With thousands of spectators watching from the Derby banks and motorhomes, flagman Jim Sergent Jr. waved the green flag to start the 50th running of the AMSOIL World Championshp snow- mobile race in Eagle River Sunday afternoon. With cold tempera- tures, several thousand more people took advantage of indoor seating in the suites and hot seats. Malcolm Chartier of Marine City, Mich., displayed the SnowGo- er Cup following his victory at the 50th AMSOIL World Cham- pionshp Snowmobile Derby. Joining him in the winner’s circle was Derby Queen Michelle Schaetz. —STAFF PHOTOS WEDNESDAY, JAN. 23, 2013 $1.25 Section A VOL. 127, NO. 45 EAGLE RIVER, WI 54521 • (715) 479-4421 • www.vcnewsreview.com SOUVENIR ISSUE NEWS-REVIEW VILAS COUNTY For the second straight year, just a few feet separat- ed first and second place at the finish line of the AMSOIL World Champi- onship Snowmobile Derby. This time, Malcolm Chartier held off the hard charging Jordan Wahl in turns three and four and went on to win his first championship on the 50th anniversary of the greatest race in snowmobiling. Chartier, 24, of Marine City, Mich., overcame the mandatory mid-race pit stop and three red flags to win the race on his Ski-Doo along with the $60,000 prize. Chartier gave some of the credit to his crew back at the trailer. “The guys worked so hard,” he said. “It feels great, with my family all around me. It’s a dream come true. I’ve been dream- ing about this ever since I’ve been a 12-year-old kid . . . coming here and doing this is awesome.” Chartier said the 30-lap oval race was a classic bat- tle of professional drivers and provided plenty of excitement for the thou- sands of fans on the banks. “It was a great time. It was a blast,” said Chartier. “Jordan lost his brakes with four laps to go. He ran a great race. I pulled away from him a little bit and he caught right back up to me.” Wahl, 18, of Greenbush, Minn., said he started to lose his brakes after a third red flag stopped racing in lap 22. He said that made it difficult to keep a line and gave Chartier an advan- tage. “After I lost the brakes, I would get up in the snow. It was tough to stay out of snow with no brakes,” said Wahl. In the final lap, Wahl bumped Chartier in turn three, but the Michigan rac- er maintained control and beat Wahl to turn four and down the home stretch. “I really didn’t mean to bump Chartier. I lost all the brakes and slid up into the snow. I couldn’t slow down,” said Wahl, who was driving a Polaris. “I really don’t want to race like that.” Chartier said the bump from Wahl was not inten- tional and had nothing but praise for the young driver. “He came into me, but that’s racing. It’s no big deal,” said Chartier. “He’s a good sport and he’s a fast competitor. But I won today and I’m a World Champion. It’s a great feeling.” Split title race It was the third year the title race was run under a split format where racers were required to stop for a five-minute pit stop after 10 laps. Chartier led the race after 10 laps and collected an additional $5,000 from Jimmy John’s. Matt Schulz, 28, of Wausau was in the second position and Wahl was third. Prior to the break, Chartier had built a commanding lead over Schulz, Wahl and the rest of the 12-sled field, leading by as much as a half straight- away. Racers were allowed to make adjustments to their machines and add fluids on the front straight under the watchful eyes of the fans. Schulz, who ended up fin- ishing third on his Polaris, said there are some advan- tages with the split race. “It makes it a little hard- er, but then again it gives a guy a little break and tight- ens the field back up,” said Schulz. “Everything works out the way it does.” Schulz led for 29 of 30 laps last year before losing Chartier holds off Wahl to win historic Derby title ___________ BY GARY RIDDERBUSCH NEWS-REVIEW EDITOR ___________ Malcolm Chartier displayed his winning form in turns three and four on the famous ice oval. To TITLE RACE, Pg. 3A New additions and special attractions for the 50th run- ning of the AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby brought thousands of fans to the track Thursday through Sunday. In fact, the crowd was the biggest it’s been in recent memory, said track owner Chuck Decker. “It was bigger than I’ve seen it in the last decade,” he said. “Saturday was big and Friday night was packed. We sold out of every single indoor seat there was. The buildings were overfilled. The corporate suites are supposed to seat 60, and most of them had 100 or 120 people in them.” Professional and amateur racers from across the United States and Canada gathered to compete for a record purse of more than $150,000 in cash and prizes and the pres- tige of winning at Eagle Riv- er. The grand prize for the title winner alone was set at $60,000. Decker said the cold may have contributed to a few people going home early Sun- day, but added that the rac- ing was extremely competi- tive. “The drivers put on a great race, as usual,” he said. “It was one of the closest finishes 50th Derby one for books Heated suites jam-packed for anniversary of event ___________ BY ANTHONY DREW NEWS-REVIEW ASST. EDITOR ___________ To DERBY, Pg. 2A High-flying Sno-Cross racers competed for world championship titles during the 50th anniversary AMSOIL Derby.
Transcript
With thousands of spectators watching from the Derby banks andmotorhomes, flagman Jim Sergent Jr. waved the green flag to
start the 50th running of the AMSOIL World Championshp snow-mobile race in Eagle River Sunday afternoon. With cold tempera-
tures, several thousand more people took advantage of indoorseating in the suites and hot seats.
Malcolm Chartier of Marine City, Mich., displayed the SnowGo-er Cup following his victory at the 50th AMSOIL World Cham-
pionshp Snowmobile Derby. Joining him in the winner’s circlewas Derby Queen Michelle Schaetz. —STAFF PHOTOS
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 23, 2013
$1.25
Section A
VOL. 127, NO. 45
EAGLE RIVER, WI 54521 • (715) 479-4421 • www.vcnewsreview.com
SOUVENIRISSUE
NEWS-REVIEWVILAS COUNTY
For the second straightyear, just a few feet separat-ed first and second place atthe finish line of theAMSOIL World Champi-onship Snowmobile Derby.
This time, MalcolmChartier held off the hardcharging Jordan Wahl inturns three and four andwent on to win his firstchampionship on the 50thanniversary of the greatestrace in snowmobiling.
Chartier, 24, of MarineCity, Mich., overcame themandatory mid-race pitstop and three red flags towin the race on his Ski-Dooalong with the $60,000prize. Chartier gave some ofthe credit to his crew backat the trailer.
“The guys worked sohard,” he said. “It feelsgreat, with my family allaround me. It’s a dreamcome true. I’ve been dream-ing about this ever sinceI’ve been a 12-year-old kid .. . coming here and doingthis is awesome.”
Chartier said the 30-lapoval race was a classic bat-tle of professional driversand provided plenty ofexcitement for the thou-sands of fans on the banks.
“It was a great time. Itwas a blast,” said Chartier.“Jordan lost his brakes withfour laps to go. He ran agreat race. I pulled awayfrom him a little bit and hecaught right back up to me.”
Wahl, 18, of Greenbush,Minn., said he started tolose his brakes after a thirdred flag stopped racing inlap 22. He said that made itdifficult to keep a line andgave Chartier an advan-tage.
“After I lost the brakes, Iwould get up in the snow. Itwas tough to stay out ofsnow with no brakes,” saidWahl.
In the final lap, Wahl
bumped Chartier in turnthree, but the Michigan rac-er maintained control andbeat Wahl to turn four anddown the home stretch.
“I really didn’t mean tobump Chartier. I lost all thebrakes and slid up into thesnow. I couldn’t slow down,”said Wahl, who was drivinga Polaris. “I really don’twant to race like that.”
Chartier said the bumpfrom Wahl was not inten-tional and had nothing butpraise for the young driver.
“He came into me,but that’s racing. It’s no bigdeal,” said Chartier. “He’s agood sport and he’s a fastcompetitor. But I won today
and I’m a World Champion.It’s a great feeling.”
Split title raceIt was the third year the
title race was run under asplit format where racerswere required to stop for afive-minute pit stop after 10laps.
Chartier led the raceafter 10 laps and collectedan additional $5,000 fromJimmy John’s. Matt Schulz,28, of Wausau was in thesecond position and Wahlwas third. Prior to thebreak, Chartier had built acommanding lead overSchulz, Wahl and the rest ofthe 12-sled field, leading byas much as a half straight-away.
Racers were allowed tomake adjustments to theirmachines and add fluids onthe front straight under thewatchful eyes of the fans.Schulz, who ended up fin-ishing third on his Polaris,said there are some advan-tages with the split race.
“It makes it a little hard-er, but then again it gives aguy a little break and tight-ens the field back up,” saidSchulz. “Everything worksout the way it does.”
Schulz led for 29 of 30laps last year before losing
Chartier holds off Wahl to win historic Derby title
___________BY GARY RIDDERBUSCH
NEWS-REVIEW EDITOR___________
Malcolm Chartier displayed his winning form in turns threeand four on the famous ice oval.
To TITLE RACE, Pg. 3A
New additions and specialattractions for the 50th run-ning of the AMSOIL WorldChampionship SnowmobileDerby brought thousands offans to the track Thursdaythrough Sunday.
In fact, the crowd was thebiggest it’s been in recentmemory, said track ownerChuck Decker.
“It was bigger than I’veseen it in the last decade,” hesaid. “Saturday was big andFriday night was packed. Wesold out of every single indoorseat there was. The buildingswere overfilled. The corporatesuites are supposed to seat60, and most of them had 100or 120 people in them.”
Professional and amateurracers from across the UnitedStates and Canada gatheredto compete for a record purseof more than $150,000 incash and prizes and the pres-tige of winning at Eagle Riv-er. The grand prize for thetitle winner alone was set at$60,000.
Decker said the cold mayhave contributed to a fewpeople going home early Sun-day, but added that the rac-ing was extremely competi-tive.
“The drivers put on a greatrace, as usual,” he said. “Itwas one of the closest finishes
50th Derbyone for books
Heated suites jam-packedfor anniversary of event
___________BY ANTHONY DREW
NEWS-REVIEW ASST. EDITOR___________
To DERBY, Pg. 2A
High-flying Sno-Cross racers competed for world championshiptitles during the 50th anniversary AMSOIL Derby.
2A WEDNESDAY, JAN. 23, 2013 VILAS COUNTY NEWS-REVIEW/THE THREE LAKES NEWS
DERBY
Derby fans were treated to an exhibition by the 120th FieldArtillery of the Wisconsin National Guard, as they fired a howitzer
prior to the running of the 50th AMSOIL World Championshipsnowmobile race Sunday afternoon. —STAFF PHOTOS
Thousands of people attended the 50th anniversary of theAMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby. This was the
scene Sunday afternoon as spectactors packed on the oval banksto watch the World Championship race.
Dozens of former Derby queens attended festivities during theweekend, including 1972 Derby Queen Sue Alward.
Past champion Mike Trapp of Woodruff took in the Friday NightThunder festivities. He won the race in 1971 and ’72.
Derby:29 of 32 former champions returnFROM PAGE 1Aever, in the history of the Der-by.”
Poor conditions in the skieswere to blame for the lack ofan F-16 flyby Sunday.
“The conditions weren’tgood at the time the jets wouldhave had to take off,” saidDecker. “It was just a weather-related thing.”
Although a driver duringVintage weekend ended upwith stitches, there were noserious injuries over thecourse of Derby weekend.
Overall, Decker said the50th Derby went without ahitch.
“Everybody had a greattime,” he said. “All our goalswere met and I think the fanswere blown away by the newadditions out here.”
More than racingTwenty-nine of the 32 past
champions of the SnowmobileDerby showed up for a meet-and-greet with racing fansduring the four-day event.Numerous Derby Queens ofthe past also could be seenwalking the grounds.
Reigning over the festivi-ties was 2013 Derby QueenMichelle Schaetz of Phelps.
Also included in the eventwere a Celebrity Charity RideFriday morning, the popularFriday Night Thunder underthe lights with fireworks, aspecial reception Saturdaynight recognizing the Top 10qualifiers, and the victory par-ty Sunday night.
Gov. Scott Walker was inattendance Friday night,while Eagle River Mayor JeffHyslop and State Senator TomTiffany were on hand to pre-sent proclamations Sunday.
After four days of racing,Malcolm Chartier, 24, of FairHaven, Mich. won the worldtitle race Sunday afternoon ona Ski-Doo, beating a 12-sledfield in the 30-lap featurerace.
Chartier won a worldchampionship trophy, $10,000cash from AMSOIL and
$50,000 from Jimmy John’sGourmet Sandwiches. He wonan additional $5,000 fromJimmy John’s after beingdeclared midway champion.
Second went to JordanWahl of Greenbush, Minn.,and third went to Matt Schulzof Wausau on a Ski-Doo.
The championship raceagain used its new format,splitting the race into twoparts for the second year. Rac-ers took 10 laps, breaking forfive minutes, before complet-ing the final 20 laps.
“The fans like it; thedrivers are adjusting well to itand, with the money JimmyJohn’s puts in, it makes it goodfor the drivers,” said Decker.
Mixed scheduleDecker said fans got their
fill of both Oval and Sno-Crossracing during the weekend
because the Sno-Cross courseis built inside the ice oval,offering a mixed schedule.
The ice track was in greatcondition for Sunday’s bigrace, according to Decker.
“The track conditions werereally good,” he said. “The bestthey’ve had for a long, longtime. I mean, these guys neverraced on rough tracks like wedid in the old days. We get newgroomers and the track justgets better every year.”
A new JumboTron near theoval kept fans up to date onthe races, including the dailyschedule, race results and alive broadcast of the raceaction.
“It was really a big hit,”said Decker. “We were able togive live reports from the rac-ers on the track and from thefans on the banks.”
Decker said the weekend
lived up to his expectations.“It went as good as I
thought it would go,” he said.“We had big expectations.Sometimes you’re disappoint-ed, but there was no disap-pointment here. It was a greatevent.”
Volunteers vitalAlways a key ingredient at
the Derby are the volunteers,according to Decker, rangingfrom people manning theadmission stands, hot seats,food booths and paddock areasto those registering racers andparking vehicles.
“We have a couple hundredlocal volunteers from nonprof-it groups that get a donationafter the Derby,” said Decker.“We give donations each yearto organizations that help usat the Derby. We certainlycouldn't do it without them.”
Gov. Scott Walker, center, presented a procla-mation to Chuck Decker, left, and Dick Decker
during Friday Night Thunder, recognizing theirownership of the Derby Track and race.
WEATHER CORNER
Note: Precipitation amounts are recorded at 8 a.m. for the previous 24 hours.
LAST YEAR
COMPARISON
SNOWCONDITIONS
LAST SEVEN DAYS
STREAMSAND LAKES
With 10 to 15 inches of ice, anglers are driving vehicleson most lakes. Conditions are excellent for ice fishing,with little snow and slush on the lakes.
Days precipitation recorded since Jan. 1, 2013, 11 days;2012, 9 days.
Average high of past 30 days, 2013, 23; 2012, 27. Aver-age low of past 30 days, 2013, 5; 2012, 2.
The average daily high at this time last year for the nextseven days was 28, while the average overnight low was8. There was snow on four days with a total accuulationof 5.8 inches.
With 4 inches of snow onthe ground and an icebase, trails are in faircondition. Trail groomerswere out in the EagleRiver area early this week, but more snow is needed.
’’11-’12 ’12-’13Snowy days 31 42Inches to date 40.04 15.4Ground cover 18" 4"
ONE YEAR AGO
OUTLOOK Wednesday will be mostly cloudy and cold, with a high of 5and a low of –10. Thursday clouds should be increasing,with a high of 10 and a low of –4. Friday there is a chanceof light snow showers with a small accumulation, with a highof 19 and a low of 6. Saturday should be mostly sunny, witha high of 18 and a low of –1. Sunday is expected to be most-ly cloudy, with a high of 25 and a low of 14.
(PORTIONS OF THE WEATHER CORNER ARE THROUGH THE COURTESY OFKEVIN BREWSTER, EAGLE RIVER and NEWSWATCH 12 METEOROLOGIST.)
VILAS COUNTY NEWS-REVIEW/THE THREE LAKES NEWS WEDNESDAY, JAN. 23, 2013 3A
Title race: three red flags keep championship field close
DERBY
Dustin Wahl (No. 74) and Travis McDonald (No.8) got tangled up in turns one and two in the first
lap, bringing out the red flag. There were twoadditional red flags during the race.
Malcom Chartier and his father shared the exciting moment inthe winner’s circle Sunday following the title race.
FROM PAGE 1Athe lead to Nick VanStrydonkof Tomahawk in the final cor-ner.
“Last year, we were run-ning real good and we cameup 5 feet short or whatever itwas,” said Schulz. “I don’teven want to think about it.It’s been a long 365 dayslooking back. So third placeis good. You can’t win themall. We’ll take a third-placefinish.”
After 10 laps, Schulz wasin second place heading intothe mid-race pit stop.
“I was in second, but had abad restart there and Jordangot around me,” said Schulz.“The last couple of lapsthough I thought I was catch-ing them a little, as hard asthey were battling. I thoughtmaybe the two would tangleand I would be right in theright spot. They were proba-bly only two sled lengthsahead of me.”
Three red flagsSunday’s feature race had
three red flags, the firstoccurring during the first lap.Dustin Wahl of Greenbushcollided with Travis MacDon-ald of Gonor, Manitoba,Canada, in turns one andtwo, bringing out a red flag.Neither racer was injured.
Following the mandatorypit stop after 10 laps, there
were two more red flagsbrought out by flagman JimSergent Jr. of Eagle River.The second red flag came outwhen Matt Ritchie of Minoc-qua fell off his sled in turnsthree and four just two lapsinto the final 20 laps. Thethird red flag was flownwhen Ryan Kniskern’s sledquit in turn four with 27 lapsin the books. Ritchie andKniskern, of Marinette, didnot finish the race.
Chartier said he had tomaintain his concentrationduring the red flags, whichbrought the field closertogether. He said he didn’tremember a key race with somany delays.
“You know, not off the topof my head, I can’t think ofthat many restarts,” saidChartier. “But you know, it’sjust exciting. You just have tostay mentally strong andkeep looking forward, know-ing that your going to win theWorld Championship if youstay strong.”
Following the top threeacross the finish line wereDustin Wahl of Greenbush,Minn. in fourth, Gary Moyleof Houghton, Mich., in fifth,Cardell Potter of Camp Dou-glas in sixth and BrandonJohnson of Greenbush in sev-enth. Last year’s winner, VanStrydonk, placed eighth, andfour-time champion P.J. Wan-derscheid, of Sauk Centre,Minn., who was racing with a
broken ankle, finished ninth.MacDonald, after the open-ing lap mishap, finished10th.
Chartier won the poleposition for the title race bywinning the TLR Cup SweetSixteen pole position raceduring Friday Night Thun-der. Chartier won $1,000 forthe TLR Cup win and wasable to sit out of Saturdayafternoon’s qualifications forthe World Championshipclass.
On Sunday, Chartier wasin the winner’s circle in hisfifth attempt at winning theWorld Championship. Heonly trailed in the race once,for a short time in turns oneand two when Jordan Wahltook a short-lived lead follow-ing the mandatory pit stop.
“I wasn’t really surprised,I could hear him on me. I justwent too high and I got in thesnow,” said Chartier. “He tookit on the inside I was justglad I could get it back fromhim. He came in real tightand then he went high and itwas an opportunity for me.
“It was a great race,” saidChartier. “We were both hav-ing fun and we will be racingtogether for many moreraces. So, I look forward tonext year.”
Chartier thanked hiscrew, including former WorldChampion Mike Houle, alongwith his parents and spon-sors. His father joined him invictory circle, where theyshared a hug and a few tears.
“I started coming here toEagle River when I was 10,sitting up their on the hilland dreaming of doing this,”said Chartier. “I started rac-ing when I was 12 and nowI’m a World Champion.”
Road to titleThe road to the title race
of the AMSOIL World Cham-pionship is not an easy one.Former champion Moyle hadthe fastest time in time trialsThursday evening with atime of 17.758 seconds fortwo laps.
But Moyle failed to qualifyduring elimination heats Sat-urday afternoon and had tomake the final World Cham-pionship field through the
last chance qualifying raceon Sunday afternoon. The toptwo advanced to the title racein a back row position. Join-ing Moyle in the back rowwas Ritchie.
Race enthusiasts knewChartier would be in thehunt following Saturday’stime trials, as he turned inthe second fastest time at17.959 seconds. His win inthe TLR Cup Friday nightplaced him as the favorite,though he had never been inthe winner’s circle. He fin-ished seventh last year.Chartier said there is morework to be done.
“I have to go home andtrain a little harder, becauseI got tired,” said Chartier. “I’llbe honest with you. I gottired and he (Wahl) gained onme. I was definitely feeling itwith three to four laps to go. Iwas just holding on tight. Iwas hitting the throttle withmy knee and I stayed outfront. I’m just glad that Icould pull it off.”
Chartier will receive$50,000 from Jimmy John’sand $10,000 from AMSOIL,
for winning the title race,$5,000 from Jimmy John’s forleading at mid-race, and$1,000 for taking the TLRCup race on Friday night.Van Strydonk was second inthe TLR Cup event, butcouldn’t regain that speed inSunday’s main event.
Champion Malcolm Chartier posed with queens and sponsors,along with two checks totalling $60,000, for winning the 50th annu-
al AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby. AMSOIL andJimmy John’s were the main sponsors of the title race.
Matt Ritchie of Minocqua qualified for the titlerace after finishing second in the last-chance
qualifier Sunday afternoon. However, he did notfinish the championship race. —STAFF PHOTOS
VILAS COUNTY
NEWS-REVIEWPublished weekly by
Eagle River Publications Inc.Eagle River, WI 54521
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Consolidation of the Vilas CountyNews, the Eagle River Review and
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DerbyPhotos
By:Kurt Krueger,
Gary Ridderbusch,Anthony Drew
and Chris Blicharz
The Champions50-YEAR WORLD-TITLE RECORD
’64 STAN HAYES, Crandon, Wis............................................. Polaris’65 GEORGE GENSLER, Three Lakes, Wis........................... Evinrude’66 STEVE AVE, Duluth, Minn. ............................................... Ski-Doo’67 DUANE FRANDSEN, Pembine, Wis. ................................ Ski-Doo’68 STEVE AVE, Duluth, Minn. ............................................... Ski-Doo’69 ROGER JANSSEN, Crookston, Minn. .............................. Arctic Cat’70 YVON DUHAMEL, Valcourt, Quebec ................................ Ski-Doo’71 MIKE TRAPP, Woodruff, Wis. ............................................ Yamaha’72 MIKE TRAPP, Woodruff, Wis. ............................................ Yamaha’73 BOB EASTMAN, Roseau, Minn........................................ Polaris’74 GUILLES VILLENEUVE, Quebec ..................................... Alouette’75 JIM BERNAT, Roseau, Minn.............................................. Polaris’76 ED SCHUBITZKE, Duluth, Minn. ...................................... Yamaha’77 STEVE THORSEN, Fergus Falls, Minn............................. Polaris’78 STEVE THORSEN, Fergus Falls, Minn............................. Polaris’79 BOB ELSNER, New London, Wis. .................................... Arctic Cat’80 JACQUES VILLENEUVE, Quebec.................................... Ski-Doo’81 BRAD HULINGS, Thief River, Minn. ................................. Scorpion’82 JACQUES VILLENEUVE, Quebec.................................... Ski-Doo’83 BRAD HULINGS, Grand Rapids, Mich. ............................ Ski-Doo’84 JIM DIMMERMAN, White Bear Lk., Minn. ........................... Phantom’85 MICHEL GINGRAS, St. Gregoire, Quebec .......................... Ski-Doo’86 JACQUES VILLENEUVE, Quebec.................................... Ski-Doo’87 CHUCK DECKER, Eagle River, Wis. ................................ Ski-Doo’88 BOBBY DONAHUE, Wis. Rapids, Wis. ............................. Ski-Doo’89 BRUCE VESSAIR, Ontario ............................................... Ski-Doo’90 DAVE WAHL, Greenbush, Minn. ....................................... Wahl ’91 GREG GOODWIN, Zion, Ill. .............................................. Ski-Doo’92 GARY VESSAIR, Honey Harbour, Ontario........................... Ski-Doo’93 AL FENHAUS, Wausau, Wis. ............................................ Ski-Doo’94 DALE LORITZ, Green Bay, Wis......................................... Ski-Doo’95 DALE LORITZ, Green Bay, Wis......................................... Ski-Doo’96 DAVE WAHL, Greenbush, Minn. ....................................... Wahl’97 DAVE WAHL, Greenbush, Minn. ....................................... Ski-Doo’98 TERRY WAHL, Greenbush, Minn...................................... Ski-Doo’99 MIKE HOULE, Wyoming, Minn. ........................................ Ski-Doo’00 MIKE HOULE, Wyoming, Minn. ........................................ Ski-Doo’01 JEREMY JOHNSTON, Arcola, Sask................................. Ski-Doo’02 P.J. WANDERSCHEID, Sauk Centre, Minn............................. Arctic Cat’03 P.J. WANDERSCHEID, Sauk Centre, Minn. .......................... Arctic Cat’04 LARRY DAY, Lyman, Maine............................................... Arctic Cat’05 GARY MOYLE, Houghton, Mich........................................ Arctic Cat’06 P.J. WANDERSCHEID, Sauk Centre, Minn. .......................... Arctic Cat’07 GARY MOYLE, Houghton, Mich........................................ Arctic Cat’08 BRIAN BEWCYK, Winnipeg, Manitoba............................. Ski-Doo’09 BRIAN BEWCYK, Winnipeg, Manitoba............................. Ski-Doo’10 MATT SCHULZ, Wausau, Wis........................................... Polaris’11 P.J. WANDERSCHEID, Sauk Centre, Minn.. ....................... Arctic Cat’12 NICK VAN STRYDONK, Tomahawk, Wis.. ........................ Polaris’13 MALCOLM CHARTIER, Marine City, Mich. ...................... Ski-Doo
1st 33 Malcolm Chartier, Marine City, Mich. Ski-Doo2nd 747 Jordan Wahl, Greenbush, Minn. Polaris3rd 38 Matt Schulz, Wausau, Wis. Ski-Doo4th 74 Dustin Wahl, Greenbush, Minn. Polaris5th 66 Gary Moyle, Houghton, Mich. Arctic Cat6th 58 Cardell Potter, Camp Douglas, Wis. Wahl/Polaris7th 22 Brandon Johnson, Greenbush, Minn. Polaris8th 13 Nicholas Van Strydonk, Tomahawk, Wis. Polaris9th 28 P.J. Wanderscheid, Sauk Centre, Minn. Arctic Cat
10th 8 Travis MacDonald, Gonor, Manitoba Ski-Doo11th 616 Ryan Kniskern, Marinette, Wis. Ski-Doo12th 355 Matt Ritchie, Minocqua, Wis. Polaris
4A WEDNESDAY, JAN. 23, 2013 VILAS COUNTY NEWS-REVIEW/THE THREE LAKES NEWS
DERBY
After nearly two decades,the Parts Unlimited FridayNight Thunder program con-tinues to be one of the mostpopular spectator attractionsduring the AMSOIL WorldChampionship SnowmobileDerby, officials said.
And with the addedexcitement of the 50thanniversary Derby, trackowner Chuck Decker saidFriday night’s program didnot disappoint the thousandsof spectators who gatheredaround the ice oval, bothindoors and outdoors.
“It still reigns as one of thehighlights of the weekend formany Derby fans," said Deck-er. “The banks were as full asthey have been the past 10years and the suites and hotseats were sold out.”
The opening ceremonyfeatured a visit from Gov.Scott Walker, who recognizedthe Decker family and the50th anniversary of the Der-by. He presented ChuckDecker and his father, DickDecker, a proclamation fromthe state of Wisconsin.
“Snowmobiling is animportant part of the state’swinter tourist industry,” saidWalker. “For 50 years, EagleRiver has been hosting thissnowmobile Derby and I amhappy to be here to celebratethis anniversary,” said Walk-er.
The colorful opening cere-mony also featured a video onthe trackside JumboTron rec-ognizing past champions andqueens, a brilliant fireworksdisplay and introductions of
the top professional Oval andSno-Cross racers.
Decker said the highlightof the night was the TLR CupSweet Sixteen pole positionrace as the top 10 Pro Champracers battled for 16 lapsunder the lights.
Malcolm Chartier ofMarine City, Mich., won therace on a Ski-Doo, winningthe $1,000 for the TLP Cupvictory and qualifying himfor Sunday’s big event andthe pole position.
Jordan Wahl of Green-bush, Minn., placed second inthe event on a Polaris andMatt Schulz of Wausau wasthird on a Ski-Doo.
“By winning on Fridaynight, Malcolm was able tosit out of Saturday after-noon’s qualifying,” said Deck-er.
The big Friday night winwas a prelude to Sunday’sfeature race, as Chartierwent on to win the WorldChampionship.
Another highlight of thenight show was the return ofthe Outlaw 600 class for racefans. The revolutionary newidea in Outlaw 600 racemachines, introduced at theDerby last year during Fri-day Night Thunder, placesthe driver on a left-side cock-pit driving position, sur-rounded by a full-roll cageand driven much like aSprint car with a steeringwheel, foot-pedal controlsand a five-point harness.
Nick Dolezal of Eagle Riv-er won the Outlaw 600 raceFriday night, beating second-
place finisher Aaron Fellows.Joe Schneider of St. Germainalso climbed into an Outlawsled and finished third in the13-sled final.
In Friday Night ThunderSno-Cross racing, Ross Mar-tin of Burlington won theCarlisle Pro Open race on aPolaris. Second went to TimTrembley of Aurora, Minn.,on an AMSOIL sled and thirdwent to Peter Narsa ofMoskosel, Sweden, on a Ski-Doo. Martin went on to win
the Pro Open on Sunday.The Carlisle Pro Lite class
Friday night went to AndyLieders of Colby on a Polaris.Second went to Jake Scott ofMosinee on a Polaris andthird went to Zak Mason ofGaylord, Mich., on a Polaris.
Following are the resultsof the individual races runduring Friday Night Thun-der.
Formula 500First, Shane Peterson, Lan-
caster, Minn., John Deere; sec-ond, Brian Healey, Winnipeg,Manitoba, Polaris; third, AlanDahlke, Antigo, Polaris.
Semi Pro ChampFirst, Jacob Beres, New Ber -
lin, WEB; second Lance Relf,Win nipeg, Manitoba, Wahl;third, Chris t er Dahl, Arbor Vitae,Yamaha.
Friday Night Thunder still a fan favorite___________
BY GARY RIDDERBUSCH
NEWS-REVIEW EDITOR___________
Friday Night Thunder still prevails as one of the major attrac-tions for fans of Snowmobile Derby action. Thousands watched
a special opening ceremony followed by hours of exciting rac-ing action on the world-famous ice Oval.
Thousands of spectators attended the biggest World Championship Snowmobile Derby in the pastdecade, witnessing intense racing excitement on the ice Oval throughout the course of the event.
Dual winners in the finals Sunday included Blaine Stephenson of Hutchinson, Minn.; Mark Durkey ofClintonville; Brian Healey of Winnipeg, Manitoba; and Miranda Miller of Hudson. —STAFF PHOTOS
Blaine Stephenson ofHutchinson, Minn., MarkDurkey of Clintonville andBrian Healey of Winnipeg,Manitoba, were all double-winners in this year’s ice Ovalsprints at the World Champi-onship Snowmobile Derbyover the weekend.
Stephenson, riding an Arc-tic Cat, took first place in theFormula 500 class and secondin the Limited 500.
Durkey took first in theSportsman 600 class and sec-ond in the Combo Sportsman& F-500 class riding an ArcticCat.
Healey won the ComboSportsman & F-500 and tooksecond in the Limited 500.
Taking third in the Formu-la 500 behind Stephenson andHealey was Bruce Rosentreterof Brandon, Manitoba, ridinga Massey.
Malarie Bergene of She-boygan took second in theSportsman 600 on an ArcticCat behind Durkey. DavidKohn of DePere took third ona Ski-Doo.
Mike Van Dolder of Ennis-more, Ontario, finished thirdbehind Healey and Durkey inthe Combo Sportsman & F-500 class riding a Ski-Doo.
Another double-winnerthis year was Miranda Millerof Hudson, who won first placein the Pro Sprint final Sunday.She also took first in theJunior II Sprint.
Tim Hibbard of Lempster,N.H., won the relatively newOutlaw 600 class, whichseems to be growing in popu-larity.
The class was a big hit lastyear in its debut season andwill likely continue to gracethe Derby track in years tocome.
Derby Track manager ToddAchterberg said the revolu-tionary idea places the driveron a left-side cockpit drivingposition, surrounded by a fullroll-cage. It is driven muchlike a Sprint car with a steer-ing wheel, foot-pedal controlsand a five-point harness.
In the spirit of cultivatingfuture Derby racers, four sepa-rate classes of Junior ice Ovalraces were run, includingJunior Stock, Junior F-500,Junior I Sprint and Junior IISprint.
Winners also were de claredin ice Oval races during Fri-day Night Thunder. See sepa-rate story for results.
The champions in each
class received cash payouts,50th anniversary checkeredflags, Coldwave jackets andEagle trophies proclaimingthe racer as the world champi-on in his or her respectiveclass.
The following are theresults by class from the ice
Oval, with finish, racer, home-town and snowmobile make:
Stephenson, Durkey, Healey win at OvalMiranda Miller wins Pro Sprint final, Junior II Sprint
Nick Van Strydonk of Tomahawk, the 2012world champion of the Derby, granted an inter-
view after taking first place in the Factory 600Champ final competition Sunday.
___________BY ANTHONY DREW
NEWS-REVIEW ASST. EDITOR___________
VILAS COUNTY NEWS-REVIEW/THE THREE LAKES NEWS WEDNESDAY, JAN. 23, 2013 5A
DERBY
Hard-charging professional Sno-Cross racers pounded throughthe moguls on the one-quarter mile track developed inside the ice
oval. In the background are the corporate suites on the north endof the AMSOIL Derby Track.
Andy Lieders of Colby won the Sno-Cross Pro Lite class duringFriday Night Thunder and was second Sunday afternoon.
Ross Martin of Burlingtonwon the Sno-Cross WorldChampionship at the AM -SOIL Eagle River DerbyTrack Sunday, beating thefield of 12 other racers includ-ing last year’s champion TimTrembley of Aurora, Minn.
Martin, riding a Polaris,admitted it wasn’t an easy 15-lap final in the Pro Open classSunday afternoon on the quar-ter-mile Sno-Cross trackinside the ice oval.
With the starting linemoved to the south end of thetrack, racers had to maneuverthrough a tight first corner,but once Martin grabbed thelead it was his race to lose.
Martin also had to over-come a combination of thepowdery snow on the coursejumps and moguls, and snowdust on a cold day that hin-dered the racers’ visibilitymuch of the race.
Trembley finished secondon a Polaris and JohanLidman of Elk River,Minn., was third on aPolaris.
Robbie Malinoski ofAurora, one of thefavorites heading intoSunday’s feature race,got caught up intraffic in the firstcorner andcrashed his sledinto the bales onturn two of theoval — endinghis day.
Martin was adouble winner inthe Pro Open as he also wonthe Carlisle Friday NightThunder race.
Jake Scott of Mosinee wonthe Pro Lite Class Sunday ona Polaris. Second place went toAndy Lieders of Colby on aPolaris and third went toCorey Watkinson of Port Car-ling, Ontario, on a Ski-doo.
Lieders won the CarlislePro Lite race on Friday night,while second went to Scott and third to Zak Masonof Gaylord, Mich.
The Pro Plus 30 class waswon by Danny Poirier of Ma -lone, N.Y., on a Polaris.Andrew Hegemann of Merrillwas second on an Arctic Catand Jeff Vollenweider ofKewanuee was third on a Ski-doo.
In the Pro Am Super StockWomen’s class, Jennifer Pareof Eagle, Ind., was first on aPolaris. She also placed firstlast year. She was followed bySamantha Tarnowski ofRoscommon, Mich., on a Ski-doo and Merranda Schmid ofFond du Lac was third on anArctic Cat.
The top junior racer wasNicholas Lorenz of Kenosha.He won the Junior 16-17 andJunior 14-15 classes on aPolaris. Winners also wereawarded trophies and check-ered flags in seven otherjunior and novice classes.
Brayden Kernz of Mani-
towoc also was a double win-ner in Juniors, taking theJunior Transition 8-12 and theJunior Transition 8-12 Limit-ed classes.
The following are theresults of the Derby Sno-Crossevents, listed by class, finish,racer, hometown and snowmo-bile make:
Pro OpenFirst, Ross Martin, Burling-
ton, Polaris; second, Tim Tremb-ley, Aurora, Minn., AMSOIL Ski-Doo; third, Johan Lidman, ElkRiver, Minn., Polaris.
Pro Lite ClassFirst, Jake Scott, Mosinee,
Polaris; second, Andy Lieders,Colby, Polaris; third, CoreyWatkinson, Port Carling, Ontario,Ski-Doo.
