MARCH 2013
Vol. 4 Issue 3
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Page 16 Front Cover Photo by ShootersImages.com
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OWNER PRESIDENT – Scott Robinson scott@wheelsofthunder.net 612-730-3719
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Big Blue Racing ..........................................50
BILLY BOYLE TANNER WOLFE CEAJA PHILP TOM EDWARDS JESSICA KANKE JENNA OSTERLUND MATT PETERSON MYLIE LAVOLD KIM NILES JOHN LENTZKOW
SALES – Scott Robinson scott@wheelsofthunder.net 612-730-3719 Ceaja (CJ) Philp ceaja@wheelsofthunder.net 763-458-5019 WISCONSIN - Brad Coplan bradc@wheelsofthunder.net 715-497-8090 IOWA - John Lentzkow John.lentzkow@mchsi.com 319-239-1375
Yankee’s Drag Racing .................................58
Reviews
Shamrock Trucking......................................30
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Rally’s & Shows
NSSR - Fire On Ice ......................................20 Grassroots Round 5 ERX..............................24
44th Annual Rod & Custom Car Show ..........32 Okoboji Vintage Drag Racing ......................34
Jack Race...................................................38
IMS 2013 ...................................................44 ISOC National - New York ..........................54
Departments
Garage Built.................................................8
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Boiling Point................................................12
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March 2013
Dan Coates - Winning Expression ..................4 NHRA Winternationals - Courtney Force .......16
Photographers/Writers
ADVERTISING STAFF
Special Features
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Next Generation - Jacob Gondik .................26
ABATE of MN.............................................42
Game On!..................................................60
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Written by Ceaja Philp Photography by Shooters Images, Inc.
hen Dan Coates and the rest of the team at Deadline Customs, of Forest Lake, Minnesota set their mind to something...it gets done!
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DAN COATES
Winning Expression
Dan brought in his 2011 Harley Davidson FLTRX and the guys wasted no time putting the design ideas created by Dan and also Dana Hallberg in motion. The paint would be left in the creative hands of DLC's Jeff Urman. Nick Popa and Doug Marsh, also from DLC would also join in on the build in order to get it complete in time. In just two shorts months the team made modifications that included the frame raked for the 26" Rampage Hurricane front wheel and a 17" Rampage Rear Smoothie, Sinister extended bags, front and rear fender, side panels, handlebars, gas tank, and floorboards changes. A Bikeman Performance 107 CI set up, a slightly modified stereo, Hell Bent exhaust, and a Stingray seat built by In Stitches, Mark Milbrandt. It didn't take long for the freshly designed bike to get noticed and awarded for its eye popping design and vibrate color with intense detail. Dan's Harley won the 2013 Minneapolis International Motorcycle Show Ultimate Builder Freestyle Class, and also Buddha's Baddest Bagger! Dan has every intention of enjoying his ride this year, and then says it may be available for someone else to enjoy so that he can start another build. March 2013
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1996 Yamaha Virago xv1100 After serving a year in Iraq at the age of 18, Charlie Parpart’s life took an unexpected turn when he enrolled in South Central College in Mankato to earn his associate’s degree in Autobody and Collision Repair.
“After the bike was completed, I put my very own “CPC” logo on it, which stands for Charlie Parpart Customs.” ~ Charlie Parpart Photography by Dennis Sherman www.sherman-photography.com
Stock Original This is where it all started!
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Charlie built this bike by himself 2 years ago as something to pass the time in shop after he had enough lab hours for the semester. “After cutting down the rear frame to fit in the bobber seat, I built the rear fender myself out of a trailer fender. Of course I had to cut out 2 inches out of the center to make it fit and weld it back together, but it looks good!” states Charlie. He also built the handle bars, forward controls, and linkage for the bike to better fit his comfort and style of riding. “I removed the original gauges and replaced them with digital mirrors from ‘Dakota Digital’ in which I had to do all the rewiring, which was one late night to get the bike ready for a bike run the next morning, but I made it.” After a year of having the bike painted lime green Charlie decided it was time for something new so he did a marble look with the green and black, powder coated the rims and wrapped them with white walls for an old school bobber look.
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Written by Irish Billy Boyle
“THE LUCK OF THE IRISH” March one of my favorite times of the year. Snow starts to melt, streets start to clear, temperatures warming up, motorcycles starting to hit the pavement, and it’s time for my ethnic celebration, St Patrick’s day. Many people don’t have a clue why we celebrate the wearing of the green. The tradition goes way back. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, the saint's religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth Century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast--on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage. Now in my neck of the woods, South Boston or Southie as we call we call it we stuck pretty close to this tradition. The exception was an afternoon grand parade from one end of the neighborhood to the other. The parade tradition started in Ireland but the Marchers were quiet respectable religious leaders. They didn’t
wear green, they didn’t have “Kiss me I’m Irish” buttons displayed, or Shamrocks stenciled on their face. The tribute to St Patrick was a quiet stroll through the country side without the aid of blaring marching bands. That was the intent to honoring our beloved Saint. The change started at the turn of the last century in Ireland where the politicians started to replace the Catholic Priest and Protestant Vickers, but the march was still a quiet one that ended on the sober side in church or community center. Somewhere along the line the quietness of the celebration got lost when the Irish hit the shores of America. When the Irish arrived in the USA, they were very disliked, treated badly, despised and hated. My Grandmother that has long passed used to tell me about her father looking for a job in Boston, either the help wanted section or the signs posted in the windows of businesses advertising for employment would have the letters INNA. That simply meant Irish Need Not Apply. That’s old school discrimination. Many of the first Irish Immigrants started the tradition of celebrating St Patrick’s Day in the theme of what they knew back in the emerald isle, with a march through the
neighborhood...but, the weather being a little on the cooler side in Boston this little march included a wee taste of Irish whiskey to keep warm during the 2 mile walk. That was the start of celebrating in a festive atmosphere with a traditional Irish toast of Jameson’s Whiskey. I can remember growing up in Southie as a boy during St Patty’s Day, my mother and father would fill up the sink, bathtub, and washer machine with ice and top if off with a few cases of beer. Our friends and relatives would show up with platters of food and more booze, my mother would slow cook a corned beef and cabbage dinner; my father would be getting tuned up with an Irish coffee and his cavalcade of Irish ballads. Nice setting, right? Well my friends this was just the start of the day because it was only 8:00 am in the morning and we had the whole day to go. With the house full of Irish revelers drinking, eating, storytelling, and drinking some more, the tone of the day were set. The streets are lined five deep with family, friends, visitors to this historical neighborhood. South Boston gains some of its history from General George Washington, George leading his forces from Valley Forge trekked through ice and snow and pulled 49 cannons all the way to Southie. The cannons were placed high on a hill that is now known as Dorchester Heights which overlooks Boston Harbor. In fact, the Boston Politicians needed a reason or a really good excuse to have a celebration that coincides with St Patrick’s Day. The selected event was the brave General’s plan to drive the British out of Boston and pay tribute to our first fearless leader with a holiday and a parade. For you history buff’s the event is known as Evacuation Day, however ask most people that are not from Southie and they haven’t a clue what Evacuation Day is. You certainly wouldn’t see anyone with a “Kiss Me I love George Washington” button. The attire for this US history making event, pretty much anything green, white, and orange and lots of Shamrocks. Back to the celebration from a distance you
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can hear the sound of the first marching band, traditionally the South Boston parade kicks off with the Boston Fire Department Marching Band. The parade is so spectacular that even the people that have been watching the long green mile year after year are always impressed. Back at my house we are full to the limit; we now have stragglers that have wandered in to use the potty and decided to stay for the “Pahty”. For you Midwesterners that’s PARTY. The festivities go and on, a little different twist than my Irish ancestors that set out to honor our patron saint. Some other things I wanted to point out, we never had green beer on St Patrick’s Day. I don’t know who decided that green beer was a cool thing to do, but for us true Irishmen its Guinness and lots of it. The
Irish history will document. When the Irish had any kind of success most Americans at the time didn't think the Irish were capable such successes, so they called it luck. Hence the term "Luck of the Irish". Another stereotype the Irish are known for is the Irish cop. Back in the last century Boston was overloaded with Irish policemen that walked the beat round the clock. So how did the Boston Police Force get top heavy with a bunch of “McCops”? Well the Boston Police walked off the job back in the day the Calvin Coolidge was President of the United States. Old Calvin worked with the local Boston politicians and called in the troops to police Boston until they could figure things out. As the historians tell the story, the politicians wanted to one up the striking police officers. They decided to hire the men that were treated like crap, couldn’t find a decent job, but their work ethic and religious views were that of being a decent human being. You guessed
it a full contingent of Paddy’s walking the beat. Another term that became part of the English language, “the Paddy Wagon”. The Irish cops didn’t pull any punches with anyone, they would sweep the city of drunks, usually their own kind and fill up the police vans as we call them today with a bunch of street brawling drunken Irishmen. Hence the term, Paddy Wagon. My friend that is a little bit of Irish history from a South Boston guy as I know it. The Irish are a strong breed, we get pegged as a bunch of drunken brawlers, but I will tell you this an Irishman will always have his friends and family’s back, as long as you buy him a pint. Happy St Patrick’s Day to all the Wheels of Thunder readers and my Midwest Irish friends. The views expressed in The Boiling Point are solely the opinions and research of Billy Boyle and are not necessarily the view point of the magazine or its’ creators.
South Boston tribute to St Patrick is one of the best and biggest in the United States and no celebration would be complete without a big Donnybrook to end the day. For those of you that don’t know what a Donnybrook is, it’s one hell of a street brawl. Growing up in Southie fighting after the parade was one of those crazy traditions that you just couldn’t wait for the street sweepers to finish up the parade. Even the fighting was all in fun, not the kind that an outsider would consider fun, but we looked at the swinging of punches and black eyes as an annual sporting event. That’s the luck of the Irish. Speaking of Irish luck another phase that people mistake for good fortune. It is an ironic phrase. The Irish have been, and are a spectacularly unlucky race. The "luck of the Irish" is BAD luck, as any reading of March 2013
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T
he world passes by Courtney Force’s window a lot faster than it did a little more than a year ago. It’s hard for her to see when everything is a blur, and there’s almost no time to react. That’s the case in many sports at the professional rank. In NHRA Drag Racing, though, it’s extreme. The speed is blinding. “It’s a lot faster,” Courtney said. “You see a lot less. It’s very blurry.” Still, the 24-year-old daughter of NHRA legend John Force is holding her lines on the track at more than 300 mph, managing to see at least something, and is holding her own in the ever-popular Fuel Funny Car class. Page 16
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Written by Matt Peterson Photos provided by Ron Lewis Photography
From left: Courtney Force, John Force, Brittany Force Courtney – now in her second season in the 8,000-horsepower Traxxas Ford Mustang funny car – found success last year with her first win in Seattle and made another statement when she opened the 2013 NHRA Winternationals with a win at Pomona, Calif., in front of her home crowd. The 2012 NHRA Rookie of the Year and Automobile Club of California Road to the Future Award winner looks to keep moving forward, even faster.
Top Fuel, Funny Car and family When a man who breathes race fuel and roars down a track at more than 300 mph for a living wants to have kids, he wants boys. John Force got a daughter, then another, and another, and another.
Between races, she’s practicing her reaction time. During races, she’s ripping holeshots. The downtime in offseason and mere minutes between races are anxiety-filled moments. Waiting on the starting line is especially nerve-racking. The four seconds of madness after the light turns green: bliss.
That’s not just a feel-good statement, either, as last year Courtney beat her dad at his own game in Funny Car – an awesome yet bittersweet moment when she knocked John out of the points lead. No hard feelings, but racing is racing. These girls have race fuel in their blood, too.
“I always wanted sons,” John said. “And those girls kept popping out. … I didn’t get my sons, but I’ve got girls who can drive like the men.”
“We don’t want to just be the best females out there,” Courtney said. “We want to be just as good as the guys. We want to be the best drivers out there.” John’s entire family, in Yorba Linda, Calif., forms the John Force Racing team. His oldest daughter, Adria Force Hight, married a crew member, Robert Hight. John’s second daughter, Ashley Force Hood, is also married to a crewman and made a name for herself in a funny car several years before Courtney. The second youngest, Brittany Force, just made the jump from Top Alcohol to Top Fuel, where she also blazes at more than 300 mph. Even mom, Laurie Force, got licensed to drive a dragster. She wanted to understand the terminology. She wanted to keep up March 2013
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with her family, so to speak. From 2006 to 2007, the family was featured on A&E’s “Driving Force.” The girls grew up at racetracks. John has Courtney’s childhood drawings, in which she races him down the track. A novelist couldn’t have foreshadowed it better. “I wanted the funny car because that’s what we had around our shop,” Courtney said. “Dad knew funny car.” John admits, because of his career, he couldn’t always be there for his daughters. He’s there now, though. “NHRA took me away from my kids, and now it gave them back to me,” he said. Nerves at 300 Despite success in her young career, Courtney is anxious every time she climbs in the racecar. She was accustomed to 270 mph after several years in Top Alcohol class. Now she’s acclimating to an additional 40 mph, sometimes faster. The engine is in front of her, instead of behind, so the chassis feels way different. Along with compensating for the added blur, Courtney feared she wouldn’t be able to see out of the car. “I was used to the long dragster,” she said. “The body over me was a lot different.” That’s where dad’s expertise comes in. If anybody knows how to handle a funny car, it’s John Force. Grown men buy Castrol
GTX oil just because it comes with a 3-inch die-cast John Force Racing funny car. Courtney is fully aware of how iconic her dad is and always looked up to him the same way. What’s more, she knows she can trust the legend’s advice.
Funny Car isn’t like Top Alcohol, so Courtney is still honing new pedaling skills for when the car breaks loose. In a full run, she has four seconds to react.
“The only one you’ve got is that car to keep you alive,” John told her, “and you better know it better than any boyfriend or friend you’ve ever have.” John helped Courtney transfer to the funny car class with baby steps, or towing, for that matter. He towed her funny car while she steered and developed a feel for it. “It’s not really like you can just hop in and take a ride,” Courtney said. “It’s a little more difficult than that.” Then there were short runs, and eventually, full passes. Steering the funny car is a challenge. “I love fighting to keep that car straight,” she said. Drivers are at the mercy of the awesome power of a funny car. The Force’s saw that firsthand in 2007 when their team member Eric Medlen died from a head injury after severe tire shake and crashing. “It was a heartbreaker,” John said. “I thought right there they might quit.” Several months later, John was severely injured in his own crash. The team stepped back, reassessed their whole situation but stayed true to the sport, like Medlen would have wanted.
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“You’ve really got to learn to pedal, slow pedal, sometimes a quick pedal down at the other end of the track,” Courtney said, who has since turned a career-best 4.028second, 319-mph pass during Funny Car competition. “When I was in A Fuel dragster, I think it was a little bit easier to pedal the car. Dragsters, they’re forgiving; they’re really easy to hook back up. In a funny car, it just wants to turn sideways and turn you into a wall. My dad even says nowadays it’s a lot harder to catch it.” March 2013
Cool, calm, collected woman While Courtney admits to anxiety before every race, John sees it differently after the tires smoke and Courtney crosses the finish line. She’s Cool-Hand Luke, he says. Off the racetrack, she’s a pretty reasonable person, too, and has a deal with Ford to be a positive influence. Courtney is a mentor in the Ford Driving Skills for Life program. Mentors teach teens and parents about safe driving through tutorials, games, simulations videos and expert advice. Among her grit on the track and advocacy for safety off the track, Courtney is an obvious voice for women, too. She blogs for ESPN W, a women’s sports forum, and wishes her fellow athletes good luck, like when she Tweeted Danica Patrick a little encouragement before this year’s Daytona 500. If the stigma of being a woman in what people consider a man’s sport isn’t gone, it has certainly faded. Old-school fans cheer for John Force, but they cheer for the young Force sisters, too. ESPN couldn’t seem to get enough coverage of Courtney, as it showed her before almost every commercial break during Arizona Nationals, saying, “The car doesn’t care if the driver is male or female.” What Courtney does in Funny Car, simply put, is cool. Somehow, she hasn’t let that go to her head. Early success can create a lot of personal pressure, as well. From rookie jitters to wins, Courtney still fears the sophomore slump.
“I was just a rookie last year,” Courtney said. “I may have gotten the win the first race out, but I’ve still got a lot to learn.” That’s OK, though. Again, dad is John Force, and he knows a funny car better
than anyone. Even Courtney says it. John, the 15-time champ, waited nine years to win his first national event. Courtney did that her rookie year and finished fifth in championship points. “She did everything but win a championship,” John said. “What else could you ask for?” Ask Courtney, whether she finishes 10th or first, and she’ll hope for more attention for the sport. The communications major has a fallback if racing doesn’t work out, which isn’t likely. Either way, Courtney is an ambassador for NHRA with a smile on her face in every picture. Youngsters want her autograph. They want the new Courtney Force Traxxas remote control car. That’s a little indicator of the way things are going for now. “I don’t know if I’m going to be any good at bringing any attention to it,” Courtney said about NHRA, “but at least I can try.” Fans could argue she’s doing a pretty good job.
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n February 25th, I attended the NSSR “Fastest Show on Ice” in Menomonie, WI where Team Parent was racing for the day. It was the first race of the 2013 NSSR Fire on Ice World Record Series and Team Parent was providing valuable testing and feedback on my new snowmobile racing product, KimmyCat’s Slide Lube. This was the day we’d all been waiting for, a chance to see how the slide lube would perform on shaved ice in a real run for the record books.
O
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Written by Kim “KimmyCat” Niles Photography by James Netz www.jamesnetz.com
Of course, we’d had a very successful summer at the grass drags, including the initial test run taking first place at a local event in the Vintage 440 Stock D Fan Cooled division. I got a big sweaty hug from Murray Roberts that day! That success was followed by several other racing events where the racers were reporting picking up faster speeds even in the 500 foot runs. But the real test would be on 1000 feet of shaved ice with various sleds and lube systems. And finally, that day had arrived on Lake Menomin. First a little background for those who aren’t familiar with the NSSR. The National Straightline Snowmobile Racing World Record Speed Run Series has been around
since 1986 and is known worldwide as the only world record speed run circuit. The track consists of 1000 feet of clean ice, with 2000 feet of shaved shutdown. In order to earn a world record, the fastest run in a class must be backed up the same day within 2% of that speed. There’s also a mandatory tear down of any stock sleds to ensure the integrity of the class record. The NSSR is affiliated with International Snowmobile Racing (ISR) and follows their rules for classes. This particular day, the event included a run for the Guinness World Record for fastest speed in a quarter mile. Ok, so back to the races. I’m set up in the registration tent, when in walks Jack Henricks. I have to admit, I’m still a bit celebrity shy and, for me, Jack is definitely a celebrity. But, I had the perfect opening line and I wasn’t afraid to use it. See, I had just shipped a gallon of my slide lube to Vermont to a guy who actually owned one of Jack’s old World Record breaking sleds. So, I casually mention this and explain that Joe was hoping my slide lube would help him get the sled closer to the speed that Jack had broken the record at. So Jack looks down, studies my brochure for a second, and says “Ok, I’ll try it.” I’m ecstatic, but extremely nervous! After all, this was testing day for us and here’s Jack Henricks about to try it out on a Guinness record breaking run! The Guinness World Record for the quarter mile speed run was last set in 1989 by Marv Jorgensen at 190.308 mph (backed up by 189 mph) on his 3 engine four cylin-
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In all, I counted at least 5 world records that day in Menomonie running KimmyCat’s. At Forest Lake, there were at least 8 world records broken running the slide lube. My favorite part of that day was when the “greenhorn” on the Fun Run side just
der NOS Jaws III Machine. That record had stood for over 24 years. Jack was about to take his turn at breaking the record on his single engine Sit Up and Ride Henricks Powersports Yamaha/One Stop Performance Machine. I have a great shot of him waiting to get to the starting line, with a 20 oz. bottle of KimmyCat’s sitting on the back of the sled. How cool is that? Finally, after what seemed like forever, the Yamaha/OSP was on the line. The pit crew was putting the slide lube on the track. The helmet cam was on. The track was ready and the all clear was given by the race official. And, I knew the second I saw the numbers -- 190.728 mph was enough to break the record. All he had to do now was back it up. There were 4 Guinness Record runs scheduled throughout the day, but it
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only took two runs to officially break the record. Jack was able to back up his run with 189.890 mph the very next time out. It was a good day for KimmyCat’s. It didn’t end with the Guinness record, though. As I visited with the various racers who were trying out the slide lube, I found one success story after another. From my team who took first in 4 classes, including a world record in the Vintage Stock D 440 class with Murray’s 1976 Mercury, to Mike Mansfield from Big Lake who broke the Trail Stock 800 world record on his Triple Polaris. It was Mike’s first time on the Pro side of the track, and his crew kept coming back for more slide lube all day long. Mike was even able to break his own record at the next NSSR event in Forest Lake two weeks later.
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needed .6 mph to tie for third. I finally talked him into trying the slide lube, and he gained almost 2 mph on the 1000 foot run to tie for first! The only difference was about 20 minutes and KimmyCat’s Slide Lube. I love it when they can’t help but give me a big ole bear hug.
For more information on the World Record Series, check out the NSSR website at www.racenssr.com. And, be sure to check the video of Jack Henricks on the fastest snowmobile in the world at https://vimeo.com/59266859. If you want to go fast, look up Henricks Powersports online at www.henrickspowersports.com and give them a call! Don’t forget your slide lube, though. You can check that out at www.kimmycats.com.
March 2013
round 5 - Grassroots racing series
Photography by Keith McKenna 612-718-6910
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snocross races at ERX Motor Park
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atching 2,600 pounds of steel kick up dirt, nearing 100 miles per hour, all while avoiding 20 other cars inches away, gets your heart racing. Now add a thrill-seeking, adrenaline junkie teenager to that mix, and you have 17 year old Jacob Gondik. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? Wrong. This combination, along with immense commitment and maturity beyond his years, produces a wall full of racing titles and trophies.
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Jacob Gondik Written by Jenna Osterlund Photography by www.shooterguyphotos.com
Seventeen Years at One Hundred Miles per Hour
Racing is practically in Jacob’s genes. Passion for the thrill of speed was passed down from his Great Grandpa Steve, who attended races in Superior, Wisconsin when horses kicked up the dirt track. Nearly 80 years later, Steve’s great grandson was introduced to that same track. Jacob grew up spending his evenings with his dad, Rick Gondik, Jr., and Great Grandpa Steve Gondik at the former Supe-
rior Speedway. Between time in the grandstands, Jacob spent his time behind the scenes meeting some of his biggest idols race car drivers. Steve would say at age four Jacob could “shoot the shit with the best of ‘em.” This sparked Jacob’s childhood dream of racing alongside these guys someday on the dirt track. While most 10 year olds are hitting their top speeds on bicycles, Jacob began his journey to the dirt track in go kart races at the local Bugsy’s bar track. His dad invested in a six and a half horsepower Briggs and Stratton go kart for Jacob that topped 40 miles per hour. With the help of family friend and former racer Leroy Landin, Jacob mastered his machine. After a week of preparation and 100 laps under his belt, Jacob competed in his first race. Jacob placed first in his first heat lap starting in fourth and second place in his other heat lap starting in sixth. Starting at the pole in his first race, Jacob won his first feature. Winning was only one component of Jacob’s drive to race. His loyal fans, late Grandpa George Bolos and late Great Grandpa Steve Gondik, along with a huge loving family, always served as motivation. They were Jacob’s grandstand drivers, always there for advice and support, which
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went a long way. These guys inspired each year of Jacob’s life to be dedicated to racing, leading to 42 feature wins in just his first two years. Jacob’s potential to become a successful race car driver was undeniable. He had two go kart upgrades and raced at the Knoxville Nationals in Iowa and the Wisconsin State Championship. Jacob raced in the A-Feature at the Knoxville Nationals, placing twelfth and nearly won the Wisconsin State Championship but was hindered by fouling a spark plug. His last year go kart racing was full of blown up engines leading to disappointments, but this was not enough to stop him from chasing his dream.
lor Leuthner with experience on this track to guide him. Even though Taylor was only a few years ahead of Jacob, his title of most wins in the Midwestern Modified class at ABC Raceway in Ashland, Wisconsin, at age 18 made him a prime role model for Jacob. Jacob voluntarily started in last, and not-so-voluntarily placed last in his first dirt track race. He made up for this in his 6th place finish in the B-Feature later in the same show. The next two years of dirt track racing have been full of placing high in total points and top finishes. Just a year into dirt track racing, Jacob placed 9th out of 26 for track points, placed 10th out of 24 cars starting last, and won the Rookie of the Year award
out of 125 total racers. This past season, Jacob had 18 out of 25 feature starts and placed in a top 10. He even raced alongside one of his childhood idols that has 30 years of experience, and nearly beat him, but was passed in the last lap. Though Jacob’s short career of racing has been full of success, it also has its hard parts. “No one wants a punk kid out there,” according to Jacob…and maybe a few other veteran drivers. But Jacob’s commitment and maturity does not reflect that of a “punk kid.” Over twenty hours of work a week is dedicated to prepping for races, all while fitting in family, hunting, fishing, and school. Then there are the hours on the track, focused on nothing but protecting his and everyone’s cars and lives. “There is a fine line between aggressiveness and passiveness,” Jacob said, “sometimes I settle for less than what the car can give me.” This self-control has gained Jacob respect amongst veterans on the track. Next season, Jacob will be entering the dirt track a year older and more experienced. This kid has all the potential and talent in the world to reach the success of those who have helped him along the way. You know when a person makes their childhood dreams come true during their childhood, their dedication and focus is top-notch. I can guarantee you that Jacob is one to follow on the dirt track and throughout his career. Jacob can be found in “29G” tearing up dirt on Ashland, Proctor, Cedar Lake, Rice Lake, Ogilvie, and Superior tracks today, and Talladega tomorrow.
Though Jacob wasn’t old enough to legally drive 15 miles per hour in a school zone, he was legal to drive 80 miles per hour on a dirt track. Still a child at age 15, Jacob’s childhood dreams were finally about to come true. Jacob’s dad bought him a GRT Chassis from the well-known, World of Outlaw Late Model Series dirt track feature winner, Pat Doar from New Richmond, Wisconsin. Pat even came to Jacob’s house to help him set up his new car. A 367 horsepower engine was the cherry on top of the GRT. Jacob’s first dirt track race in the Midwest Modified class at Rice Lake Speedway in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, was full of nerves and uncertainty. This wasn’t the solid, smooth paved track Jacob was accustomed to. Luckily, Jacob had an older cousin, TayPage 28
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Written by Mylie Lavold hamrock Trucking was formed along with the Shamrock Landfill in 2011. The two joined forces to accommodate a diverse portfolio of industrial waste customers and have been successful in performing turn-key solutions to customers.”
“S
What this ultimately means, is an easy solution for their customers waste disposal needs. Whether it’s construction, manufacturing, industrial, commercial, municipal solid or recycling waste, Shamrock
Trucking can handle the job from beginning to end. They also offer free waste characterization and consulting. The Shamrock Trucking team includes
owners, Rich and Becky Gersdorf; along with Sales Manager, Joe Pesante. Located in Cloquet, MN, Shamrock offers many services including roll off containers ranging from 10 to 40 cubic yards. They also have end-dump and walking floor trailers that can haul up to 26 tons. Over the past 2 years, Shamrock has grown to a fleet of over 15 trucks and trailers that enables them to better address the various needs of waste disposal. “The unique tractor and trailer combos enable us to haul heavy loads to maximize tonnage, and this helps reduce the customer’s costs,” says Pesante. This versatility allows Shamrock to better serve the manufacturing and industrial waste streams that are generated. “Things really took off for us in those business segments when we started hauling materials from the mines up in the iron range and manufacturing companies around Duluth.” Shamrock Trucking is not just about offering a variety of waste disposal services
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and equipment. They are committed to providing the best and most complete customer service in the industry. When they say they offer turn-key service, they mean it. “We don’t like to say no,” says Pesante. “If the customer needs something that is not entirely in our wheel house, we have the network and resources to meet those needs. We arrange for third party services and truly manage all aspects of the project for the customer. We pride ourselves in having the best service around.” Pesante points out that many of their competitors are process driven where Shamrock makes doing business with them, streamlined and simple. “We like to get the work done and make it easy on both ends…not over analyze.” “Having someone who could meet all our needs was incredibly important to us,” says an Environmental Engineer on the iron range. “Shamrock Trucking has the ability to be very flexible with us. They were able to offer the high quality
service we needed along with the low cost we were looking for.”
Shamrock also strives to be a community partner. They provided free disposal of flood debris during last year’s flood that devastated many areas around Duluth and Carlton County. They offered special emergency rates to homeowners throughout the flood damaged areas, so they could be where they were needed, when they were needed most. “In the end, it’s all about maintaining and building healthy business relationships, one of Shamrock’s core goals,” says Pesante. “Our customers trust us and we trust our customers.” Contact Shamrock Trucking: 218-8780200 or info@shamrocktruckingmn.com Learn more: ingmn.com
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You can also find Shamrock Trucking on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
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Written by John Lentzkow
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or those suffering from a case of “Cabin Fever” here in Iowa after a long winter, the 44th Annual Rod &Custom Car Show held in Monticello, Iowa is a great escape to shed those winter blues. The Muller brothers Ralf, Tom, and Jim have over the years turned this invitational only show into a huge success with exhibitors from throughout the Midwest.
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Due to my involvement in snowmobile racing in the winter, it has been 10 or 12 years since I last attended this show which is typically held in February. It was great back then, and I can assure you even better now. This year I had a free weekend away from racing, and was invited to cover this historical event. While limited on space, perhaps it is not be the biggest show you will ever attend, but it certainly offers a variety As I walked around, stopping to visit with the proud owners of these works of art on display, you begin to appreciate the talent and craftsmanship involved with such projects. The majority of the builders do as much work as possible they are capable of preforming, then subcontracting those items such as chrome plating, sand blasting, painting, etc. to business professionals before final assembly. of Customs, Rods, Competition, and Motorcycles. All vehicles are neatly packed in the available space to allow an organized route for the huge crowd a chance to get up close. If your interest is hi-performance, this will fuel your passion for all you motor heads. Every year, the Muller brothers organize and invite a celebrative as an added attraction to their annual event. For 2013, it was meet “Daisy Duke” with Catherine Bach who was co-star of the hit TV shows “The Dukes of Hazard”. Catherine was a big draw with people waiting in line to get her autograph and meet her personally. On display also was a replica 1969 Dodge Charger that starred in the 1970s and '80s television show best known as the General Lee”.
With all the new technology available, vehicles are is some cases restored with modern day upgrades which adds not only comfort and drivability, but enhanced performance defiantly is better than when it came off the production line in its day.
The constant flow of people who share the enthusiasm and passion for these vehicles on display for both days is overwhelming. Judging from the expressions of those attending and the size of the crowd, I would bill this event as a huge success with 2 funfilled days of family entertainment. Wheels of Thunder Magazine was honored to be invited and take part in this remarkable display of truly some of the “Best in the Midwest” custom vehicles. March 2013
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ecognized as one of the top stops for our Vintage Ice Drag Racing, the Dickinson Co. Snow Hawks proved once again they know how to put a race on. Okoboji is part of The Iowa Great Lakes Region located in Northwest Iowa, and noted for great family vacations offering unique resorts, lodging, shopping, and fine dining. Five lakes surround this friendly community supporting both summer and winter sports. Racers from all over the Midwest compete here for cash and trophies, but most important they come here to share bonding with fellow racers and enjoy first class heads up racing. And because of a dedicated snowmobile club with volunteers, many who participate also in the races are insured of a safe, fast track, without any drama and bitching. These people just plain and simple know how to conduct a race for your enjoyment. Page 34
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Written by John Lentzkow
Friday night kicked off with a pre-race party at the Ritz Bar and Grill. Registration was available and good food and drinks were shared by all who attended. I had set up the Arrowwood Lodge as our host hotel because of previous stays for which I have enjoyed clean, quiet accommodations, and encouraged racers traveling long distances to stay here also. After a good night’s sleep we were up and off to the race site located on East Lake in front of Parks Marina. Saturday Morning was cold and crisp with near zero temps and remained in the lower teens throughout the day. Unlike last year, we were allowed to park on the ice because of the cold weather. This just makes life a lot easier with race trailers providing not only a place to warm up, but allow close access to tools and equipment. Spectators lined both fences along the 500 feet of shaved ice in anticipation of the 11: OO AM start time. Although down on entries from last year, what showed up was pretty
much the cream of the crop, and you were going to have to earn your wins today. One thing you have to consider is when you come to this area, many of these guys and gals have at their disposal several race tracks they maintain once the ice freezes over. And they are able to test and dial in
their race sleds which is a huge asset over some of us who are limited for testing. Over the years we have all become good friends, but once you stage on the starting line, it gets down to serious business which only last about 5 seconds or less. You beat somebody from Okoboji area; you have had a good day. Saturday night we all met at the Ritz again who play host for our Awards Banquet. We were treated to ordure’s and dinner buffet was offered in addition to ordering off the menu. What a nice gesture on the part of the Ritz for accommodating our group where we the enjoyed the presentation of cash prizes and trophies. First place, second place, or just an also ran, this club and the friends you race against here make you feel at home, and after the day we all walk away winners in my book. A very special thank you to all the sponsors and volunteers for your hard work and providing once again another top notch event and we look forward to 2014.
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lear Lake, Iowa once again hosted the 4th annual memorial race which was held Jan. 18, 19th, and 20th. For the second year in a row unusual warm weather and lack of snow caused additional challenges for volunteers from the North Iowa Snow Seekers and surrounding clubs to pull this event off. Their experience, dedication, and determination provided racers again with a wonderful place to race in spite of what “Mother Nature” had in mind for the weekend.
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A new location for the 2013 was chosen for the race and held at the Clear Lake State Park on the South East Shore. This year we were able to pull the big rigs onto the ice, unlike last year when no vehicles were allowed because of marginal ice conditions. Due to aerators on the lake and lack of snow, the planned “Ride around the Lake” for those attending this winter event had to be canceled. We arrived Friday afternoon and drove over to the race site to check it out. The warm weather was causing severe melting; however volunteers were busy grooming and shaving the track. There was a lot of
standing water, but colder temps overnight would freeze everything and we should be good to go on Saturday, or so we hoped. Friday night kicked off to a “Welcome to the Lake” party held at the local VFW. They provided a live DJ and registration was available to racers. This seems to be not your typical VFW I have been in before. This place was packed not only with local residents, but also from the surrounding area with a wide age group. This turned out to be a very fun evening sharing stories and meeting new friends, and as the hours went by and cocktails were consumed, it seemed like everyone had a fast sled. Saturday morning we arrived at the track early to get set up. Our plans were to use the radar run as a test track for Sunday’s drag races. Again due to the weather this year, many of the race teams have been limited to testing and getting their sleds set up. The radar runs is all about speed, different form ice drag racing where it is all about how quick you are or elapsed time, in our case 500 feet. This radar run offered us a track to make changes and dial our sleds in for the race on Sunday and give us an edge for the following weekend coming up. The morning started off cold but by afternoon it warmed up and we had water everywhere. The ice conditions just simply went from good to bad. The event volunteers did everything possible by plowing and shaving the ice to keep the track fast and safe, but lack of traction and slush lim-
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there was a Vintage Snowmobile Show and food tent for those attending. Saturday night we were back at the VFW again where they hosted the Awards Banquet, provided music by the band “Split Second”, and offered your favorite beverage which seemed to have the same effect as the previous night and turn you into a “Bar Room Racer”. Sunday morning was a complete turnaround with the weather. Below zero wind chill and 40mph winds would make it a brutal day of racing and test your sanity. Most spectators chose to stay at home in front of the fireplace, and those who did venture out pretty much stayed in their cars to watch. But for us die hard drag racers, we were presented with an excellent track with hard ice to do battle on thanks to those people who put this race on. If it ited the performance as the day progressed with melting. Early morning did provide an outstanding run by one of the Open Modified turbo sleds before the ice started to get soft, and he took home the $500 for “Fastest Sled of the Day” with a very impressive speed of 128 MPH in 500 feet. A very good turnout of race teams showed up from as far away as North Dakota. There was a huge crowd of spectators who turned out and took advantage of the warm weather to enjoy not only some very unique sleds in the radar runs, but also had an opportunity to witness what this race is
all about. And that is what has become known as “The Jack Race”. The event is a memorial to Jack Helgren, an area businessman, avid snowmobiler, former dealer/racer and promoter of the sport and the area. Race Chairman Gary McVicker, longtime friend of Jack Helgren, wanted to pay tribute to Jack for his love of racing. This is a LeMans “Style” Racing consisting of vintage to brand new sleds. There are many classes including a class where the age of the rider and age of the snowmobile must add up to 80 (the older you are - the newer the sled you can ride) and also includes a Ladies only class. Additionally were not for them, we could not enjoy a sport we all love. But to tell the truth, this weather that day tested this writer’s insanity. I am thinking NASCAR, football, big hot bowl of chili by the fire right now would be more in line. But once the sleds are fired up and you hear the cackle of a 2stroke at 10,000 plus rpm and the smell of race gas fill your nostrils, you seem to find a way to ignore the cold and it’s time to go racing. At least that is what I thought. You ever have one of those days where things just seem to progress from bad to worse? My son and I spent 3 months building, machining, fabricating, and working on our drag sleds for this first race of the season. So here we are Sunday morning ready to do battle with our friends and the unexpected happens. My boy had agreed to fill in for a driver who couldn’t make it this weekend for a friend of ours to drive his
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tor. The sled had minor damage and could be repaired, but most important there were no serious injuries, and he walked away. The rest of the day proceeded without any issues and racers enjoyed very intense competition. Mother Nature provided not
only a test for race teams, but the people who gave so much of their time to put this event together. You provided us all with a wonderful place to race and we all look forward to next year’s event. Thank you Clear Lake, Iowa for a great weekend.
sled. While testing before the race started, he completely blew the sled over backwards on his first pass. I was over by our trailer unloading our sleds unaware of what had happened. I went running to see him getting up off the ice. Thank God the sled did not land on him and he escaped only with a very bad bruised elbow. Needless to say we made the decision not to compete that day, and we watched sadly from the trailer after all our hard work. We felt very bad about the accident, and don’t really know what caused it except maybe the suspension setup and wind were a fac-
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BIKERS ROCK THE MINNESOTA CAPITOL leather as Senators and Representatives from both parties expressed support for increasing careless driving penalties, protection of the motorcyclist funded Motorcycle Safety account and most of all, no changes to the adult helmet law in Minnesota.
On January 23, 2013, in an overwhelming show of unity and support, motorcyclists from groups and clubs statewide came to the Minnesota State Capitol to lobby with one voice to protect the rights and safety of all Minnesota motorcyclists at ABATE of Minnesota’s 10th annual Bikerday at the Capitol. From Arco to Zumbrota and from Highway 1 to Highway 610 and all points in-between, hundreds and hundreds of Minnesota motorcyclists walked up the century old steps of the State Capitol to protect their motorcycling liberty and improve the safety of all road users. The Capitol Rotunda was a sea of black
March 2013
The crowd also heard from representatives of groups who partner with ABATE of Minnesota on related issues to move our legislation forward. The most important part of the day is when biker constituents meet with their state senator or state representative. No legislator can be an expert on
ber of legislative offices (81% of the Senate!). It was a great day and made a big impact. The forces who are working to steal our motorcycling lifestyle are usually getting paid a nice salary with benefits. But we have a secret weapon - the incredible passion that freedom minded motorcyclists bring to the table. Honestly, it’s not a fair fight. If January 23rd was a boxing match, the referee would have stopped it in the third round, holding the hands of Minnesota motorcyclists high!
everything. And many have limited knowledge of motorcycling. Bikerday attendees might be the reason they vote our way when a motorcycling issue comes up in committee or on the floor. In a way, Bikerday participants are controlling the future of motorcycling. Minnesota is a big state, 400 miles top to bottom and over 200 miles wide. I am always amazed at the commitment of those who attend. For many, this means taking a mid-week day off work and setting the alarm clock at 4:00am or earlier on a sub-freezing day to catch one of the buses for the long drive to St. Paul. This year we were able to hit an incredible num-
Mack Backlund State Coordinator ABATE of Minnesota
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IMS 2013 –
A New Year
Written & Photographed by John Krueger With 2013 well underway there have already been plenty of events for gear heads to attend. Like many others in Minnesota, I made the short jaunt to downtown Minneapolis for the annual International Motorcycle Show. Set in one of the spacious halls of the Minneapolis convention center, the IMS is a great way to kick off the year giving motorcycle enthusiasts an upclose-and-personal look with all the newest models from the industries biggest manufactures. With a variety to satisfy
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any enthusiasts' taste, plenty of vendors, and even a live stunt show, the event certainly had something for everyone. I spent most of my time wandering the hall taking photos of anything that caught my eye. I of course hit up the big, factory, setups; Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, and Harley-Davidson. As I roamed about taking photos, I noticed a reoccurring theme that made me happy and that theme was; custom. As I walked
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through the factory displays taking a look at the latest offerings, I noticed a lot of customized models, and I think that is a great thing. It's great to see manufactures embrace the custom aspect of the scene. Of course manufactures like Harley, Honda, and Yamaha offer a lot of options to customize a bike straight from the factory and there were plenty of examples set out to see. Amidst all the factory displays and vendor
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Means Another International Motorcycle Show booths was a custom motorcycle show. The various bikes and choppers were scattered about the hall in individual displays and show-goers could vote on their favorite. One of the bikes on display was featured just last month, Apur Mehta's turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa. There were plenty of amazing motorcycles on display competing for some hardware and you'll see plenty of them highlighted here in the coverage. Another really cool display was the Indian Motorcycles display. The newly resurrected company had a great interactive display for show-goers
March 2013
and plenty of cool motorcycles and models on display. It's great to see a company with a lot of heritage on the comeback. Other highlights included the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club display with an impressive line-up of classic motorcycles, and the Moto GP display had all of the top race bikes on display for their respective fans. All in all, it was a great show to attend with plenty to see and do. The IMS is a great kick-off to the year. What I like about the IMS compared to the Min-
neapolis Auto Show is the display of customized motorcycles. While it's great to see all of the newest models, it is also cool to see custom examples because it shows just how progressive the aftermarket industry really is. When a big manufacture partners with a custom builder, some truly great examples are produced, and it's really cool to see the motorcycle industry embrace that. Hopefully at this years Auto Show there will be a few custom examples on display. It's only a month away! Enjoy the photos of this year's IMS.
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IMS 2013 –
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rom grass to ice, Big Blue Racing has made its way to the top, in just under three years. Todd Bakke from Baldwin, Wisconsin, has made it to The World Series of Ice Drags, located in Oconto, Wisconsin, for his first time. Team owner Tom Fisher will share the spotlight with him. The team qualified not only in one class but in four different classes and on two different sleds. Fisher took 2nd place in Super Heavy 800 on Snapper, a 1996 Yamaha V Max 4 800cc. After 8 years of racing his sled, Tom accomplished his goal of racing and placing at The World Series of Ice Drags.
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Todd Bakke, racing in 3 different classes his first year at The World Series of Ice drags, shows how dedication and determination pays off. Placing 6th in 800 Heavy Mod and 6th in 800 Pro Stock on sled Snapper, Bakke is trying to make his name a standout as a racer. After only three years, Bakke is a great racer but still a beginner racer. Todd got red lighted and disqualified on little blue, a 1998 Yamaha SXR 600cc, during his race Sunday. Bakke is still learning the ends and out of racing.
Written by Jessica Kanke Photography by Peter Murphy
Todd, who weighs in at 165 pounds, has to worry about his weight. “I would rather cut weight for racing than wrestling,� Bakke said. A racer and his sled have to be the right weight for it class. Like other sports, the racer and his sled need to complement each other. As weight changes for either, the sensitive connection between the racer
Racing drags is not just jumping onto a sled and pressing the throttle. There is a lot more to racing than people often have the opportunity to see first-hand.. The hardest part Bakke is learning about racing is the sound of the RPM's reaching the right point to maximize his speed. It takes a lot to reach 108 mph in 500 ft. and his sled needs to change. In addition, if Todd decides he wants to race a sled known for its top performance, Todd may have to change his weight somewhat to be able to qualify with that particular sled. At 6 years old, Todd received his very own sled. Growing up on an Arctic cat, snowmobiles are nothing new to him. After being around sleds his whole life, he started racing his ZR 500 with a group of guys down at the locate lake 11 yrs ago. Tom, the owner of Big Blue Racing, would come to watch and race with the locals for practice. About 3 yrs ago, in 2010, Tom realized he was losing his races because he was top heavy. Tom has known Bakke since he was about 13 yrs old. Bakke recalls meeting Tom when Tom was driving down
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As a racer, Todd needs his team in order to reach his full potential. On race day, Bakke helps with loading and unloading his sled and, of course, getting on the sled at the line. The team likes to keep Todd doing a little as possible so he can focus on racing. Big Blue racing could not do this if it were not for the pit crew, family and support from all the sponsors. Tom Fischer, the owner and the main mechanic, has played a big role in advancing his team to another great season. Bakke's excavating is a huge part of the team, with rider Todd Bakke and pit crew member Craig Bakke..Beb Luch, pit crew, has played a major role in helping the team succeed. Also, a big thank you goes to Phil Hodges, a pit crew member his dirty road on a Sx 700 after a snow storm. Todd Bakke’s father, Craig Bakke has known the team owner for years. After watching Todd Bakke race all the local guys, Tom wanted to put him on his sled Big Blue, 1995 Yamaha V Max 4 800cc, to see what he could do. Todd impressed Fisher by beating the guys out of the hole
and timing the lights right. Todd may not have always won, but he had the right feel for the track. It didn’t take long for Bakke to advance. Tom then asked Bakke to race Big Blue in 2010.
his first season by placing 3rd Improved 600, 1st Improved 700, 3rd Improved 800, and 2nd Improved 1000. After a great season in 2011, Big Blue racing proudly claimed 35 trophies. The 2012 season was a full circuit for Big Blue Racing. At Rochester, Todd showed his true colors taking 3rd place in 800 improved stock and taking 2nd place and beating his idol Kelly Shilts for the second time in the 1000 improved stock class. "I have now beaten my idol both on grass and ice." Bakke said. As I interviewed Todd, he mentioned during the heats that he beat Dave Lacanne of Lacanne Racing, the number one rider and team of the season in his class. This thrilling moment in his racing career made him feel like he was on top the world and that he could become a great racer.
helping with team Big Blue. Pat Hauck, who sold two of the sleds, Big Blue and Little Blue, to Team Big Blue, also helps with sponsoring the team. Big Blue racing could not do this without the support of family, friends and, of course, the FANS. The team and supporters of Big Blue Racing cannot wait to bring their fans another thrilling racing season.
In 2010, Todd raced his first race at Hayday’s in North Branch, MN on Big Blue. During the heat runs, Todd was crazy-fast impressing everyone. With the inexperience of a first-time racer, Bakke got a big head, which lead him to lose both of his races. He realized that he had a lot of skill but still had a lot to learn. The team decided to try to race the full circuit on both ice and grass in 2011. In Rochester, MN in 2011 for the Great Southern Grass Drag Nationals, Bakke took his first 2nd and 3rd place wins racing Big Blue. In the 2011 grass season, Bakke raced in the Wanna Ride Racing Circuit. He showed he could come out on top for Page 52
Photography by Peter Murphy • 414-412-3332
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petermurphymedia.com March 2013
SledHead 24/7 TV Show airing on FSN-MN & FSN-WI Sledhead 24-7 can be seen Sunday nights at 10pm on FSN
http://www.sledhead24-7.com/Airtimes/ Welcome to the wintery world of “Sledhead 24-7”
It’s about tech and trail...... and spending time with people who embrace the snowmobile lifestyle. Each week host Meisha Johnson, former racer Paul Mack and tech expert Jeff Fisher steer you to some of the world’s greatest places to ride.....with some of the world’s greatest riders.
ance in Forest Lake Minnesota, has been crafting the “ how to “ for speed. Today StraightLine is a worldwide performance shop, but had humble beginnings in founder Jason Houle's garage.
"Sledhead 24-7" will check out cutting edge gear and gadgets and ride the latest model sleds from the major manufactures.
We’ll test the limits of snowmobile performance through a series of ambitious builds at Speedwerx.
StraightLine creates upgrades for just about all power sports machines. Today Jason shares 3 ways to quickly improve your Ski-Doo, starting with StraightLine’s exclusive exhaust kit, fuel programmer and clutch kit, which are easy, quick ways to upgrade your Ski-Doo.
But "Sledhead 24-7 " will always be about folks like you, the riders, the clubs, and families who can’t wait to get out on the trail. From the Firecat, to the Pro Cross chassis, Arctic Cat has made big changes in the past decade and the test riders at " Sledhead 24-7" ride, rate and review.
Snocross super star Robbie Malinowski, races the pro circuit on a StraightLine enhanced SkiDoo, Robbie's proud to race w/ StraightLine. "If you haven't been to Jackson Hole, you're missing out. " Sledhead 24-7 " hangs out and has some fun at the World Championship Hillclimbs.
If you own a Ski-Doo, learn about Straightline Performance and find out about the Heart Breaker, a dyno room that hides no secrets. For more than 2 decades, Straightline PerformMarch 2013
"The Jackson Hole Hillclimbs are a favorite of every snowmobiler." "Jeff Fischer shows us the quickest way down the mountain." This is just a little of what we have going on, you can catch Sledhead 24-7 Sunday nights on Fox Sports North and Fox Sports Wisconsin. Tune in each week www.Sledhead24-7.com. www.WheelsofThunder.net
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ISOC Photo’s provided by Lissa Marsolek of Wayne Davis Photography
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ISOC NEW YORK NATIONAL FEB 22-23, 2013
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Written By Tom Edwards
M
y interest in baseball dates to the 1950s when my native New York had 3 teams. I had followed the Dodgers but after the ’57 season they joined the Giants in a move to the west coast. I was either going to follow the Yankees or my interest in and enjoyment of baseball would come to an end. It wasn’t a difficult choice, really. I have enjoyed seeing their spring training, regular season and post-season games at home and on the road for more than 50 years. Of those I’d say the World Series games have been the most fun. When my wife Cathy and I see them play on the road, my NY hat doesn’t really stand out. Yankees fans are everywhere. Cathy and I saw New York play in Anaheim for many years during our careers in the aerospace industry in southern California. At one of those games, every fan in our row of seats was wearing a Yankees hat. It was like old home week. They were in about 40% of the World Series played in the 20th century. Some teams have a good year or, a nice 2 to 4 year run. The New York Yankees had a good century and they didn’t play in their first World Series until 1923. From 1949 until 1953 they won the series every year.
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I saw my first drag race in the 1960’s and, like the Yankees, being a fan of drag racing is a lot of fun. Over the years a variety of cars have caught my eye, Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock are my favorite categories both at the track and watching at home. With my interest in baseball and drag racing, it is understandable that among my all-time favorite Top Fuel cars are the Darrell Gwynn Racing/ Yankees dragsters. They debuted in 2000 with second generation driver Mike Dunn behind the wheel as the most storied name in professional sports entered the world of 300 MPH competition. The car debuted at the Matco Tools Supernationals in Baytown, Texas on October 29, 2000. During the 2001 season, The Yankees Top fuel dragster went to 5 final rounds won 2 of them and finished 4th for the year. The number on the wing of a dragster is a lot like golf, the lower the number, the better. At the race in Topeka, Kansas, their 4.49 second run was the first sub-4.5 second run on the newly mandated 90% nitro rule. The owner of the team, Darrell Gwynn was the 1983 NHRA Top Alcohol dragster champion. In 2001, the 50th anniversary of the NHRA, he was voted one of the 50 greatest drivers of all time. Clearly, he knows his way around race cars. Darrell’s dad, Jerry also has a drag racing background and was the Yankees
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Racing team manager. Mike’s dad is drag racing legend Big Jim Dunn. Entering his rookie season with the Yankees, Mike had 10 or more wins in both Funny Car and Top Fuel. That places him on a select list of drivers to have accomplished that feat. The others are Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, Gary Scelzi and “The King of
Speed”, Kenny Bernstein; the driver that broke the 300 MPH barrier. The Yankees 3 year sponsorship agreement began late in the 2000 season and the team competed at 3 races. In spite of that very limited schedule, The Yankees Top Fuel dragster ran 3 of the quickest runs of the season. With Crew Chief Ken Veney and his Co-Crew Chief Todd Smith turning the wrenches, The Gwynn/Steinbrenner team was a formidable group of racers to be reckoned with every time they went to March 2013
the starting line. Like their baseball counterparts, the Yankees race team was a challenge. Dunn figured prominently into their success. As you can see on the Mike Dunn pit card, he is well on his way to first base at Yankee Stadium and the green light has not been activated on the Christmas Tree. He could “cut down a tree” with the best drivers on the tour. His driving skills help him earn the 1999 Car Craft Top Fuel Driver of the Year award. Again, Mike was on a short list that includes Don Garlits and Shirley Muldowney. When it comes to the skill set required to pilot 300 MPH race cars, dragsters or fuel coupes, if Mike Dunn isn’t in a class by himself, it won’t take long to take attendance. In 2002 he signed with ESPN to work as a race day announcer, a position he still holds. When Cathy and I are not at a race, we follow it on ESPN and, with his knowledge of the sport; we enjoy his work in the booth and in the pits. The second driver of a Yankees car was Andrew Cowin, son of Australian drag racers Graeme and Wendy Cowin. I remember seeing Graeme race Kenny Bernstein in a Funny Car Final in Pomona; the first international match-up in that category. At the 2002 race at that famed track, Andrew earned the number 1 qualifying position with a 4.49 second run at the Winternationals. My wife and I remember that run very well; it was the first sub 4.5 second run we had seen in person. It was the final
kees drivers have signed.
round of qualifying, the sun had set; when the tree went green and the Yankee dragster header flames instantly reached the back wing at the hit of the throttle, you just knew it was going to be a great run and it was. After all the years I have followed drag racing, it still surprises me you can pack so much fun into less than 5 seconds. The crowd reaction told me that whether it’s a race track or a ballpark, the Yankees have a lot of fans. Both teams had things in common with home run power topping the list. The third and final driver of a Yankees Top Fuel car was veteran racer Cory McClenathan. The Crew Chief was John Stewart. During that season I asked Cory to sign a Yankees baseball for me and he was more than willing to autograph it. As a memorabilia collector, mostly baseball and drag racing, it’s nice to have a ball that all 3 Yan-
When your primary sponsorship is with the New York Yankees, the amount of baseball related memorabilia your race team can market is as long as it is impressive. In the 1/24th scale die cast world, the team issued 7 versions of the car in 3 years. I have all 7 and my favorite is the gold car. The Yankees never had a gold car on the track; there were a limited number of them issued. As my wife Cathy pointed out, if any team had a car made of gold on a race track, it would be the Yankees. Having followed them most of my life, I agreed. The polo shirts, jackets and hats available in the souvenir trailers were always fun to check out. The embroidered polo shirts with the Gwynn/Steinbrenner names have a baseball bat serving as the slash line. Mr. Steinbren-
ner has a baseball dotting the letter i in his name. During their final season Cathy and I saw them in Pomona, twice, Brainerd and Las Vegas. I don’t remember walking away from the souvenir trailers empty handed at any of those races. In fact, I still have my Yankees Racing watch. Cathy and I had the enormous pleasure of meeting Darrell Gwynn at the Winternationals during the Yankees 100th anniversary season. Seeing that logo on the side of Darrell’s car is one of my favorite drag racing moments. With my interest in photography, I was thrilled when he kindly gave me access to the pit area “as long as I don’t start the car”. I thought that was fair.
March 2013
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reetings again Wheels fans! We hope you are as excited for the spring as we are at GameON! TV. This issue of Wheels of Thunder is sweet...full of great stories, pictures and sponsor information that underscores just how much momentum and excitement surrounds motorsports! GameON! TV continues to grow & reach so many of you with our sports programming and you know by now that we broadcast in the Dakota's and western Minnesota via MidCo Sports Network. GameON! loves sports, from the variety of professional, college & high school sports to all the outdoor events that dot our regional landscape. GameON's partnership with Wheels of Thunder is strong and just like you, we also enjoy the most comprehensive race magazine and website to be found! Wheels of Thunder magazine gets it and gets you the latest information, amazing pictures and all those terrific stories to the most passionate motorsports fans in the country! Looking ahead, there's more special events and moments ahead for GameON! Each and every week GameON! comes to you in crystal clear full High Definition and our first APP (it's free to for Apple & Android phones) is available for your use! GameON! TV is now offering a weekly PODCAST available @ our show website www.GameOnTvMN.com. It's full of bits and pieces of sports from the region and what's ahead on our weekly TV show. GameON! still serves as the lead-in to the award winning FOX NFL pre game show on FOX's MY29 here in the Twin Cities during the NFL Season. GameON! does what no other TV sports interview show (in the region) does. We offer a diverse and entertaining half hour of TV as we bring you the most visible and popular Minnesota sports figures. From the Vikings, the NBA Timberwolves, the NHL Wild, the Twins and we visit with the Lacrosse Swarm. There's NASCAR and we're all over your favorite drivers, in fact, we justnwelcomed X-Games Gold Medalist Levi LaVallee to a downtown Minneapolis taping. This show is interactive so we'd love to hear from you! Please visit our Facebook site (friend us @ GameON on facebook), our website @ www.gameontvmn.com and 24/7on twitter #gameontvmn. And we're always planning
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