A quick trip to Thief River Falls over the past couple days provided some cool sights and interesting developments. Snow was in the air (literally), spirits were running high and winter seemed on the doorstep.
Sno Pro 500s were on the production line, looking lean, mean and ready to rip.
Makes me wonder if two of these were the very same sleds that Tom Rowland from Thomas Sno-Sports received via shipment today. I hope so.
The production line at Arctic Cat has an energy and buzz that seems almost magical. Seeing snowmobiles and ATVs come together, in the matter of a few hundred feet, still astounds and inspires this writer.
Arctic Cat Exhaust Emissions Manager Glen Martin was kind enough to explain the current state of emissions for the snowmobile industry. Look for an upcoming story here at AI.
A quick stop at the Team Arctic Race Shop showed Ryan Simon’s 2009 Sno Pro Mod sled on the stand and minus the engine. I wonder what a rolling chassis like this costs?
Kirk Hibbert (right) was in his own amazing shop, working on some new track and suspension ideas for his friend Kurt’s Crossfire 600.
Kirk Hibbert (left) has probably removed/installed more rear suspensions than all but a handful of other people.
While Kirk and Kurt were working on the Crossfire, here sat Tucker Hibbert’s Stock 2010 Sno Pro 600 race sled, in the process of being torn down and then reassembled in race colors. Wonder if Kirk’s wife, Teresa, knows that he’s using her bathroom towels to protect the sled’s tunnel?
Stacked outside the Team Arctic Race shop were lots of crated Sno Pros, in both 500 and 600 configuration. Reminds me of presents under the tree at Christmas.
ArcticInsider picked up their Sno Pro 500, cleverly using the sweet Ford Focus wagon and Thule roof rack to get ‘er done.
That’s Team Arctic Race Manager Mike Kloety driving the forklift and taking extra care with the placement of the crate.
On the way home, a quick stop at Tucker and Mandi Hibbert’s motocross track near Pelican Rapids found the multisport racer sitting and pondering life’s unanswerable questions, such as, “Why does this nut job always follow me around with his camera?” and “Why do his photos always make me look like a deer-in-the-headlights?”
Hibbert has built one of the coolest natural-terrain motocross tracks that we’ve ever seen.