BROWN WINTER

Posted 02.03.2012 by DOC JIM

It goes without saying that the winter of 2011-2012 is turning out to be a bust - perhaps the worst winter since I got into this hobby as far as snow fall. Most of the country is dealing with 40 and 50 degree temperatures and short tempers from the lack of snow.

The races at Ogilvie, MN this weekend are cancelled, but the show and swap meet are on. Grab a sled and put it on display and enjoy the beer in the club house!

As you can see, the snow up here is pretty good - so LIVE ON SKIS is ON! We're hoping the event makes up for everyone's crappy riding winter so far - so come on up on the 18th! Check out the official page for all the info. The trails are open, the lake is great, and Jim Strandlund (AKA ICECUBE) has all kinds of fun lined up for our "Banquet" that you won't want to miss. It could be your only chance to ride all year!

Also, we wanted to let you know of an event on Sunday, February 19th if you can't get to LIVE ON SKIS and are in the Big Lake Minnesota area. Wayne Poirier's was one of the top racers at Wolf Lake in Alexandria Minnesota just a few years back. Wayne's wife Lisa has cancer that cannot be cured. On Sunday the 19th, they are having a benefit for them to help pay the massive amounts of medical bills. There will be a silent auction, live entertainment, kids activities, a spaghetti dinner and more. It's just $15, at the Friendly Buffalo, 16722 198th Ave NW in Big Lake MN.

A CHAP SNOPRO AT WACONIA!

Posted 01.21.2012 by DOC JIM

Perhaps one of the rarest Chaparral race sleds ever made was the handful they made to tackle SnoPro in 1974. The design was different and the look was totally unique. The sled didn't do all that well in competition, but it was a great representation of the extreme measures the factories took when tackling the "Anything Goes" racing of the original SnoPro race series.

It's coming over 3,500 miles to be here for the show so you won't want to miss it! Chances of seeing another one are slim to none!

A NEW WORLD CHAMPION!

Posted 01.16.2012 by DOC JIM

I think few people appreciate how really difficult it is to build a sled, get it tuned and then win on a track like Eagle River. Last year Randy Hazard and Doug Flannery built what was clearly a good machine... but minor accidents and mechanical issues got the best of them. This year was a very different story.

With Todd Krikke as the driver, the Hazard crew had an amazing weekend. Todd and Matt Goede battled it out in several 440 classes with Todd coming out on top in all of those contests.

At 3:00 yesterday, it was time to determine who the World Champion would be for the final time on a machine up to 800cc's. For six laps, it looked like Jacob Goede was going to take his third title when the worst happened: His sled high sided to the left, caught a rut, and then destroyed the fence, throwing Jacob down the ice. Jacob was fine, but that Championship sled was a total loss.

From them on, it was smooth sailing for Krikke, who was running a close second to Jacob prior to the spill. I don't think we've ever seen a happier team after they won!

Todd is no stranger to racing: In fact he has won the famed Soo I-500 race a whopping three times. Once with his Brother Randy Krikke and two times with team mate Troy Pierce. This man can drive!

Congrats to them and all the races, including 2nd place Tony Pentinelli Jr., (Chap) and Nathan Feucht (sp?) on his Arctic Cat.

TWO CLASSICS COME TOGETHER!

Posted 01.12.2012 by DOC JIM

When Chris Dotzler starting working on some classic Chappy race sleds many months back, he hoped things would be ready for Waconia this year, since they are featuring Chaparral this year. Well, it looks like he might just make it yet. Despite some pretty bad health problems, Chris has continued in his labor of love to bring these classic race sleds back to life.

A couple weeks back, none other than Chaparral factory driver Freddy Jillson visited Chris's shop and helped out with the build. Terry Norgard and Kenny Heins all pitched in as well. It was a great opportunity to have mechanic and driver back together to work on the sleds they raced together almost 40 years ago!

On January 6th, a bunch of us Bull Session folks joined Chris in his shop to help out as well. We all had a great time, myself, Swede and Earlham included. We are proud to have been a small part in helping to get these babies ready for the world again!

Thanks for sharing Chris!

COUNTDOWN TO EAGLE RIVER!

Posted 01.09.2012 by DOC JIM

Starting this Friday, the best of the best in the world of vintage snowmobile racing will all gather in Eagle River Wisconsin to battle it out to see who will be the 2012 Vintage World Champion!

We've started a new thread in the Bull Sessions that we would like you to participate in: 2012 Eagle River Predictions & Results. Boy Wonder threw up some predictions... what are yours?

If all goes well, Boy Wonder will be there to post results as they happen for the finals on Sunday.

IRONWOOD VIDEO

Posted 01.03.2012 by DOC JIM

Turn 2 Videos put together this fantastic video of last weekends events. Note Boy Wonder's RXL kissing the fence at about 1:45. No one was hurt, but the RXL was in tough shape!

THE MILLER-GOEDE SHOW

Posted 01.02.2012 by Boy Wonder

The second vintage race in the midwest took place last weekend in Ironwood Michigan, where the track was fast and smooth, the weather held up great and the local establishments were glad to see everyone.

Heat races ran all day Saturday, with Pro Vintage Race officials having to call off a few heat raced simply because they ran out of time.

Sunday's finals went pretty much like this: If Matt or Jacob Goede were on a Starfire, they won - if Brent Miller was on the track, he won. The only exception to that rule was newcomer Glen Hart from Winnipeg providing some excitement in an already exciting 340 IFS final that saw non other than TJ Patrick leading Brent Miller for two laps, when TJ and Brent forgot all about anyone else - leaving Glen the room to sneak underneath both and come out on top with a victory.

There was a couple of tough accidents over the weekend, with Will Stull and Ron Kehl both getting to take a ride in the ambulance. Early reports have been encouraging, but we our thoughts and prayers are with the injured racers. Hats off to the PVR crew and the ambulance first responders for taking excellent care of both.

All in all a very fun weekend with some of the most exciting racing anywhere. Next weekend is Round two in the Vintage SnoPro series, then on to Eagle River!

CHIX ON SLEDS (BIKINIS!)

Posted 12.28.2011 by Doc Jim

Drag racing in bikini's. Doesn't get any better!

THE PAST COMES ALIVE

Posted 12.23.2011 by Doc Jim

Mike Smith has been the proud owner of one of Larry Coltom's 1976 SnoPro sleds since 1976. She's been on display at Thee Hall of Fame for the last several years. Recently Mike and his son Adam took it out, cleaned it up, and just for fun fired the old girl up!

Talk about the past coming to life!

MERRY CHRISTMAS INDEED!

Posted 12.26.2011 by Doc Jim

THANK YOU!

We have broken all records for traffic in November for vintagesleds.com!

PVR @IRONWOOD

Posted 12.21.2011 by Doc Jim

I want one!

The 2012 Pro Vintage Racing flags are in - everyone who wins a class at Ironwood (and all the other PVR races this year) in just a little over two weeks will get one of these courtesy of Vintagesleds.com. Hilmerson's Sports Center, and Performance Concepts.

Ironwood is also the opening race for the Vintage SnoPro Series. You never know what's going to happen. Adam Hagen and Mike Smith should be back, as well as Matt Goede to try and win another title. Rumors are that a retired Rupp racer and former winner will be back this year, and there are a lot of other drivers who could all be in the hunt to go down in history on the Hall of Fame Snopro Cup.

Although a lot of us don't have snow yet, the weather has been good in Ironwood (and Eagle River) and both are doing well on building an awesome iced oval. As my friend Randy says... "LET'S GET ON WITH IT!"

FIND OF THE YEAR?

Posted 12.19.2011 by Doc Jim

We are getting close to our judges picking the coveted "Find of the Year". The judges have reported better than ever bribes, with cases and cases of beer showing up at their door every day. This late entry us comes from David Schark - I'm not sure what to even label it, other than it' s most likely an Arctic Cat, and there is a lifetime of chicken poop in it.

This years judges are Superstinger, Eman, Skeg777, EricR and TJ Henriksen. Feel free to get your bribes into them!

Good luck David - we don't envy you the task of cleaning that baby!

Stay tuned for the winner for 2011. It's coming up soon, but you can still get your entry in by posting it in the Find of the Year thread on the Bull Sessions.

THEY'RE STILL OUT THERE PART II

Posted 12.15.2011 by Doc Jim

1977 Kawasaki SnoPro driver Gregg Channell recently posed for a picture for an article in a dead-tree snowmobile magazine. Wouldn't you know it, he's wearing a brand new set of his original Kawasaki snowmobile racing leathers from back in the day.

They are in PERFECT condition, having been the back-up pair. Honestly, they look 18X better than I remember. Why can't we buy snowmobile suits now that are this simple, clean and perfect??

THEY'RE STILL OUT THERE

Posted 12.12.2011 by Doc Jim

Note: Article and info sent in my Mike Stratychuk

About 3 years ago, Richard Gehl approached me at the Earl Grey swap meet and asked if I have ever done any sled hunting in northern Saskatchewan. My question to him was "what is was he looking for?" He had information that lead him to believe that one of the two 1974 factory SnoPro Roll-O-Flex Wild Ones was still up there. I began asking him questions as to how I would spot it, and after he explained the differences in it from a stock White Elephant, I told him I think I have seen it, and if it is the one, I know the guy who owns it.

At that time I tried to purchase the machine, but to no avail, it wasn't for sale.

I haven't seen the machine for more than 10 years, so I couldn't be sure it was the right machine, so I put it on the back burner hoping one day to get a chance to see it again.

This past week, I put a few sleds up for sale on the local web sites (three of the sleds that I got out of my latest barn find), and I got a phone call from the guy who owns the suspect Roll-O-Flex. He is interested in doing some sled swapping and the Roll-O-Flex is in part of the deal. I ask him for some pictures and forwarded them to Richard, and we both agreed that this may be the right machine. It's about 4 hours north of me, so a central location is worked out, and when I get there, sure enough, there is a whole bunch of weird parts on this thing, so I take the chance, make the deal and come home with another Wild One.

Richard came out last night, and with his Roll-O-Flex knowledge, and armed with some pics from the day we began to pick apart this sled. Skis are original aluminum that came out of the same press as the consumer skis, Texas Industries suspension and involute drive cleated track with aluminum skis, ski stance almost 2 inches wider than consumer machines, hand laid fiberglass light weight hood, and an engine plate that only has one set of bolt holes in it.....Yamaha bolt holes!

It has been found!!!! One of the two factory SnoPro Sleds.

BOSS CAT EXPLOSION

Posted 12.08.2011 by Doc Jim

Check this out.. original footage of the original Boss Cat when it exploded. Happens at 1:26 - very early in.

Remember being a kid and how freaked out you got when any magazine had something about snowmobiles in it?

I would have also gone right for the Death Ray article. Is it to much to ask to have a home made Sno-Bird equipped with Death Rays??

HOW FAR WE HAVE COME

Posted 12.05.2011 by Doc Jim

This 2003 video from Todd Koehn is rare indeed! Todd's son "LINK" filmed the 2003 vintage races at Eagle River. The edited it down to several classes. Back then, the newest sled you could run was a 1973. Note the final race, Mark Anderson wins on his 1972 SKi-Doo, followed by Tom King, Fast Freddy Smith and a very young Jacob Goede.

This is very cool Todd - thanks! I you all like the video, please click on it to leave some comments on YouTube for Todd.

Leafer In The Day

Posted 11.23.2011 by Doc Jim

Brad Blomeke sent in this really rare photo - one of the two surviving 77 Polaris leaf spring snopros being raced after 1977. This one we are pretty sure is currently owned by Brad Warning. It was bought from Polaris in 1977, and seen here racing with the 250 motor that was in it in 1978.

Comet Wall Art

Posted 11.18.2011 by Doc Jim

Vintage sled super star Valdi Stefanson couldn't resist buying this comet that was cut in half and made to mount on a wall. I think it makes darn fine garage art.

STEPPIN' DOWN AND STEPPIN' OUT!

Posted 11.10.2011 by Boy Wonder

After ten years of running vintagesleds.com, it's time to make a change!

This is not a big deal... the website will continue on as it always has. Just without me.

My normal business (web site and web software development) is something I have been building from scratch for a few years now. I don't have squat for advertising and almost all of my customers have been from recommendations from existing clients. Well we must be doing something right, because it has really taken off this year. So much so, that I have to make this change in order to make enough time in a day.

Effective immediately, ALL vintagesleds.com (and vintage sled) inquires, questions, comments, ideas, thoughts, calls, emails, text messages and anything snowmobile related I will be passing on to DocJim. Doc is at least 99.98% smarter than me anyway, so you and the website are in great hands. Plus we have what I believe are thee best moderators on ANY website anywhere in cyberspace. These guys kick ass on a regular basis, and never cease to amaze me on how they are handling the site.

We have someone taking care of the server now, so any tech issues should be directed to DocJim, and he'll be able to get a hold of them and get it taken care of. If you need any help with any issues on the Bull Sessions, the Classifieds, or if you want to get something on the home page, or if you don't like something on the home page, if you need help with an insurance quote, or you need help with identifying an RXL or other rare Polaris, I will be passing you on to Doc, who as all the same information that I've had.

It's been a fantastic 10 years, and I'll still be around... just not nearly as visible. I will still post some stuff to the home page as it inspires me - but please direct any requests for home page coverage to Doc. He can get 'er done for you!

So THANK YOU, all, from the bottom of my heart. You are an amazingly cool bunch of people who have made my life much, much better and I've got nothing but the best wishes for everyone.

See Ya!