in the world used the USSA event in Amherst, Wis. this past weekend to get ready for the AMSOIL Eagle River World Championship Snowmobile Derby, which is now just two weeks away.AMSOIL racer PJ Wanderscheid, with his three Eagle River World Championships, was one of the crazy ones last weekend. The Sauk Centre, Minn.-native used both the Pro 600 and the Pro 440 Champ classes to test his AMSOIL/Arctic Cat Champ 440 sled for the W.C. (at Eagle River, the World Championship race only utilizes a 440cc sled).
In the Pro 600 races on Saturday, Wanderscheid qualified for the final with a fourth, a second and a third against the more powerful 600cc sleds. In the final, he started fifth and took part in a three-way battle for third for most of the race. With two laps to go, he passed into third and the final podium spot.
In the Champ 440 class on Sunday, Wanderscheid won his first two heats and finished third in the final qualifier. As the number three qualifier for the final, Wanderscheid pushed the #28 sled into fourth off the start and battled for third the entire race. With just two laps to go, he made the pass into third on the final turn before the checkered flag, but a belt blew, coasting him across the finish line in fourth with an undriveable sled."We feel confident going into Eagle River that have the pieces to put together a competitive performance there and win our fourth World Championship," said
Wanderscheid. "We will be doing extensive testing in the next week to work out the bugs and be 100% ready for the W.C. race."The USSA is scheduled to be in Plymouth, Wis. this weekend and is the final tune-up to Eagle River.
The AMSOIL Eagle River Derby track, the home of the 47th AMSOIL World Championship race, will be hosting its annual Vintage Weekend this weekend in Eagle River. More than 500 vintage snowmobiles will spin around the 1/2 mile ice oval starting on Friday. The Derby starts January 14.
Until then, we'll see you at the races.
