MICHIGANDER SNOWMOBILE MUSINGS

ISSUE 001Q1 - Winter 2011snowescape.com

ESCAPE TO SNOW AND GOOD TIMES

ISSUE 01Q1 - Winter 2011snowescape.com

Designed and produced by Andy Peninger

Crafted for you to feel the greatness of the michigander snowmobiling experience.

01

02

THISIS ALIFESTYLE

01CO

NTE

NTS TABLE

OFCONTENTS EVENTS

03 SNOMOTION Introduction

Grass Drags

Snocross

Rave X Freestyle

19 MARTIN SNOW SHOW Introduction

Swap Meet & Venue

Drag Races & Pits TRAVEL27 TOGWOTEE Togwotee Mountain Lodge

Photo Montage

02

TABLE

OFCONTENTS EXPERIENCE

33 LEARN Groomers

35 TIPS & TRICKS Preparing Yourself for the Season

39 USER PHOTOS Northern Michigan

HISTORY36 EVERY SLED I’VE EVER OWNED Scott Peninger

03EV

ENT

1

04

Swap meet, retailer venues, test driving, deals, grass drags, wood carving, snocross, professional riders, Rave X freestyle team,good people, good times.

Gre

envi

lle S

now

mob

ile S

how

Augu

st 2

6-28

, 201

1

Snomotion is a Michigan snowmobile summer

tradition sponsored by Nelson’s Speedshop.

The event runs three days in late August each

year. It is a large event that brings in about

10,000 to 12,000 people. The venue has a lot

to offer and promises excitement.

Upon initial entrance, there was a large swap

meet where anything and everything motors

sports was sold. If swap meets weren’t your

forte, then you can skip past to check out all

of the large vendors. Companies such as

Arctic Cat, Polaris, Ski-doo, and Yamaha had

all of there latest goods on display. There was

opportunity to test ride some of the ATVs.

Another cool feature was the wood carving

taking place next to the shop. About 10-20

people had setups carving wood / logs into

figures such as bears and eagles. The amount

of detail within these pieces was amazing, they

are very talented. The completed pieces were

for sale by the creator.

Nelson’s Speed Shop had a large sale too,

offering the best prices on new snowmobiles,

oil, and riding gear.

On Saturday, all of the action took place with

events such as snocross, grass drags, and the

Rave X freestyle team.

SNOMOTION

05E1

06VINTAGEGRASSDRAGS

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07E1

BUSTIN’ OUT THE COLD STUFF IN LATE AUGUST Yeah, that’s real snow.

So how the heck are they using real

snow in late August at 85 degrees?

During the winter, in January they dig a giant

hole in the ground that is about 60 feet deep.

It is then filled with snow and covered up.

It stays cold enough underground to preserve

the snow until late August for the Greenville

Snow Show.

The snow is then dug up and laid out on top

of dirt to form a snocross track for the day.

The snow melts quickly and the track must be

reformed often. Between race sessions, they

host a freestyle snowmobile show and fix up

the track.

Things get messy, but the snowmobiles

maintain enough moisture to run properly.

08

SNOCROSS

09E1

10

INTENSERACINGThe snocross event featured many riders with an array of classes to compete in.

The action is fast and competitive as all classes

compete for the victory. Among some of the classes

are Mini, Sport, Womens, Semi-Pro, and Pro. It was

incredible to watch the talent of all riders involved,

none of the heats brought disappointment. Even the

kids racing on 120cc sleds was great to watch.

11E1

SUPERMENThe Rave X crew is as good as it gets, these guys put on a show.

Between snocross races, Rave X

performed while they were repairing the

track. There act was more than to fill up

down time. They performed the biggest

tricks on the biggest jumps.

One after another they fly through the

sky doing anything from supermans to

backflips. These guys are the real deal.

RAVE XFREE STYLE

12

RAVE XFREE STYLE

13E1

Superman Seatgrab

Kiss of D

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14

Rav

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Free

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Augu

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RAVE XFREESTYLESHOW

15E1

FREDRASMUSSENMAKES BACKFLIPS LOOK EASY

16

17E1

RAVE X FREE GOES BIG IN

ON THE

18

STYLE TEAM THE SKY AND GROUND

Rave X R

ider High Fives K

ids After Session The team

wasn’t shy w

hen it came to pleasing

the crowd, giving back to the kids really says a

lot about these guys.

19EV

ENT

2

MARTINSPEEDWAYSNOWSHOW

20

Saturday Snowmobile Action

Early in the morning there was a bit of rain,

but it cleared up quickly just before the

start of the show. As we walked in, there

was a large vendor area including all of the

major brands and local motor sports shops.

Behind the vendors was the swap meet

where there was everything you would ever

need for sale.

After strolling through the vendors and swap

meet for a couple of hours, the asphalt drag

races began to start. There were many different

classes competing, while the open class was

the most exciting. A class where anything goes

and snowmobiles reach speeds of nearly 190

mph in a quarter mile.

Our group also happened to know somebody

that was racing in the open class. We got to

check out some cool stuff in the pits and see

how their equipment worked. The machines are

unbelievably modified for the asphalt, seeing

them up close was great. There is a ton of time

and work that goes into these races. It is clear

that these guys have a real passion for what

they are doing.

Overall, the show was great and we got to see

some really interesting things.

Sept

embe

r 23

-25,

201

1

21E2

Helm

et and Goggle D

isplayCheckin’ O

ut a Local Dealer

It was a R

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22

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MARTINSPEEDWAYSWAPMEET

23E2

Looking Dow

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rag Sleds Begin to Line U

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MARTINSPEEDWAYDRAGRACESAND PITS

25E2

Eaton Racing Pits

650 Horsepow

er170 M

PHSub 10 sec Q

uarter Mile

26Close U

p of an Eaton’s Asphalt Snow

mobile R

ace Engine

SOMESERIOUSPOWER

27TR

AVEL

TOGWOTEEWYOMINGSNOWMOBILER’S PARADISE

28

29T

A FLATLANDER’SESCAPETogwotee Mountain Lodge

Nestled high above Jackson Hole, Wyoming

in the mountains of the Bridger-Teton National

Forest, Togwotee Mountain Lodge has

earned its reputation as the World’s Premier

Snowmobile Resort for winter vacation sports.

When the weather warms, the snow melts away

and makes way for a virtually endless array of

activities – including horseback riding, hiking,

fishing, mountain biking and whitewater rafting.

Togwotee Mountain Lodge is known as the

World’s Premier Snowmobile Resort.

With 600 miles of snowmobile trails out our

front door, this is epic snowmobile country.

Their tours set the standard in the world of

snowmobiling – from the amazing scenery to

the unbelievable powder. It’s the rare mix of

adrenaline and serenity that keeps people

coming back for more, and dreaming of

Togwotee all year long.

Trail Riding

Togwotee snowmobile trail riding adventures

offer 600 miles of groomed snowmobile trails

and wide-open meadows around Togwotee

Pass – accessible directly from the Lodge.

After a day under the bright blue sky in waist

deep powder, you’ll see why snowmobile

manufacturers use Togwotee for filming and

advertising. Below is a list of snowmobiles for

rent, which are perfect for enjoying a day on

the Wyoming trails.

Off Trail Riding

Togwotee Pass receives over 600 inches

of light, powdery snowfall annually – perfect

terrain for pushing your machine and your

abilities to their limits. If you’re an aggressive

rider and enjoy extreme snowmobiling, join

one of our advanced guided backcountry

tours. Our seasoned guides live to ride the

backcountry and are here to take you to the

deepest powder – and maybe even teach

you a thing or two about how the pros do it.

Rental Sleds Offered

Touring Double Rider

2012 Polaris 600 RMK

155” track, 2.5” paddles

2012 Arctic Cat M8

153” track, 2.5” paddles

2012 Polaris 800 RMK

155” track, 2.5” paddles

togw

otee

lodg

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30

31T

A Hopped U

p VanTaking a B

reak From the Trail

Stuck in the Powder

32

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TOGWOTEEPHOTOMONTAGE

33LE

ARN

LEARN:GROOMERS

34

Keepin’ Trails Smooth

As you may know, the trails get extremely

bumpy after a busy day. Riding bumps is

extremely grueling and gets old fast. While

suspension technology has helped with the

bumps tremendously, they are still not fun

to deal with on a long trip.

Groomers play a huge part in the Michigan

snowmobile community. Each snowmobile

club has their own groomers which are used

to groom their section of trails. Groomers level

out the bumps and make the trail flat again.

These groomers are run by volunteers from

the local snowmobile club. These volunteers

are what keep the trails going in the winter,

remember that and think about getting involved.

Grooming is paid for by the MSA (Michigan

Snowmobile Association). Prices for the

equipment, gas, and parts add up quickly as

grooming costs over $3 per mile and over

$1.5 million dollars per snowmobiling season

the past couple of years. Remember that your

small fee for permits is going into good hands.

Thank the people that make this happen for

you, have fun out there, and ride safe.

35T&

T

SNOWMOBILEQUICK TIPSPreparing yourself for the season.

One

Go through your trailer to make sure all lights

are working, grease trailer bearings, and check

tire pressure.

Two

Make sure to put fresh fuel in your snowmobile

tank and grease all of the grease fittings, don’t

forget the speedometer cable.

Three

Clean carburetors.

Four

Put in new spark plugs and don’t forget to set

gaps properly.

Five

Check highfax and wear bars, replace if either

are worn.

Six

Align skis and track.

Seven

Spray WD-40 on parts that can corrode.

HISTO

RY36

We take a look back at the rich history of snowmobiling, covering all kinds of interesting and unique subjects.

HISTORY

37H

EVERY SLED I’VE EVER OWNEDRider history - Scott PeningerYeah, he’s been riding for a while. Year Make Model CCs Type

1970 • Starcraft 300 Free Air

1972 • Arctic Cat Lynx 250 Free Air

1973 • Suzuki Fury 400 Free Air

1976 • Arctic Cat Pantera 340 Fan

1976 • Yamaha Enticer 340 Fan

1978 • Arctic Cat Pantera 500 Fan

1980 • Ski-doo Citation 377 Fan

1980 • Ski-doo Citation 377 Fan

1980 • Yamaha Enticer 300 Fan

1981 • Ski-doo 4500 440 Fan

1984 • Yamaha Bravo 250 Fan

1984 • Arctic Cat ZL 440 Liquid

1985 • Yamaha Bravo 250 Fan

1986 • Polaris Sprint 340 Fan

1993 • Ski-doo Mach 1 670 Liquid

1994 • Arctic Cat Puma 340 Fan

1994 • Arctic Cat Cougar 440 Liquid

1995 • Arctic Cat EXT 580 Liquid

1996 • Polaris Indy Lite 340 Fan

1996 • Arctic Cat Cougar 550 Liquid

1997 • Arctic Cat Z 440 Liquid

1998 • Arctic Cat Z 440 Fan

1998 • Arctic Cat Two-up 550 Liquid

2000 • Arctic Cat Z 340 Fan

2001 • Polaris XCSP 500 Liquid

2002 • Arctic Cat Z 440 Fan

2002 • Polaris X-XCSP 440 Fan

2002 • Polaris XCSP 500 Liquid

2003 • Polaris XCSP 500 Liquid

2004 • Polaris XCSP 500 Liquid

2004 • Ski-doo REV 599 Liquid

2005 • Polaris XCSP 600 Liquid

2009 • Polaris Dragon 600 Liquid

38

INTE

RVIE

W

33 snowmobiles in 25 yearsArctic Cat - 13 Polaris - 9 Ski-doo - 5 Yamaha - 4 Other - 2

Why did you start snowmobiling?

I love being outdoors and my neighbors had

snowmobiles and I wanted to try it and once I

did I never stopped riding.

Where is your favorite place to ride in Michigan?

The Lincoln Loops in Irons, Michigan because

of the tight twisty trails.

What is the best snowmobile you have owned?

Polaris 600 XCSP

What is the best snowmobile out right now?

Arctic Cat SnoPro 1100 4-stroke

Where so you see snowmobiling in ten years?

There will probably be less snowmobilers due

to the expense. It could maintain popularity with

the further innovation and access of 4 strokes.

What is your favorite thing about snowmobiling?

Spending time with friends and family and

enjoying the beauty of winter, and ability to

forget about everything for a little while.

39EX

PER

IEN

CE

We ask of you to submit photos from your snowmobiling experiences for us to publish in each issue. Please provide your name, date, location,and title so we can give you credit.

Check snowescape.com/userphotos to learn how to submit.

Thanks,Escape

USERPHOTOS

40

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HOP ONTHAT SLEDAND RIDE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT