International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association announced at the International Snowmobile Congress held in Iowa in June 2010 that the ISMA Grant Program for excellence will continue.

ISMA members are Arctic Cat, BRP, Polaris and Yamaha.

This is the 10th year of the ISMA grant program, which has supported hundreds of projects, serving snowmobilers throughout North America. Over $2 million dollars worth of research and promotion has been attributed to the ISMA Grant Program.

The program provides money grants, to state and provincial and territorial snowmobile organizations that are members of the American Council of Snowmobile Associations (ACSA) or the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations (CCSO), for specific program activities.

The ISMA Grant Program awards grants for promotion of a successful Go Snowmobiling Campaign, Snowmobile Safe Rider related project and actions that improve or maintain land access for snowmobilers. The manufacturers grant program historically has supported the updating of Economic Impact studies and will continue to do so. Avalanche Awareness and related safety training are again "top of mind awareness" issues for the manufacturers.

ISMA Grant applications are available through the ACSA or CCSO office and must be submitted to the ISMA office by October 1, 2010. The snowmobile manufacturers Grant Review Committee carefully reviews the grant applications and awards them to the organizations based on the thoroughness and thoughtfulness in the application which must include careful planning and support from the membership and other business/government related entities.

Grant Checks are issued from the ISMA office to the associations in early November 2010.

Details of the grant application are contained within the application, which is available through the ACSA Office, CCSO Office or through the ISMA Office.

By American Snowmobiler

Nearing Arctic Cat's 50th Anniversary in 2012, the company has reached a special milestone of building its 1,000,000 snowmobile.

A 2011 Crossfire 800 LTD marks the 1,000,000th snowmobile built since August of 1983.

Arctic Cat CEO, Christopher Twomey stated, "This milestone is heartfelt in several ways; Industry-leading innovation is important, but its special knowing generations of Arctic Cat enthusiasts have enjoyed our products. These enthusiasts push us to innovate for future generations."

To commemorate the occasion, the Crossfire 800 LTD made its way through the assembly line and over 1,100 employees signed their name while a group photo was taken after production.
 
The Crossfire will be prominently displayed in the Factory lobby for all visitors to see and will be placed on several show tours throughout the season.

By American Snwomobiler

When snow-mobile clubs in the East run out of snow to play in, they call John Klapac with Club Sled. His company will transport up to 28 snowmobiles to any destination in the West or Midwest. Cost is $325 per sled, and solo riders can join a club’s trip. This service allows club members to travel together and use their own equipment instead of needing to rent a sled. There are seven trips already planned for this winter with availability for more. More info: 301-639-1894

 

By American Snowmobiler

The United States Cross-Country Snowmobile Racing Association (USCC) has signed the National Guard as its title sponsor for the 2010-2011 race season.
 
The USCC circuit will be known as "The USCC National Guard Cross- Country Snowmobile Championship." "We are excited to partner with The National Guard for the 2010-2011 snowmobile racing season," said USCC Sponsorship Director Noel Schanilec. "This partnership will help continue the remarkable momentum the USCC has kept for almost a decade and will put the National Guard name in front of millions of snowmobile racing enthusiasts." The oldest of the United States' Armed Forces, the National Guard has stood ready to protect the country for nearly 374 years and operates in all 50 states, three territories (Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands) and the District of Columbia.

"The National Guard is a great fit for the USCC," said USCC President Pat Mach. "The National Guard and cross-country snowmobile racing are both about tradition and about ordinary people expressing passion for something they believe in. All of us at the USCC are happy to be working with the National Guard this season."

In conjunction with the National Guard sponsorship the USCC has announced a National Guard class at select USCC and USCC East events where Guard members can come and experience cross-country snowmobile racing firsthand.

"Like cross-country racing, the National Guard is made up of average, everyday people - they are our friends and neighbors," said Schanilec. "The National Guard class is our salute to them."

With the title sponsorship, the USCC joins other prestigious National Guard-sponsored racers such as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit,

Dan Wheldon on the IRL circuit and AMA Superbike racer Jake Zemke. For more information on National Guard visit www.nationalguard.com; for more information on National Guard racing visit www.nationalguard.com/events/guard-racing.

Pearl gets second win of season, Stanley sets new National Record

The National Speed Association Pro Stock sled series enjoyed an excellent day of racing on Saturday August 7th at the MSD Powersports sponsored event at New England Dragway.  The weather was the best they'd had all season with temps in the mid-70's and no threat of rain in sight.

The Bangor Motorsports team of Jay Pearl and Kurt Thomas went the distance to enjoy their second win of the 2010 season.  The Veteran rider and crew chief qualified their Arctic Cat Pro Stock in second place at the MSD Powersports sponsored event, besting Dale Swartwout (Saratoga, NY) in the first round of eliminations and Ed Armstrong (Westfield, MA) in the second round.  Pearl benefited from a bye in the semi's where he met eventual runner up Scott Marsh from Highland, New York in the final.

The Scooterboy/Big-E Team of Scott Marsh and Eric Conklin showed true grit by qualifying in fourth place on race day after an engine failure during testing the night before.  After a morning of engine rebuilding, the team from New York had their A2Z motor rocking and ran a personal best 8.378 ET and 154.71 mph in the second round of eliminations.  Marsh outran fellow A2Z racer Brian Hamel (South Hadley, MA) in the first round with his quicker 8.415 ET.  Marsh also defeated Jeff Cullen (Gray, ME) in the second round and Ken Lund (Brunswick, ME) in the semi's, with both riders suffering a red-light.

Kristin Stanley (Gray, ME) set a new National MPH Record at the MSD race with a phenomenal 157.14 mph run in the second round of qualifying.  Stanley backed up her new Record in the prior qualifying round with a 156.42 mph pass.  Her MRE powered PCS Pro Stock was definitely flying, but Stanley suffered from a carburetor issue in the first round of eliminations which ultimately ended her day.

With the win, Pearl earned a comfortable lead in the NSA Championship points and took over the lead in Wahl Challenge series.  The Bangor Motorsports Team also took home a new MSD 75301 Digital-7 Programmable ignition and $1,750 for the win.  

This was a great day of snowmobile drag racing where thousands of drag racing fans witnessed a new National Record and a closely matched final from two very competitive sleds.

The next NSA race is scheduled for September 11-12 as part of the IHRA Nitro Jam event at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire.  This will be the final installment in the NSA Championship points series and the last race of the Wahl Challenge series chase for the Cup.

For more information visit www.nationalspeedassociation.com

Woody's traction products parent company, International Engineering & Manufacturing, Inc., announced a partnership with the 2010 Snow Bash.

Snow Bash is a snowmobile grass drag event that started in 1992 and is Ohio Ridge Riders Snowmobile Club's major fundraiser. The event attracts racers from all over the northeast and Canada with a spectator gate around 10,000. The Ohio Ridge Riders have made numerous improvements to the track over the years and put on a top-notch event.

Snow Bash this year will be held on September 18 & 19 in Cold Brook NY.

Their most popular featured race will be named Woody's Bash Master. The winner of this race will receive $1,000 and the Woody's Bash Master Trophy!

The Woody's Bash Master race is made up of the winners of stock 600, improved stock 700, pro stock 800 and open mod 1000 and is run as a bracket race.

"International Engineering is committed to the snowmobile industry in all aspects," said IEM President, Robert Musselman. "Having the opportunity to support a race event while supporting a snowmobile club at the same time is all the better. We are thrilled to be involved with the Ohio Ridge Riders Snowmobile Club."

By AmSnow Staff

The Iron Dog plans to bring back the "Gold Rush" with a new halfway prize.

Started in 1984, the Iron Dog is an off-road snowmobile race across 1,971 miles of Alaska.

With support from sponsors and approval from the Board of Directors, the 2011 Iron Dog introduces the theme of "Bringing back the Gold Rush" and a new prize for the first Pro Class team to arrive in Nome.

"The addition of the Gold Rush Prize will add an exciting element to the race, recognizes the significance of Alaska's gold towns and pays homage to the origins of the Iron Dog race.", said Marianne Beckham, the Board of Directors President.

The gold prize worth $10,000 USD will be awarded during the halfway ceremony to the first Pro Class team that arrives in Nome, Alaska.

"Not only is the Iron Dog a race, it's a rush. Gold has always been synonymous with Alaska and the concept of bringing back the Gold Rush is also a fun way to characterize the Iron Dog. This new halfway prize is just the beginning of a new vision for the Iron Dog. It will be interesting to see if the $10,000 prize has an impact on racer strategy this year. Beyond the halfway prize, the Iron Dog is looking very positive for 2011 and I can't wait to share some of the new plans we have in the works.", said Kevin Kastner, Executive Director.

Pro Class racer entries began August 2, 2010 and remain open until November 15, 2010. Early entry for Pro Class ends September 15, 2010. Early entries include priority drawing for race position and discounted entry fee.

Starting August 1, drivers 21 and younger can not consume alcohol before getting behind the wheel of a car or operating their snowmobile in Ontario, Canada, according to Bob Nichols from Ontario's Communication Branch.

Drivers must have a zero blood alcohol level or they will face their license being suspended immediately for 24-hours followed by a 30-day license suspension. Fines will go up to $500, according to a press release on the Government of Ontario's web site.

Drivers in the Graduated Licensing System will face tougher penalties if they violate the conditions of their license or if they are convicted of any Highway Traffic Act offenses that carry four or more demerit points. Penalties include a 30-day license suspension for the first instance and a 90-day license suspension for a second instance. Additional instances can lead to a cancellation of the license and other penalties.

The legal drinking age in Ontario is 19.

Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) issued a statement that said they welcome Ontario's new Zero--‐Alcohol Limit for drivers 21 and under. Since 2002, the OFSC has endorsed and promoted Zero Alcohol for riders of all ages by challenging every snowmobiler to take personal responsibility for choosing to be 100% alcohol free prior to going snowmobiling or during any ride.

"The new Ontario legislation gives OFSC Zero Alcohol a significant boost by making it much more than a peer--‐pressure campaign," said OFSC Safety Manager Eric Saunter.

By American Snowmobiler