18th annual shootout is super

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Martin, Mich. - A hot early fall sun and 166 racers scorched the asphalt at the 18th Annual TORCO/AmSnow Super Sled Shoot-Out in late September.

Racers from Maine to Missouri, along with a strong Canadian contingent, competed for seven titles, including bracket races both Saturday and Sunday of the 2½-day event that filled the massive Knoll Gas Motorsports Park with RVs, motor homes, pickups and trailers, both big and bigger.

This was the second year the Shoot-Out was run at the Martin track, and attendance was again strong with 166 sleds registering and Saturday's bracket race boasting the largest field at 70. Five racers emerged with wins, two doubling up their titles, and one returning champion went home with a win in a new class.

Racing ran late into the night on Saturday as a pleasant sunny day turned much cooler and slowed the track considerably, playing havoc with the bracket racers' setups and time selections. Ultimately, one guy figured it out, not only on Saturday, but in Sunday's hot sunny weather too.

Twin wins
Adam Schmitt and his dad Jim made their drive from Ontario, N.Y., pay off as Adam won both bracket races. He had to fend off 53 other racers the second day. All grins both days, Schmitt said a relaxed attitude and solid equipment had helped him win in his inaugural run at Martin.

"Don't take it too seriously or you won't do well," he said after win No. 2, where he eliminated his dad in round five. "Just don't let it get to your head," Schmitt says. This is Schmitt's first season running a 2003 Polaris SXR 800 with Elite Motorsports sponsorship.

On Saturday he was running in the 9.9 second range and edged out Maine's Keith Wood, aboard a new Yamaha Nytro, and Ohio's Art English. On Sunday he beat Kevin Robertson of Mukwonago, Wis., with Butch Veltum (a regular AmSnow Test Rider) third. Schmitt took home $3,000 for his twin wins.

Michigan's Edwin Wirbel also scored a twin win. On Saturday night he took the All Motor Quick 16 aboard his 2003 Ski-Doo Mach Z and then came back to win the Pro Stock 1000 Quick 16 on Sunday with the same sled. His best time was in the All Motor event, running 8.336 seconds at 152.54 mph. Sunday's best was 8.38 seconds at 151.97 mph, showing his consistency. He credits his Louie Bilt engine for his wins. Louie is his dad!

Saturday's All Motor produced some controversy, none of Wirbel's doing though. In the quarterfinals, Ron Bray's sled, driven by Ed Ensor, loaded up the carbs before it got to the starting line and was quickly pulled back to do a second burnout. However, the starter mistakenly moved Adam Fricke into place and allowed him to make his run, leaving the Bray machine shy of the line and out of the mix. Then, track officials would not let the Bray sled make a run, relegating Ensor to fourth. Michigan's Steve Flier finished third with a 9.76 second run at 145.25 mph.

In the final, Wirbel ran an 8.414 to beat Fricke, who posted an 8.707. That was one of two seconds Fricke, a native of DeMotte, Ind., scored. He took second Sunday in the Open Quick 16 before going on to win the Big Twin Quick 16 with a run of 8.945 seconds at 142.92 mph. Last year Fricke won the All Motor race.

Fricke rode a 2003 Arctic Cat Firecat, owned by Tom Murphy of Valparaiso, Ind. The sled is sponsored by Total Powersports and Smoothie's Speedshop, both out of Gaylord, Mich., and D&D. Its engine started as a 700cc unit, but it was doctored by Jason Price of Total Powersports, using a D&D package to make it into a 1000 that churns out about 276 horses. Second in the Big Twin class was Bill DiFranco of North Tonawanda, N.Y., and third went to David Meyers of Michigan with 9.2 seconds at 146.06 mph.

More winners
Single title winners included Greg Thomas and his Northeast Ohio Dyno crew that won the Super Stock 800 race Saturday for owner Jeff White. He clocked an 8.80 sec. run at 141.68 mph aboard his 2002 Ski-Doo Mach Z. Thomas and crew were bubbling over with emotion after the win over Ed Ensor, who logged a 9.2 sec. time at 135.09 mph.

"We got faster with each run," Thomas said, crediting his entire team, especially tuner Pat Klingeman.

John Evans of Ossining, N.Y., was third, running a 9.05 sec. at 141.52 mph in the semifinals.

On Sunday, there was a bit of a tail wind, especially early in the day, but it had calmed down come finals time.

Jeff Jaquish took the Open Quick 16 onboard his Straightline Performance-backed sled, owned by Dale Ibister and Jason Houle. He did 8.19 seconds at 158.33 mph on the Polaris Storm that Straightline has been developing for 3 years. It features a 1350cc 4-cylinder that started life as a Pro Stock 1000, but has had an extra cylinder added to it, plus nitrous to give it some kick 100 to 150 feet into a run. Obviously it rocks.

But Fricke wasn't far behind at 8.36 seconds and 158.42 mph. In an earlier round he ran 8.33 seconds at 159.12 mph. Just a few ticks back in third was Jeffrey Kopec of Westford, Mass., at 8.68 seconds and 144.72 mph. He clicked off 8.41 seconds with a top end of 148.46 mph in an earlier run.

Running along with the snowmobiles were nearly 100 motorcycles, several topping 190 mph in their runs. Top cycle speed for the day was a blistering 205 mph in just 7.36 seconds.

We don't care who you are, THAT's fast!