wheels of thunder november 2014

Vol. 5 Issue 11NOVEMBER 2014

Page 4

Page 264

Find us on Facebook “Wheels of Thunder” November 2014

Special FeaturesTeam LaValle: A New Chapter ................4

NASCAR - On the Fast Track .................20

Princeton Speedway .............................32

Rally’s & ShowsWild Bill 120 .......................................14

World Championship Derby ..................36

Frankensteiner’s Ball .............................40

Winter Spectacular...............................46

Reviews & TechHooze 4x4 .........................................26

DepartmentsGarage Built.........................................10

Boiling Point .........................................12

ABATE of MN ......................................43

Game On! ...........................................48

2

Page 40

Page 46

OWNERPRESIDENT – Scott [email protected]

612-730-3719

OFFICE STAFFAR/AP – Sara Robinson

763-421-4400

EVENT COORDINATOR – Sharon Robinson763-421-4400

SOCIAL MEDIA SUPPORT – Vince [email protected]

763-421-4400

EDITORIAL STAFFEDITOR/CREATIVE [email protected]

763-421-4400

Photographers/WritersMYLIE LAVOLD TOM EDWARDSBILLY BOYLE JENNA OSTERLUNDCEAJA PHILP STEVE CASPER

ADVERTISING STAFFSALES – Scott Robinson

[email protected]

SALES – Mike [email protected]

763-331-2310

SUBSCRIPTIONS$34.99 1 year - Printed Media$12.99 1 year - E-Subscription

PHONE: 763-421-4400www.wheelsofthunder.net

All content published herein is ownedexclusively by Wheels of Thunder Maga-

zine. Reproduction or further disseminationof the content herein is strictly prohibitedwithout the express written authorization of

Wheels of Thunder Magazine.

www.WheelsofThunder.net Page 3November 2014


In September Levi LaVallee announced his retirement from snocross racing after a very successful 14 yearpro career. He began racing at age 12 and turned pro at age 20. He won numerous races and awardsalong the way including being named “Fan Favorite” for 5 consecutive years. Levi reached the pinnacle

in 2009 when he won the Pro Championship title for the Factory Polaris Team. 5 years ago he formed TeamLaVallee with this day in mind. He wanted to be able to stay close to the industry he loved while mentoringother riders and providing insight that he has gained from numerous years of experience. With the upcomingseason fast approaching, we sat down with Mr. LaVallee to talk about these recent developments and to seewhat his plans are moving forward.

Written by Michael D. Peterson

Photography by Wayne Davis Photography

www.WheelsofThunder.net November 2014

Q&A with Levi LaVallee:WoT: First of all, congratulations on thebirth of your daughter! How has the newaddition to your family changed your over-all perspective on life in general?

Levi: It makes me appreciate the smallthings. Just being around her and enjoyingthe face time I get with her, it’s amazing. Ithink about the small things more than Idid in the past. Usually I am just rushing

and running all over. Now I really look for-ward to getting home to seeing my daugh-ter.

WoT: In September you announced thatyou would be retiring from snocross rac-ing. Obviously this is just the end of onechapter. What is next for you person-ally/professionally?

Levi: It’s about closing one chapter andopening the next. But really I’m just chang-ing my direction in snowmobiling. I willstill be heavily involved just doing differ-ent things/different events. I will still becompeting in all snowmobile events at theWinter X Games. And I will be going justoutside the box a little bit, snowmobiling-wise.

WoT: You formed team LaVallee 5 years agoso you could stay involved with the sportyou love after retiring. Now that this dayhas come, what excites you about the up-coming season?

Levi: I’m excited about some of the thingswe have done to improve for this season. Ibelieve it is going to help our riders com-pete at a higher level. Kyle, Jake, and Andyhave really stepped it up a notch and I re-ally hope that we can see these improve-ments out there on the track.

Team LaVallee Story:A New Chapter

Kyle Pallin ##332244Kyle Pallin ##332244


WoT: What goals do you have for yourteam this year?

Levi: The goals I have for the team this year

are to never stop improving and alwaysgive 100%. That seems like pretty easygoals, but at the same time if you execute

these at the fullest, you are destined forsuccess!

WoT: What changes have you made to yourteam in preparation for the upcoming sea-son?

Levi: One thing that we have done ismoved Andy Lieders up into the Pro Classwith me stepping away from snocross onthe national series. Andy has taken my spotin our race trailer. We have changed thingsfrom updates to the sleds and updates tothe training program. So hopefully thesechanges will pay off in the long run.

WoT: Tell us something unique about your-self that your fans are more than likely un-aware of.

Levi: Hmmm, that I love being out on thelake about as much as I love being out onthe snow.

Full Name: Kyle John Pallin

Race Number: 324

Hometown: Ironwood, Michigan

WoT: How long have you been in racing?

Kyle: This will be my 12th year racingsnowmobiles, and each year just keeps get-ting more fun!

WoT: What inspired you to begin racing?

Kyle: As a little kid, we always had snow-mobiles. I enjoyed trail riding with myfamily on the weekends. When my brotherwas 14, he got interested in racing, and myparents bought him his first racing sled. Iwatched him compete at 3 races and itlooked like he was really having fun. Iasked if I could take his sled around thetrack for a few laps and after that I washooked for good.

WoT: What are your personal goals for thisseason?

Kyle: My personal goals are to just go outthere and give it my 100 percent every timeI’m on the track. Always keep it fun and

stay safe. If I do these things I’m hopingthat it takes me to a Points Championshipthis season.

WoT: What has been your greatest racingaccomplishment in your career so far?

Kyle: My greatest accomplishment so farhas been taking 3rd in the overall Pro OpenPoints this past season.

WoT: What are your hobbies away from theracetrack?

Kyle: When I’m not racing I really enjoyriding dirt bikes, running, hiking and anywatersports. I really enjoy the outdoors ingeneral, and like to be active as much aspossible.


Jake Scott ##4422Jake Scott ##4422Full name: Jake Scott

Race Number: 42

Hometown: Port Jefferson Station, NewYork


Jake: This will be my 8th season racingand 5th doing the ISOC National circuit.


Jake: I have always been really competitiveand raced motocross growing up. When Ifound out that you could race snowmobilesas well I was instantly hooked!


Jake: My personal goals are to stay safe, dothe best I can do, have fun, and hopefully

that leads to a top 5 in points!

WoT: What has been your greatest racingaccomplishment in your career so far?

Jake: My greatest racing accomplishmenthas to be when I won the 2012-2013 ProLite points championship.


Jake: Some of my hobbies away from thetrack are riding motocross, wake boarding,and my favorite thing is doing anythingwith fast cars involved.

Full name: Andrew Paul Lieders

Race Number: 857

Hometown: Colby, WI


Andy: 8 years


Andy: I raced motocross and wanted some-thing to do during the winter so a got intoracing snowmobiles. I really enjoyed it andaway I went!


Andy: It will be my rookie year in Pro Openso I'm not sure what to expect. Right nowI just want to try to be on the line for the fi-nals and see where I stack up.

WoT: What has been your greatest racing

accomplishment in your career so far?

Andy: Probably when I swept the weekendlast season at the Ironwood National. Itwas just a weekend that I felt amazing onand off the sled.


Andy: I really enjoy hunting and fishing. Itis a great way to relax and enjoy the out-doors. If I have free time I usually try tohit the woods or water!

Andy Lieders ##885577Andy Lieders ##885577


SEND TO: WHEELS OF THUNDER, 13915 RADIUM ST. NW, SUITE D • RAMSEY, MN 55303

___ YES! I want to subscribe to the Wheels of Thunder Magazine & receive 12 issues for $34.99!

Charge my credit card: _____VISA _____Mastercard _____Discover (Please check one)

Card # ______________________________________________________________________

Exp. Date __________________________________________________CVC # ___________

Signature ___________________________________________________________________

Name ______________________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________________

City ___________________________State________ Zip______________________________

Phone_____________________________________________

E-mail_____________________________________________Mail check or money order or call 763-421-4400 for credit card orders.

Stock OriginalThis is where it all started!Stock Original

This is where it all started!

Sound Familiar?Do you have a story of your custom ride? [email protected] and you could be

featured with your ride in the next issue!

1968 Ford Mustang Fastback

Owner/Enthusiast:Greg Root Woodbury, MN


As all of us growing up we saw themovies like ‘Gone in 60 Seconds’ and‘Bullet’. They had these 67 & 68Fastback Mustangs in them andsomeday we wanted to get one! Soat the Back to The 50’s Car corral Ifound this 68 Mustang and it was ingreat shape for a Minnesota car. Ihad 2 friends look at it and theythought the same. Well I bought it,drove it all summer as a driver andhad fun! Even thought my hair wasgrowing back. (no tickets yet)

After storing it for the winter, I got itback out again and thought, ‘letstear this apart and redo this Fast-back!’ Oh Boy!

The body work started in March andwas finished in June. I had replacedall outside chrome, lights, bolts,screws, gaskets, new seats, headliner,visors,...well you get the picture.When we would put an old part onit, it looked bad so we just boughteverything new on the car.

A good friend, Brice Anderson whodoes all my body and prep work, didanother perfect job on this, which it

has to be for painting it black. Thentook car to Raymond Auto Body inSt. Paul for Paint.

Then I started the hard part of put-ting the car back together withoutme putting a scratch in it, Brice tookcare of that also.

The motor was gone through; headswere ported and dressed up with allthe goodies to make it look ‘OldSchool’ under the hood. Then withAlum 5 Spoke Wheels and MickeyThompson Tires we were ready toburn rubber. (no tickets yet)

Now that car is done, I take it to carshows and for rides down to Red-wing. It gets a lot of attention! Ithink everybody knows a Mustangwhen they see it, and give me thethumbs up. Being retired now, Ienjoy building cars to drive, butnever seem to keep them very longas I’m always looking for a New Proj-ect. Maybe a Factory 5, 66 CobraRoadster next.

Past Projects:*1932 Highboy (steel car)*1946 Ford Truck



Say good bye to the long day’s summer andhello to the dark and coldness of the win-ter. Aside from the winter season suckingthe energy from us, it also plays havoc onour health and wellbeing. How many of usjust plain on plan on contracting that hor-rible winter flu or a nasty cold? I supposewe all can deal with the minor type ill-nesses, however now the attention of theworld has been captured by Ebola.

Unlike colds and the flu infectious diseasescan be untreatable and fatal. Some of theseviruses like Severe Acute Respiratory Syn-drome (SARS), H1N1 also known as theSwine Flu and now one of the most noto-rious and contagious viruses Ebola, hasnow made it to the shores of the USA. Thelargest outbreak to date is the ongoing theWest African Ebola outbreak, which is cur-rently affecting Guinea, Sierra Leone, andLiberia. Ebola contained mostly in WestAfrica region has a high risk of death,killing between 25% and 90% of those in-fected with the virus. Those high and lowstatistics are based on the numbers infectedin those countries where most people thatlive there have little knowledge of preven-tion or treatment. Their problem is now theworld’s problem and based on the WorldHealth Organization (WHO) could be thegreatest infectious disease killer that wehave seen in centuries.

What makes matters worse is this; we arecoming into the flu season how do we de-termine if someone has the flu or has con-tracted Ebola? Here are the initialsymptoms, Signs and symptoms typicallystart between 2 days and 3 weeks after con-tracting the virus, with a fever, sore throat,muscle pain and headaches. Then, vomit-ing, diarrhea and rash usually follow. Dothe symptoms sound like the flu? Howmany Americans will be off and running tothe Emergency Room the minute they startto feel ill? What will the clinics and the

hospitals do when they have large numbersof people seeking medical treatment? Sowhat can we do to minimize getting theflu?

Why I stress avoiding the flu is simple, ifwe stray away from the simple illnessesthat are what I would consider today asminor it might save us a whole mental an-guish. Even the flu kills 30000 Americanseach year, but that number reflects mostlypeople that have existing respiratory prob-lems. If you all remember H1N1 – SwineFlu I had been part of a strategy meeting inthe Twin Cities in 2009 that was focusedon what could happen if we had a majoroutbreak in the US. The concern was thatthe workforce in manufacturing settingswhere a good portion of the workers werenon-English speaking may not practiceproper hygiene techniques at home. If in-fected with the virus much of that demo-graphic population could shut down theAmerican manufacturing plants just by thevolumes of workers infected. Think abouthow much product or food is produced inthe United States. Shutting down several

high volume manufacturer or food pro-cessing plants could crush the economy. Ifyou haven’t seen a movie that came out acouple of years ago called “Contagion”,find it, rent it, Netflex it and pay attentionit could happen here.

Look at is happening to date in Dallaswhere the first known cases have devel-oped. The Center for Disease Control andthe Hospital where the first patient soughtmedical treatment did one of hell of job,and I mean that in a negative way. The firstpatient Thomas Duncan was treated andreleased came back for a second visit andsat in the damn waiting room for severalhours. The other patients could have beenyou or I or a sick kid all that potentiallycould have been exposed. To matters worseeveryone in the link from the time thiswalking parasite entered the United Statesshould been identified and quarantined.The nurse that treated him came downwith Ebola and the nitwits at the CDC weremore concerned with her dog than all theothers that were part of the treatment andlaboratory team.

Written by Billy Boyle

EBOLA – “I’LL WASH MY HANDS OF IT”


The CDC allowed not one but two hospitalpersonnel the freedom to travel; the nursethat traveled to Cleveland called the CDCto inform them that she was not feelingwell. Sure enough she comes down withEbola, but exposed every human being inthe several days of traveling, socializing,eating in restaurants and drinking in bars.The second person in the link a laboratorytechnician was allowed to travel on aCruise Ship that was denied entry in to aMexican Port. The lab tech is quarantinedand confined to a cabin and several thou-sand people on the cruise are on edge. Thatis a worst case scenario, what if these in-fected people went to a sporting event,Mall of America, wedding or your kidsschool? Our illustrious Government Med-ical Agency and the leader of our nationjust don’t get it. After the press got a holdof it we find that President Ombola orEbamba whatever you want to call him, cut71 million dollars from the CDC andEmergency Preparedness budget. Way togo Pres!

Back to the Flu and preventing illnesseswith our manufacturing workforce. The ac-tion plan was simple wash hands repeat-edly and use hand sanitizer at work and athome. A simple education to the entireworkforce, it didn’t matter what languageyou spoke or where your roots were from.It was all “hands” on deck. They say wetouch our face two – three thousand timesa day. Think about it? If that’s the caseevery time you touch your face you poten-tially could be spreading germs that arecamped out on your hands. Washing yourhands often and I mean getting in the habit

of every opportunity you get to soap, scruband rinse will reduce the risk of colds andflu. Here are the results of the productionplant I worked in. The winter of 2009 and2010 we had the lowest number of sickcalls in the 50 year history of the company.It told us one important thing, washing thehands often at work and at home will avoidcolds and flu. Are you getting my point?Avoid the flu don’t freak about Ebola. Avoidthe flu and you don’t have to worry aboutthe minute you or your kids have a fever, asneeze, the chills or aches that Ebola justtook over your body.

I am not saying that washing your handswill prevent or reduce Ebola, but we don’tknow that yet? To my Wheels of Thunderreaders, friends and family my BoilingPoint message to you is this, use your head,lend a hand in preventing the winter ill-nesses, but make sure it is washed. You andyour family will be glad you did. Ahhhhh-Cho!


EVENT SALESWheels of Thunder is currently hiring

sales staff for event coverage.

For a private interviewcall Scott Robinson

763-421-4400


In 1948 Bill France established the Na-tional Association of Stock Car AutoRacing. Today fans across the country

know it as NASCAR; it is one of the mostpopular forms of motor sports. The firstrace was in Daytona Beach, Florida on atrack that was a combination of paved sur-faces and ocean wave hardened beach front.Today’s high tech race cars wouldn’t do wellin those racing conditions. Their 1940’s and1950’s counterparts weren’t too far fromwhat was available on the show room floorat many auto dealerships.


Written by Tom Edwards

In their earliest days a NASCAR race readycar could be purchased for about $4,000, asmall fraction of the current price tag.Those cars actually used street tires and rollbars were not mandatory equipment untilthe 1952 season. In the early days of thesport, to check tire wear during a race, 2time champion Tim Flock installed a smalldoor on the floorboard of his car andopened it with a rope.

The first tires manufactured specifically forNASCAR racing were produced in 1952 bythe Pure Oil Company. The following sea-

son a number of auto related industriesmade “severe-use” kits for the cars theyhad on race tracks in the early sponsorshipdays. The cars rolling off assembly lines inDetroit were no match for the stress andstrain of NASCAR racing. The kits pro-vided improved suspension componentsthat upgraded the car’s handling and dura-bility. In 1955 General Motors introducedthe 355 cubic inch small block Chevy en-gine. That power plant, with some 21stcentury updates, is still used by GM raceteams. The last few years of the 1950’s andthe early 1960’s saw the addition of 4 newtracks as the sport’s popularity was grow-ing. Those tracks were in Daytona Beach,Hanford, California, Concord, North Car-olina and Hampton, Georgia.

In 1964 Plymouth and their driver Richard“The King” Petty introduced the hemi-spherical head combustion chamber en-gine. It is better known as the hemi and ithelped Petty win the ’64 Daytona 500. Likeso many other motor sports racers, Pettywas a second generation driver. His father,Lee Petty was a pioneer in the early days ofNASCAR competition. Richard’s son Kylehas also had on track success. Ralph Earn-hardt helped the sport gain acceptance inits formative years. His son, Dale “The In-timidator” Earnhardt established himself asone of the most successful and populardrivers and, no surprise here, his son Dale,

In the beginning...


Junior also has a loyal following of racingfans. The Jarrett family is another branchon the NASCAR family tree. Ned Jarrett isa 2-time champion and his son Dale earneda title. The Allison brothers, Bobby andDonny have established they know theirway around a race track. Bobby Labonte isthe 2000 champ and his brother Terry wonthe 1984 championship. Rusty Wallace andhis brother Kenny have enjoyed success onthe NASCAR circuit. Darrell Waltrip andhis brother Michael have combined for 3Daytona 500 wins. The current chairmanof NASCAR racing is Brian France, thegrandson of founder Bill France and theson of the long time driving force of the cir-cuit, Bill France, Junior. You probably see apattern developing here.

Interest in the sport is nationwide. Racingfans pack the stands and follow the exten-sive televised coverage helping the sportmaintain consistently high TV ratings.Fans have said they enjoy the entireNASCAR experience; the sights, soundsand strategies involved in winning a race.Seconds, or, in many cases, fractions of asecond can determine who wins and whois, as they say in the racing world, the firstto lose; the title given to the second placefinisher. Knowing when to make a pit stop,replacing just 2 tires or all 4 when everysecond counts, modifying the air pressurein the tires by as little as a quarter of apound and a variety of chassis adjustmentsare among the many decisions crew chiefsmake during a race. There is one other fac-tor that every racer will tell you can helpdetermine the outcome of a race, luck.

Having followed motor sports for years, Ihave no idea how many times I have hearda driver say “I’d rather be lucky than good”during a post race interview. Your car canbe set up perfectly and the driver is at thetop of their game, but a multi-car accidentcan end their racing for the day.

As anyone that has attended a NASCARrace can tell you, once you go you’re a fanfor life. One indicator of the sport’s popu-larity can be seen at grocery stores.NASCAR drivers can be seen on cerealboxes, soft drinks, and magazine covers. Ifyou only purchase NASCAR related items,you will probably have too many items forthe express lane. I can’t imagine anythingthat has Jimmie Johnson’s picture on itstaying in one spot too long after it startsmoving. I have seen him race many times.Once he gets going, he moves along at a

brisk pace. That’s how you earn 6 champi-onships. Surveys of motor sports fans con-sistently show they are a very “brand loyal”group. Sponsors know that having theirlogos on the side of NASCAR’s 200 MPHbillboards is money well spent and pro-vides an excellent return on investment.With television coverage that airs in soughtafter time slots and drivers references tomajor sponsors during interviews and pub-lic appearances, an increasing number ofcorporations don’t hesitate to sign multi-million dollar sponsorship agreementswith the top teams. In some cases, raceteam budgets are in the neighborhood ofthose of some “stick and ball” sports.

The memorabilia associated with the sportis a large market. Die-cast cars, tradingcards, figurines, jackets, hats, shirts andpins are among the items fans keep addingto their collections.

On and off the track, the sport’s popularityis at a high level and its future is brightenough to need dark sunglasses. The LasVegas Motor Speedway built by BrutonSmith, expanded the already expansiveseating when the Dale Earnhardt Terracewas built shortly after the track hosted itsfirst race. NASCAR races there have pro-duced some of the largest attendance fig-ures for any sports event west of theMississippi River.

The 36 race season begins and ends in thestate where it started, Florida with the Day-ton 500 opening the season; the finale is atHomestead-Miami Speedway. Hang on racefans. It looks like NASCAR is getting readyfor another exciting finish.


“Icame home

one day to

find I was

suddenly a single dad.

I had two young girls,

a one year old and

three year old…”

From humble beginningscome Great Things.

That was how Hooze 4X4 started 26 years ago. At the time, Jeff Myrmel wasworking six days a week for an employer in the automotive repair industry.When Myrmel approached his employer asking to work 5 days a week so hecould care for his childern, his request was coldly denied. With his backagainst the wall, Jeff started working out of his garage at home. Unfortu-nately, after only a few months, city zoning put the kibosh on that idea. ButMyrmel was determined to find a way to support his family financially andstill spend time with his kids. So, he went out and rented his first shop fromone tough landlord.


“It was rough for awhile,” admits Myrmel.“I didn’t have any cash flow or assets so ifI needed an oil filter or any parts, I had torun out to Champion and get them.”

Myrmel says he might have “winged it” inthe beginning, but since then he hassteadily built his business. Hooze 4 X4 isnow in its third building located in HamLake, MN and things are looking betterthan ever.

Hooze 4X4 does everything from factoryscheduled preventive maintenance to me-chanical repairs on both foreign and do-mestic vehicles. “No job too big, no job toosmall,” says Myrmel. “We are a full serviceshop. We also specialize in the areas ofdrive-line repair and diesel performance.We’ve serviced drive-lines since day oneand we have really moved into the dieselworld over the last 8-10 years.”

Over the past few months, Myrmel has re-ally focused on building the diesel per-formance side of his business by teamingwith B&C Diesel. B&C is Brian Rickardand Corey Glenna. Both worked at Hoozepreviously and then left briefly to starttheir own diesel performance shop. Theyalways maintained a close relationshipwith Myrmel, both personally and profes-sionally. Recently, Myrmel bought out hispartner and reached out to Rickard andGlenna to join forces. Back under one roof;the two entities are a perfect complementto each other.

We cover everything from basic to highperformance diesel needs on all makes andmodels, explains Rickard. “We work on thedaily drivers to the full blown race or trac-tor pulling trucks. We can help peoplewhose vehicles have inadequate options byimproving things like towing, breaking andcooling. We are very in tune with what’strending in the high performance dieselbusiness, so we also help those customersthat want to go faster, pull more, and havea lot of horsepower!”

Rickard says he and Glenna are very happyand excited to be back working withMyrmel and the Hooze team. “We neverstopped working together, even though wehad separate buildings. Now that we areunder one roof we can deliver better cus-tomer service and give the customer an allaround better experience.”

A team that sticks together is part of whatmakes Hooze who they are, a family. Cur-rently, there are seven employees plusMyrmel. “Everyone has been here for along time,” says Myrmel. “Most of the teammembers have been with me for anywhere

Written byMylie Lougheed


from 10-20 or more years. It’s definitely acomfortable atmosphere to work in and bea part of.”

Those aren’t just words; Hooze is a familybusiness in the truest sense. Myrmel’syoungest daughter, Kristine, has worked in

the shop for 11 years now. “It was probablymore daycare when she started,” jokesMyrmel. “But she hung in there and has be-come a huge or maybe even the biggestasset to the business. Customers are alwayschecking up on her and threatening thatshe better be here next time!”

Kristine remembers going to work with herdad and hanging out at the shop when shevery young (not unusual for the kids ofsmall business owners). She remembersher and her sister, Jessica, playing house inthe shop school bus to stay out of dad’shair. She officially became an employee in

9th grade. “I worked part-time after school.I mostly helped with inventory, paper fil-ing and cleaning,” Kristine recalls. “I did alot of toilet scrubbing!” Over time, shestarted answering phones and workingmore with customers. Today, she works thefront desk, does a lot of inventory and is incharge of the company website, onlinemarketing and social media. “I still get toclean the bathrooms, just not as often asbefore, we all help out,” she jokes.

Much the same as the Hooze team caresabout each other; they also sincerely careabout their customers. Providing their cus-tomers with the best service and top qual-ity parts and repairs are the reasons whyHooze 4X4 has been in business for over25 years. They are recognized as an AutoService Plus Service Center and employASE certified technicians. “If the customeris not happy, I’m not happy,” says Myrmel.“At the end of the day, it has to be a win-win for everybody.”

Kristine says she tries to greet customersby name, or at least remember something

about them. With a customer database ofover 18,000 people, she says it’s hard to re-member everybody. “But we are not too bigthat we forget about those personal touchesthat really make a difference.”


Those personal touches have earned Hooze4X4 loyal customers and friends over theyears. “We have a group of older men wholike to come in for a cup of coffee and justvisit,” says Kristine. “They might not evenbe getting their vehicles serviced. They juststop in to say hi, get out of the house andof course, harass the boss man.”

Born of necessity, built by determination,and grown by a dedicated team, Hooze 4X4is proof in the philosophy of the AmericanDream, “Americans achieving prosperitythrough hard work.”

Hooze 4X41435 147th Ave NE

Ham Lake, MN 55034763-413-4944

[email protected]: Hooze 4X4, Inc

www.hooze4x4.com Hours: 7:00 am to 6:00 pm (M-F)


September 19 and 20 were thefinal two nights of this racingseason at the Princeton

Speedway. The 2nd Annual P-TownShowdown took place both Fridayand Saturday Nights with a greatshowing of cars.


The WISSOTA Street Stocks kicked off theweekend with Justin Pogones and JustinVogel on row one. Pogones took the leadwith Vogel and Ryan Pommerer in tow.Pommerer and Aaron Johnson took thesides of Vogel and went three wide for sec-ond while Tim Johnson moved in. Pogonesbegan to pull away from the back as theybattled for top points. Pogones maintainedhis lead through the cautions and took thewin in his Wollak Construction #01.

Travis Schulte and Bud Martini brought theWISSOTA Midwest Modifieds to the greenhowever the yellow waved. Martini was

alone on the restart with Shane Sabraskiand Schulte in tow. Sabraski took secondand Tim Johnson challenged Schulte forthird. Sabraski began to close the gap Mar-tini built as the yellow waved again.Sabraski and Johnson rode Martini’s rear asthe green dropped and Sabraski kept pres-sure on Martini. Martini rebuilt a marginbetween him and Sabraski, and drove hisPlato’s Closet #42 into victory lane.

Dave Mass sped away as the WISSOTASuper Stock feature commenced. DextonKoch took second and Tim Johnsongrabbed third. Johnson dove to the insideof Koch for second but Sabraski thenjoined the fun and they battled for second.As the battle heated up the yellow wavedand drivers were aligned. Mass was still incommand on the restart while Johnson slidpast Koch to claim second. Sabraski movedto his side and made the pass for second.Mass dominated the entire race and put hisLube-Tech sponsored #2 in victory lane.

Kelly Estey and Eric Martini brought theWISSOTA Modifieds on the track surfacebut as the green waved contact was madeand the #9e of Don Eischens shot over thetracks edge and bounced down the em-bankment. Martini claimed first on therestart while Estey and Thoennes battledfor second. Drivers began to settle intopoints as another caution waved. Martiniremained first on the restart and Thoennesmoved into second. Sabraski made the passfor third and closed in on Thoennes, how-ever fell off pace and Estey retook third.Martini led the rest of the race and took the

Written by Tami Jo Kuehn

Photography byBailey Sens


win in his Martini Auto Parts #24.

A first lap caution kept the WISSOTA ModFours slow, but as the green reappearedKyle Thell took the lead. Kyle Thell triedto put distance between him and Funt, butFunt never backed down. As they pulledaway from others, Hribar and Keith Thellclosed in on Gilyard. Keith Thell thenmoved back in and aside Hribar and madethe pass. Kyle Thell and Funt caughtslower cars and split high and low to makethe pass. The low groove was faster andthey sped out of turn four with Funt in thelead. Funt rolled his #21 into victory lane.

The Hornets closed out the night withDrew Johnson and Justin Schelitzche in the

lead. Johnson took first as the green wavedwith Schelitzche in second and. DannieBurkholder crept ahead and moved toJohnson’s side for first. Burkholder slid pastJohnson, claimed the lead, drove his#46ssg into victory lane and dedicated hiswin to his Dog Maizie.

Night two began with the WISSOTA Streetstocks. Mike Blowers and Kyle Dykhoffbattled for first as the green dropped andJordan Tollakson moved up to battle threewide. Blowers took control, Tollaksongrabbed second while Jim Gullikson tookthird. Blowers ran his line but Tollaksoncontinued to work the #34. Tollakson thenmoved to Blowers’ side and they were doorto door around the surface. Tollakson bat-

tled to the end, but “The Southern Sleeper”Mike Blowers took the checkers.

The WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds werenext on the agenda with Denis Czech andNick Dalronco on the front row. Czechtook the lead as the green waved with Dal-ronco and Tim Johnson as the top three.Johnson made the pass for second whileDanny Vang challenged Dalronco. After acaution, Czech remained in first but felt theheat of Johnson and Vang. Vang drove toJohnson’s door and they were side by sidefor second. Vang pulled ahead but Johnsonkept close. Vang slowly put space betweenthem as the race winded down. DenisCzech took the win in his Captain America#2.

Tim Johnson and Shane Sabraski led theWISSOTA Super Stocks to the green, John-son grabbed the lead and Sabraski keptclose. Johnson and Sabraski soon pulledaway while Denis Czech took third. John-son ran the high groove and caught someloose clay as they rounded the curves.Sabraski took the opportunity and shotinto the lead. Johnson moved back toSabraski’s rear as the yellow waved. Fourcautions kept the Supers at a stop and gopace, but with a couple laps to go, Johnsonand Dave Mass remained close to Sabraski.Sabraski took the checkers in his ATM Ex-press Services #7a.

The WISSOTA Modifieds hit the clay withJason Thoennes and Ken Hron on the front


line. Thoennes took first and Mike Stearnsmoved into second. Brandon Aggenworked the low side and moved into sec-ond. Aggen then moved aside Thoennes asthe yellow lights flicked on. Thoennes wasalone on the restart, but again Aggenmoved low and took the lead. Thoennes re-claimed the lead and held Aggen back asdebris laid on the track. Again the yellowstopped the battles and more cautions fol-lowed. Thoennes held the lead through thecautions, and a last minute surge by Aggendidn’t slow him down. Thoennes took thewin in his #52 Modified.

Kyle Thell took the lead as the WISSOTAMod Four feature began. Keith Thellmoved into second with Bryce Bjerken inthird. A couple cautions occurred, and onthe restart, Keith Thell and Bjerken wereon Kyle Thell’s rear. Keith Thell took sec-ond and the Thell brothers separated fromthe remaining cars. Keith Thell kept closeto the yellow #00 and tried to make a passevery lap, but Kyle Thell kept him back.The checkers were raised and Kyle Thelltook the win in his Wollak Constructionsponsored Mod Four.

Erik Gruhlke drove the #46ssg and tookthe lead when the Hornet feature began. Acaution soon reset the field, but when thegreen flew it was Gruhlke and Jake Bayerlfor first. Bayerl took the position whileTerry Blowers moved into second. Blowersthen found Bayerl’s side and he moved intothe lead. Tim Lavoi took second and Bayerlheld third while Bobby Blowers tookfourth. B. Blowers then moved aside John-son’s #35 with few laps to go. B. Blowersgrabbed the low groove for third withJohnson at his side. The checkers wereraised with Lavoi, Bayerl, Johnson, and B.Blowers in top points while Terry Blowerstook the hardware.

The P-Town Showdown officially wrappedup the 2014 race season at the PrincetonSpeedway. Watch the facebook page andwebsite at www.princetonspeedway.comfor your banquet and 2015 race informa-tion.


52nd year Old Derby…just keeps getting better!

www.derbytrack.com

The Official name of the world’s grandest snow-mobile race is: The AMSOIL World ChampionshipSnowmobile Derby presented by First PlaceParts.com. It will take place on its time honoreddate, the 3rd weekend in January. In 2015 that willbe January 15th – Sunday January 18th.

2015 will see some changes at the Derby. One isthat Sno-Cross will complete their show on Sat-urday allowing the Derby Track Crew to “knockdown” the high spots of their race course pro-viding spectators an unobstructed view of the iceoval for Sunday’s Final.

Another move, this one to create safer racing con-ditions will be the Derby’s endorsement of T. J.Patrick’s “snow brush”. Racers will be encouragedto use these ski and track brushes to reduce snowdust, a serious vision impediment for racers.

Racing action starts a weekend earlier then Derby(January 9th-11th) with the enormously popularVintage World Championships. This weekend hasbeen drawing close to 1,000 entries for the pastthree years. For three days the classic machinesof the 60s and 70s put on a show from the golden

days of racing.

All elements of what makes the Derby the biggestsnowmobile race on the planet will be in place.That includes the large indoor & outdoor vendorarea with exceptional buys on all sorts of snow-mobile items.

Hot Seats for ultimate fan comfort are, for many,the ONLY way to enjoy a day of racing. CorporateSuites are one way companies or employers canreward their customers, or business associates.Not the least among Derby fan favorites is thenew LOFT, which provides sit down food servicewith an over view of the EXPO HALL activity.

The Derby has a social side too. People like totake advantage of a torch lite ride to the EagleRiver Hockey Dome, guided by the local Sno-Ea-gles snowmobile club. Fans also enjoy the “ringpresentation” on Saturday night when the TopTen Championship qualifiers receive their special

rings. At Sunday night’s Victory Banquet, fanscan see their favorite drivers receiving trophiesand the much deserved “winners jackets” pro-vided by Fly Racing.

The Big Weekend comes when AMSOIL, a Wis-consin based company, turns on the lights for theAMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derbypresented by First Place Parts.com.

More competitive snowmobile racing simply can-not be found anywhere else. Be it Vintage, 120’s,Sno-Cross or Ice Oval – If you can only make it toone race this winter – Make it to the Eagle RiverDerby – It’s ALL there.


In late September I attended the 2014 Mo-torcycle Riders Foundation’s Meeting of theMinds in Kansas City. As always this was agreat motorcycling rights conference filledwith large general sessions and small work-shops with a wide range of topics for activemembers of motorcycle rights organiza-tions (MROs) nationwide. One unique ses-sion was titled “Running an EfficientMRO”. Six leaders of ABATE groups fromaround the nation were picked to offer ad-vice and answer questions from the audi-ence of several hundred people. SinceABATE of Minnesota is viewed as a leadernationwide, I was very honored to sit onthis panel. Copied below are some of thehighlights of what I had to say.

Opening comments: “When I was in mytwenties, me and all my friends had highlymodified motorcycles. They were not show

bikes by any stretch, but the motors wereawesome, the suspension was the best onthe market, and the brakes and tires weretop shelf. We lived by the motto “chromedon’t get you home”. In a way, that is theapproach ABATE of Minnesota has takenas an organization. We are not into self pro-motion and do not run around patting our-selves on the back, but we separate theimportant stuff from the trivial and get thejob done.”

What is the best advice you can offer: “Sur-round yourself with good people. ABATEof Minnesota’s Treasurer is a Certified Pub-lic Accountant. Our Newsletter Editorshave been highly educated professionals inthe printing and technology fields. OurSecretary is truly dedicated, talented, anda pleasure to work with. And our previousSecretary was a University Professor! Our

Trustee is a member of the Motorcycle Hallof Fame for his work in motorcyclingrights. Our Assistant Coordinator wasawarded the Silver Star while serving in theMarine Corps. And the list goes on and on.Surround yourself with good people andyou can’t go wrong.”

How can we get the states to work bettertogether: “25 years ago, some great vision-aries addressed that problem in our areaand created Heartland STEAM, an acronymfor Seminar To Educate And Motivate. Thisstarted as a five state group dedicated tosharing information, brainstorming ideas,and helping each other overcome obsta-cles. We have since added two more statesand S.T.E.A.M. has been a tremendous suc-cess. If you do not have a working groupin your region, I suggest you start makingphone calls to each other and build one.”

It took a lot of work to become a leader.And it will take more work to stay a leader.As another member of the panel said,“Coasting only works for going downhill”.Folks, I mean it when I say we have thebest members and workers any groupcould ask for. You are the motor and sus-pension that makes ABATE of Minnesotaone sweet ride. And with maintenance andfine tuning, this ride will serve us well fora good long time. If you are not a currentmember of ABATE of MN, please join andsupport our statewide motorcycling rightsorganization. Together we will be success-ful.

Yours in freedom,

Mack

MOTORCYCLE RIGHTS CONFERENCE


There was a stretch during the 1970s and1980s when fans came from all over theUnited States and Canada to pack theViking Speedways (Alexandria MN) grand-stands in late December for some of thebest Ice Oval Snowmobile racing anywherein the country. For thirty years, this hal-lowed ground remained silent till 10GDP(Mark Barrett, Justin Marthaler, Dave Dahl,Cory Watts, Ben Johnson, Andy Radil,Todd Chan, Jeff Karrow, Rod Karrow) metin a garage and formed a plan to bring backthe Historic Big One last year (1/30-31,

2/1). The group formulated a game planthat took the best classes of Vintage andLate Model Racing together in one fanfriendly show. The three day event in-cluded Bill Stull’s Vintage SnoPro Seriesand the Tommy Lipar Racing Cup (TLR)Series for the Champs. Logistics and planswere put in motion. One of the first thingsto be done, was to announce a Grand Mar-shal-the absolute most logical choice wasJim Beilke. Beilke is a 1995 SnowmobileRacing Hall of Fame inductee, publisher ofSnowTech Magazine and established theDayco Holiday Spectacular.

At the driver’s meeting Friday, as the skiswere about to hit the ice in thirty years,Beilke spoke these words to the drivers andthe workers. “Welcome. It’s really, reallygood to see you all here. This place has beenempty, cold and quiet for far too many win-

ters. 30 to 40 years ago this was the site ofsome of the most important racing events inNorth America. Racers from the US, Canada,Sweden, Finland and Japan came for the“Richest Race in SnoPro”.

The time period was from 1974 to the early80’s. But, in 1982 the industry was suffer-ing from a lack of snow, interest rates ofover 20% with a huge carry over of unsoldsleds. Things were tough. No more fac-tory teams racing, Arctic Cat quit produc-tion, so our crew decided it was time tohang it up, too. But, though all of thoseyears since, one thing still remained. Thatwas the challenge and the desire of theracer to continue to compete. Snowmobileracing has struggled in those years to finda successful format that worked as well asplain, old oval racing. There was little luckin that, and this site remains as one of thevery best oval tracks in snowmobiling.When I heard that a local group was goingto bring back big time snowmobile racingto the Douglas County fairgrounds. I won-dered to myself if these guys knew whatthey were getting into.

This thought haunted me until 10GDP(Jeff Karrow representing 10GDP) calledand wanted to talk. I figured he wanted toget inside tips and insights on how to pullthis off. I was very mistaken. Instead hetold me about all the research, planningand preparation that was going into it. He

convinced me that these guys were notonly well informed on the task at hand, buthad a handle on how to make this a goodevent for both the racers and the specta-tors. Actually, some of 10GDP were kids

sitting in the grandstand and remember allthe noise, color and excitement of thoseyears long ago. They decided it was time torenew that era with a big time race of theirown-right here, in their home town. Howcan you not be impressed with all thework, dedication and determination theyhad to make it happen. “So, here we are.Just remember. This is a big race track. You’llbe able to reach some scary speeds. So becareful out there. As far as I’m concerned, theracers and the promoting group have alreadyproven that they all are winners just by get-ting to this point. We want you to return toyour warm homes safe and sound so you canrace another day. It’s really, really good to seeyou all here”, Jim Beilke 2014 Winter Spec-tacular Grand Marshal.

H ello Wheels of Thunder Fans! As the daysget shorter and the chill in the air deepens, Ican hear the buzz! Minnesota's heartiest out-

door fans are thrilled that their good days are back! It's timefor the snow to fly and real outdoor fun to begin, right?!

If you missed it, GameON! TV recently earned fourEmmy nominations surrounding our work @ GameON!GameON! hopes your fall was exciting and filled withfun. It was as gorgeous weather-wise as I can ever re-member!

This issue of Wheels of Thunder is once again outstand-ing and, as always, featuring unique stories, pictures andsponsor information that underscores the excitementaround motorsports! Just like Wheels of Thunder,GameON! TV continues to grow & reach so many of youwith our sports programming. We broadcast in the TwinCities on FOX's MY29 and in the Dakota's and westernMinnesota via MidCo Sports Network. GameON! lovessports, from the variety of professional, college & highschool sports to all the outdoor events that dot our re-gional landscape. GameON's partnership with Wheels ofThunder is strong and just like you, we also enjoy themost comprehensive race magazine and website to befound! Wheels of Thunder magazine gets it and gets youthe latest information, amazing pictures and all those ter-rific stories to the most passionate motorsports fans inthe country!

GameON! offers the region a diverse and entertaininghalf hour of TV as we bring you the most visible andpopular Minnesota sports figures. From the NFL Vikings,to the MLB Twins, the NBA Timberwolves to the NHLWild, we also visit with the Lacrosse Swarm and SoccerUnited FC. There's NASCAR and we're on top of yourfavorite drivers too. Each and every week GameON!comes to you in crystal clear full High Definition and ourfirst APP (it's free to for Apple & Android phones) isavailable for your use! GameON! TV is now offering aweekly PODCAST available @ our show website

www.GameOnTvMN.com. It's full of bits and pieces ofsports from the region and what's ahead on our weeklyTV show.

This show is interactive so we'd love to hear from you!Please visit our Facebook site (friend us @ GameON onfacebook), our website @ www.gameontvmn.com and24/7on twitter #gameontvmn. Furthermore, GameON!Host Rod Simons has baseball on his work schedule aseach and every Sunday he's joined by 4-time World Se-ries & Twins pitching great Jack Morris for This Is TwinsTerritory @ 10AM on the radio home for your MinnesotaTwins @ KTWIN 96.3. So, please join us for all thatsports offers us here in our great neck of the woods, viaWheels of Thunder, GameON! and KTWIN radio! Andget your Vikings fix with our partner in one of the largestVikings fan websites in the world, www.PurplePride.org.

Winter's here! Enjoy! Stay safe and get your GameON!Be a part of the exciting effort we're putting on! Keepyour GameON!

wheels of thunder november 2014

Documents

levi lavallee

facebook wheels of thunder

wheels of thunder magazine

snocross racing

numerous years of experience

consecutive years

year printed media

pro championship title