ride Impressions: 2014 Arctic Cat ZR 6000 & ZR 7000

What do the new 6000- and 7000-Series engines ride like in the new 2014 Arctic Cat ZR packages?

How do they compare with each other?

Click to read my answer to those questions.

Tech Insight: Inside the new Arctic Cat 600 C-TEC2 Engine

The new Arctic Cat 600 C-TEC2 with Dual-Stage Injection found on the 2014 ZR 600 el tigre is a gem of an engine that features new technology in the snowmobile industry.

Here's a breakdown of those highlights.

Click to make the jump.

2014 Consumer Sneak Peek Snowmobile Shows

See all the new 2014 Arctic Cat snowmobiles, along with their Yamaha, Ski-Doo and Polaris counterparts, at a Sneak Peek stop near you.

The shows start this weekend and run through much of April.

Click to see the schedule and locations.