ABOUT MYSELF

I would like to tell you a little more about myself.  As I've illustrated in my profile within this blog, my life has been centered around snowmobiles which includes the present time.  I was a Rupp dealer from 1969 thru it's death in 1978.  In 1980, I, along with some help made an attempt to bring Rupp Industries back into existence.  "GO HERE", To read all about this attempt.  In 1984, I moved to South Dakota and went on to expand my snowmobile parts and accessories operation by the name of SnoCat Shack and later was renamed Sport Shack, because of a legal matter.  I sold Sport Shack in 1996 and started a company by the name of Battery Shack and sold over 14,000 batteries in 10 years. "CLICK HERE", To learn more about this business.

SUZUKI, YAMAHA UNVEIL RACERS

December 1973                                                                                             U. S. Suzuki and Yamaha Motor Company, LTD, of Iwata, Japan, have unveiled their racing sleds for The Sno-Pro Circuit for the 1973/74 season.
   Suzuki's new XR-10 machines were completely redesigned. They featured twin-cylinder, air cooled, 440cc engines, with twin Mikuni carburetors and a Comet racing clutch system.  The snowmobiles have white cowling, black lettering and red trim.
   The new Yamaha SRX racers were said to be similar to the 1973 Yamaha SR's.
   Yamaha's SRX racer competed on the Sno-Pro competition along with The Suzuki XR-10.

POLARIS CUTLASS SS WINS A BEAUTY CONTEST

December 1980

Beauty Is Ski Deep - Polaris'flashy new snowmobile, the Cutlass SS, has dazzled transportation designers and won a Certificate of Merit for its good looks and sleek styling.
   The Society of Art Center Alumni in Los Angeles, California, honored the Cutlass SS with a presentation that marked the first time in the 10 year history of the international art organization that a snowmobile achieved recognition.  The sporty Polaris snowmobile competed in the transportation design category against automotive designs by manufacturers in The United States, Canada, Japan and West Germany.  Criteria used by the panel of distinguished designers in judging the entries included beauty, functionality and unique quality of design.

THE NEW 1976 MOTO-SKI NUVIK

In September 1975, the people at Moto-Ski claimed that the new Moto-ski Nuvik was Rugged-Lively & Fun.
   Nuvik 300 by Moto-Ski gives you handling, plus outstanding fuel economy at a price you can afford.  If you want more power and extra riding comfort, Nuvik 340 is the one with fully adjustable torque reaction slide suspension.

1981 JOHN DEERE LIQUIFIRE BEST HANDLING SLED

October 1981 - SHOOT-OUT
In the handling phase of the 1981 Shoot Out on March 4, 1981 at Lake Namakagon, the 1981 John Deere Liquifire was the best handler.  Each sled had four timed attempts, of which only the best three counted.  Of those three, Deere's Liquifire was the first, third and fourth best overall.  The second best time was almost a full second and about half a mile per hour slower! That the Deere proved it was the "Best Handler"
   Scoring a perfect 90 points in the handling phase, the Deere earned another 52 points in acceleration, making a total of 142, which qualified as third overall.
   With a 440cc engine delivering 65 horsepower, the Deere suffered against its higher-powered, larger displacement competition.  So its victory in the handling phase showed that design can win over muscle.

HOUGHTON DRAG RACES

Press Release - December 1981
Houghton Lake, Michigan - Eight snowmobile drag races have been scheduled at Michigan's popular Houghton Lake.  Competition is open to everyone with many classes, including class AA through class F, Stock, Super Stock Classes, Modified Classes and Open classes.
   The first two races, scheduled for December 27 and January 2, will be held at East Bay (Prudenville).  The next four - January 16, 17, 23 and 24, will be held at the Tip-Up Town Festival site.  The final two races - February 6 and February 20, will be held in the East Bay.

CLASSIC SNOWMOBILER'S HUNGER FOR SPEED

In the early or mid seventies, there were still quite a number of snowmobile manufacturer's in existence and most were after performance.
   Snowmobile engineers tried everything to get more speed out of their consumer and racing sleds.  Here Chaparral designers are shown testing an airfoil on a Chaparral Firebird SSX and take a look at that independent front suspension.
   

SNOWMOBILE RULED NOT MOTOR VEHICLE

St. Paul, Minn. - Press Release - November 1974
The Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled that a snowmobile does not come within the legal definition of a "motor vehicle."
  The question, which was ruled upon by the state's high court on October 25, arose in a lawsuit involving a collision between two snowmobiles on a township road in St. Louis (Minn) county in 1971.
   One of the drivers involved in the collision was a minor, who sought to use the uninsured motorist coverage of his father's auto insurance policy. The court ruled that snowmobiles are designed for travel on snow or ice, and that the legislature has passed laws to prohibit their use on public highways.

SCORPION SETS WORLD'S RECORD

Press Release - January 1977
Grand Rapids, Michigan - A Scorpion Whip 440 covered 1,172 miles in a 24-hour period to break the world's record for snowmobile endurance.  The event started at 1:00PM January 1st and concluded at 1:00PM, January 2nd on Gun Lake south of Grand Rapids. The previous record of 984 miles was set in 1971 by Mercury.
   Scorpion went after the record with two completely stock 440 Whips, the second totaling 1,108 miles.  Twenty eight local snowmobile club members served as drivers, and The United States Snowmobile Association sanctioned the event.
   During the event, the two sleds required a total of two sets of spark plugs, two belts and one set of chain tensioners for replacement parts.

SNOCROSS, STOCK RACING HEATING UP FOR 1984

There was more qualified stock racing and more action in 1984 on the part of at least three sledmakers and they were promising to make 1984 a very good year for snowmobile competition.
   Fifty six horsepower stock racers with high-tech suspension systems from Polaris, Ski-Doo and Yamaha, together with some form of racing program from all three provided more color and intensity on the snocross, sprint and endurance circuits when the new season kicked off in December, 1984.
   Experienced competitors say the best years for racing are those when all or most of the snowmobile factories build new, qualified sleds.  With announced plans from three majors for '84, racing fans had planned on some hot competition and classic track duels to punctuate the '84 season.