TGIF: The Sept. 27, 2013 Edition

I'm thankful for the Shriners, whose grace and life-giving mission have made the world a better place.

Gee whiz, I'm thankful for Ski Whiz.

And I'm thankful its Friday, Sept. 27, 2013.

Garth Kaufman Joins Tucker Hibbert Team Monster Energy-Arctic Cat

Racer, freestyler, hill climber, back country rider and now... mechanic on the Tucker Hibbert's Monster Energy/Arctic Cat team!

Garth Kaufman has had a cool career path.

Click to read the press release.

My Story: Dale Lindbeck's Thrill & Agony at the Last Watercross of 2013

Even when you're the four-time World Champ, snowmobile racing can deal some serious blows to your sled, ego and pocket book.

Grab a box of tissue as Dale Lindbeck takes us through the thrills and agony of the last watercross race of the 2013 season, held in Brainerd, Minn., Sept. 14-15.

Dylan Roes Wins Stock 800 at 2013 Ohio Snow Bash

Dylan Roes, D&D Racing and Arctic Cat continued their stranglehold on the Stock 800 class in grass drag racing, winning yet again at the 2013 Ohio Snow Bash.

Watch this rocket take off!

TGIF: The Sept. 20, 2013 Edition

I'm thankful for the vast array of snowmobile outerwear items available today.

I'm thankful for mountains, cats and bunnies.

And I'm thankful it's Friday, Sept. 20, 2013.

Season Wrap: Alex Fortune Recounts His Season of Wildcat Racing

Team Arctic's Alex Fortune checks in with his account of racing a Wildcat X in the final UTV BeaterCross event at ERX Motorsports in Elk River, Minn.

Click for the details, pix and video.

The Hidden Beauty of a Barn Find

Not a month goes by without someone telling me they know of some old snowmobiles sitting in a barn somewhere.

There's always more to these trips than what first meets the eye.

Click to read more.

ZOOM! D&D/Team Arctic Scorch 2013 Hay Days Grass Drags

See how D&D Racing and Arctic Cat launched to multiple wins at the 2013 Hay Days Grass Drags.

ZOOM!

TGIF: The Sept. 13, 2013 Edition

I'm thankful that, back in 1923, the Sno Baron's experimented hosting a snowmobile event that included drag racing.

I'm thankful that both Harley and Davidson competed in the Outlaw class.

I'm thankful they tweaked the event by moving it from March to September.

And I'm thankful it's Friday, Sept. 13, 2013.

(Also thankful that Minnesota Rob captured the moment with his first-gen Kodak Brownie camera.)

Team Arctic Drag Racers Motor to 18 Wins at 2013 Hay Days

Team Arctic's grass drag team delivered and awesome performance at the Sno Baron's Hay Days event, winning 18 finals (including a sweep of the Stock 800 and Stock 1000 finals).

Click to read the press release.

Hay Days 2013: Always Worth Seeing

When it comes to sights, smells and entertainment, the Sno Baron's Hay Days always delivers.

Click to get a taste of snowmobiling's version of the State Fair.

2014 Arctic Cat XC & SX Sno Pro 600 Race Sled Info

In addition to releasing the consumer 2014 ZR 6000 RR and M6000 Sno Pro sleds at Hay Days, Arctic Cat also had on display the XC racing version of the ZR6000 R Sno Pro.

Yes, the race sled (I know, the naming makes it a bit confusing).

Click to see the specifications and updates to both the SX and XC 2014 race sleds.

Unveiled at Hay Days: 2014 Arctic Cat M6000 Sno Pro and ZR 6000 RR

The big news from Arctic Cat at Hay Days is the just-announced 2014 ZR 6000 RR and M6000 Sno Pro.

Both sleds feature the new C-TEC2 599cc Arctic Cat engine with Dual-Stage Induction.

Click to read the specifics of these two machines.

Unplugged: Rocky Mountain Rob (RMR) Kincaid

If you haven't yet wrapped your head around Team Arctic's Rob Kincaid (aka Rocky Mountain Rob, or RMR) don't worry. You're not alone.

Just know this: the hillclimb racer/freerider is outstanding for a whole bunch of reasons, including his supercharged mouth.

Watch this compilation of RMR and be ready to see and hear more of him (and his partner in crime, Team Arctic's David McClure) this season.

TGIF: The Sept. 6, 2013 Edition

I'm thankful for the gumption of snowmobile club members whose passion for the sport compels them to host summertime events.

I'm thankful for the heat, dust, swap, races, unveilings, porta-pottys and controlled chaos that has occurred this time of the season for nearly 50 years.

I'm thankful for Sno-Baron's Hay Days.

And I'm thankful it's Friday, Sept. 6, 2013.

Flashback: Arctic Cat El Tigre 6000 in February 2013

Flashback: Friday, Feb. 8, 2013.

Inside the Arctic Cat snowmobile engineering shop, engineers Greg Spaulding (left) and Larry Coltom inspect the APV exhaust valves on the Arctic Cat C-TEC2 599cc engine that Coltom will take for a test ride in short order.

It's late enough in the afternoon that these two racing veterans are asking the photographer questions about what happened during the second leg of the USXC I-500 cross-country race that had concluded a couple hours earlier.

They're interested in the stories about eventual race winner Ryan Simons soaring over approaches with a speed and severity that brings gasps, but they're mostly concentrating on inspecting the engine in this pre-production snowmobile. There is still much work to squeeze in, before the phone calls from home wondering about dinnertime.

Click to read more.

Guess Which Sleds Cat Will Reveal at Hay Days Contest

Arctic Cat sent an email blast with the above information.

Two new sleds will be revealed at Hay Days!

So let's have a quick contest: Guess The New Arctic Cat Sleds!

A special care package to the winner!

Extra Goodies: 2014 Arctic Cat Snowmobile Accessory & Reference Guide

Arctic Cat just released their 2014 Accessory Reference Guide for snowmobiles.

The reference guide features updated/new products (as well as older products for previous generation snowmobiles) not featured in the color accessory catalog.

New items include skis, tunnel straps, tunnel packs, clutch guard updates and more (to see the items and page numbers of the new products, click for the full story).

CLICK HERE to download the PDF. The guide is 3.3MB, so the download takes a moment.

TGIF: The Aug. 30, 2013 Edition

I'm thankful for snow.

I'm thankful for four-passenger roominess available with so many different automobiles.

I'm thankful the human spirit is infused with a sense of humor.

I'm thankful for door locks.

And I'm thankful it's Friday, Aug. 30, 2013. Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!

Vintage Radio: Year After Year it's Arctic Cat in the Stock Classes

Below is a 1-min. radio advertisement that Arctic Cat produced for the 1975 season. It highlights the success of the Team Arctic race program.

The Team Arctic race program is still exceptional today... but the years of having radio ads about the race program are waaaaaaay in the rear-view.

I suppose the upside is that we can play such vintage spots on our comp-u-tators as frequently as we wish...