Van Strydonk Wins World Championship With Last Lap Pass

Just when it seemed the Eagle River World Championship snowmobile race couldn’t get any better, Nick Van Strydonk used a dramatic pass in the last corner to win his first title on the famed Derby Track in Eagle River, Wisconsin.  Van Strydonk beat 2010 World Champion Matt Schulz to the waving checkered flag by a ski length. The margin of victory was 0.025 second.

Nick Van Strydonk won his first Eagle River World Championship

.     The late move by the 21-year-old from Tomahawk, Wisconsin, came in a 30-lap race that featured an incredible series of twists and turns. At various points during the race, it looked like any one of five drivers could win the race – for most of the event, those five ran within a half-straight of each other.

.     Crashes, red flags, restarts and changing track conditions had a major influence on the race, but in the end, Van Strydonk was the deserving winner and will have his name written into immortality when it’s engraved on the Snow Goer Cup.

An Ever-Changing Race

The 49^th annual Amsoil World Championship was held on a rough and grooved track under murky skies, with a slight mist in the air. Thousands of people watched in anticipation after the most competitive qualifying process in years – going in, there was no pre-race favorite; instead, most longtime observers agreed that seven of the 12 drivers who qualified for the final were virtually even.

Matt Schulz led until the last couple hundred yards and came up a ski-length short of winning his second title.

.     On green, Schulz of nearby Wausau, Wisconsin, launched into the lead on his No. 38 Ski-Doo, with pole sitter Brandon Johnson of Greenbush, Minnesota, snapping at his heels on his Wahl Bros. Polaris. Right behind him was Van Strydonk – the fastest qualifier in time trials, and then Travis MacDonald and defending and four-time champ P.J. Wanderscheid.

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UPDATE: Friday Night From Eagle River World Championship

A familiar front row qualifier, some big-air, paint-trading snocross racing and a notable comeback marked an action-packed Friday Night Thunder program at the 48^th Annual Eagle River World Championship Snowmobile Derby in Eagle River, Wisconsin, January 14. Let’s get right to the action.

Wanderscheid Seeks Fourth Title

PJ Wanderscheid, seen here driving his sled away from an interview, goes into Sunday as a favorite. He'll likely where a helmet then!

For a split second, three-time World Champion P.J. Wanderscheid jokingly held up four fingers Friday night while posing for photos after winning the Sweet 16 Qualifier that will allow him to advance directly to Sunday’s final. He was asked to do it again for a photo but grinned instead, refused and stuck to holding up a single finger while two sponsoring Amsoil representatives held up the four fingers behind him.

            Apparently the popular PJ didn’t want to jinx himself as he seeks to become the sport’s first four-time champ at Eagle River.

            Wanderscheid was close to flawless Friday, first streaking away with his qualifying heat race on his Hooper-powered Arctic Cat mod, then winning the final on a snowy night in northern Wisconsin. He was the only competitor to run a sub-18-second lap, clocking a best-lap speed of 17.914 seconds on the banked oval – a full three-tenths faster than the nearest competitor. His margin of victory was a cool 2.367 seconds – would have been more, but his brakes were fading late in the race.

            For his efforts on Friday, Wanderscheid earned a huge $1,000 check from the sponsoring World Snowmobile Headquarters – and, most importantly, is the only competitor guaranteed a spot in Sunday’s big race. Everybody else will have to roll the dice in today’s qualifying races.

            Bottom line: Wanderscheid is wearing the “favorite” crown right now.

The starting line for Friday's Sweet 16 final.

            Asked about his sled after the race, Wanderscheid told Snow Goer that it’s all-new this year.

            “It’s a little bit lighter and it has a little bit different geometry,” Wanderscheid said. “It’s made to win Eagle River…. The sled is working awesome.”

            It should be noted, however, that Wanderscheid found himself in the same position last year when he claimed the Friday night qualifier, but he came up short on Championship Sunday, finishing second to winner Matt Schulz.

            Speaking of that defending champion, it was Schulz who finished second in the qualifying race Friday night, and Schultz was also the fastest qualifier in Thursday’s time trials on the Champ sleds. He won last year on a Polaris-powered machine but has switched to Rotax/Ski-Doo power for 2011. Do not count him out.

            Gary Moyle is looking for a third World Championship, and also looks strong. He won his heat race Friday night and was second fastest in Thursday’s time trials, but he ran in the middle of the pack in the final Friday – finishing fifth, 10 seconds behind Wanderscheid. The unanswered question was whether the cagey veteran was truly giving it his all, and the flying snow created a lot of snowdust.

First-year pro Justin Broberg beat a star-studded field in the Pro Open final Friday night at Eagle River

            Malcolm Chartier finished third in Friday’s final on his Houle-built Ski-Doo mod, followed by Nick Van Strydonk on a Polaris mod.

            The Wahl Bros team of Dustin Wahl and Brandon Johnson has been really fast elsewhere this year, but they haven’t showed well so far here in Eagle River.  

            Qualifying continues this afternoon — check back tonight for a full report on today’s heat, plus read our fictional odds for Sunday’s World Championship.

A Snocross Split

Schuering Speed Sports’ Robbie Malinoski claimed the Pro Super Stock final on the snocross course early in Friday night’s program, surviving a slugfest with Ross Martin on the bumpy infield course. Martin made several charges on his Polaris, including slamming hard into Malinoski’s Ski-Doo in turn three coming to the white flag, but Malinoski fought back and held the spot to the waving checkered flag.  

            In the Pro Open final a couple hours later, Malinoski got the jump again and led early, but Martin provided the night’s biggest entertainment on the snocross course. The first lap, he was totally out of control, coming up the front stretch completely crossed up and bouncing off competitors on both sides of him. He miraculously saved it, but couldn’t do the same in turn two – he came off hard and had to re-mount while the rest of the 9-sled pack pulled far away.

            Martin remounted and raced with anger, flying farther and charging harder than anybody on the track while working his way back up to fifth.

            That was entertaining, but there was real action to watch up front, as first-year-pro Justin Broberg was keeping Malinoski honest by riding in his shadow. Then, 10 laps into the 15 lap final, Malinoski had the lap from hell – nearly dismounting three times by his own recollection after the race. Broberg streaked into the lead while Malinoski struggled to get his timing back and slipped to third when the hard-charging Brett Turcotte claimed second.

 Fontaine Returns, And Wins!

A year ago at Eagle River, the nastiest-looking crash of the weekend was experienced by Trevor Fontaine. The young racer lost the handlebars going into turn three want went hard into the haybales, severely damaging his left, including a dislocated foot and a broken femur. Eight days in the hospital and multiple surgeries followed.

            It’s been a long year, but Fontaine is back, and he completed his comeback Friday by winning the Semi Pro Champ final on his No. 3 mod late in the program. While he was being interviewed over the P.A. system, several of his competitors were loudly cheering him on – it was a very popular victory.

Wanderscheid Earns World Championship Pole In Friday Night Program

PJ Wanderscheid earned the pole position for Sunday's World Championship with a Sweet Sixteen victory Friday night.

Arctic Cat’s P.J. Wanderscheid started his pursuit to become the first four-time Eagle River World Champion in style, earning the pole position in a smooth and efficient Friday Night Thunder program at the famous Derby Track in northern Wisconsin.

     Wanderscheid, age 26, led the World Snowmobile Headquarters-sponsored Sweet Sixteen Pole Position race from the opening green flag all the way to the checkered flag 16 laps later, besting a star-studded field of competitors all aiming for the World Championship title on Sunday. He was chased throughout the race by Nick VanStrydonk and Thursday’s time trial winner Matt Schulz – with Schulz undercutting VanStrydonk on the last lap to claim second. Malcolm Chartier took fourth, with three-time champ Jacques Villeneuve fifth and two-time champ Gary Moyle sixth.

     Ultimately, only first place counted on Friday night – that person gets to skip Saturday’s multi-round qualifying process and transfers directly into Sunday front row pole position. Wanderscheid earned that honor in style, and put all of his competition on notice.

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Eagle River Time Trials: Schulz On Top!

Matt Schulz, pictured here at Shakopee being chased by Dustin Wahl, earned the fast time in qualifying at Eagle River Thursday afternoon.

The time trials for the Eagle River World Championship have wrapped up, and the man at the top of the list isn’t an ex-champion, but rather a young racer who has been lightning fast this year.

     Matt Schulz of Wausau, Wisconsin, posted a 17.813 second qualifying time, besting a field that includes three multi-time champions and putting his Wahl-chassis up front in Saturday’s qualifying heat races.

     Another young racer from Wisconsin’s Northwoods took the second spot. Nick VanStrydonk of nearby Tomahawk was two-hundreths behind Schulz, posting a 17.833 on his Polaris-powered mod.

     Dustin Wahl (18.148) posted the third-fast time on his Wahl/Polaris combination. He’ll try again to be the third Wahl to earn a World Championship on Sunday. Malcolm Chartier (18.198) took fourth on his Houle-built, Ski-Doo powered Champ sled.

     The first ex-champion in time trials was three-time winner Jacques Villeneuve (18.203), and he was followed closely by fellow three-timer PJ Wanderschied (18.203). Both are attempting to be the first to earn four titles at Eagle River.

     The rest of the top 10 were Dan Fenhaus (18.337), Nick Lagoy (18.355), two-time defending champion Bryan Bewcyk (18.391) and Jay Ryden (18.406). Last week’s winner at the USSA race in Plymouth, Spencer Graff, timed in 11th.

     Of the rest of the pack of 25 who took the flag for time trials, the most notable fact was that two-time champion Gary Moyle was way back in 14th place. He’s got a funky new chassis this year, and he may not have it figured out yet. That said, Moyle has done this before – timed in at mid-pack – and came back and won on Sunday.

     Maybe it’s because Moyle knows time trials mean very little here. With the Derby’s unique qualifying process, which involve a couple rounds of heat races on Saturday, time trials means very little, other than the seating in those heat races. Still, Schulz showed incredible strength in gaining the fast time, and may have opened some eyes in the pits.

     Check back all weekend for updates. Things really get rolling tomorrow, with the big Friday Night Thunder program, and we’ll be there, taking photos and giving you the inside scoop. Tell your friends!

Wahl Opens Season On Top

If you are a snowmobile racing fan within an easy drive of Minnesota’s Twin Cities, shame on you for missing a fabulous event.

            The WSA Pro-Ice season opener December 19-20 at Shakopee, Minnesota’s Raceway Park was a really good racing event at a really cool facility. Sadly, it was missed by most, as only a small crowd was on hand to see some very exciting racing, particularly in the Champ 440 class.

            Sixteen of the very best drivers in the Upper Midwest, including World Champions PJ Wanderscheid (2002, 2003, 2006), Gary Moyle (2005, 2007) and Bryan Bewcyk (2008, 2009) battled it out on the ice-covered blacktop racing track, but in the end the winner was a second-generation driver that many are expecting to be a future World Champion.

            Dustin Wahl of the Greenbush, Minnesota-based Wahl Bros. Racing Team opened the season on top, first claiming the super-exciting 600 class Saturday afternoon and then the event-closing Champ 440 final Sunday afternoon in front of a fast field.

            Wanderscheid got the holeshot and held the point for the first half of the race, but standing trackside it was obvious that it was only a matter of time before the talented Cat racer gave way to the faster Polaris-powered mod being driven by Wahl. Just past the halfway point, Wahl claimed the lead by driving under Wanderscheid on the front stretch, then he pulled away. Wanderscheid finished a solid second. Moyle was mired back in traffic on his new, tubular chassis machine, and Bewcyk didn’t make the 12-sled final.

            Wahl’s victory was more dramatic Saturday, when he used a last-lap pass to slice past Mike Schultz for the victory.

          After the race, Dustin’s father Dave Wahl reported that the sled the team was using was actually last year’s chassis. A new chassis has been completed, but “we thought this one was fast enough,” said the retired three-time champion. We guess so. 

            Check back with SnowGoerRacing.com later this week – we took a ton of photos and will upload a bunch from snowmobile oval racing, ATV racing on the same surface and, yes, even lawn mower racing. Stay tuned.