A Legend Passing Legends

U.S. Route 45 runs from the southern shores of Lake Superior all the way down to the shoreline that touches the Gulf of Mexico. Of the nearly 1,300 miles that stretch from Michigan to Mississippi, a ¼ mile slice of highway that runs through the northern Wisconsin town of Eagle River, Wisc. might be its most recognizable.

The sport of snowmobiling buried its roots in Eagle River nearly 60 years ago. Since then, it has grown to become the epicenter of snowmobile racing, and one of the few iconic events the sport has known. Equal to the I-500, Jackson Hill Climb and Grand Prix Ski-Doo de Valcourt, Eagle River’s World Championship Derby Complex is an icon that produces icons.

Winning is never easy at “the Derby”. It is the longest oval ice race of the season, and the conditions can create as much craziness as competition. Warm weather means dirt and rocks could peak through the ½ mile, banked oval. On the other hand, a polar vortex can meander its way down from Canada, dipping temperatures well into the negative and wind chill factors that might confuse the casual observer to believe they are closer to the North Pole than they are to the states capital of Madison.

But no matter what the conditions spring on the third full weekend of each January, there is one constant: World Champions are crowned in Eagle River. Many careers are defined by this single race and often a driver’s induction into the nearby International Snowmobile Hall of Fame can come with a single afternoon of greatness. But winning is no easy task, rather one mixed with talent, preparedness, skill and even a little bit of luck.

“It is difficult to win that race. History tells us that,” says reigning World Champion Blaine Stephenson. “You need a lot of things to go right: your sled needs to make it through our longest race of the year, the driver has to be physically in shape to handle the bumpy track on Sunday, and a good hole shot always increases your chances.”

One of the sport’s greatest drivers agrees. PJ Wanderscheid took the world by storm in 2002 when the Artic Cat driver shocked the snowmobile world by winning his first World Championship.

“Eagle River is extremely hard to win,” recalls Wanderschied. “It is such a unique track that the driver either loves it or hates it. But there is always luck involved, no matter how prepared you are.”

Nobody in the sport had been as prepared as the Sauk Centre, Minn. native. Wanderscheid was at the top of the sport from 2002 until 2011, winning four World Championships along the way. Prior to the 2021 race, he was the only person to ever win four finals on a Sunday in Eagle River. In stepped Blaine Stephenson, who seemed to have been built to win at the Derby. Last season, the Hutchinson, Minn. native tied Wanderscheid’s record in grand fashion after winning his fourth straight World Championship.

“I never thought it would be possible,” said Stephenson. “I looked up to PJ as a kid and now to be tied with him is a dream come true. Eagle River is still the one race that gets highlighted for everyone in oval racing. It definitely is a nice race to add to your resume. I still want to win everywhere we go, but Eagle River still has the big name and the one most (drivers) want to win.”

It was headline news when Wanderscheid broke his tie with legends Dave Wahl and Jacques Villeneuve in 2011. It was an unbelievable moment for him, the event and the sport. But Stephenson has gone beyond the unthinkable by winning the past four races at the WCDC, setting a new standard along the way.

“The word is impressive,” says Wanderscheid. “I saw a lot of potential out of Blaine, even before he won his first WC. He’s a great racer, and I’m so happy for him on his success. It is definitely earned.”

As mentioned above, no Derby race is easy, and winning brings another degree of difficulty into the mix. Just ask guys like Cardell Potter, Nick Van Strydonk, Steve Thorson, and Chuck Decker, all multi-time winners. The Derby is one tough Mother, and one you need to be ready to handle on Sunday.

“We have had all sorts of races there,” explained Stephenson. “We’ve needed luck, but what sets us apart is the best team possible with building, testing, and wrenching on our sleds. Wahl Brothers Racing is such a special company and group of people; we owe a lot of our success to them. It is such a privilege to drive for Dave and Durmont Wahl, and all the effort the entire crew puts in at the shop up in Greenbush pays off at the track.

“The people that come with us to the track are also very important and I would not be where I am without my parents Chris and Andrea, my wife Alexis, my sister Haley, Greg, Jenny and Gavin Bihner, Troy, Lisa and Logan Boettcher, Dustin Wahl, and Tom Olson. Polaris racing has been a huge supporter of ours and their support has led to a lot of our success. This is our success, not just my success, and I am very proud of that.”

Wanderscheid echoes the sentiment that it takes a tight knit and highly functioning team to be successful and understands that winning the Derby can be a career-defining moment. He will stare into a number of emotions if Stephenson is able to break his record this month. Sadness may settle in a little bit, but he also understands his career was filled with successes beyond Eagle River. He also knows records are made to be broken and is supportive of the man behind the momentum of trying to win number five.

“I hoped (it wouldn’t be broken), but yes, I knew it was a matter of time,” says Wanderscheid. “With racing in general, the odds of one person getting on a hot streak and winning a bunch of races was inevitable. However, it is still impressive to see Blaine win (four) in a row.”

The weekend of January 13-16 will feature the 59^th running of the World Championship Snowmobile Derby. All eyes will be on Stephenson, who will be heavily challenged by a cadre of contenders, including his main rival Gunner Sterne, and extremely fast veterans like Wahl Brothers teammate Tom Olson and Matt Goede.

The competition won’t be the only challenger looking to derail Stephenson’s drive for five. Prior to 2021, the WCDC decided to move away from the traditional Champ sleds, opting for the more stock-centric Formula III’s to be the Derby’s premier class. The change was postponed in 2021 due to COVID-19, but that wait is over, making the 2022 World Championship the first with the new set-ups for Sunday’s final. (The Champ sleds will still race on Friday night).

It’s a move most teams have been preparing for, and Stephenson has worked as equally hard on his Formula III program over the past few years as he has on his Champ sled.

“Our F3 program is solid,” said the Polaris-backed Stephenson. “We started building one at the inception of the class, but I did not race it the first year. We did race it twice last season and it went well, but we were using a 2018 600R. Now we have a new 2022 Polaris 600R EFI with the engine updates and it has gone smooth.

“We are seeing a little slower lap times on an F3, but top speeds are relative to a Champ sled, especially at big tracks like Beausejour. The F3 classes pulled a few Champ guys and a few enduro guys into the class. It makes it tough to know where everyone is at because Eagle River will be the only race that everyone racing an F3 will attend. It makes it interesting for sure, and while I still prefer the Champ to the F3, our new Polaris is good and I’m curious to see where we end up.”

Come mid-January, Stephenson could end up hoisting his fifth straight Snow-Goer Cup. It would further one of the greatest storylines that one of the greatest events has ever written. Another well-deserved example of how a legendary racetrack, and its ability to build racing legends, has endured on a small stretch of highway in Northern Wisconsin.