Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/458425
SNOWMOBILE Ski-Doo unveils MXZ Iron Dog Special www.PowersportsBusiness.com Powersports Business • January 26, 2015 • 29 Two first-time pro class winners highlighted Saturday's main event action at round six of AMSOIL Championship Snocross, pow- ered by Ram's PIRTEK Snocross National, presented by Jimmy John's at Canterbury Racetrack in Shakopee, Minn. Capturing the top spot in front of a packed house at Canterbury in the premier Pro Open class was Kyle Pallin (Mystic/Loc- tite/Polaris), while Tyler Adams (Christian Brothers/Arctic Cat) was tops in the Pro Lite main event. One of the best starters in the business, Pallin parlayed the Stud Boy Holeshot into the early race lead — much as he's done in numerous main events the past two seasons. But this time Pallin had it in his head that the Pro Open main event would be his race, his to win — and he did just that, leading the event from start to finish in scoring his first- ever Pro Open class victory. "Oh my gosh — I could not be more pumped," beamed Pallin from the podium, flanked by his father, Steve, and Mystic/ Loctite/Polaris team owner Levi LaVallee. "I got the holeshot and got out in front and just kept telling myself 'This is my night, and nobody's going to take this lead from me.' So the holeshot was huge, and this was a great win for the Mystic/Loctite/Polaris team!" On Friday, the extreme cold temps did nothing to freeze the confidence of Ross Mar- tin (Judnick/DuPont/Jack Links/Polaris), who took charge of Friday's AMSOIL Cham- pionship Snocross, powered by Ram, PIRTEK Snocross National in the early laps and ran through strong at checkers for the win. USXC OPENERS HEAVY ON ARCTIC CAT WINS Team Arctic cross-country racers rang in the New Year with a crushing performance at the USXC J&K Marine 200 in Detroit Lakes, Minn., scoring wins in 16 of 19 classes and capturing 30 of 57 podium positions in the second event of the USXC season. Team Green's performance was headlined by Zach Herfindahl's victory in the 100-mile Pro Stock final, where he led every one of the 10 laps to win by more than 20 seconds over the next finisher. He and Pro teammate Wes Selby were the number one and two quali- fiers in both Pro classes during the weekend. Selby's run for the Stock class podium ended with a crash while battling for second place, leaving his sled inoperable, however he found solace with an impressive victory in Pro Open with Herfindahl taking second. Lance Efteland delivered a dramatic performance to win both Semi Pro Stock and Open classes. He was joined by Hunter Houle, who won Junior 14-17 and both Expert 85 classes, as the only other multiple class winners at Detroit Lakes. "We're so impressed with the hard work and effort on the part of our racers and teams since the last race," said Mike Kloety, Team Arctic race manager. PSB DIGEST Kyle Pallin won for the first time in the Pro Open class. SEE FOR YOURSELF See PSB managing editor Liz Keener's photos from round five of AMSOIL Championship Snocross in Shakopee, Minn., on Facebook at www.facebook.com/psbmagazine. Pallin wins first Pro Open Main race 128-inch track, rMotion suspension part of limited run BRP earlier this month introduced the Ski-Doo MXZ Iron Dog Special snowmobile, inspired by and named after the iconic event. The sled was originally targeted as a 2016 model, but because of its release date, it is officially a 2015. The MXZ Iron Dog Special sled was designed for rough trail enthusiasts and fea- tures many characteristics used on Iron Dog champion machines, along with a distinctive color and graphics scheme. BRP's Ski-Doo MXZ Iron Dog Special sled uses a 128-inch (325-cm) track and rMotion suspension developed and proven in previous races and on the snocross race circuits. This is the first time the configuration has been available to consumers; its added length increases trac- tion for acceleration and braking, yet main- tains the MXZ sled's legendary cornering and bump absorption abilities. The MXZ Iron Dog Special is available with both the Rotax 800R and 600 H.O. E-TEC engine choices and includes several race-specific chassis reinforcements and race-type suspension calibrations to accommodate the hard-core target audience. "It's great to see a manufacturer build a special sled like this one and name it after our race," said Kevin Kastner, Iron Dog execu- tive director. "We're enthusiastic to be associated with Ski-Doo snowmobiles and appreciate the support they put into their racers that make the Iron Dog such a remarkable event." "The Iron Dog race has a long storied history, and BRP's Ski-Doo sleds have been at the forefront in recent years, winning two out of the last three events," said Louis Lévesque, vice- p r e s i d e n t , G l o b a l Marketing and Con- s u m e r E x p e r i - ence. "Many riders have chosen to race Ski-Doo snowmobiles in the Iron Dog the past several years because they're known for being durable, fast and easy on the rider — and those are certainly attributes we've built into the MXZ Iron Dog Special snow- mobile and our other sleds." Sébastien Thibault, race manager for Ski- Doo Snowmobiles and Can-Am Off-Road vehi- cles added, "More than anyone else, we use racing to make our snowmobiles better. That's especially true of cross-country races like the Iron Dog because it's an extreme version of how many snowmobilers ride every weekend. Consumers who ride their own Iron Dog Spe- cial model with their buddies will love what this unique sled delivers." Production is limited, and it will only be available this winter. A SKI-DOO FIRST FOR CONSUMER SLEDS The Iron Dog race in Alaska is the type of ride the hardest core cross-country enthusiasts crave, with tight twisting wooded trails, ung- roomed stretches of wickedly rough terrain and many straightaways to let the engine stretch its legs. Inspired by the Ski-Doo snowmobiles that have won the 2,000-plus-mile (3,200-km) race two of the last three years, BRP is intro- ducing the 2016 Ski-Doo MXZ Iron Dog Spe- cial sled. This very limited edition is for riders who demand the highest performance and durability in cross-country type conditions. The MXZ Iron Dog Special starts as a leg- endary MXZ X-RS model, then adds features and calibrations only found on sleds used in competition — most notably a 128-inch rMo- tion rear suspension. Iron Dog, snocross and cross-country racers have found the longer suspension is the ideal blend of acceleration, braking and nimbleness. Standard on Ski- Doo pro race sleds for two years, this is the first time the rMotion 128 has been available on a consumer snowmobile. For performance, there's the unmatched combination of the lightweight and bal- anced REV-XS RS platform, precise RAS 2 front suspension and powerful Rotax E-TEC engines. For durability, there's a two-ply RipSaw track and extra suspension rein- forcements front and rear directly from the factory race sleds. Because it's aimed at hardcore riders, the suspensions use KYB Pro 40 shocks, tuned for even more capability in big bumps than the MXZ and Renegade X-RS models. All the suspension springs go one step stiffer, with the center shock using a dual rate spring. All this high technology is reflected in a Sunburst Yellow/Black color scheme with commemorative Iron Dog graphics. PSB BRP's Ski-Doo MXZ Iron Dog Special sled uses a 128-inch special sled like this one and name it after our race," said Kevin Kastner, Iron Dog execu- tive director. "We're enthusiastic to be associated with Ski-Doo snowmobiles and appreciate the support they put into their racers that make the Iron Dog such a remarkable event." "The Iron Dog race has a long storied history, and BRP's Ski-Doo sleds have been at the forefront in recent years, the forefront in recent years, Production is limited, and it will only be A SKI-DOO FIRST FOR The late-2015 Ski-Doo MXZ Iron Dog Special snowmobile is inspired by the Iron Dog race.