Dec. 25, 2006 – Snowmobile Report

Arctic Cat/Hirth featured at vintage event
The annual antique and vintage snowmobile show in Waconia, Minn., is set for Jan. 20–21 on the eastern shores of Lake Waconia. Waconia is located west of Minneapolis.
The event’s feature snowmobile this year is Arctic Cat. In addition to large collector displays of machines from throughout the decades, Arctic Cat VIPs and former racers are expected to attend. Organizers are expecting the largest collection of feature sleds ever. Past feature sleds have included race models and other special machines. There also will be a special display of Hirth 793-powered snowmobiles on Saturday. All brands with this engine are welcome to participate in this display.
The event, called “Waconia 2007 —?The Midwest Ride-In,” will feature a swap meet, an 11-mile trail ride, vintage drag racing, a Saturday night banquet with special speakers, a silent auction, a loud snowmobile contest and a judged show on Sunday among the weekend’s events.
Ontario Federation Launches Show
The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) will host its first snowmobile show on Sept. 28–29 in Toronto. The show will be called the OFSC Go Snowmobiling Show. “Our Go Snowmobiling Show is part of a much larger OFSC initiative to renew and rejuvenate snowmobiling in Ontario,”?said OFSC President Bruce Robinson in a statement.
Go Snowmobiling is one of the OFSC’s themes. The show will be promoted through the exclusive mailing lists of the OFSC and snowmobile OEMs, as well as through print and digital media.
ATV/Snowmobile Crossover
ATV Sport Managing Editor Chris Vogtman noticed something strange at his visit to the new Rath Racing manufacturing facility in Hutchinson, Minn. There was a snowmobile race team hauler parked outside.
Rath Racing, owned by ATV champion racer Daryl Rath, is better known for its ATV aftermarket products. However, Rath is now doing performance work for Team Yamaha’s snocross effort, prepping machines for snocross racers Robbie Malinoski and Yuji Nakazawa.
“I wrenched for Factory Yamaha during the 1996-97 snow seasons, and I’ve kept a good relationship with them since then,” Rath said to Vogtman. “I know how to turn a stock ATV into a top-performer on the motocross track, and that knowledge transfers over to snowmobiles, too.”
Right now, Rath Racing doesn’t have firm plans to extend into the snow side of its aftermarket business, but the Minnesota company didn’t rule it out. psb