WoT December 2014

Vol. 5 Issue 12 DECEMBER 2014

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Page 28Page 32

Cover photo provided byBailey Sens Photography

Page 2 Find us on Facebook “Wheels of Thunder” December 2014

Special FeaturesWheels of Thunder Race Team.................4

Vandergriff Jr. Stepping Out..................16

ORA....................................................28

Las Vegas Strip.....................................32

Rally’s & ShowsSnocross ..............................................38

Reviews & TechEVS – Press Release .............................24

DepartmentsGarage Built.........................................12

Boiling Point .........................................14

ABATE of MN.......................................37

Game On! ...........................................42

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Page 28

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Photographers/WritersMYLIE LAVOLD TOM EDWARDSBILLY BOYLE JENNA OSTERLUNDCEAJA PHILP STEVE CASPER

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www.WheelsofThunder.net Page 3December 2014


Zack was introduced to snowmobiling three years ago when JeffCottew of Cottew Motorsports, offered him a chance to rideone of his son’s sleds. Zack had never ridden on a snowmobile

before this, so his first year was basically getting used to the sled andthe tracks. People thought his father was crazy to take him out toBessemer, Michigan, but Zack survived it. By the end of the season hewas doubling the whoops and took a 5th place overall for his class.


His second year racing, he came out on amission to prove to everyone that this wassomething he loved and wanted. One ofthe best experiences he had was going tothe Learn to Ride Clinic at ERX, MotorPark. He got some invaluable informationfrom the top drivers in the sport, one ofthem being Kyle Palin of Team LaVallee.Then at a regional event at his home towntrack while he was rippin through thewhoops he cased the top of one and caughtone of the flags and flew off the track withthe snowmobile landing on his leg. Zackended up with two tibia plateau fractures.

Unfortunately, he was not able to race againuntil the oval race at ERX Motor Park inMarch where he came out with no fear andtook a First place and a second place.

He is starting his third year and was ac-cepted into the Polaris race program nowracing for the Polaris racing Team. Withthat honor he was able to upgrade his sledand got a 2015 Polaris 600 IQR race sled.His first week of practice has been goodone and the team mechanic has been busymaking adjustments to the sled and gettingit race ready. Zack is conditioning and get-ting his body ready for racing. His first racewill be over Thanksgiving weekend in Du-luth, Minnesota.

ABOUT ZACK ROBINSON #222

Age: 16

Born: 6/7/1998

Hometown: St. Francis, MN

Hobbies: Fishing, Biking, Video Gamesand Lacrosse

No. of Years Racing: 3

Occupation: Student

EXPERIENCE

600cc Jr. (14-15)

600cc Jr. (16-17)

Amateur 16+

WoT RACE TEAM:Zack Robinson

Written by Stacy andJodie Robinson

Photography byBailey Sens Photography


HIGHLIGHTS

Winning ERX Grassroots Series

Placing in the top three in the ISOC Re-gionals

Most Memorable Moment in Racing:Winning my first race at ERX Motor Park.

Major Racing Accomplishments: Placingin the top 5 in ISOC Regional points.

2014-2015 Racing Divisions: 600cc Jr.(16-17), Amateur 16+

Goals for 2014-2015 Race Season: Placetop four overall for the season and podiumat least one race.

Favorite Track? Duluth

Toughest Racer to pass on the track?Adam Peterson

Describe your off-season training regi-men: Running, biking and lifting weights.

What pre-race ritual do you do? Stretchout and listen to music.

Who has influenced your race career themost to date? Levi LaVallee and KodyKamm

Where would you most like to go visit inthe world? I would love to go ride snow-mobile in the mountains.

If money were no object what vehiclewould you drive? Ford Raptor

What music do you listen to? Countryand Hip Hop

If you could continue racing after youare done with your current form of rac-ing what type of racing would you liketo do (money being no object)? Supercross

Crew Members: Scott Robinson, StacyRobinson, Sara Robinson, and Sadie Robin-son

Sponsors: Polaris, FXR, Spy, Wheels ofThunder Motorsports, Flo Fast, Willy Mc-Coys, Pro Power Sports, Pizza Ranch (ElkRiver), Stud Boy, Powermadd, ExtremeMax Products, S & D Garage Doors & Re-modeling, Extreme Max Products, Ickler, J& A Glass, CA Pro, Frog Z Skin, The ShockGuy, WoThunder Glove, Transport Graph-ics and Grampa and Grandma Robinson.

ZACK’S RACE SCHEDULE

December 6 & 7 – Regional at QuadnaMountain Park in Hill City, MN

December 12 & 13 – National atBuffalo River Race Park in Fargo, ND

December 14 – Regional at BuffaloRiver Race Park in Glyndon, MN

December 18 – Grassroots at ERXMotor Park in Elk River, MN

December 31 – Learn to Ride at ERXMotor Park in Elk River, MN

January 1 – Grassroots at ERXMotor Park in Elk River, MN

January 3 & 4 – Regional at ERXMotor Park in Elk River, MN

January 9 & 10 – National at Can-terbury in Shakopee, MN

January 11 – Regional at Canterburyin Shakopee, MN

January 15 – Grassroots at ERXMotor Park in Elk River, MN

January 16 & 17 – World Champi-onship in Eagle River, WI

January 24 & 25 – Regional atQuadna Mountain Park in Hill City

January 30 & 31 – National at Days of’76 Rodeo Grounds in Deadwood, SD

February 5 – Grassroots at ERXMotor Park in Elk River, MN

February 19 – Grassroots at ERXMotor Park in Elk River, MN

February 20 & 21 – National atRoute 66 Raceway in Chicago, IL

February 27 & 28 – National atSoaring Eagle Resort and Casino inMount Pleasant, MI

March 5 – Grassroots at ERX MotorPark in Elk River, MN

March 6 & 7 – Regional at ERXMotor Park in Elk River, MN

March 13 & 14 –National at LakeGeneva Resort and Spa in LakeGeneva, WI


Two years ago Brittani was introduced to Snocross by Wheels ofThunder Motorsports in which they gave her an opportunity toparticipate in a race. She immediately fell in love with the sport!

Brittani grew up riding snowmobiles her whole life and was intrigued byracing them. She grew up in a racing family, starting with her grandfa-ther, John Robinson, who drag raced cars. Her father, Buddy Robinson,drag raced motorcycles professionally. Brittani’s uncle, Scott Robinson,also drag raced cars. Down the line of generations of racing, Brittani’scousin, Zack Robinson, was the first to break the drag racing trend andbegan Snocross. Brittani often went to watch and cheer him on; she lovedthe entire atmosphere and wanted to get more involved.

BRITTANI’S RACE SCHEDULE

December 12th – 14th – Buffalo RiverRace Park in Glyndon, MN

December 18th – Grassroots at ERXMotor Park in Elk River, MN

January 1st – Grassroots at ERX MotorPark in Elk River, MN

January 3rd – 4th – ERX Motor Parkin Elk River, Minnesota

January 9th – 11th – Canturbury Parkand Racetrack in Shakopee, MN

January 15th – Grassroots at ERXMotor Park in Elk River, MN

January 24th – 25th – Quadna Moun-tain in Hill City, MN

February 5th – Grassroots at ERXMotor Park in Elk River, MN

February 19th – Grassroots at ERXMotor Park in Elk River, Minnesota

March 5th – Grassroots at ERX MotorPark in Elk River, MN

March 6th – 7th – ERX Motor Park inElk River, MN

March 19th – Grassroots/Annual SnowOval at ERX in Elk River, MN


ABOUT BRITTANI

Age: 16

Born: 4/13/1998

Hometown: Princeton, MN

Hobbies: Soccer and Fishing

EXPERIENCE

Junior Novice Girls

Pro-Am Woman

HIGHLIGHTS

Ending up 3rd in points for the ERX Grass-roots Series

No. of Years Racing: 2

Occupation: Student and Barista

Most Memorable Moment in Racing:Winning my first holeshot

Major Racing Accomplishments: Taking3rd in points at ERX

2014-2015 Racing Divisions: Pro-AmWomen

Goals for 2014-2015 Race Season: Tolearn, gain experience, continually im-prove, and strive for a podium finish eachrace.

Favorite track: ERX

Describe your off-season training regi-men: Biking, running, and strength train-ing

What pre-race ritual do you do: Listen tomusic and visualize

Who has influenced your race career themost to date: My father and growing up atmany different racetracks

Where would you most like to go visit inthe world? I have always wanted to go toHawaii

If money were no object what vehiclewould you drive? Lamborghini

What music do you listen to? Rock andhip-hop

If you could continue racing after youare done with your current form of rac-ing what type of racing would you liketo do (money being no object)? Drag racemotorcycles

Crew Members: Buddy Robinson, JodieRobinson, and Brandi Robinson

Sponsors: FXR, Spy, Wheels of ThunderMotorsports, Extreme Max Products, CAPro, Digital Ink, Dry Tech, Power Madd,MyShockShop.com, Frog Z Skin, Stud Boy,Amsoil – Mike Ford, Home ImprovementShop, Logic Electric, Shop.com, John &Sharon Robinson, Buddy & Jodie Robinson


Stock OriginalThis is where it all started!Stock Original

This is where it all started!

Sound Familiar?Do you have a story of your custom ride? [email protected] and you could be

featured with your ride in the next issue!

Owner/Enthusiast:Tom Schwartz

1971 Yamaha XS1B“I restored this bike in 2009. It was a one ownerbike that showed its age and was pretty run downwhen I got it. It came from a very nice retiredteacher in Coral Springs, FL who bought the bikenew in 1971 while living in New Jersey. The onlyreason he was selling it was that he was gettingolder, and was having trouble with kick starting it,as these early XS650s are kick start only. He wastotally jazzed that I was going to restore his baby!We became friends and we still keep in touch.”


After I purchased the bike online (Ebay), I was ecstatic! Ihad wanted an XS1B for a long time, and now I had one!!After my euphoria faded I started to get concerned aboutgetting another motorcycle past the CFO of our house-hold.... namely my wife Melissa! With about seven bikes inthe barn already, I knew she would not find the same joyin my new acquisition that had found.

I soon hatched a plan... The idea was to take my wife ona weeklong getaway to Key West (her favorite place), onthe way back we stop in Coral Springs, pick up the bike,and we're on our way. How could she be mad at me after4 or 5 days in the sun? After all, it was mid January andwinter was in full swing....it was perfect. So, the plan wasset in motion, and about a month later we were on theroad in my pick up on our way to the southern most pointin the continental US!

My wife knew I was up to something after a few phonecalls I made to the owner of the bike on the way down,but she didn't know what. I told her we might stop to visita friend on the way back to pick up some parts. I'm al-ways wheelin' n dealin so she just rolled her eyes ever soslightly and didn't say much about it.

We enjoyed 2 days in Naples and 4 days in Key West, itwas great! Then on the way back when we pulled up tothe house, she saw the bike sitting in the guys drivewayand she looked puzzled. When she realized what was hap-pening she said, "I thought we were just picking up parts?"I just smiled and told her that it was parts, a whole bikesworth of parts....Lol! In the end she wasn't mad at all,bless her heart, she is a great girl! Now she loves the bikeas much as I do, and we ride it together often.

Anyway, the bike was in running condition but was nevermaintained the way it should have been, but it was allthere, just the way I like em. I was very anxious to take

my new toy out for a ride so the first warm weekend wehad, I took my wife out for a ride and the bike broke downabout 30 miles from home..... lesson learned there!

I take my restores down to each bolt every time, so I'llsave you the in-depth details. Suffice it to say that Istripped the bike down completely and rebuilt it replac-ing, repairing, or rebuilding anything that was in need,along with a few modern upgrades as well, here is the list.new NOS wiring harnessnew flat style main fusenew modern halogen headlightnew GEL batterynew Pamco electronic ignitionnew coils and wiresnew iridium NGK spark plugs (you should try them, theyare awesome! made a BIG difference and provides a greatreliable spark)new modern solid state rectifier and regulator (great im-provement on these older bikes as the stock units weremarginal at best even when new).new tapered steering head bearingsnew bronze swing arm bushingsnew modern shocksnew O-ring chainnew tires and tubesnew fork seals and fresh 20 weight fork oilNot to mention a ton of smaller parts and hardware, anda lot of cosmetics.

I originally paid $1600 for the bike, and I'm sure I've puta little over $2000 into it, not counting my labor. The bikeruns flawlessly and turns heads EVERYWHERE! It's superreliable now, and like I said before I'm not really doing thisfor profit....I love these old girls.



For those of you that do not have a televi-sion, IPad, read the newspaper or hang outat a coffee shop or bar. Let me bring you upto speed on what may be an historicalevent, (did I just say historical) ok, let’s saycontroversial. On August 9th, 2014 in Fer-guson, Missouri a rather big, smug 18 yearold was shoplifting at a neighborhood con-venience store and rousting the shopowner. The thug-like moments werecaught on surveillance camera and showedthe 6’6” Michael Brown pushing aroundthe shop owner, a rather short, middle agedimmigrant before exiting with an armful ofCigarillos.

The bully-like video could have been anyneighborhood in the United States. It hap-pens every day; however, most go unre-ported for fear of neighborhood retaliation.For those of you that have never traveledthrough or had business in the “HOOD”, itis quite an experience. I can recall one ofmy trips back from Michigan and stoppingin Gary, Indiana - home of the JacksonFive. The rest stop lasted less than ten min-utes, as we had stopped for gas only to bepelted with rocks and bottles by a bunch oflocal thugs. But I did manage to get a sou-venir tee shirt that said, “I was attacked inGary, Indiana but I BEAT IT” Jackson Style.Being from the big city I should haveknown better, but us East Coasters “Don’tStop ‘Til You Get Enough”. (Another Jack-son Hit). The point is despite what the lib-erals say, it is Black and White, it is Rich orPoor and it is Cops and Robbers.

I am all for recognizing your heritage, yourethnic upbringing and your traditions. Butwhat burns my ass is when you encountersome lily white punk that is wearing hispants well below the crack of his ass or arather large white girl that just took anEbonics class. I can tell you this first handthey would crap their pants and drop theghetto lingo if they came face to face with

some real bad boys from the hood.

Back in Ferguson, Michael “Big Mike”Brown was making his way back throughthe neighborhood with his booty from the

convenience store. Around the same timeFerguson Police Officer DarrenWilson wasresponding to an emergency call that a twoyear old was not breathing. Officer Wilsonwas assisting and waiting for EMT’s to ar-rive takes care of the victim. At scene of thestolen Cigarillos’ Ferguson Market andLiquor, someone had called 911 and gave adetailed description of the two men. Thenext minute a dispatcher gives a descrip-tion of one of the suspects over radio andthat the suspects are on foot walking to-ward the neighborhood Kwik Trip. The lo-

cation is in close proximity of where Offi-cer Wilson is tending to the sick child. AsOfficer Wilson is departing the scene hecomes upon the two men that fit the de-scription walking down the middle of theroad. An exchange of words, a few choiceexpletives and a hand to hand battle allwithin a matter of a minute and then bangthe fatal shots that took “Big Mike” to theground. Now depending on whom you talkto the version of story differs. Why, yousay? Mike is a street kid that is black; Dar-ren is a cop that is white. From the begin-ning this case had the black matriarchsjumping on the Michael Brown bandwagon alleging all kinds of inaccurate wit-ness accounts. One such pot stirrer was theinfamous and scary looking Revered Al

Sharpton. This so called leader of theAfrican American community does noth-

Written by Billy Boyle

A TRAGEDY – HANDS UP OR HANDS DOWN


ing but incite the weak minded followersto hate white people.

I grew up with some white guys that wouldbe considered thugs, bullies and criminals.Some of these guy’s lives were cut shortmuch like Michael Brown, all due to theirantics that they are invincible and inde-structible. The Michael Browns of theworld, White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, etc.make the papers every day, big city andrural America. Usually these bad boycrimes or deaths end up on page 36 of thelocal newspaper with the end of story line“details and names to follow later”. Latermeans obituary column. Al Sharpton canget on his podium and blast the man, thecop, the color of one’s skin, but the bottom-line more blacks are killed by blacks. Rev-erend’s Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and theAnti- American and Racist JeremiahWrightwould never hold a press conference be-cause a black thug killed a black thug.Why? It’s not a newsworthy story for themedia hogs.

From the day that this incident happenedto the press conference releasing the GrandJury’s decision to exonerate Officer Wilsondid the black leaders like an Al Sharptonoffer the community any guidance in thedue process of the American Constitution.That the reason we have freedoms ofspeech and Religion, the right to bear armslegally, the right to vote and the 5thAmendment Indictment by grand jury.These people of the Grand Jury, black andwhite were selected to hear the witness ac-counts, see and listen to the hard evidence

and make the determination that the casegoes to trial or not. Like many of us thatwere not sitting in that room for the lastseveral weeks we did not hear all the facts,our only communication outlet was CNN,HLN and FOX. Those cable media ratingwhores brought forth many spokes peopleand experts from both sides of the issue tocontinue to stir the pot. The long drawnout meeting of the grand jury only stokedthe fire until the day of the decision, orshould I say night of the decision.

What were they thinking when they de-layed the announcement until the lateevening? I know they figured the blackcommunity would be in bed by 8:00 PM toget up for school or work the next morn-ing. That is not a shot at the black com-munity but it is a stab at the leaders of lawenforcement in the St Louis area. Seriously

did they think that a late night decisionwould calm the festering community? Allthe planning that I heard about the Na-tional Guard protecting the neighborhoodshops and the police calming and manag-ing the people was nowhere to be seen. Inthe matter of an hour the streets were ablaze with police cruisers burning, neigh-borhood shops, and restaurants burnt tothe ground. The lively hood of their fellowneighbors that worked their ass off to startand own a successful business was snuffedout by some punk because they listen tovoice of the devil and the likes of their socalled community activist that were actu-ally the new Black Panther party in dis-guise.

What these rioters don’t realize is that thesebusinesses will never return to the placethey once called home. Watching the loot-ers smash the windows, grab as much lootas they could and then burn it to theground was sickening. Every one of thoseso called community leaders, elected offi-cials and people that hide behind the titleof a reverend should be ashamed of them-selves. I think all of us watched the shit-heads ISIS take control of a city, kill theinhabitants and burn the place to theground. As Americans – (no coloredneeded) it was appalling? Other than theslaughter was the display in Fergusonmuch different? Do you think for oneminute that those pieces of garbage knownas ISIS were not watching the display ofAmericans pissing on our constitutionalrights? As my title reflects good guy, badguy, destroyed community and economicsof the Missouri area the event was aTragedy…….hands down!


Bob Vandergriff Jr. confirms he will not be driving a top fuel dragster for the 2015

NHRA Mello Yello Series. Vandergriff will start his new direction solely as the

team owner with Bob Vandergriff Racing next year, as the team plans to field two

Top Tuel dragsters driven by three-time Top Fuel Champion Larry Dixon and 25-time

NHRA Pro Stock winner Dave Connolly. Dixon and Connolly’s dragsters will be sponsored

by C&J Energy Services. Crew Chiefs will remain Kurt Elliott and Mike Guger


Written by Nicole Erickson

Media & MarketingCoordinator

Forward Sports Marketing

Vandergriff said, "It's no secret that I'vebeen planning on exiting the driver seat.With the increasing demands of runningthebusiness, that time has come. I'm ex-cited about my new role and it's actuallyrecharged my batteries. I'm thrilled aboutthe new direction for BVR. We have athree-time world champion in Larry Dixonand I've been able to hire someone who Iconsider one of the best natural drivers inthe sport, Dave Connolly, to take over forme.”

Vandergriff began driving a Top Fuel Drag-ster in 1994 and was voted Rookie of Yearin his first season in the NHRA. Whilemaking the final round several times, Van-dergriff’s first NHRA win eluded him until

2011 at the Texas Fall Nationals in Dallas.He now has three wins and 17 final roundappearances under his belt.

“I want to thank Josh Comstock and theentire C&J Energy Services Team for alltheir support of BVR over the years andtheir continued sponsorship as Dave andLarry begin a new era for our racing pro-gram,” said Vandergriff.

Dave Connolly makes the jump from ProStock where he is currently third in thestandings, only 51 points behind leaderJason Line. Connolly has had a very suc-cessful career in racing. He has 25 wins inPro Stock and four as a sportsman com-petitor. He became only the fourth driverin drag racing history who has won fiveconsecutive NHRA Pro Stock events. Hehas been to the final round 47 times. Be-sides Pro Stock, he also drives the GM-PartsNow.com COPO Camaro in StockEliminator at selected races.

“It’s kind of crazy. I’ve never really thoughtabout driving Top Fuel, mainly because theopportunity wasn’t there. When Bob ap-proached me, it really sparked my inter-est,” said Connolly. “Top Fuel is the fastestcar on the planet. I’ve driven everythingelse, so I’m up to the challenge.” Connollywent on to add, “I’ve been driving a ProStock car or working on one since 2003; it’swhat I have lived. It’s going be hard to stepaside from all that and the people I’veworked with but at the same time, it's agreat opportunity for my future in drag rac-ing.”

Dixon came to BVR earlier this seasonwhere he has been driving a second topfuel dragster on a part-time basis. After get-ting his top fuel license in 1994, Dixonwent on to win 62 NHRA races and capturethree NHRA Championships. He has com-peted in 108 final rounds.

"As I've said before, I am thrilled Bob gaveme the opportunity to drive his car and Iam happy we have been able to qualify

Dixon and Connollyto Drive Two-Car BVR

Team in 2015


consistently in the top ten and contend forround wins and race wins. Being part ofBob’s team has made racing fun again,” saidDixon. “It'll be great to have Dave as ateammate. He is such an accomplishedracer I would expect him to take to fuelracing like a duck to water.”

As for looking ahead to 2015, Dixon added,"It's been a few years since I've competedfor a Mello Yello Championship and I'm

looking forward to the full tour with Bob’steam. He has great equipment and has as-sembled a talented group of guys and I feelhonored he wants me to be a part of it.”

C&J Energy Services’ Founder, Chairmanand Chief Executive Officer Josh Comstocksaid, “I am proud of our long relationshipwith Bob Vandergriff and his racing team.Bob’s integrity and selfless approach hasbeen obvious throughout his career. When

we first started our sponsorship with BVR,we were a small company with around 130employees. We will soon have over 11,000employees and Bob has been with us everystep of the way. He always puts his teamand C&J ahead of himself and has madeseveral introductions—literally making theconnection between C&J and key ven-dors—that have enhanced our supplychain and resulted in substantial savingsfor C&J. He also made the initial introduc-tion to key industry leaders in The MiddleEast, which resulted in our establishing astrong presence for growth in the region.On the track, Bob captured all his careerchampionship wins while driving the C&JEnergy Services top fuel dragster, which isan achievement I am personally very proudof. Although I will miss watching himdrive, I look forward to working with himin this new phase of his career where hewill continue to support our growth andenhance the racing and sponsorship pro-grams. I also want to welcome LarryDixon, who will be racing for us full time,and Dave Connolly, who is new to the BVRand C&J team for 2015. Both are great tal-ents and together I'm confident we willhave much success”


EVENT SALESWheels of Thunder is currently hiring

sales staff for event coverage.

For a private interviewcall Scott Robinson

763-421-4400







EVS Sports Introduces WEB Pro Knee BraceEVS Sports, the leading innovator in mo-tocross protective gear, is proud to intro-duce the all-new WEB Pro Knee Brace.

The Web Pro Knee Brace (WEB Pro) isthe latest evolution in EVS Sports pre-mium knee brace offering. The WEB Prois constructed with a sleek, lightweight,twin wall carbon fiber reinforced polymerframe. Other features include an anatom-ically engineered fit, new Tru-Motion 3.0hinges and a dual defense knee cup sys-tem that offers full coverage at all times.The WEB Pro was designed, tested andconstructed with the same stringent stan-dards of excellence that have helpedmake EVS Sports synonymous with riderprotection and safety.

“The WEB Pro Knee Brace is the culmi-nation of 30 years’ designing, developingand producing sport knee braces here atEVS,” stated EVS Sports Marketing Man-ager Brent Harden. “We have long beenknown as the industry leader in mo-tocross knee protection, so when the con-cept of a new knee brace was firstdiscussed we knew that we wanted to ac-complish 3 key objectives; Increasingprotection, reducing weight, and exceed-ing the standards of comfort that we havecome to expect from a knee brace. We

took the very best features of our pastbraces, updated them and integratedthem with new features such as the in-dustry first twin wall carbon fiber rein-forced polymer frame, lighter andstronger Tru-Motion 3.0 hinges and a re-movable/washable Shark Skin neopreneliner. The result is the most protectiveand comfortable off the shelf knee braceon the market.”

WEB Pro Features

• Industry first lightweight and durabletwin wall carbon fiber reinforced poly-mer frame provides increased rigidityand impact protection while improvingknee stabilization.

• Dual Defense total tracking knee cupdesign that provides full coverage at alltimes.

• Fully adjustable micro suede strapsthat are removable, washable and re-placeable.

• Shark Skin neoprene liner that includea comfort cuff strap to reduce brace mi-gration: Fully removable, washable andreplaceable.

• Tru-Motion 3.0 Hinges- (TM3.0) Fea-turing a dual alloy hinge, the TM3.0 isdesigned to control motion, suspension

and rotation of the brace while on theleg. The hinges reduce shear forces tothe knee and surrounding ligaments,thus reducing any extra stress to theknee, while also encouraging completeshell-to-leg contact throughout fullflexion and extension. The TM3.0hinges accomplish this by mimickingyour knee's natural motion while pro-viding flexion and extension control.The TM3.0 system includes adjustablehyperextension lockouts that allowpersonalized adjustment.

• Sizes: S, M, L, XL // Sold individuallyor in pairs

Size Calf/Thigh

S 9” – 12” / 15” – 18”

M 12” – 14” / 18” – 20”

L 14” – 16” / 20” – 23”

XL 16” – 18” / 23” – 26”

• Price: $425/each $799/pair

The WEB Pro Knee Brace is available on-line at www.evs-sports.com and at finerdealers everywhere.

About EVS Sports

Founded in 1985, EVS Sports continuesto be the leading innovator of motocrossand street bike protective gear. Originallyestablished as a motocross specific kneebrace manufacturer starting with theAMX-5, EVS has evolved into an exten-sive line of knees braces, neck supports,helmets, chest/back protection and a longlist of protective gear to keep riders safeon the track or on the street. For more in-formation on EVS Sports, please visitwww.evs-sports.com; or find us on Insta-gram.com/evssports, Twitter.com/evss-ports and Facebook.com/evssports.

PRESS RELEASERancho Dominguez, CA 11/17/2014


New for 2014!Rancho Dominguez, CA 11/17/2014

R4 Pro Race CollarWe took our proven race collar technol-ogy and stepped it up to the next level.The new R4 Pro improves upon existinglightweight feel and incredible fit by in-corporating the use of carbon fiber, highimpact injection grade bio-foam and anall new innovative air bladder shock ab-sorption system. In addition, we im-proved the harnessing system byproviding an all new bi-lateral torsostrapping system.

• Minimizes risk of axial compression,hyperflexion, hyperextension and lat-eral hyperflexion

• Easy front entry system

• Provides amazing range of motion ofhead

• Soft rubberized edges for increasedcomfort

• Adjustable sizing

• Works well with most chest protectors

• Ultra lightweight and low profile

• Weight: ADULT = 585 gramsYOUTH = 336 grams

Rapid Lock Front Closure

• Makes getting in and out of the collarfast, easy and safe

Carbon Fiber Top Cap

• Absorbs and disperses energy to thebio-foam and air bladder system

Integrated Air Bladder ShockAbsorbing

• Eases the tension on shoulders / spinewhen faced with direct impact fromhelmet

• Deflects and absorbs the impact energythrough a deformation that uses energy,while also dispersing energy, therebyevening out the forces across the bodynaturally

Adjustable Rear Strut

• Offers adjustments of 10 – 12° betweenpin locations for a more customized fit

Rear Axial Load Absorber “Tail”

• Transfers impact energy across width ofshoulders instead of blunt force tospine

Bio-Foam Liner

• Serves as an extra layer of absorptionwhile offering added comfort

• Removable / washable

Bi-lateral torso strapping system (X-StrapHarness)

• Ensures a safe, secure fit throughoutthe entire duration of your ride

Size Weight Height

Youth Under 105 lbs. Under 5’3”

Adult 105 lbs. and up 5’3” and up

Sizes: Youth, Adult

Price: Youth - $149.00Adult - $179.00


The Oval Racers Alliance(ORA) is a non profit or-ganization established to

support the sport of ice oval rac-ing. ORA founders and staff aremade up of racers, crew members,race promoters and directors, teamowners and true oval racing en-thusiasts. ORA members are dedi-cated and passionate about iceoval racing.


Several years ago, Doug Fontaine andBryan Timmer recognized the need to pro-mote ice oval racing at a grass roots level.Their goal was to introduce potential newdriver to ice racing, which would be af-fordable and safe. Fontaine and Timmerinformally named the organization theORA or Oval Racers Alliance. They havelogged many hours and miles to promoteice oval racing at events such as HayDays,the Princeton Grass Drags and the Grants-burg World Championship watercrossrace. In the summer of 2009, Fontaine andTimmer recognized an ever greater needfor Ice Oval Racing, which is to have af-fordable racing for promoters, sponsors,and race teams. Fontaine and Timmer put

together a seasoned team of snowmobileracing organizers. Their team of officersand directors are formally designated as anonprofit organization known now as OvalRacers Alliance, Inc.

Our Mission Statement

The Oval Racers Alliance will represent theice oval snowmobile racers, fans, promot-ers, and sponsors in a professional man-ner. The goal of the ORA is to promotegrowth and awareness of ice oval racing.The ORA will remain true to our cause andwork diligently to promote ice oval racingto it’s maximum potential.

Our Staff

President: Tom LarsonVice President: Bryan TimmerTreasurer: Dan IskierkaSecretary: Kristine IskierkaBoard Members: Chris Broerman

Sam BrownDoug Fontaine

All Board members work on a volunteerbasis.

Brief History of Vintage Racing

The sport of vintage snowmobiling beganin the late 1980’s as collectors startedrestoring these old sleds, it was to be ex-pected that someone would start racingthem. Vintage snowmobile racing hasgrown from just a few riders competing for“bragging rights” to several race circuitscompeting across the northern Snow Belt.

Written by Bryan Timmer

Photography provided byBrad Malmgren, KristineIskierka, and Tom Reichel


Vintage snowmobiling and vintage racinghave grown so much over the last five yearsthat they are now one of the largest seg-ments of snowmobiling. All brands of sledsfrom the 1970’s and 1980’s are represented.Vintage Snowmobile racing has become apopular family activity for many reasons.Racers are separated into classes based ontheir experience level and the type of snow-mobile used. There are classes for inexpe-rienced racers, and challenging classes forthose drivers with a slightly larger budget.We offer several 1985 and older SuperStock, 1985 and older Super Mod LeafSpring, and 1983 and older IFS Snow Proclasses. The Junior and Powder Puffclasses, where drivers don’t have to pay afee to race, allows the whole family to takepart in the weekend of fun

About SnowmobilingRacing.MN

SnowmobileRacing.MN was created as aplace to promote Snowmobile Racing in all

it's forms from the asphalt of Brainerd In-ternational Raceway to the Water of the In-ternational Water Cross Association to theIce Ovals of the ORA. Most importantlySnowmobileRacing.MN brings all Snow-mobile Racers, Fan, their families, and ourentire community together. A place toshare photos, videos, memories, and mostimportantly racing knowledge and infor-mation.

We are dedicated to presenting you withthe most exciting and current informationwhen it comes to the sport of SnowmobileRacing worldwide. As you browse the siteyou'll see that it has been designed to helpyou stay connected to and support Snow-mobile Racing, find dates, lodging infor-mation, and driving directions forupcoming events, and of course, followyour favorite drivers and teams. You canalso follow our Facebook Page atwww.Facebook.com/Snowmobileracing


When a lot of people hear about The Strip,understandably, Las Vegas is what comesto mind. For drag racing fans, you can

enjoy 2 of them when you’re in that town; Las VegasBoulevard and The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speed-way. Both consistently peg the fun meter. My wifeCathy and I are children of the 60’s (and we’re in our60’) so, like almost everyone our age, The Beatles areone of our favorite bands. Fortunately, LOVE, one ofthe amazing Cirque Du Soleil shows on the originalstrip, is based on their music so checking it out wason our “to do” list. Hearing and experiencing a bigpart of the soundtrack of our youth was a hoot and ahalf. What a night.


Written by Tom Edwards

The gift shop has an interesting array ofBeatles goodies. The one that caught myeye isn’t for sale; a Paul McCartney signedHofner bass guitar. Our journeys along LasVegas Boulevard always reveal somethingnew. For Cathy and me, a stop or 2 at Fash-ion Show Mall is time well spent. As aBrooklyn, New York kid, a stop atGrimaldi’s Pizza near the Brooklyn Bridgewas always a great stop. They have openeda Fashion Show location so it was pizza for2 and a cannoli for 1 (me) a couple of daysin Las Vegas. We’re just doing our part to

help the local economy.Staying with music fromour generation, seeing AllShook Up, an Elvis tributeshow was enjoyable. Afterthe concert Cathy and Ihad our photo taken withElvis. Thank you verymuch. A stop at the Vene-tian is always somethingwe find time to do and,good news here, the icecream is as tasty as it waslast year. The Venetian isan interesting resort. Asone of our favorite come-dians, Rita Rudner pointedout, “Where else can youtake a gondola ride to TheGap?

No surprise here, NewYork New York is one ofthe resort/casinos we findtime for and our Octoberstop proved to be a lot offun. The drivers with DonSchumacher Racing wereon the Brooklyn Bridge

replica for a meet and greet/autograph ses-sion the day before professional qualifyingstarted so for us, that’s a mandatory atten-dance event. Tony Schumacher had hisdragster there and it proved to be an eyecatcher for everyone that walked across thebridge. Funny Car pilot Tommy Johnson,Jr. drove the Make-A-Wish fuel coupe atthe Las Vegas race. At the autograph table,

Tommy got a helping hand from AustinZimmerline. When asked about his wish,Austin knew exactly what he wanted to do;drive a race car. He told his wish granters“If I could put on a racing suit and win arace that would make my dream cometrue”. With Tommy as his co-pilot, Austinwent down the Strip at Las Vegas MotorSpeedway in a 2 seat race car and earned aWally when they turned on the win light.


Cathy and I saw Don Garlit’s final careerwin at a race in Pomona, we were in thestands when Tony Schumacher ran 337.58mph years ago during qualifying at Brain-erd International Raceway and Resort andwe were at LVMS in 2001 for the openingof the drag strip. We have seen our shareof memorable racing moments. The winTommy and Austin earned in Las Vegas isnow on the list. Cathy and I have neverseen 2 racers happier after a run. HeyAustin, The Beatles are right, “I get by witha little help from my friends”. That’s how,since its inception in 1980 Make-A-Wish(www.wish.org) has granted more than240,000 wishes

Some of the race teams stay in the hotelCathy and I enjoy so seeing them therehappens frequently. We were in the lobbygetting ready to see what the day had instore for us when we saw Funny Car racer

John Force. For me that had “photo op-portunity” written all over it and John gra-ciously posed for a few pictures, so thatwas fun. One morning on our way tobreakfast we shared an elevator ride with

Pro Stock motorcycle racers Hector Arana,Jr. and his brother Adam.

For the racers in Las Vegas, the long-dis-tance award for travel may have gone toPro Stock Motorcycle newcomer ElviraKarlsson of Sweden. Tuner Greg Under-

dahl, Indy Pro Stock Bike winner in 1992with racer Dave Schultz riding and in 1995with Rick Ward, is helping Elvira and hisson Jimmy in the early stages of their rac-ing careers. I’m confident the veterans atthe race appreciated seeing the Hiring OurHeroes rig and matching Monster Truck.Representatives with ResumeEngine.orgwere on site to assist anyone that has hon-

orably served this nation and could usesome help transitioning their skills to civil-

ian life. The Harley-Davidson team of An-drew Hines and Eddie Krawiec will have toget out some paint before the start of the2015 season. Their rig has “6 Time NHRAChampions” on it and that number will be

increased following another successful sea-son. Located near the Hire Our Heroes rigin the Toyota racing area was a Funny Carfans were invited to sit in. Sign me up. I’mreasonably certain that was the only chanceI’ll have to get that view. I drove a Toyotafor years but mine had, let’s see, about9,850 less horsepower. While Cathy and Iwere in the pits we noticed Kendall Oil ProStock driver V. Gaines; he was chattingwith someone about the assorted aches andpains those in our age group have to dealwith and it sounded like we have a lot incommon. As I told V., “At our age, if it’sworking, it’s hurting”. Everyone that heardthat laughed and agreed. Then again, asa friend told me recently, “We didn’t getthis old by being stupid”, so we’ve got thatgoing for us.

Seeing Jeff Arend in Big Jim Dunn’s ALODrink Funny Car and Tony Pedregon in theAmerican Racing fuel coupe was enjoyable.Big Jim and Tony, and his brother Cruz,have been in the sport for decades and itshows. They know how to race and thatmakes it fun for the fans. Those teams don’tspecialize in oil-downs, they race straightup. Like a lot of drag racing fans I alwaysenjoy seeing 2012 Funny Car championJack Beckman on the track. He was driving


the Infinite Hero Foundation car. An Infi-nite Hero veteran was interviewed on thereplay screen and I emailed Jack for back-ground information. Always accessible tohis many fans, Jack sent the followingabout a fellow veteran: “Warrant OfficerGary Linfoot, Special Forces helicopterpilot; paralyzed when his chopper crashed.Infinite Hero gave him an exoskeleton sohe and his wife, Mary, can help provideinput to make future generations of the de-vice better”. When I was in the Don Schu-macher Racing pit area, Tommy Johnson,Jr. gave me access so I could obtain a busi-ness card from a DSR representative inorder to get some information about theMake-A-Wish car and I had the opportu-nity to have a brief conversation with War-rant Officer Linfoot. It is an honor to thankthose that have served this nation. I recalla member of the Vietnam veteran’s organi-zation I am in telling me years ago: “We aremembers of a fraternity unlike any other”.

With a few months left in the 2014 season,Spencer Massey’s 2015 Red Fuel dragster

was ready to go and with Spencer out of thechampionship chase, it was time to put iton the track. I saw it in the pits and itlooked fast standing still. Don’t be at allsurprised if the Fort Worth, Texas native isa major player next year. Seeing 3 time ProStock Motorcycle champion Angelle Sam-pey back at the races was very nice. I ex-pect the most successful female racer in

NHRA history will do well when she has afull season of racing available for the 2015season. In the 1960’s one of the first FunnyCars I saw was the Tasca Ford Mustang.Bob Tasca III had a 10,000 horsepowerpony at Las Vegas and is carrying on a fam-ily tradition.

October was breast cancer awarenessmonth and I was pleased to see the num-bers of cars that used pink in their paintschemes and, in some cases, pink para-chutes. 2014 Indy Funny Car winnerAlexis Dejoria did both. She and her team’sprimary sponsor, Patron Spirits, KalittaMotorsports and the Nevada Health Cen-ter provided the support necessary to madefree mammogram screening available forthe second consecutive year. Sponsorshipsthat highlight veteran’s related issues and

support cancer research are among the rea-sons Cathy and I have been NHRA mem-bers for years. Seeing side-by-side 300 and200 mph cars and motorcycles that nearthe double century speed mark is fun butthere is a lot more than racing associatedwith the world’s largest motorsports sanc-tioning organization.



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 2014

Contact: Jeff Hennie,

Motorcycle Riders FoundationVice President of Government Re-lations and Public Affairs

2014 Elections and Beyond

Now that the dust has settled onthe 2014 election ,the MotorcycleRiders Foundation issues its reflec-tions on what just happened. Asyou probably already know, it wasa good night for Republican candi-dates with the pick up of some un-likely Gubernatorial, Senate andHouse seats. The election ulti-mately gave the Republicans a Sen-ate majority and the largestRepublican House majority since1929.

Some say that the Republicans re-ceived a mandate from the countryon their conservative platform: thatis a little far fetched, consideringthe President's dismal approval rat-

ings and the tradition of a secondterm president's party receiving awalloping at the polls in themidterm elections. PresidentObama has also inserted himselfand his policies into the fabric ofpeoples daily lives, and that hasnot had the desired effect-just theopposite actually.

The Republicans managed to cap-ture seven additional Senate seatsand possibly more, as Virginia isstill too close to call. The LouisianaSenate race, according to state elec-tion law, must go to a run off in thecoming weeks with polls identify-ing the Republican candidate witha healthy lead over the incumbent.The Republicans will have a slightmajority with less than the 60votes needed for full control. MitchMcConnell is apparently the heirto the Majority Leader positionafter handily defending his seatagainst a worthy adversary.

The Republicans also held ontoand even expanded their robust

control of the U.S. House of Repre-sentatives. They padded their ma-jority, elected the first blackRepublican woman, and are set tore-elect speaker Boehner. Speakingof women, this Congress is nowthe first to elect 100 women to theHouse and Senate.

Longtime motorcycle championand House transportation commit-tee member Nick “Nicky Joe” Ra-hall (D-WV) lost his bid for a 20thterm in the House. We are sad tosee him go, and his loyalty to themotorcycling community will bemissed.

Republicans also won some veryunforeseen Governors races, mostnotably in Massachusetts andMaryland: both were stunning up-sets in solid blue states. Whetherthe Republicans had a greatmidterm because of thier policies,President Obama's unpopularity, orif the Democrats just had bad can-didates is up to you to decide.

2014 ELECTIONS AND BEYOND

www.abatemn.org


HappyHolidays!We hope you and

your family have ahappy and safe

Holiday Season!


H ello Wheels of Thunder Fans! Let it snow!It's time to break out the gear and get outsidein the snow! Minnesota's heartiest outdoor

fans are once again thrilled that their weather has resur-faced and will likely be with us for months! So, let the out-door fun begin, right?! If youmissed it, GameON! TV hasearned an Emmy award for broadcasting excellence sur-rounding our work @ GameON! We are delighted to beone of the only TV shows to focus on the emmense popu-larity of motor sports in our region.

In this issue of Wheels of Thunder you'll find unique sto-ries, pictures and sponsor information that underscoresthe excitement around motorsports! Just like Wheels ofThunder, GameON! TV continues to grow & reach somany of you with our sports programming. We broad-cast in the Twin Cities on FOX's MY29 and in theDakota's and western Minnesota via MidCo Sports Net-work. GameON! loves sports, from the variety of pro-fessional, college & high school sports to all the outdoorevents that dot our regional landscape. GameON's part-nership with Wheels of Thunder is strong and just likeyou, we also enjoy the most comprehensive race maga-zine and website to be found! Wheels of Thunder mag-azine gets it and gets you the latest information, amazingpictures and all those terrific stories to the most pas-sionate motorsports fans in the country!

GameON! offers the region a diverse and entertaininghalf hour of TV as we bring you the most visible andpopular Minnesota sports figures. From the NFL Vikings,to the MLB Twins, the NBA Timberwolves to the NHLWild, we also visit with the Lacrosse Swarm and SoccerUnited FC. There's NASCAR and we're on top of yourfavorite drivers too. Each and every week GameON!comes to you in crystal clear full High Definition and ourfirst APP (it's free to for Apple & Android phones) isavailable for your use! GameON! TV is now offering a

weekly PODCAST available @ our show websitewww.GameOnTvMN.com. It's full of bits and pieces ofsports from the region and what's ahead on our weeklyTV show.

This show is interactive so we'd love to hear from you!Please visit our Facebook site (friend us @ GameON onfacebook), our website @ www.gameontvmn.com and24/7on twitter #gameontvmn. So join us for all thatsports offers us here in our great neck of the woods, viaWheels of Thunder, GameON! and KTWIN radio! Andget your Vikings fix with our partner in one of the largestVikings fan websites in the world, www.PurplePride.org.

Winter's here! Enjoy! Stay safe and get your GameON!Be a part of the exciting effort we're putting on! Keepyour GameON!


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WoT December 2014