World Championship Snowmobile Derby

Frontstretch (in summer)

The World Championship Snowmobile Derby is the World championship snowmobile race. It is held at the Eagle River Derby Track along U.S. Route 45 in Eagle River, Wisconsin on the third weekend in January. Eagle River is known as the "Snowmobile Capital of the World" because it hosts the Derby.[1] Eagle River is located in the same county as Sayner, Wisconsin, the place that Carl Eliason invented one of the first modern snowmobiles.[2]

History

The first event was held in 1964. The event was founded by innkeeper John Alward, his wife Betty, and their friend Walter Goldsworthy.[3] Alward's son Jake said "We had a couple of snowmobiles in the garage, and Dad figured more than a few other people did, too. He decided to have a rally."[3] The event was a cross country race run on and around Dollar Lake.[3] Many snowmobiles were unable to climb a small hill. The first winner was an eighth grade student named Stan Hayes, who won the marquee race in a 9 horsepower sled.[3] The Alward's held the race at their inn in 1965 before passing it on to the Eagle River Lions Club. The Lions Club trademarked the term "World Championship Snowmobile Derby".[3]

The 1968 derby was broadcast on ABC's Wide World of Sports. Numerous guests attended the event, including Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke and Fuzzy Thurston from the Super Bowl II Green Bay Packers championship team. The track was reconfigured to a 0.5-mile high banked oval in 1974.

The current event features 1400+ entrants racing snocross or on the oval track in vintage and modern snowmobiles.[4] 30,000 spectators frequently attend the event.[4]

Qualifying

Media tower

The riders with the sixteen fastest qualifying speeds during the Thursday night qualifying race in two heats on Friday night. The top five finishers in the two heats advance to a qualifying race. The top finisher in the ten competitor qualifying race starts on the pole position for the world championship feature on Sunday. The other nine competitors keep their seed for in a series of heat races, quarterfinals, semi-finals and consolation races to qualify for the Sunday world championship event.[5]

Winners

Gary Moyle

P. J. Wanderscheid is the only rider to win four world championships (2002, 2003, 2006, 2011). Two drivers won the championship three times Jacques Villeneuve (1980, 1982, 1986) and Dave Wahl (1990, 1996, 1997). The two time winners are Steve Ave (1966, 1968), Mike Trapp (1971, 1972), Steve Thorsen (1977, 1978), Brad Hulings (1981, 1983), Dale Loritz (1994, 1995), Mike Houle (1999, 2000), Gary Moyle (2005, 2007), and Brian Bewcyk (2008, 2009).

Winning Makes

Additional resources

References

  1. ↑ Eagle River, Wisconsin, Retrieved November 25, 2007
  2. ↑ Sayner, Wisconsin, roadsideamerica.com; Retrieved November 18, 2007
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Snowmobiles Keep Coming Though the Ice Is Melting; New York Times; Joe Drape; January 15, 2006, Retrieved November 19, 2007
  4. 1 2 World Championship Snowmobile Derby, travelwisconsin, Retrieved November 24, 2007
  5. ↑ "Sweet Sixteen Pole Position" To Run During Parts Unlimited Friday Night Thunder; SnoWest magazine; November 2, 2007, Retrieved November 24, 2007
  6. ↑ http://www.jsonline.com/sports/malcolm-chartier-wins-at-eagle-river-b99187345z1-241115481.html
  7. ↑ Shepherd, Shannon. "Chartier Wins 50th World Championship Snowmobile Derby". WSAW-TV. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
  8. ↑ "49th World Championship Snowmobile Derby Results". WSAW-TV. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Wanderscheid races into history in Eagle River". WJFW. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
  10. ↑ "World Champion Snowmobile Drivers Signing Autographs". State Park Speedway. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  11. ↑ 2007 Results; AMS Oil Action News; March 2007; Page 14; Retrieved November 20, 2007
  12. ↑ Wanderscheld wins Eagle River Derby; January 15, 2005, American Snowmobiler Magazine, Retrieved November 20, 2007
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