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Snowmobile racing and Eagle River have become so deeply intertwined for the past 4 decades that the names are almost synonymous. Say snowmobile race and most drivers will picture the wide-banked oval turns and the ice track in Eagle River. Mention the name of this Northern Wisconsin resort community and snowmobile race fans think of a long history of colorful, exciting races. All in which have brought the best snowmobile racers in the world together year after year to race for more than cash prizes and gigantic trophies, but for the prestige that comes with winning the big one. The history of snowmobiles started in Vilas County long before the first Eagle River race in 1964. The sport actually had its beginning some 40 years before that when Carl Eliason of Sayner invented the first snowmobile that could be related to the present machines. Although it was more of a snow toboggan, it had the same principles, and a track to drive the machine over the snow.
Snowmobile racing and Eagle River have become so deeply intertwined for the past 4 decades that the names are almost synonymous. Say snowmobile race and most drivers will picture the wide-banked oval turns and the ice track in Eagle River. Mention the name of this Northern Wisconsin resort community and snowmobile race fans think of a long history of colorful, exciting races. All in which have brought the best snowmobile racers in the world together year after year to race for more than cash prizes and gigantic trophies, but for the prestige that comes with winning the big one. The history of snowmobiles started in Vilas County long before the first Eagle River race in 1964. The sport actually had its beginning some 40 years before that when Carl Eliason of Sayner invented the first snowmobile that could be related to the present machines. Although it was more of a snow toboggan, it had the same principles ó skis, and a track to drive the machine over the snow.
But it was not until 1964 that the new snow machines caught the fancy of the sporting world. And it all began in Eagle River, when John Alward of Chanticleer Inn, his wife, Betty, and Walter Goldsworthy of nearby Three Lakes decided the winter economy needed a boost with more winter recreation. Alward already was doing winter business with visiting skiers, but the existing terrain limited the growth of downhill skiing. The snowmobiles, which John had purchased early in the winter of 1964, from Sparkey Meyer, an Arctic Cat salesman, were just the thing to inspire plans for a winter celebration in February of 1964.
A race was planned and the North Woods has never been quite the same since. It has catapulted Eagle River into the winter sports spotlight in the snowmobile racing circuit, each January since its birth. The races have brought invaluable publicity to Eagle River and the north where the snowmobile has turned winter around. They have played an important part in helping a new recreational sport grow.
Through the years many thrilling races have been run on the Derby Track, thanks to the tireless work of the sponsoring Eagle River Lions Club and many volunteers from Eagle River and nearby communities as well. All have pitched in and the Derby has soared to tremendous heights, reaching weekend crowds up to 50,000 during peak years.
Thanks to the local communities and the sponsoring Eagle River Lions Club, many thrilling races have taken place with crowds reaching to 50,000 during peak years. The following are the highlights of those years. A novel, new snowmobile race was publicized by both the local newspaper, the Vilas County News-Review, and by the media in metropolitan centers around the state and in the Midwest. It caught on because of the unique aspects of the event planned by John Alward and Walter Goldsworthy on Dollar Lake.
This initial news release reported that the World's First Snowmobile Derby would be an entirely new concept in winter sports celebrations. It would be packed with exciting events, including ski joring, hill climbing, cross country obstacle races and speed races against the clock over a measured track.
The number of drivers who showed up to compete, and the large crowd that funneled onto the resort grounds adjoining Dollar Lake surprised even the sponsors of the first race
Drivers and curious onlookers came in droves. The roads leading into the resort were filled, the small concessions stand quickly ran out of food and refreshments. Everyone was impressed with the speed and versatility of the trim snow machines.
A surprising crowd of between 2,000 and 3,000 spectators were on hand to watch in awe as the first races were run on the resort grounds in a hill climbing and cross country race as well as on an oval course on the lake.
While the sponsors did not declare an overall champion, or a world's champion, as was done in later years, the top honors that first year went to Stan Hayes. The eighth-grade snowmobile driver from Crandon, WI, who had never driven a snowmobile before, took first place in the race for machines over 9 hp.
While Hayes earned the top recognition at that first Derby, there were other first-place finishers. They were Roger Skime, Stan and Susan Malliette of Antigo, WI, Gordon Rhode of Rhinelander and Ray Kielcheski, Hollister, WI on the Eliason machine. Ideas to expand the Derby ran rampant after the first race ended. The sponsors could see the unlimited potential and the Rotary Club, which helped with the first race, invited the Lions Club in the community to take over the duties because it had more manpower.
In the second year a cross-country race from Rhinelander to Three Lakes, Eagle River and back to Rhinelander was added. It lured still more competitors and got more communities and individuals involved in the big snowmobile race weekend.
The media was caught up in the unique aspects of this new winter sport and the responded with considerable publicity. In that second year the events were well documented by cameramen and reporters from local newspapers, by metro TV stations, networks, radio stations and even moviemakers.
The second year solidified the Championship races in Eagle River but the sponsors realized the races had already outgrown the limited space offered on Dollar Lake and they were cornered for the safety of both the racers and spectators being on the lake. The sponsoring Eagle River Lions Club took a big step forward in relocating the Derby on a site just north of the city limits, known as Pleasure Island. It was a sprawling field with a natural bowl nearby in which the races would eventually be run, although not that first year.
A track was made on a level area to the north of the present bowl and its perimeter was banked for the races. In addition, a 4.2 mile cross-country course was set up. This race was billed as the World's Championship Snowmobile Derby and Marathon. Cash awards totaled $1,500, silver cups were awarded and another champion, Steve Ave of Hurley, WI was named.
Secretary of State Robert Zimmerman officially proclaimed Eagle River The Snowmobile Capitol of the World, It was a fitting tribute for the town that had pioneered in the development of the snowmobile races. The Eagle River Derby continued to soar in prominence and ABC Wide World of Sports covered the races in 1968 and special guests included several Green Bay Packers from the World's Championship NFL team, Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke and Fuzzy Thurston. Other celebrities included Miss Wisconsin, Alice in Dairyland and Lt. Gov. Jack Olson. For the first time race events would start on Friday at Eagle River. The Hodag Marathon race was run from Rhinelander to Three Lakes and back on Saturday. Racing resumed at Eagle River on Sunday. Attendance topped 20,000 and more than 300 drivers competed for the $5,000 in prize money.
The speed obstacle course was extended to 5 miles and included a new cloverleaf turn with a Monza wall and three bridges.
In 1969 attendance reached new record heights, reaching 38,000 and 500 drivers competed in the racing events on Friday and Sunday.
Only jumping events were scheduled at the Derby site on Saturday and they were cut short when two of the jumpers from Canada suffered broken legs, when their machines soared beyond the cushioned landing area. To give some consolation to one of the drivers, Maurice Mongeau, it was reported that he set a new record-breaking jump of 108.4 feet.
Prize money totaled $12,800 and the champion also won a trip to Germany to visit the JLO Factory there and the same company presented him a Porsche automobile. Terracing was completed on the oval prior to the 1969 races and cyclone fencing set up on the north and south ends of the track. In addition, a new press mobile unit was set up at the north end.
1970 was the first year the Eagle River Derby was not run in conjunction with the Hodag Marathon race. They were run on separate weekends and Eagle River scheduled events for all three days.
Oval racing and speed obstacle events were run on Friday and Sunday, on Saturday drag races were run where the new school now stands and Family Fun day events were scheduled on the Derby grounds. Weekend attendance was once again between 30,000 and 40,000.
This was the year the Sonic Challenger, rocket-powered snowmobile, was unveiled. The machine designed by Anthony Fox was described as being capable of hitting speeds of 300 MPH, but a cloud of smoke and billowing snow obscured the machine from sight when it raced across the airport drag strip. It was brought to a halt with the use of parachutes.
This was the first year that entries in the championship final were determined by time trials on the oval and not by competition on the speed obstacle course. 1971 was the year of the big race ó the classic described by many as the best race in the history of the sport. Through 14 of the 15 laps a young driver, Mike Trapp, from Woodruff, WI, challenged the pro, Yvon Duhamel, a Ski-Doo factory driver from Quebec and the defending champion.
It was nip and tuck throughout the race and fans watched every flawless lap on the oval. But on the 14th lap Duhamel momentarily spun out of control and Trapp skillfully slipped out in front to take the checkered flag. Prize money had been increased to $20,000 for the weekend races, the biggest purse ever.
Track improvements included closed circuit TV and a sound system doubled in capacity. Press coverage was even greater with a large number of sporting magazines represented, as well as the newspapers, TV and radio from across the Midwest. Some estimated that crowds hit their peak this year, with an attendance estimated at close to 50,000.
In 1972 there were races for the ladies and junior competitors, the first time they had been run in these two categories at the Eagle River Derby, a required feature of a Class A USSA sanctioned race.
The 1973 races were threatened by unreasonably warm weather that forced cancellation of the qualifying rounds on Wednesday and Thursday. To save the last few days of the Derby, the Lions Club made arrangements for a caravan of trucks to haul over 100 truckloads of sawdust to absorb the moisture and prevent further thawing. Temperatures turned cooler and the combined sawdust and water froze into a good base for racing.
The combination of sawdust and water froze into a deep, hard base was used until 1985. At that point, the new owners {the Decker Family} with the help of better icing equipment, began to utilize a pure ice track surface.
The biggest change in the racetrack facilities followed in 1974 when the track was expanded to 1/2 mile and totally recontoured into a high-banked oval, with double fencing around its perimeter.
Sno-Pro, a special classification for professional drivers, was run in 1973-í74 and considerable interest in the Derby centered on these pro drivers. Derby 1975 opened with a Champions Banquet. Seven of the past ten champions were in attendance. Among the special guests in 1976 were a group of snowmobilers who drove from New York to Eagle River on their snowmobiles, a distance of 1,100 miles; and Johnny Rutherford, two time Indy 500 winner, who came to town to film the races. The races were run successfully in 1977 but harsh, cold weather cut into the crowds and attendance slipped to between 20,000 and 25,000.
The 1977 champion, Steve Thorsen of Fergus Falls, MN, set a new track record, averaging 85 mph in the 15-lap event, and won $6,300.
If there was concern about the drop in attendance in 1977 because of the weather the sponsor's were reassured that the Derby was still the major winter attraction. More drivers registered for the races, more than $75,000 was taken in at the gates and the food stands sold out. Attendance was estimated to have climbed once again to about 35,000.
The weather pattern continued to fluctuate in the late 1970's, and in 1979 a statewide snowstorm plagued the Derby, cutting into the attendance once again and the audience skidded to about 20,000. Bobby Elsner of New London, WI took the world title and set a new speed record of close to 94 mph. The snowfall that cut into attendance also plagued the races, forcing the Friday events to be stopped earlier than planned.
1980 was the year for Ski-Doo to make a comeback in the championship races. Ski-Doo had missed the world title since 1970 when Duhamel won the crown. This was the year for Jacques Villeneuve, brother of the 1974 winner, Gilles, to win his first crown at Eagle River. In the 80's the Eagle River Derby was destined to withstand some of its biggest challenges. It faced a recession in 1981 and severe bitter cold weather in 1982, 84 and 85. Some of the other major changes during this period included the introduction of Snow-Cross racing events and the sale of the Derby track to the Dick and Audrey Decker family of Marshfield.
Major changes were made on the track and grounds and the Derby appeared to be effecting a good comeback after the adversity brought by the business recession and the harsh cold weather of a couple years.
Despite the recession in 1981 there was a good crowd at the Derby of close to 30,000, but not yet back to the peak years of the 1970's. That was the year that Brad Hulings, Scorpion Sno-Pro driver, won big at Eagle River, taking about $9,000 for his victory. In 1982 the Siberian Blizzard descended on Eagle River, serving up the bitterest cold weather in the history of the Derby. Attendance fell to its lowest point in years, but the races went on and fans huddled about charcoal heaters and others fashioned windbreaks out of blankets and sheets of plastic or plywood. The mercury skidded to 20-below, but a stiff wind put the wind-chill factor at 80-degrees below zero. By Sunday morning the cold dropped to 42-below, but the wind was not as harsh and close to 7,000 were at the races on Sunday, for a weekend total of about 10,000.
Jacques Villeneuve and his crew made special adaptations on his sled to counteract the effects of the exceedingly hard track, caused by the bitter cold. The efforts paid off and Jacques took his second world title at Eagle River. He won $11,300. Total cash prizes and awards reached $50,000.
In 1983 Sno Cross events were introduced to race fans at Eagle River and the championship race was extended to 25 laps. Sno Cross offered more variety to the race program with a course set up inside the oval to include jumps, hairpin turns and other obstacles.
The bitter cold weather returned to plague the sponsoring Eagle River Lions Club once again in 1984 and caused attendance to skid once again, this time dropping to about 15,000 total attendance for the weekend.
This was the first year that women's races were not on the program because of declining entries.
Another cold blast descended on the north in 1985. The cold weather caused attendance to slip to its lowest point, possibly no more than 10,000 for the weekend. All of the races were run on schedule, although they were cut in length to minimize exposure of the drivers to the harsh cold.
Attendance nearly doubled the next year, 1986, when mild weather returned to break the jinx that had hit the Derby two previous years, and three of the past four years. 1986 was the first year in the history of the Derby that a driver succeeded in winning the title for the third time. The big winner was Jacques Villeneuve of St. Cuthbert, Quebec, who drove a Ski-Doo twin track for the Vessair racing team. It was in 1986 that the track was sold by the Eagle River Lions Club to the Decker Family, officially to 5-D Promotions, Inc.
The Deckers also operated a snowmobile tour business and made arrangements with the Lions Club to continue running the championship race each year. A total of $50,000 in cash prizes and trophies was awarded in 1986, and of that, $30,000 was awarded in the title race.
In 1987 attendance reached more than 20,000 and Jacques Villeneuve's attempt to win his fourth title was thwarted by the excellent driving of Chuck Decker of Eagle River, son of the owners of the track.
The young Decker broke his own track record in the time trials and turned in a record 25 lap time of 8 minutes and 39.47 seconds on a twin-track Ski-Doo, 10 seconds faster than Villeneuve the previous year.
Governor Tommy Thompson was in attendance as well as the racing Unsers of Indy 500 fame, Bobby, Al and Al Jr. Over 200 drivers were entered in the weekend races, including a two-man team from Sweden.
The silver anniversary of the Derby ushered in the largest attendance to the Derby grounds during the í80s, with over 18,000 spectators watching the World Championship race alone. More than 30,000 fans attended the weekend.
Billed as the ìReturn of the Champions all the living former champions and several past Derby queens returned to Eagle River for the anniversary event. A new twist at the Derby was Jeff Goodwin with a video camera bolted to the side of his helmet to give fans an up close and personal look at what it's like to race the Derby track.
In 1990, Dave Wahl set a new track record of 8 minutes and 27 seconds with his World Championship win, taking home $10,000 in prize money, plus an additional $5,00 for setting the track record. Governor Tommy Thompson presented a proclamation declaring Eagle River, WI, and Keflavik, Iceland sister cities. Despite poor trail conditions and cold weather, attendance was still up in 1991 with 25,000 fans in attendance. Warm temperatures the previous week weakened the ice on the half-mile oval. Dave Wahl won the new Formula I Can-Am Challenge. But Wahl lost the Championship Title race to Greg Goodwin of Zion, IL.
The 30th anniversary of the Derby saw 20,000 fans in attendance and more than 300 drivers racing over the weekend. Al Fenhaus of Wausau took the field by surprise, becoming the first Formula I racer to win the coveted World Championship as a title-race rookie.
Four-time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears led the 12-sled title field in a pace lap. For the first time since the early 80s, cold weather had a major impact on attendance for the 94 Derby, with the gates recording 40% fewer tickets sold than in 1993. Only 13,000 fans braved the cold temperatures that year.
With wind chills estimated at 50-degrees below zero, this was the most frigid weather since the Ice Bowl of 1982.
First-ever Friday Night racing under the lights took place with the top ten finalists headlining the evening's events, which included a fireworks display.
With a second year of record cold temperatures, in 1994, track owner Chuck Decker considered moving the Derby to February. Also this year, the track debuted its new Derby Suites, consisting of six indoor viewing areas, capable of seating 900 people in luxury accommodations.
In 1997 an era in snowmobile racing came to an end. Dave Wahl won his third World Championship title in the final year the Formula I twin-track sled would race. The high tech twins, which were no longer built, would be replaced in the world title race in subsequent years by Champ 440 single-track sleds.
New attractions at the Derby included pro sno-cross racing inside the oval and the Northern Lights Air show. Chuck Decker declared this to be the best Derby in the past four years, thanks to cooperating mild temperatures, a large fan turnout and spectacular racing.
The Derby track unveiled a new title class in 1998. An expanded high-flying sno-cross competition, motorcycles on the ice oval and a fireworks display were just part of the show that attracted more than 20,000 fans to the35th Valvoline World Championship Snowmobile Derby. This was the year the new viewing stand, which included the VIP suites were opened. Additionally, a large hall had been added to the track facilities.
1999 saw sno-cross racing inside the oval for the third straight year, with double the class offerings and the addition of four sport classes, a women's class and a junior class.
2000 the Millennium year saw some new and exciting events. An Amateur only race scheduled the Sunday before the big weekend saw many new racers trying their luck at the Derby Track. The AMA Amateur Ice Motorcycle National Championships were hosted at the Derby Track and a separate day for Vintage races was instituted. In 2002, as he had done in 1999, Mike Houle took his Champ 440 Ski-Doo to the checkered flag, and became the 4th back-to-back World Champion. (Others: Mike Trapp, 1971 & í72, Stan Thorsen, 1977 & í78, Dale Loritz, 1994 & í95, and Dave Wahl, 1996 & 97.)
2001 saw a record number of racers and fans. The weather was great and the trails around Eagle River were in awesome riding condition. The advent of a new and exciting race format deemed Ice X Sno continued the tradition of the Derby always inventing something new for the fans. This year also saw the first Canadian World Champion since Jeremy Johnston, of Arcola Saskatchewan pilot a Ski-Doo to victory.
2002 provided good weather for the Derby, but poor snow conditions for trail riding snowmobilers. The lack of snow forced the Derby to truck snow, to build a sno-cross course, from across the border; Watersmeet, Michigan.
Nic Manion of Big Rapids, Michigan took the World Sno-Cross title in a hard fought duel with Brad Pitlik, a Pro Sno-Cross rider from Eagle River. Pitlik along with Jesse Stregge and Michael Island had flown back from the X-Games. Several other teams got stranded in a huge snowstorm that closed the highway near Denver.
An 18 year old from Minnesota surprised even himself as he rode his Arctic Cat to a World Championship title. The last time an Artcic had won was Bob Elsner's 1979 win.
Derby officials were not going to let a lack of snow stop them from building a world class sno-cross track for 2003. A snow making machine was purchased and snow began appearing by mid-November inside the derby oval.
Fast growing Vintage racing had been given there own weekend, preceding the Championship week, and more than 500 entries brought their classic machines to run again on the hallowed derby oval. Minnesota's Fred Smith went home with the title; Vintage Champion.
Arctic scored high this January in Eagle River, as factory rider Tucker Hibbert won the Sno-Cross Championship and P. J. Wanderscheid took a second resounding win, proving his previous year's World Championship was no fluke. Hibbert and P. J. both wore the Black and Green racing colors of Arctic Cat. It was a fantastic 40th Anniversary for the ageless Derby.
2004 saw crowds that swelled over thirty thousand on Derby weekend alone. Vintage racing again started the festivities and a Canadian, John Lesieur of Quebec, driving a Chapparal became the Vintage World Champion. Polaris factory riders dominated the Sno-Cross venue with D. J. Eckstrom claiming the top title. Arctic hung on to their winning ways, but not the young P. J. Wanderscheid who could not make it a hat trick. A 41 year old veteran from Lyman, Maine, Larry Day, was the spoiler on his smooth running Arctic. In a duel that will go down in history for it's breath taking performance, ice oval racing, proved why it was snowmobile competition at its best.
The 2005 Derby set records temperature records that is. The track thermometers could not get above zero and hovered at twenty below for most of the weekend.
A Michigan native, Gary Moyle of Houghton, showed that he could handle the temperatures and the field of veterans as he passed Terry Wahl on the last (24th) lap to become the 42nd World Champion.
Michigan drivers kept the pressure on as Josh Zelinski of Bath won the Sno-Cross Open Championship. His brother made it a solid family effort with his second place finish in Open, and a first place in Pro 440.
Jean Lesieur came down from Shawinigan, Quebec, to post a back to back victory in the Vintage World Championship with his trusty Chaparral.
The Derby itself was a big winner as Wisconsin Governor Doyle presented track owner Chuck Decker with the very prestigious ìPutting Wisconsin on the Map Award, the states highest honor given for promoting a significant tourism event.
Another award came all the way from Washington D.C. and was delivered by U.S. Representative Mark Green in the form of a congressional certificate for ìOutstanding and Invaluable Service to the Community. The 2008 AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby†had brutal wind chills driving temperatures to minus 35, making 2008, the coldest Derby in ten years. The trackside indoor seating proved to be the most popular place to watch the races.
Friday night was a test for the sturdiest and best insulated fans. Keeping the action hot was the new SWEET SIXTEEN POLE POSITION event. The sixteen fastest world championship qualifiers raced in two heats of eight, pulling five of them to a final of ten machines, with the winner earning the pole position for Sunday afternoons World Championship race.
Brian Bewyck of Winnipeg, Manitoba won the Sweet Sixteen pole position and on Sunday the forty three year old went on to become the new World Champion. He broke the hold that Arctic Cat and American drivers had on the title for six years. Bewyck raced a Ski Doo, thus matching a driver and the manufacturer to Canada.
A fellow Canadian Ski Doo racer, three time World Champion, Jacques Villeneuve, did not fare so well. Jacques was involved in a horrific accident in the first heat of the Sweet Sixteen. Jacques spent the next few days at the hospital in Marshfield, Wisconsin and eventually transferring to a facility in Quebec. Jacques displayed amazing come-back tenacity by returning to racing before the season was over. The race was a 25 lap duet between Bewcyk and a fast Gary Moyle, the contending Champion.
Excitement on the Sno Cross course was international in reach, as Yuji Nakuzawa, racing out of Minocqua, WI put his Yamaha FX Nitro into the winner's circle. A visiting contingent from Japan, including a Yamaha V.P. celebrated the victory from their corporate suite.
Two milestones were recorded at this Derby, as two of the most recognized personalities of the race announced their retirement. USSA flagman, Ted Otto, gave fans an emotional farewell. From the announcer's booth, Chris Oatman the Voice of the Derby bid his adieu. Derby officials expressed hope that both could be enticed back for a Cameo appearance.
As darkness closed on the Derby Oval Sunday, January 20, 2008, fans and racers again proved that old man winter was no match for Derby Fever.
The 2009 AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby Overcomes Weather and sagging Economy
The weathermen were warning that sub zero temperatures would frost bite exposed skin in fifteen minutes. All the national news media told us how bad off we all were and the financial status of the country was in dire straits.
Derby Fans did not listen. While driver entries were somewhat down, spectator numbers were not. The predictions about the weather did not bear out. The Parts Unlimited Friday Night Thunder was cold, but the action was hot and the crowds were enthusiastic. The sun shined on Eagle River Saturday and Sunday to warm the air.
If Derby weekend was a success the Vintage Classic event that started the week set records and hit high marks in snowmobile racing events-breaking the 700 entry barrier. This harkens back to the glory days of snowmobile racing. Vintage racing is developing as the biggest and brightest light in the future of snowmobile events.
Racers who will carry the proud Vintage World Champion titles for the rest of their lives are Tony Pettinelli, Jr. from Rome, New York riding a fast Chaparal, brother David Pettinelli, Sr. was second and the perennial competitor, Fred Smith was third. Another Pettinelli family member finished 7th.
Derby Weekend saw some unbeatable racing with Sno Cross. The new world Champion was a Wisconsin native Kris Kafka, who had to beat a flying Corey Davis to put his name on the Snow Goer Cup.
Brian Bewcyk from Ontario, the guy old enough to be father to half of the Top Ten, left no doubt about his talents and the speed of his Ski Doo as he produced a back-to-back World Championship win. Dan Fenhaus rode his Arctic Cat into second and Dustin Wahl put another manufacturer's brand on podium with his third place Polaris finish. PJ Wandersheid was fourth, but he provided much of the excitement of the race with his incredible passing charges and a seven sled hole shot pass on one of the restarts.
The two F-16's from the 115th Fighter Wing of Madison, Wisconsin that made a low pass just before the Championship Race, was another special touch for Derby Fans.
Final evaluation: The 09 AMSOIL World Championship will go down as an outstanding year in Derby chronicles.
The Eagle River Derby Track's history is long and proud. While each year brings new challenges and changes, the fans and racers have yet to be disappointed by what the Derby offers ó first-rate entertainment and world-class snowmobile racing.
A very comprehensive account of Derby History, in the book: Of Ice and Engines covers the very first Derby through the 25th Anniversary and is available in our Gift Garage. Also available are video's and DVD's of the first forty years of the Derby; Decades Of The Derby.