Kleen Impact » Snowmobile

Arctic Cat Recalls Snowmobiles

admin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:20:45 +0000

Arctic Cat has voluntarily recalled about 3,000 snowmobiles due to fire hazard. The company is working in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The sleds being recalled pose a potential fire hazard to consumers from oil leaking into the engine compartment. Arctic Cat has received 33 reports of oil leaks, including eight vehicle fires. The CPSC also said the fuel tank could come into contact with the engine, possibly wearing and causing fuel leakage. There have yet to be any reports on fuel leakage from tank wearing and no injuries have been reported.

The recall involves MY 2009 Arctic Cat Z1 Turbo, Z1 Turbo Sno Pro and TZ1 Turbo model snowmobiles.

The vehicles were sold at Arctic Cat dealerships nationwide from June 2008-July 2009 for $12,500-$14,300.

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BioKleen Supports The 2009 Tread Lightly! Charity Auction on eBay

admin — Fri, 22 May 2009 14:10:43 +0000

In an effort to raise money for the nonprofit organization Tread Lightly!, BioKleen has become involved in The 2009 Tread Lightly! Charity Auction on eBay June 1-11.

BioKleen strongly supports Tread Lightly!’s mission to promote responsible recreation through ethics education and stewardship. All money raised will go to programs that will help keep the great outdoors beautiful, healthy and open to the public. Over 175 products have been donated for the cause from companies throughout the industry, including BioKleen.

“There has never been a more important time to give back to the outdoors,” said Tread Lightly!’s executive director Lori McCullough. “In order to protect recreation access in these dynamic times, we have to act immediately to implement special communications, education, and restoration programs now. This auction will make that possible.”

For more information go to www.treadlightly.org or straight to the auction page.

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Polaris Recalls 07-09 Sleds

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:54:24 +0000

In cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Polaris Industries voluntarily recalled about 7,200 model year 2007, 2008 and 2009 snowmobiles with Clean Fire Injection and a left-hand pump flange assembly, according to the CPSC.

The fuel lines on the snowmobiles can make contact with one another, which could result in a fuel leak. This can pose a fire hazard to consumers, the report stated. There have been eight reports of fuel leaks, but no reports of fires or injuries.

The model and serial number identification decal is located on the right side of the tunnel below the seat. The sleds were sold nationally between September 2006-March for about $8,600.

For more information, visit www.polarisindustries.com.

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Lawsuit to Protect Recreational Land, Utah

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:50:07 +0000

A coalition of recreational access groups moved today to join a lawsuit challenging Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans covering nearly seven million acres in Utah. The motion was filed by the Trails Preservation Alliance (TPA), Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition (COHVCO), and BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC), all trails-based, grassroots recreation advocacy groups. The lawsuit was filed by eleven preservationist groups, led by the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. Through the suit, the plaintiffs hope to have the BLM plans declared illegal and set aside, and ask the Court to issue an injunction preventing activities authorized by the plans until BLM issues new decisions complying with a host of federal statutes. The lands at issue are located in the BLM Moab, Price, and Vernal Field Offices, which include iconic destinations for all types of backcountry recreationists.

The lawsuit was originally filed on December 17, 2008, and targeted 77 lease sales for oil and gas drilling on BLM-managed lands. Those sales were halted by a temporary restraining order issued by the Court on January 17, 2009. The latest complaint, filed March 19, 2009, drops the claims against the oil and gas leasing projects, which BLM has apparently withdrawn. However, the current complaint adds claims addressing other uses, including off-highway vehicle use.

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Paul Thacker Breaks Snowmobile Distance Record

admin — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:51:03 +0000

Polaris rider Paul Thacker recently jumped a snowmobile more than 300 feet breaking the world record at Minnesota’s Brainerd International Raceway, according to a Monster Energy press release.

“I got up to 87 miles per hour and hit the take-off ramp. When I was in the air I just knew it was perfect. Flew over 301 feet. With the amplitude and the way I landed I knew we got to where we wanted to be,” Thacker said.

Thacker’s jump broke his previous world record for snowmobile distance jumping of 271 feet on February 17, 2008.

“I was already screaming in my helmet on the down run,” Thacker said.

Weather was a constant challenge during Thacker’s attempts because of high winds and foul weather early in the week.

When Thacker and the Monster Energy team arrived at BIR on Tuesday, March 24th, it was raining sideways with strong winds, according to the press release.

On Wednesday, the weather was drizzly and crosswinds were upwards of 35 mph. They attempted the jumps in the morning reaching around 200 feet, according to the press release.

On Thursday, the rain turned to snow with a manageable 10 mph wind. Thacker started jumping around 10am with a 150-foot gap.

“The third time we pulled it back I knew I needed 85 mph plus and I’d been getting 82-83 mph,” said Thacker. “So we did some clutching and some jetting adjustments and I got 84 mph and went 283 (feet) with a 235-foot gap – a new world record. We could have shut it down at that point, but, to be honest with you, I wasn’t even excited with the new world record. Myself, Monster – all my other sponsors – it wasn’t what we wanted.”

After meeting with their safety crew, they moved the ramp back to allow for a 250-foot gap.

“I took a couple speed runs and knew I had to hit at least 84 mph,” said Thacker. “Anything less would have basically been the end of me.”

At 3 pm on March 26th, Thacker and his team did a final check of the sled. He did a few final fly-byes with the radar reading 87,88 and then 89 mph.

“I stopped by the trailer one last time and my mechanic, Alex, gave the sled a once-over and sent me on my way,” said Thacker. “I hit it at 87 (mph) and flew just over 301 feet.”

In total, Thacker made 13 jumps, according to the press release.

“300 feet has been such a huge goal, such a huge sense of accomplishment. And I’m honored to be the first person to do so,” Thacker said.

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Snocross, Lake Geneva, ISOC Championship

admin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:12:30 +0000

LaVallee Wins the Race and the Championship!

Kaufman Falls Short of Title Hopes, Gulla and Simons Follow LaVallee to Podium; Ebert Wins Semi-Pro Open Race But Tremblay Clinches Title

Even the best Hollywood writer could not have scripted a better scenario for the final Pro Super Stock race of the season than what unfolded on the slopes of the Mountaintop Ski-Resort during the final weekend of the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series. Before the Nielsen’s Grand Finale began to unfold, the battle for the year-end championship was a dead heat between Garth Kaufman (Arctic Cat) and Levi LaVallee (Polaris). While neither racer has notched a win on the season, both had demonstrated uncanny consistency with multiple podium finishes.

Coming out of qualifiers, the duo remained tied for the title, with each scoring a win in their respective heat race. To coin a cliché’ they each controlled their own destiny, with only Ryan Simons (Arctic Cat) having an outside chance to win the year-end title.

With it all on the line, it was appropriate the pair lined-up side-by-side at the start, positioned near the far outside of the massive up-hill starting zone, where a top of the hill kicker sorted the wheat from the chaff. At the green, it was Levi who purchased the better line, gaining traction and catapulting him to the front of the pack. Kaufman was not so fortunate, who crested the hill a sled length behind Levi and emerging from the top-of-the-hill turn in 7th place. Close in tow behind LaVallee was his teammate TJ Gulla (Polaris) followed by Matt Piche (Arctic Cat) and Mathieu Morin (Ski-doo).

In the early going, Kaufman picked his way through the pack, moving up to 5th and eventually 4th, giving himself a glimpse at the lead pack of LaVallee, Gulla and Simons. But it wasn’t to be, as the long and grueling Geneva track took its toll on even the most fit of riders. The attention then turned to the teammate duo at the front. Gulla held fast to Levi’s snowflap just 1.5 seconds behind the entire 14 lap final, and even flashed a ski-tip from time to time. But Levi rode fast, smart and consistent, giving him not only his first podium of the season but more importantly the Pro Super Stock year-end championship.

The beaming smile on Levi’s face said it all during the podium celebration. “I’m so happy right now, I don’t know what to say,” said Levi from the top box. “I can’t begin to thank everyone involved with our team. For the past three years it seems all I did was get hurt or fall on my head. I just want to thank everyone for sticking with me.”

Levi’s teammate Gulla shared in the celebration finishing second and being equally excited for his teammate. “I’m super pumped for Levi, he deserves this win and this championship. He was super squirrelly during the first couple laps and I wanted to tell him to chill out,” laughed Gulla.

The win for Levi could be a sign of things to come for the Hentges Racing Team of which both LaVallee and Gulla are members of. Gulla is currently leading the point chase in Pro Open and could conceivably give the Minneapolis based racing effort both Pro championships on the season.

Ebert Wins But Falls Just Short of Tremblay for Semi-Pro Open Title

While the battle for the year-end championship wasn’t as dramatic in the Semi-Pro Open ranks, it proved to be much closer than eventual champion Tim Tremblay (Ski-doo) preferred to make it. Leading the battle by 11 points over Bobby LePage (Polaris) and 15 points in front of Dan Ebert (Arctic Cat); it appeared to be Tremblay’s championship to loose, having to finish 6th or better if LePage took the win or 10th or better if Ebert took the win.

It was the worst of scenarios however for Tremblay when the final field charged from the start and up into turn one. At the front of the pack it was Ebert, who quickly pulled out to a comfortable margin in the opening laps. LePage meanwhile was running 4th until a bobble on lap five shuffled him back to 7th place and out of contention for the year-end crown. But the real drama was back in the 10th position; one occupied by Tremblay, the virtual bubble for the Quebec rider given Ebert was in the lead and was showing no signs of slowing.

As the 12-lap final wore on, Ebert continued to dominate at the front, keeping a 3-second gap between himself and Paul Bauerly (Arctic Cat). And as Tremblay hung it all out in the back of the pack to eventually slide up to the 9th spot, it was the young rider from Sweden, Christian Salemark (Arctic Cat) who was putting on a clinic in speed. Salemark sliced his way through the field, digging out of a 7th place start and eventually working his way all the way to 2nd, putting Bauerly back onto the final podium position.

At the line it was Ebert, Salemark and Bauerly claiming the hardware respectively, but it would not be enough for Ebert to take the year-end crown, as Tremblay hung tight to his 9th position, giving him a narrow 2-point margin to claim the title.

While elated with the win, it was one that was bittersweet for Ebert. “If I could sum up this season in one word it would be injuries,” said Ebert during the post race interview. “Missing the race in Duluth at the start of the season really hurt my chances. And a week ago I could barely walk. I really didn’t think I was going to be able to race this weekend.”

Andrew Lieders Completes Season with Win and Championship in Sport Stock #2

In Sport Super Stock #2, Andrew Lieders (Polaris) entered the final race of the season with the year-end title virtually locked-up, holding a 21-point margin over Cody Thomsen (Arctic Cat). But by winning the final race of the season, Lieders put an exclamation point on the championship. Following him onto the podium was Stephen Edwards (Polaris) and Ryan Huston (Arctic Cat)

For a complete year-end point standings visit: National Points

(Pat Bourgeois, ISOC Report #21, March 2009)

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SnoCross Championship, Final Race this Weekend.

admin — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:10:03 +0000

Reckoning Day Is Here!

Year End Championships Decided at Geneva
Seven Down and One to Go; Battle for Season Supremacy is On and Every Race Matters When the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series Hits Geneva

MINNEAPOLIS (March 11, 2009) – Nearly an entire season has unfolded during the inaugural AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series, yet the most important race of the year remains as racers battle for the biggest prize of them all – a year end championship. When the factory teams and standout independents set-up shop along the hills of Lake Geneva, March 20-22, many will face the biggest race of their career as every lap, of every race will have an impact on the year-end final standings.
   Perhaps nowhere is that pressure cooker atmosphere more apparent than in the Pro Super Stock field, where Garth Kaufman (Arctic Cat) and Levi LaVallee (Polaris) enter the weekend in a tie for the year-end crown. With a total of 195 points each, every race will matter, and with Ryan Simons (Arctic Cat) close on their heels just 10 points back, its anybody’s title to win.
   “It should be an exciting weekend,” said Bob Coffin, Race Director for the International Series of Champions (ISOC). “With our scoring system, a racer has the opportunity to capture as many as 37 points in a weekend, that’s if they win both their heat race and the final. With the points so tight, one bobble or mechanical issue can ruin their chances. It puts a lot of pressure on not just the racer, but the entire crew to perform.”
   In Pro Open, the chase is not as tight, but the top five are still in the hunt mathematically speaking. Polaris rider TJ Gulla sits atop the pack with 198 points, just 13 points ahead of his teammate Levi LaVallee and 25 points in front of first year pro Brett Bender (Polaris). Close behind are Brett Turcotte (Arctic Cat) and Garth Kaufman (Arctic Cat).
   In Pro Women, the margin is relatively comfortable for Soldonta, Alaska racer Carly Davis (Arctic Cat) with 209 points. She sits ahead of JC Hupe – 188 points (Arctic Cat) and April Moritz – 169 points (Arctic Cat).

Davis, Tremblay, Ebert and LePage Face-Off for Semi Pro Crowns
Equally exciting and tension filled is the race for the Semi Pro year-end championships. Here the cream of the crop have been trading wins and podium positions all season long and the close point race atop both the Open and Super Stock standings is evidence of this.
   In Semi Pro Open, Quebec hot-shoe Tim Tremblay (Ski-doo) holds a slim 11-point margin over Minnesota native Bobby LePage (Polaris). Close behind them just 15 points out is Dan Ebert (Arctic Cat) and on his tail is Swedish sensation Christian Salemark (Arctic Cat) with only a 20-point deficit.
   “The racing action in the Semi Pro ranks has probably been some of the most closely contested and competitive of the season,” said ISOC Owner John Daniels. “Every week someone new steps up to take the win, and just when you think someone is going to break out from the pack to establish themselves, a crash, mechanical or fresh face comes on strong to change it up again. Lake Geneva will be interesting to say the least.”
   Such change was evident during the previous AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series race in Hayward, Wisconsin in the Semi Pro Super Stock final. Both Cory Davis (Arctic Cat) and Ebert encountered trouble on the track and finished deep in the field, while Tremblay and Salemark capitalized. A look at the point standings in Semi Pro Super Stock shows Davis with a slim 4-point margin over Tim Tremblay, with Ebert (31 points back) and Salemark (47 points back).

Hentges Racing Leads Woody’s Team Challenge
Year-end supremacy is more than an individual effort on the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series tour. Every member of a national race team must bring their A-game in order to not only win but to simply compete. This reality is what prompted the ISOC crew along with help from Woody’s Traction Products to implement the Woody’s Team Challenge. The Team Challenge is designed to reward the best performing “team” for both the race weekend and the season, and with one race remaining there remains $25,000 up for grabs as part of the year-end payout with $10,000 going to the winning team.
Currently the Hentges Racing effort which fields such riders at Brett Bender, Bobby LePage and TJ Gulla is leading the pack with 801 points, but with points awarded in both Pro and Semi Pro classes, they can add up quickly and teams trailing Hentges such as Christian Brothers Racing and HC Racing are still in the hunt for the $10,000 top prize.

(Pat Bourgeois, ISOC Report #20, March 2009)

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SnoCross, Hayward #2

admin — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:03:45 +0000

Winning Proves Contagious as Bender Wins Again
Iain Hayden Gives Yamaha First Podium of the Season; Tremblay Poised to Capture Both Semi Pro Year-End Titles

Faced with perhaps the most technically challenging track of the season, the racing action for day two of the Hayward 300 proved to be some of the most competitive and surprising of the season. Warm temperatures early in the week quickly followed by freezing temps just prior to race time created a track filled with hidden ice trenches and pockets just below the churned upper layer. Race lines which looked smooth were quickly discovered to hold off-camber ruts and surprises resulting in unexpected “get-offs” and mechanical failures both of which played a roll in Sunday’s main event.

The Semi Pro Super Stock action started off as expected, with top riders including Dan Ebert (Arctic Cat), Cory Davis (Arctic Cat) and Tim Tremblay (Ski-doo) each winning their respective qualifying rounds. And at the start of the Semi-Pro Super Stock final, Ebert nailed the holeshot, pulled out to an early lead and appeared to be well on his way to another national win. But suddenly at the mid-point of the race, he got tangled with challenger Colby Crapo (Polaris), who came into his own over the Hayward weekend, and was pressing for the lead. The incident injured Ebert forcing him to resign from the final and in the process created an opportunity for Davis to take over the lead.

With a clear track and visibility, Davis looked extremely strong, posting incredibly fast and consistent lap times. But just as it had all weekend, fate and a punishing track changed the make-up of the race. With just two laps to go, Davis began to fade due to mechanical issues. Tremblay and Christian Salemark (Arctic Cat) who had been tailing Davis, soon slipped around him followed by others in the field including Colby Crapo now running third. Davis eventually fell all the way back to 8th place at the checker while Tremblay, Salemark and Crapo crossed the finish line for the top three podium positions respectively.

The unfortunate fate of Davis and another win by Tremblay pulled the duo into a very tight race for the year-end championship with just one race to go. Davis holds a slim 4-point margin over Tremblay, while Dan Ebert sits in third, 31 points behind Davis.

Hayden Podiums for Yamaha; Bender Finds the Top Box Again
To date it had been a challenging season for the Factory Yamaha Snocross effort. While holeshots were becoming more and more common, the blue squadron had yet to find the set-up and consistency they needed to garner a box on the podium. But on Sunday, that appeared to be ancient history, as Iain Hayden (Yamaha) looked to not only put Yamaha on the podium, but also win it all.

Hayden grabbed a monster holeshot at the start of the showcase Pro Open final and started to open up a slight lead over challengers Robbie Malinoski (Ski-doo) and Brett Bender (Polaris). Further back in the pack, year-end championship contenders TJ Gulla (Polaris) and Levi LaVallee (Polaris) found themselves in a myriad of traffic. Meanwhile Hayden continued to lead and the crowed found themselves anticipating what could be history repeating itself as Yamaha was poised to put a four-stroke powered race sled on the top box in only the second time in history.

But then at the mid-race mark, with just a 2-second lead, Hayden bobbled and it was just enough for challenger Malinoski to sniff the lead. While Hayden and Malinoski vied for the front of the pack, young-gun Brett Bender who was running third had been calculating the ultimate pass. Suddenly Bender found “another gear” and slipped by both riders to move into the lead, shuffling Malinoski to second and Hayden to third. It was a running order that would stick till the checker and it gave Bender his second national win in as many weeks.

With just one race left on the season, Nielsen’s Grand Finale in Lake Geneva, March 20-22, the year end point battle in both pro classes is extremely tight. In Pro Open, TJ Gulla holds a 13-point lead over teammate Levi LaVallee; while in Pro Super Stock Garth Kaufman (Arctic Cat) is tied for the lead with LaVallee.

(Pat Bourgeois, ISOC Report #19, March 2009)

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SnoCross, Hayward 300, ISOC AMSOIL

admin — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:49:50 +0000

Tremblay Snares First National Win; Gulla Wins Pro
Bauerly and Mees Tangle, Opening Door for Tremblay in Semi Pro Open; Gulla Pulls Away with Kaufman and Crapo in Tow in Pro Super Stock

Warm temperatures earlier in the week, followed by a freeze turned the already technical track at the Hayward 300 into one of the toughest challenges of the season as the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series nears the end of the season. A huge crowd was on hand for Saturday’s main event, and the finals didn’t disappoint as restarts and crashes played a roll as the year-end championship point battle tightens.

Semi-Pro Open proved to be the race of the day, as multiple crashes and a mid-race accident characterized the outcome. Dan Ebert (Arctic Cat) entered the race as the number one qualifier, followed by Paul Bauerly (Ski-doo) and Darrin Mees (Ski-doo). While Ebert grabbed the immediate lead, he soon began to fade and Paul Bauerly went to the front of the pack with Darrin Mees in second.

By mid-race it looked as if it was Bauerly’s race to win, but then the tide turned quickly as Paul crashed in a rutted turn and Darrin Mees slammed into him with a viscous “t-bone”. That opened the door for then third place rider Tim Tremblay (Ski-doo) from Ste Jeanne D’Arc, Quebec. Tremblay had come oh-so-close to capturing his first National podium several times earlier in the season, and now the opportunity was upon him to capitalize. And capitalize he did with Dan Ebert following and the Swedish talent of Christian Salemark (Arctic Cat) in third as they crossed the line.

TJ Gulla Wins in Pro Super Stock; Kaufman Unable to Hunt Him Down

When the top guns on the AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series came to the line for the final race of the day, it was veteran rider Garth Kaufman (Arctic Cat) who held the number one qualifying position with TJ Gulla having the second pick at the line. However the start of the race was marred with a red-flag incident, which saw DJ Eckstrom (Polaris) unable to continue for the day due to a damaged race sled.

At the green for the second go-around, it was Gulla who shot out for the early lead, and one he would not relinquish. Following the Vermont rider was Kaufman in second and Shaun Crapo (Polaris) in third. Further back, the point leader coming into the race, Levi LaVallee (Polaris), found himself mid-pack and dealing with a swarm of riders. Up front, Kaufman made several runs at Gulla but was unable to complete a pass. Crapo held fast to the third place position, and crossed the line 2-seconds behind Kaufman.

More importantly, the year-end point battle tightened dramatically when Levi was forced to pull of the track on lap 8 as his front suspension gave way. That put Kaufman in a dead tie with LaVallee for the year-end championship with one race to go. Just ten points behind them is Ryan Simons (Arctic Cat) and only one point behind Simons is Gulla. This spells a dual of epic proportions as the season concludes in Lake Geneva, March 20-22 with the Nielsen’s Grand Finale.

For complete results visit HERE.

(Pat Bourgeois, ISOC Report #18, March, 2009)

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Greatest Giveaway, Last Chance

admin — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:19:43 +0000

The BOSS Racing promotion, “The Greatest Giveaway in the Sport” will be ending March 19, 2009. One lucky winner will receive a complete prize package, which will greatly change the way they spend their time outdoors.

Participants log on to www.teambossracing.com after each snocross event where Ski-Doo/BOSS Racing competes. After creating a log-in ID, participants will be asked a series of challenging questions. Upon answering these questions correctly participants will then be qualified to enter the next round.

A winner will be announced during the Grand Geneva Finals in Lake Geneva, March 20-22nd, 2009.

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