Mileage Psycho Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 Derby weekend January 20th-22nd, I'm thinking about heading up on the 19th basing in Land O in town right between Brews Pub and the Gateway, short ride to the Black Oak, mix of trail and off trail, ride into ER for Friday Night Thunder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bussman Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 I'll be in the Lakewood area the following weekend but let me try and join you on this one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legend Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 44 minutes ago, Mileage Psycho said: Derby weekend January 20th-22nd, I'm thinking about heading up on the 19th basing in Land O in town right between Brews Pub and the Gateway, short ride to the Black Oak, mix of trail and off trail, ride into ER for Friday Night Thunder. theres places to ride off trail in vilas county?? they get enough snow in vilas county to ride off trail?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mileage Psycho Posted December 8, 2016 Author Share Posted December 8, 2016 58 minutes ago, bussman said: I'll be in the Lakewood area the following weekend but let me try and join you on this one. I will be talking to you 15 minutes ago, Legend said: theres places to ride off trail in vilas county?? they get enough snow in vilas county to ride off trail?? They get enough snow in Vilas for sure especially in the western parts of the county but there is not much off trail, but right across the border is the Ottawa National Forest which is 1550 square miles of how deep do you want to go into the boonies fun, I've done trips where we brought a chainsaw with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecat Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 Always wanted to go. I might next winter when I am retired! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roosting Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 Hey come by the race trailer if you go. I'll be there trying for the repeat. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mileage Psycho Posted December 10, 2016 Author Share Posted December 10, 2016 On 12/8/2016 at 8:45 AM, Mainecat said: Always wanted to go. I might next winter when I am retired! It's an event that all sledders should do at least once. On 12/8/2016 at 8:53 AM, Roosting said: Hey come by the race trailer if you go. I'll be there trying for the repeat. And what trailer might that be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snoughnut Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 (edited) 1 hour ago, Mileage Psycho said: It's an event that all sledders should do at least once. And what trailer might that be? Eagle River isn't what it used to be, it's been dying lately. The late 70's, 80's and early 90's it was hopping. Look at the fans in the vid at :32, lots of standing room on the bank. The times we went in the late 80's early 90's it was shoulder to shoulder with fans. Edited December 10, 2016 by snoughnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anler Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 10 minutes ago, snoughnut said: Eagle River isn't what it used to be, it's been dying lately. The late 70's, 80's and early 90's it was hopping. Look at the fans in the vid at :32, lots of standing room on the bank. The times we went in the late 80's early 90's it was shoulder to shoulder with fans. Watching sleds (or cars or whatever) ride around in circles is entertaining for about 30 seconds. I like watching snow cross and drag racing but that gets pretty boring too after about 5 minutes. With the prices of these new sleds nowadays I just don't think as many people can afford the Monday sales like they used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legend Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 45 minutes ago, snoughnut said: Eagle River isn't what it used to be, it's been dying lately. The late 70's, 80's and early 90's it was hopping. Look at the fans in the vid at :32, lots of standing room on the bank. The times we went in the late 80's early 90's it was shoulder to shoulder with fans. Yeah last time I went was late 90s, and it was still pretty packed then. But I have heard not many people go anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodtick Posted December 10, 2016 Share Posted December 10, 2016 A bud works across the street at TrackSide. He said the last few years has been very low turn out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 I have been going every year and I've seen the steady decline firsthand - even the last 10 years. The death of oem stock class racing leaves you seeing some classes now with 3 or 4 entrants in a final. Champ440 numbers are down too - maybe 18 last year. Several top drivers now retired - luckily some good young drivers are racing. I think the TLR $$ is helping as is an effort to promote 120 class racing but the sport has been in serious decline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snoughnut Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 1 hour ago, Kevin said: I have been going every year and I've seen the steady decline firsthand - even the last 10 years. The death of oem stock class racing leaves you seeing some classes now with 3 or 4 entrants in a final. Champ440 numbers are down too - maybe 18 last year. Several top drivers now retired - luckily some good young drivers are racing. I think the TLR $$ is helping as is an effort to promote 120 class racing but the sport has been in serious decline. The class that was my favorite was Formula III back in the late 80's, early 90's with guys like Guy Useldinger, Mike Houle and Tim Bender to name a few. Those guys were fun to watch, the problem was with these teams running heavily modded 600+ cc's, the track could no longer hold the speeds these guys were running and they eliminated the class. It's never fun unless they're running on the ragged edge , man the sound of some of those triples was music to the ears. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 8 minutes ago, snoughnut said: The class that was my favorite was Formula III back in the late 80's, early 90's with guys like Guy Useldinger, Mike Houle and Tim Bender to name a few. Those guys were fun to watch, the problem was with these teams running heavily modded 600+ cc's, the track could no longer hold the speeds these guys were running and they eliminated the class. It's never fun unless they're running on the ragged edge , man the sound of some of those triples was music to the ears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum Contributing Member Jimmy Snacks Posted December 11, 2016 Platinum Contributing Member Share Posted December 11, 2016 1 minute ago, Kevin said: Damn that is just fucking awesome! Love the kid standing there holding his ears just digging it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snoughnut Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 Not much footage out there of the glory days but here's a little taste, note how many fans there are back in 1989. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 Those were the good ole days for sure. Just the sound.... As fast as those sleds were, the F1 twin tracker 340s handed them their lunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bussman Posted December 11, 2016 Share Posted December 11, 2016 My dad went every year from around 74' until the early 80's. I remember as a kid watching Jim Dimmerman set up the clutching on my dad's 81' Tiger 6000 and thinking a god was touching it. Sled did beat all the other 6000's he rode with so he did something right. lol 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mileage Psycho Posted January 3, 2017 Author Share Posted January 3, 2017 Just spent the last week in Land O' Lakes with the family and conditions were fair to good and very good in the back country, the wife and I rode up to the Keweenaw today and will be circling back to the the Eagle River area later this week. Conditions for Derby weekend should be excellent for trail riding and excursions off trail in the Ottawa National Forest, I'll guide or follow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hwytohell Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Tim Bender was the go to guy for Yamaha performance snowmobiles back in the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold War Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Best memories as a kid was when we had the winter carnival down at the lake. Huge turnout. We ran a Z sled and a EXT in modified. We would get there at like 6;00 in the morning and stay until dark. I thought it was greatest thing in the world, the loud sleds, race gas in the air. Mid 70's to early 80's were a great time to be in the sport. Things started to die out near the late 80's. lawsuits, bad winters, crack down on drinking,. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hwytohell Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 2 hours ago, Cold War said: Best memories as a kid was when we had the winter carnival down at the lake. Huge turnout. We ran a Z sled and a EXT in modified. We would get there at like 6;00 in the morning and stay until dark. I thought it was greatest thing in the world, the loud sleds, race gas in the air. Mid 70's to early 80's were a great time to be in the sport. Things started to die out near the late 80's. lawsuits, bad winters, crack down on drinking,. The last good all day winter party left in MI is the Soo I - 500. Sadly here in MI the St. Iggy car shows , Grand Marais 500 mile winter run , Paradise winter carnival were all scaled way back or killed off with heavy handed decisions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racinfarmer Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 (edited) On 12/11/2016 at 6:05 AM, Kevin said: I have been going every year and I've seen the steady decline firsthand - even the last 10 years. The death of oem stock class racing leaves you seeing some classes now with 3 or 4 entrants in a final. Champ440 numbers are down too - maybe 18 last year. Several top drivers now retired - luckily some good young drivers are racing. I think the TLR $$ is helping as is an effort to promote 120 class racing but the sport has been in serious decline. DP Edited January 4, 2017 by racinfarmer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racinfarmer Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 (edited) On 12/11/2016 at 6:05 AM, Kevin said: I have been going every year and I've seen the steady decline firsthand - even the last 10 years. The death of oem stock class racing leaves you seeing some classes now with 3 or 4 entrants in a final. Champ440 numbers are down too - maybe 18 last year. Several top drivers now retired - luckily some good young drivers are racing. I think the TLR $$ is helping as is an effort to promote 120 class racing but the sport has been in serious decline. The long and short of it - they have too many damn classes and it cost too much. Just because 2 guys drag out some Masters 40-42 Pre-85 Post-82 Super Mod 7 440 1 Cylinder Fan Sprint 4 Super Stock Limted class sled once a year doesn't mean it should have its own class. Edited January 4, 2017 by racinfarmer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zambroski Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 8 minutes ago, racinfarmer said: The long and short of it - they have too many damn classes and it cost too much. Just because 2 guys drag out some Masters 40-42 Pre-85 Post-82 Super Mod 7 440 1 Cylinder Fan Sprint 4 Super Stock Limted class sled once a year doesn't mean it should have its own class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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