One More for the Derby: 1979 Arctic Cat Sno Pro Elsner Replica

He got it done in time to bring to Eagle River!

I'm referring to the 1979 Arctic Cat Sno Pro Bob Elsner replica sled that collector Tom Ische built for this weekend's 50th Anniversary of the Eagle River World Championship.

This was the surprise I referred to in yesterday's post.

Click to see the pix of this beautiful machine.

1969 Panther Replica a Tribute to Roger Janssen

As a tribute to Team Arctic legend Roger Janssen, and to help commemorate the 50th Anniversary Eagle River World's Championships, collector Tom Ische built a replica of Janssen's WC-winning 1969 Arctic Cat Panther mod.

Both the sled and Janssen will be at Eagle River this weekend, making a few laps together around the famed oval. What a sight it will be!

Click for the story.

(Special thanks to Brianna Ische for the great photos of the sled and Janssen.)

New 2013.5 Arctic Cat Wildcat X Model and Other Sweet Updates

Arctic Cat has again added to its Wildcat 1000 mode mix. Some of the highlights:

*90-plus hp on the new Wildcat 1000 X model

*New drive and driven clutch that puts WAY more power to the ground

*FOX Podium shocks

*Swaybar

Click for more info.

A Brief Report on the USXC Cross-Country in Willmar, MN

I checked out the Pro 600 class yesterday at the USXC cross-country at Willmar, Minn.

As has been the case all season, it was a Team Arctic crushing of the competition with some familar names standing atop the podium.

Click to see some pix and captions.

Winning & Autographs: Tucker Hibbert's Canterbury Weekend

Winning, Monster, RAM, autographs, FOX, Arctic Cat...

That pretty much sums up Tucker Hibbert's weekend at the 2013 ISOC Canterbury snocross.

Christian Bros. Racing's First Weekend of the Year

Seven wins and eight podiums... pretty impressive stuff!

Click to read the Christian Brothers Racing story about their first weekend of racing in 2013.

Bittersweet Start to 2013 for Team Arctic

Team Arctic won 16 of 20 finals at the USXC cross-country in Detroit Lakes, Minn., and five class victories at the ISOC National snocross in Shakopee, Minn. (including Tucker Hibbert's sweep of the Pro classes).

Yet it was still a bittersweet start to the new year for Team Arctic.

Click to read the press release and see some pix.

Blair Morgan Interview: Catching Up with the Superman

I will never forget the first time I saw Blair Morgan race.

I will never forget the shock and disbelief upon learning he was paralyzed.

And I will never forget the genuine and honest discussion we had last week about his life and career.

Click to read an interview with a real Superman.

Team Arctic's December 2012 Winning Recap

Here's a great video recap from SnoX365 of Team Arctic's December 2012 pro class sweeps of the USXC Pine Lake race and the ISOC Bessemer snocross national.

It's cool to see how smooth Ryan Simons was carving the corners at Pine Lake!

End of 2012 Randomness

As far as years go, 2012 seemed about as random as most.

To celebrate the end of this year and the beginning of another, here are some mostly Arctic Cat pix that are pretty random.

There are also some trivia questions for you hotshots.

Happy randomness this (and every) year!

SledHead 24/7 Talks '13 ProClimb with Tupper, McClure & Kincaid

Here's a short segment from SledHead 24/7 focusing on the 2013 Arctic Cat ProClimb machines with honch racer/riders Todd Tupper, David McClure and Rob Kincaid.

Listen to the Sweet Sound of a 1971 Arctic Cat King Kat 800

Last week in the Zedshed story I mentioned that a 1971 King Kat 800 was started, and that it sang a cool, unique sound.

Here's a short 1-minute video of that sled, the sound and the owner (Rich Pederson, who sits on the sled) giving it a little thumb.

Super cool!

Snow Depth for (much of) North America on Christmas 2012

Half of the United States is covered in snow this Christmas.

Most of Canada has some serious snow cover. And there are some wonderful purples in the Rockies (especially the Canadian Rocks)

Awesome!

Keep it coming Ma.

You've Been Good: Expect a Visit from Santa

Okay, I've checked the list of all the people who visit ArcticInsider. Predictably, everyone was good this year. So expect a visit from this guy tonight or tomorrow.

Merry Christmas all!

A Sort-Of Arctic Cat Xmas Party at the Zedshed

Christmas came to the Zedshed this December, when a flock of Arctic Cat people gathered  in a barn to enjoy an amazing collection of Arctic Cat snowmobiles and to share in the wonderful gift of fellowship.

Click to read about this remarkable evening.

Best Holiday Wishes From Arctic Cat

In this outstanding video-card, Arctic Cat expresses the best Holiday wishes for you and yours.

Drama & Domination: Arctic Cat at Pine Lake USXC Cross-Country

A remarkable series of events unfolded for Team Arctic at this weekends USXC cross-country at Pine Lake.

Drama, newcomers and mind-boggling amounts of winning.

Click to read about it.

Ryan Simons & Arctic Cat Sweep USXC Pine Lake Cross-Country

Quick update from the USXC cross-country race at Pine Lake:

Ryan Simons (pictured) led a virtual clock-cleaning by Arctic Cat, taking both Pro classes (with Christian Bros. teammates taking 2nd and 3rd) while Arctic Cat won something like 16 of 20 finals.

It was pretty stunning!

Look for a full report soon.

USXC Pine Lake Cross-Country Preview & Historical Perspective

This weekend is the opening cross-country race of the season at Pine Lake, as well as the first-ever event for the upstart USXC race circuit.

Click to read the significance and take a trip back through Pine Lake/Team Arctic history.

David McClure: Arctic Cat Backcountry Profile

Check out this sweet video from sledfocus profiling Arctic Cat racer/backcountry honch David McClure.

It makes me want to head to Rockies and aim for the trees...