April 26th 2006; Thief River Falls, Minnesota USA Snowmobile manufacturers news. Arctic Cat recalls 52,000 snowmobiles; Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal - 2:29 PM CDT Wednesdayby John Vomhof Jr.Staff Writer; Arctic Cat Inc. has recalled 52,000 snowmobiles due to leaking fuel tanks that could pose a fire hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Tuesday. The Thief River Falls-based manufacturer, which also makes all-terrain vehicles, has mailed recall notices to registered owners, informing them to stop using effected snowmobiles and to schedule a free repair. snowmobile news source here...

Jan. 25-28, 2007; WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. -- The WPSA PowerSports Snowmobile Tour will play host to international intrigue as a Winter X Games 11 invitational race has been added to the Snocross Iceland event. The race, being held near Egilsstadir, Iceland, is scheduled for April 1, and is a special, non-points race open to all WPSA competitors. The event will mark the first invitational event for Winter X Games 11, being held at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado. on Jan. 25-28, 2007. “We’re pleased to welcome the WPSA PowerSports Snowmobile Tour to Iceland,” said Snocross Iceland organizer Marino Sveinsson. “Iceland has long been a hotbed of competitive Snocross racing, and we’re excited to see the best of the best in North America take on some of Europe’s finest riders. This will truly be an historical event.” Read the rest of this powersports press release here!
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April 10 2006: Duluth Minnesota USA: Snowmobile news story; Groups appeal planned snowmobile trail NEWS TRIBUNE; The Izaak Walton League of America and other conservation groups have filed an administrative appeal against a snowmobile trail proposed by the U.S. Forest Service along the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The trail would run from McFarland Lake to South Fowl Lake on the eastern edge of the BWCAW. The trail is intended to replace an illegal trail that ran through the wilderness, which is off-limits to motors. In February, local Superior National Forest officials picked the proposed route above other routes that were farther outside the wilderness. Conservation groups are urging the agency to reconsider the routes farther from the BWCAW boundary. The groups claim the selected route, favored by local snowmobile enthusiasts, would require too much heavy construction and allow snowmobile noise to be heard well into the BWCAW. The trail decision, however, left an option for the Forest Service to discontinue the trail and move it farther outside the BWCAW if snowmobiles were found to violate regulations. The secondary option would follow existing roadways. The conservation groups' appeal was made to Jim Sanders, supervisor of the Superior National Forest. If the groups don't prevail in the appeal, they also could file suit in U.S. District Court. Other groups backing the appeal are Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Sierra Club Northstar Chapter, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy and Wilderness Watch. Read this Minnisota snowmobile story here..
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March 17 2006; Man charged in snowmobile hit and run; Updated: 03/21/2006 09:27:18 AM Scott Kaufhold, 46; Snowmobiler turns self in after hit and run; Prosecutors charged a snowmobiler in western Wisconsin with First-Degree Reckless Injury after he hit a woman. Prosecutors say 46-year-old Scott Kaufhold was driving the snowmobile that hit Kathleen Fredrickson last week as she walked with her husband in New Richmond, Wisconsin.

"Well, it's unusual. It's unusual to have a snowmobile situation on a hit and run like that. It's been a number of years since I can remember having one of those," said Eric Johnson, St. Croix County Prosecutor. "I think by the fact that this happened, I would hope that people that drive snowmobiles are more concious of what their actions can be. But again, it's unusual because we haven't had one of these."

Fredrickson broke several bones, including both legs and her pelvis. She is now in fair condition at Region’s Hospital. "When he was questioned further about it, he said it might have been a deer, he wasn't really certain about it. It all happened so quickly, he wasn't sure what he hit," said St. Croix County Sheriff Dennis Hillstead. "I would credit the news media for quickly getting the information out and then for the public listening to it and then calling us and following up." If Kaufhold is convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison and/or a $100,000 fine. See snowmobile news source here...
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Mon, Mar. 13, 2006; ORR, Minn. -Rescuers carry injured snowmobiler out of remote area; Associated Press Rescuers had to carry an injured snowmobiler out of a remote area of northeastern Minnesota. The St. Louis County sheriff's office says 23-year-old Jeffrey Arens of Monticello (mawn-tuh-SEHL'-oh) was snowmobiling on the Ash River when he hit a large mound of snow early Saturday. That launched the snowmobile into the air. Arens was thrown from the machine and suffered serious back injuries. The Kabetogema (kab-uh-TOH'-guh-muh) First Responders and volunteers carried Arens about seven-tenths of a mile back to the Ash River Trail. An ambulance took him to Falls Memorial Hospital in International Falls, and he was flown to St. Luke's in Duluth, where he's in fair condition. The Ash River is about 35 miles northeast of Orr. See the news source for this snowmobile story...
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Thu, Mar. 09, 2006; MADISON, Wis. - Snowmobilers would face nighttime speed limit next winter; Associated Press; Snowmobilers would face a 55 mph speed limit at night next winter under legislation lawmakers approved Thursday as Wisconsin flirts with an all-time record for snowmobile deaths. Thirty-two snowmobilers have been killed this winter in Wisconsin, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Three-fourths of those deaths have occurred at night, while both darkness and excessive speed were factors in just more than half. The Senate voted 31-2 to approve legislation slightly different from a bill the Assembly has already approved. The Assembly concurred with the changes, allowing the bill to now go to the governor for his review. read the entire snowmobile article here...
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Wed, Mar. 08, 2006; ERSKINE, Minn. - Young victim of freak accident identified Associated Press ERSKINE, Minn. - Authorities have identified the 10-year-old boy who died in a freak accident Sunday when he was struck by a milk can at his father's home in Erskine. The boy was Nicholas Sevigny of Lancaster, according to a news release from the Polk County sheriff's office. Lancaster is in the far northwest corner of the state. Authorities said the boy's father was working on a snowmobile in his garage Sunday afternoon, using a 2 1/2-foot steel milk can to support the rear of the vehicle. The father was running the snowmobile and the track broke hitting the can, which struck Sevigny as he played behind the snowmobile.The boy was taken to First Care Hospital in Fosston and then to Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, N.D., where he died. full AP wire story here...
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March 3, 2006; Final Vintage Snowmobile race this Saturday;The last leg of the Long Lake Improvement Association Vintage Snowmobile Racing Series will be held this Saturday, March 4 on Long Lake next to Sunrise Resort. Sign-up starts at 8 a.m. with racing beginning at 10 a.m. The leaders of the various divisions are the following: Lonnie Mossengren (HR); Joe Hedlund (HD-1); Clay Blosberg (HD-2); Duane Stevenson (MOD): Andy Lindner (Youth); Jim Blosberg (40+); Karen Tingblad (Women); Mike Scharrat (Twin); Mike Stanius/Jay Englund (2-Man). Vintage race info here...
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Thursday, February 23, 2006; WPSA Grand Prix Ski-Doo de Valcourt race telecast tomorrow on ESPN2; by Justin Anderson; WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. -- Last weekend’s WPSA PowerSports Snowmobile Tour Grand Prix Ski-Doo de Valcourt in Valcourt, Quebec will be telecast tomorrow on ESPN2. The one-hour telecast starts at 3 p.m. EST.; The next race on the PowerSports Snowmobile Tour, the Winnipeg Snocross, is scheduled for this weekend Feb. 25-26 at CanWest Global Park in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Winnipeg Snocross race begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25 and will be telecast March 3 on ESPN2 at 2 p.m. EST. ; Great tickets are still available for the event. Tickets start at $15 for a one-day, Saturday-only pass, and a Sunday-only pass is $25. Two-day weekend adult passes are $35, while a family two-day ticket (two adults and two children) is just $99. Pit passes can be purchased for $10 per day. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster (204-780-3333 or www.ticketmaster.ca) or visit www.powersportstour.com for more information.

About the PowerSports Snowmobile Tour; The PowerSports Snowmobile Tour is North America’s leading snowmobile racing tour and features the greatest show on snow. The Tour is North America’s premiere form of Snocross racing, with its high-flying aerial displays, jumps, jolts and high-speed runs on short tracks throughout the United States and Canada. The Tour is sanctioned by the World PowerSports Association, North America’s largest and most respected organizer and promoter of snowmobile racing on both the regional and national level.; more sled news here..

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WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. (Feb. 9, 2006) — Country music superstars Jo Dee Messina and Blake Shelton will headline a concert being held as part of the PowerSports Snowmobile Tour West Yellowstone Snow Blast Snocross race, hosted by the West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce. The concert is scheduled for Saturday, March 11 starting at 6 p.m. in West Yellowstone’s City Park. The performances are part of the March 10-12 Sncross three-day Rockin’, Ridin’, and Racin’ festival, which will feature the top names in professional Snocross racing on Friday and Saturday, trail and demo rides on all three days with the major manufacturers, and other events.

West Yellowstone Snow Blast Snocross Concert (Posted on: 2/10/2006) JO DEE MESSINA AND BLAKE SHELTON HEADLINE WEST YELLOWSTONE SNOW BLAST SNOCROSS CONCERT; TICKETS ON SALE NOW

A weekend pass, which includes admission to both days of Snocross racing, pit access, the concert, as well as unlimited demo rides is just $95. One-day tickets, which include admission to the race and demo rides are $25, while tickets to just the concert are $60. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketstar (www.ticketstaronline.com), by calling 800-895-0071, at the West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce and other locations around the state. Racing action begins at 10 a.m. each day, while Saturday’s concert starts at 6 p.m. with gates opening at 5 p.m. Demo rides are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and Sunday, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

“From the beginning, we envisioned the West Yellowstone Snow Blast Snocross as much more than just a snowmobile race; instead, we wanted to make this a true entertainment event,” said PowerSports Entertainment, Inc. CEO Rick Murphy. “Jo Dee Messina and Blake Shelton are among an elite group of top entertainers in this country and the concert is another added bonus to a weekend already filled with great entertainment value. Plus, the race is poised be among the most exciting this season for the PowerSports Snowmobile Tour.”

Messina is an award-winning, multi-platinum recording artist with eight No. 1 singles. She has been honored by The Country Music Association, The Academy of Country Music and The Grammy Awards and was the first female country artist to score three multiple-week No. 1 songs from the same album. In addition to headlining concerts, she has also toured with Vince Gill, George Strait and the Judds' reunion tour. Her fame also led to television roles on Touched by an Angel and Nash Bridges. She recently released her sixth album “Delicious Surprise.” She has also been tapped as a radio correspondent at the Winter Olympics in Torino for Westwood One.

Shelton broke into the country music scene in 1997 with his first No. 1 hit, “Austin,” which remained at No. 1 for five weeks, tying Billy Ray Cyrus’ record for a debut single. Shelton also reached No. 1 for three weeks with "The Baby" in 2003. In 2004, he released the studio album Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill.

The West Yellowstone Snow Blast Snocross features Rockin’, Ridin’ and Racin’ and is the penultimate round of the 2006-2006 PowerSports Snowmobile Tour title chase. It will feature WPSA’s top professional Snocross racers and is scheduled to take place at the former airport in West Yellowstone, Mont. The race will be telecast on ESPN2 on March 27 at 5 p.m. EST.

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