Simons Sweeps Pro Classes At USXC Oslo 100

Arctic Cat continued its dominance of the 2012-13 USXC cross-country snowmobile racing season as Ryan Simons swept the Pro classes at this past weekend’s Oslo 100.

The weekend was the first ditch race for the circuit and racers battled the clock through ditches that got brutally rough as well as on the Snake and Red Rivers where speed and handling ruled the day.

Simons set the pace in the first race of the day, the two-lap, 56-mile Speedwerx Pro Open race finishing over a minute ahead of the second place Polaris of Bobby Menne. Polaris rider Aaron Christensen came in third and Arctic Cat rider Brian Dick, who was battling the flu, finished fourth. Simons held the pace later in the day in the DRIFT Racing Pro 600 race. After four laps and a mandatory fuel stop, Simons’ lead was at nearly one minute and 38 seconds over the second place Arctic Cat of Zach Herfindahl. Brian Dick finished third and Polaris rider Spencer Kadlec came in fourth. Kadlec had to borrow the sled of his Pro Women-class teammate Jen Fuller after his sled suffered a mechanical breakdown in the Semi-Pro 600 race.

Speaking of the Polaris Semi-Pro 600 class, Arctic Cat rider Nate Mortiz laid down the fast time in that class to take the win, finishing 21 seconds ahead of the Polaris of Dylan Stevens and 48-seconds ahead of Tyler Johnsrud’s Arctic Cat. Yamaha rider Ben Lindbom was credited with the win in the AMSOIL Semi-Pro Improved class ahead of Arctic Cat rider Timmy Kallock and Polaris rider Travis Faust.

The next USXC event is the the Seven Clans I-500 in Thief River Falls, Minn., February 7-9, 2013.

Other class winners from the Oslo 100 include: Brothers Motorsports Expert 85: Cole Lian (Cat); FOX Expert 85 Improved: Ben Langaas (Cat); Sport 600 Improved: Erik Nymann (Cat); Ski-Doo Masters 50+: Don Rogers (Cat); Mattracks Masters 40: Jon Arneson (Cat); Carver Performance Sport 85: Wyatt Alby (Cat); Woody’s Sport 600 Stock: Garrett Johnson (Cat); Sport 600 Improved: Garthe Reinking (Cat); C&A Pro Trail: Gunnar Arlaud (Polaris); FLY Racing Vintage: Brett Lessman (Yam); Stud Boy Vintage Legends 50+: Gerry Mattison (Cat); TEAM Classic IFS 18-50: Brad Naplin (Cat); On Snow Magazine Women’s: Jolene Bute (Cat); Yamaha Junior 10-13: John Langaas (Cat); Junior 14-17: Cody Chubaty (Cat); Arctic Cat Junior Girls 10-15: Mayce Brodehl (Cat); Junior Girls 16-17: Callie Slominski (Cat)