wheels of thunder september 2012 issue

Vol. 3 Issue 9

SEPT/OCT 2012

Page 30 Page 22

Page 55-62

Page 38

Cover Photo by TODDWILLIAMSUSA.COM

Find us on Facebook “Wheels of Thunder” September 2012

Special FeaturesIWA - Nick Gustafson ..................................12Haydays - Matt Thies...................................14Welcome to the Big Show - Ricekiller ............18Wounded Warrior Chopper.........................30Tri State Raceway .......................................52Terracross...................................................54The Other Place..........................................68

Tech ReviewsCountry Auto..............................................34Ask Mike ....................................................37Pro Power Sports ........................................40

Rally’s & ShowsLCO Casino Motorcycle & Music Festival ......16Iowa Grand Rally Follow-Up........................38Drag Race Schedule ...................................48

DepartmentsGarage Built.................................................6Boiling Point................................................10Next Generation - Kailey Sherratt ................22KimmyCat Corner .......................................26Off The Beaten Path – End of Summer..........46ABATE of MN.............................................65Dining & Entertainment................................67Best in the Midwest .....................................82

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OWNERPRESIDENT – Scott [email protected]

612-730-3719

OFFICE STAFFAR/AP – Stacy Robinson

763-421-4400OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR/AR – Vince Griffith

[email protected]

JUNIOR BOSS – Zack Robinson763-421-4400

EDITORIAL STAFFEDITOR/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Betty [email protected]

763-421-4400

Photographers/WritersBILLY BOYLE MIKE BENOY

CEAJA PHILP ERIK TORMOENJOHN JEPPESON JENNA OSTERLUND

JOSH MOEN MYLIE LAVOLDSTEVE JOHNSON DAN JACOBSON

ADVERTISING STAFFSALES – Scott Robinson

[email protected] (CJ) Philp

[email protected]

WISCONSIN - Brad [email protected]

715-497-8090IOWA - John Lentzkow

[email protected]

SUBSCRIPTIONS$34.99 - PHONE: 763-421-4400

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All content published herein is owned exclu-sively by Midwest Wheels of Thunder Maga-zine. Reproduction or further disseminationof the content herein is strictly prohibitedwithout the express written authorization ofMidwest Wheels of Thunder Magazine.

www.WheelsofThunder.net May 2012

Stock OriginalThis is where it all started!Stock OriginalThis 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!

TPC 450R –The start to a profitable obsession!

Owner/Enthusiast:Bill Casey

My name is Bill Casey and I started riding 3-wheelers in1978. The first one I ever rode was my friend Chuck’sATC 70. I actually hated it and couldn’t wait to getback on my Z50 2-wheeler. A few days later we tradedrides again. This time I figured out how to ride that lit-tle 3-wheeled monster and, consequentially, com-pletely fell in love with 3-wheelers. Ever since that dayI’ve not only been in love, but absolutely obsessed withriding, racing, and building 3-wheelers.

In 1982 I went to my local Honda dealer and bought abrand new ATC 110. In 1985 I bought a brand new

ATC 350X followed by a brand new 1986 ATC 250Rthe following year. Through the years I had many more350X’s, 250R’s, and other desirable go-fast trikes.Some of my love and passion for these machines tooka slight hit, however, after my original 350X was stolen.It happened during one of those seemingly dark timesof my life that I’m sure we’ve all experienced at leastonce. So, I was down, but I definitely wasn’t out, eventhough I may not have realized it at that moment.


Time passed and it wasn’t too much laterwhen Honda released the TRX 450R quad.I knew this had been what I was waiting for,but not for reasons that most people wouldunderstand. After all, I am a 3-wheelerguy! Let me explain: since 1987 when allof the major manufacturers stopped mak-ing 3 wheelers I had always told myself that,as long as they made new MX bikes andrace quads, the technology would be thereto build a new trike, eventually. The timehad come!

With my beloved 350X gone, it just feltweird seeing my 250R without it’s “brother”so, I bit the bullet, sold my entire ATC col-lection, including a custom 450X I had beenbuilding, and started planning the future.The lone survivor of my past was my origi-nal ’82 ATC110 (I still have it to this dayand I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to sellthat trike!)

Anyway, on Jan 6th, 2006 I bought a brandnew ‘06 TRX 450R and within minutes of itbeing home I had essentially cut it in half. Ihad never even ridden it, yet here I was, atthe point of no return. And, curiously, Ihad absolutely no concerns about beingable to accomplish my ultimate goal.

In 2006, after an injury, the project was put

on hold for a couple of years. However, thedream never died and, in August of 2008, Iinvited a few close friends to my shop forthe debut of my new creation. This was thevery first totally brand new 3-wheeler sincethe last of the 1988 models were liqui-dated/destroyed due to the CPSC consentdecree.

Officially dubbed the “TPC450R”, (TPCcoming from my eldest son’s initials) thismachine was built with absolutely no ex-pense spared. Virtually everything wasbrand new and a majority of the parts wererace-quality aftermarket pieces. Bob Weissbuilt the custom triple clamps and JeffRudler of Tioga Tool build the front huband axle, all to exacting specs and toler-ances. Forks from a 2006 CRF 450R and aTRX aftermarket front wheel completedthe front end. Next was the frame and,using the front end as a reference point, theback half of the TRX frame was used as acore. Then a whole new front clip had tobe fabricated to accept the CRF dirt bikeparts. The remainder of the frame was de-signed so that everything else would be asimple bolt on. Basically, if it’s on the backit was born on a TRX 450R, and if it’s on thefront it started life as a CRF 450. When itwas all said and done there was around

www.WheelsofThunder.net September 2012

Team TPC Trikes -#32 (my personal number) for TT racing Team TPC Trikes -#111 Jackie Meadows, Pine Lake National

$20,000.00 invested in the project.As word (and pictures)got out other people became very interested in what we weredoing here at TPC Trikes. Since I had always worked on vin-tage trikes on the side and was so passionate about this newcreation, I decided to have a website built and see where thiscrazy endeavor could possibly take us. Well, since then, TPCTrikes has built a total of 20 frames, 8 complete (turnkey)TPC450R’s. and 12 full conversion kits. And there are cur-rently 7 kits and/or complete builds on order. I can’t expresshow surprised and grateful this has made me, Kimmie, andthe rest of the TPC team – it’s been fantastic!

Additionally, I have also had the opportunity to travel acrossour great country several times with the TPC Trikes crew, rac-ing MX in Ohio and NY, as well riding such famous dune spotsas Imperial and Pismo Dunes in California, Utah’s Little Sa-hara dunes, the dunes in Florence, Oregon, and the Little Sa-hara dunes in Oklahoma.

I even had the opportunity to ride in Baja, Mexico with 5-time Baja Champion Carmen Cafro, which evolved into ourcurrent plans to campaign a TPC in the 2013 Mexican 1000.After all, the TPC was, and always has been, conceived as aVERY serious competition machine. Further proof of thatwas on display as ATV, MX, and TT legend Jackie Meadowsraced a TPC to the top of the podium at the 2012 AMA Ex-treme Dirt track nationals at Pine Lake Raceway in Ashtab-ula, Ohio. In fact, TPC Trikes had 4 bikes in the highlycompetitive open pro class at that event and took 1st (JackieMeadows), 2nd with Nick Lalanne, and 4th with Fred Morrell.Fred Morrell also won the 2011 CRA MX 3 wheeler OpenClass Championship. TPC’s have actually won 55% of all ofthe races that they’ve entered, a record that we are extremelyproud of.

I guess that’s not too bad, especially when you consider thatI never set out to do anything other than build a totallywicked brand-new 3-wheeler just for myself. Anyway, neverwanting to rest on my laurels, we at Team TPC Trikes are nowin the process of developing a 650cc 4-stroke and a 500cc 2-stroke version of the TPC.

Not surprisingly, there have been, and there are still thosewho try to copy our products and, unfortunately, even as-sume our company name and identity. We view this as a com-pliment to our designs, people, and products, as well as thesuccess of our company as a whole. After all, the sincerestform of flattery is imitation, right? Well, hopefully the com-petition is listening…and ready. So, if you are ready to throwa leg over the baddest 3-wheeler ever built then I encourageyou to please visit www.tpctrikes.com to find out how youcan own one of your very own!


Eric Jensen doing a heelclicker.

Jackie Meadows on his way to winning theEDT Pine Lake National

#333 Nick Lalanne 2nd place Pine Lake National

#44 2011 CRA MX champion Fred Morrell

Red, this one was built by a gentleman down in Austraila,he bought one of our kits and then built this awesome

85 ATC 250R retro looking TPC 450

The summer is winding down, the bikes,trikes, and all terrain vehicles ht the roadsand trails all over the Midwest. It has beenquite a season for outdoor activities, butthe statistics show that early and late rid-ing season is a bit riskier for most riders.The risk are usually environmental factorsthat we deal with regularly weather condi-tions, sunsets, slick roadways, sand plas-tered roads that first and last ride of theseason can be the rough and tough ride. Ican vividly remember a tragic accident thatinvolved friend of mine’s dad. Her dad hadbeen a motorcycle enthusiast for decadesand had always preached to his kids aboutsafe motorcycle driving habits.

It was April 2005, a beautiful spring Satur-day the sound of the bikes hitting the roadfor the first ride of the season could beheard in the distance. The dad rolled thebike out and just wanted to a drive a fewmiles to the local Harley shop to pickupsome fluids. As he made his way on a welltraveled frontage road a small pickup trucktraveling in the opposite direction withoutwarning turned quickly in front of his bike.The pickups turn was so sudden there wasno time for the bike to stop. He hit thepickup broadside and was launched 20 feetlanding on the other side of the pickupstriking his head on the curb. My friend’sdad had died on the scene.

The root cause of this tragedy was found tobe driver distraction; the teen driver of thepickup had been engaged in a cell phoneconversation and lost focus while driving.Distraction while driving is now becomingone of the leading causes of roadway acci-dents, most of the minor nature, but someleading to life changing injuries or death.Now we have one of very own Wheels ofThunder staff members Ceaja Philp thatran into (excuse the pun) a similar situa-tion. While riding on the back of a bike adriver pulled right into the path of the bikeas they were leisurely traveling at a moder-ate speed. Even as safety minded and cau-tious as the operator of the bike was the

driver never looked and was in the directpath of the two wheeled machine, launch-ing Ceaja through the air high over the topof car and taking a direct hit on the headcausing some major injuries that requiredseveral surgeries. Luckily for Ceaja she willrecover after a long rehab process, howeverthat’s how quickly your life could changeor end.

Distracted driving is on the rise in theUnited States, the physical distractions areeasy to identify, cell phone, Ipod’s, loudmusic, to name a few, but it’s the bucket ofstuff we all have sitting in the brain, moneyissues, romance, health, and work stress.Let me ask you this have you ever leftwork, school, sporting event, and the nextthing you know you are pulling into yourdriveway? Whether it is the physical dis-traction or the brain lapses throw anabruptly stopped vehicle, a deer, or anotherdriver not focused, could you react to theincident quick enough to avoid a collision?These incidents happen everyday on ourroadways, some only end up as a fenderbender, but look at the two examples withbikes involved one ended fatally andCeaja’s is life changing. The driver in thefatality was cited for texting while driving,and received a minor jail sentence andcommunity service, but what good is thatdoing for the family of the deceased?Ceaja’s accident is too fresh to discuss inthis article, but it doesn’t take a CSI sleuthto put the pieces together on what was theroot cause. Here’s some stats and factors invehicle verses bike collisions.

Contributing factors for driversstriking motorcyclist

In motorcycle crashes that do involve an-other vehicle, the report more often asso-ciate contributing factors with the otherdriver than with the motorcyclist. For theother drivers, failure to yield right of way(40%), and driver inattention or distraction(22%) are cited most frequently. Thisclearly indicates that motor vehicle driverstend to ignore motorcyclists.

The Motorcyclist

This factor clearly validates that when thebikes hit the road, the vehicle driver canand will hit the bike. So what do you do asa motorcyclist to prevent being calculatedas a statistic? And when you are the vehicledriver what precautions will you now take.Absorb this if you will, professional ath-letes that are preparing for the season, at-tend pre-season training, why? To sharpentheir skills, hand eye coordination, and getthem physically fit to name a few. You as amotorcyclist need to do the same thing toprepare for the riding season, it only makessense. Hitting the road without gettingyourself mentally prepared could be the“death of you” for real.

Years ago when I was getting my motorcy-cle endorsement at the Minnesota Motor-cycle Safety Center as we were grouped upI noticed a couple that was obvious in the60 plus age category. As I chatted awaywith the couple I asked why wait so late inlife to get your motorcycle endorsement?The short answer was “SAFETY”. I foundthat have had their license to drive a mo-torcycle for over 40 years, returning to thesafety course was a way to “Sharpen theirskills” before hitting the road for the sea-son. What about your physical condition?How about digesting this, (excuse the pun)from the lack of physical activities from theMidwest winter, your muscles are softer;you may have added a few pounds, andyour flexibility in reduced greatly. Let’s addyou’re a year older, reaction time is slower,eye site is diminished, and fatigue comesquicker. Here are some numbers from theDepartment of Transportation.

A large number of middle-aged people arereturning to motorcycling, and evidently,they are returning without proper operatortraining. In 2009, 57% of all motorcyclecrashes were single vehicle crashes. A ma-jority of these single vehicle crashes werecollisions with fixed objects or simply themotorcycle overturning. In addition, 2009data indicate that one out of every five mo-


Written by Billy Boyle

“FATAL DISTRACTION’S”The Sequel

torcycle operators that were involved in afatal crash did not have a valid endorse-ment to drive a motorcycle.

These facts surely indicate that furthertraining is needed for a large segment of themotorcycle driver population.

Some tips from the experts at the Depart-ment of Transpiration

• Officials urge motorcyclists to ride care-fully and not to let down their guard.

• Riders are advised to wear protectivegear, travel at safe speeds

• Pay attention and ride sober.

• The state also advises that riders seeksafety training, wear high-visibility rid-ing gear

• Keep a sharp eye out for deer. We haven’ttouched on this but several bikers weretaking out by wildlife

Here is a snap shot of motorcycle crashesin 2009 that resulted in death and injury,the numbers show that you are at a greatestrisk when you are in lowly populated areas.That is when you the driver and the motorvehicle operator drop your guard the most.The results are favorable for either anyoneinvolved.

The Vehicle driver

• Motorists are advised to watch carefullyfor motorcycles in traffic

• Always check twice before turning orchanging lanes.

• Keep the tunes lower to hear that a mo-torcycle is in the vicinity

• Remove that long list of distractions thatis mentioned in the beginning

• Take the battery out of the cell phone –this will eliminate the temptation to callor text

• Stay focused on the roadway – try the ex-ercise commentary drive

If you look at what is happening in ourworld today, its matter of fact that mostpeople are distracted in some way or fash-ion whether they are driving, working, ortrying to focus on other important thingsthat really needs their undivided attention.I can tell you this; people that have lostloved ones from an accident that was to-tally preventable would give you an earful.If the driver of the vehicle just kept theirattention on the road and not somewhereelse the lives of the families of the deceasedand the offender would be different today.And the driver will live with it forever. Payattention or pay the price.



I n only his second year of competition at IWA events, NickGustafson has become a dominant force on the circuit, collect-ing 3 feature wins in 2012 including a World Championship

title in the Semi-Pro Open class at Grantsburg in July. The humble andunassuming Gustafson has quickly gained the respect of his peers on theracetrack with his clean and consistent driving style.

Written by Mike Benoy

Main Photo provided byKim Simonsen

Trophy Photo provided bySadie Simonsen

IWA Racer Profile – Semi-Pro Open World Champion, Nick Gustafson


The affable young man from Roseau,MN has earned just as much admira-tion for his capabilities in buildingand tuning a snowmobile. An engi-neer for Polaris by trade, improving asnowmobile and how it works is justa part of Nick’s everyday routine. Thevast majority of IWA racers buildtheir own machines to race, but whenit comes to horsepower under thehood, most rely on proven engine andpipe builders to give them the edgeout on the water. Gustafson is the ex-ception to the rule, building his ownengine and exhaust package as wellas the rest of the innovative machinehe races. He humbly claims that themill is making around 170 horse-power where other similar buildersare getting in the mid to upper 180’sout of comparable packages, but hasbeen continually out-performingmany of them on the track all seasonlong. This speaks even more to hisability to tune the sled to perfectionand get every bit of that performanceto the track!

Nick enjoys racing snowmobiles inthe winter as well, competing in HillClimb competitions from Michigan toWyoming. He currently plans to con-tinue racing at IWA events next sum-mer where he will move into the toplevel of competition, the Pro Openclass. I am looking forward to watch-ing Nick compete at the top level ofthe sport. His quick rise to domi-nance in the Semi-Pro division leadsme to believe that he’ll be an instantcontender at the Pro level in 2013.There is still one chance to catch the#724 Polaris of Gustafson in actionon the water on September 15th and16th at Brainerd International Race-way, however “catching” him on thetrack has been a difficult task for theother racers this summer. For moreinformation about the IWA season fi-nale at B.I.R. visit the IWA websitewww.iwaracing.com. Come out tothe beautiful facility in Brainerd andwatch the IWA Season finale whereall of the season champions for 2012will be crowned!


Matt Thies of Minnesota will have his hands full this year during the Sno

Barons' Hay Days trying to defend his titles. He took home the Champi-

onship points win in the Stock 500 and 600 Single Pipe classes, and a

3rd in the Stock 600 Multi-Pipe class. His success with Hauck Power Sports and

racing has put a target on his back. Pat and Jerry Hauck made huge waves and ri-

vals with their championship winning Yamaha sleds over the years taking numerous

wins, and with them backing Matt, he's on the same path.


Written by Ceaja Philp

Photo provided by Wayne Daviswww.waynedavisphotography.com

Matt has been a part of the Hauck Racingteam as a crew member since 1994, and in2000 jumped right into the Semi Proclasses as he took the controls on the startline with his SRX 700. He now runs thePro classes atop a 2010 Yamaha Nytro, andwill be gearing up for the Stock 500 and600 single Pipe classes as well as the Stock600 Multi-Pipe.

By trade Matt is a roofer, but within his

NSRA race career he has already lined up22 first place wins, 4 seconds, and 2 thirds,making his 'hobby' something to look for-ward to every season. He admits he is def-initely hooked on the speed and adrenalinerush he gets from sled drags, whether ongrass or ice. Matt shares is passion forbeing outdoors racing sleds with his otherfavorites, hunting and fishing. His chil-dren, 10 year old son Seth and 6 year olddaughter Bri also enjoy the outdoors withDad.

Matt would like to express his thanks toPat and Jerry Hauck, Hauck Power Sports,Andy Brunner, Paul Hauck, and to his fam-ily and children for all of their support. Heis ready to make them all proud again bybringing home the win!

Photography and Article by John Krueger



A common saying is, “less is more,” andthis saying rings true in the automotiveworld. As a journalist and avid enthusiast,I've seen the scene go through differentphases over my time involved in the com-munity, and it seems that it is currently ina less-is-more. However, that does notmean the cars are any less stunning thanthose that scream for attention. It is thesubtlety that draws you in, and the “hid-den” modifications that keep you lookingfor more. Adam Tiedens' 1999 Fixed RoofCoupe (FRC for those playing the home-game) Corvette is a car that certainly fol-lows this style of modification. Nothingreally jumps out at you except the factoryred paint, but the modifications are simple,functional, and certainly stylish.

Adam, also known by his screen-name 'BigShow,' is the VP of the Minnesota region ofRicekiller (which if you're not on the fo-rums, shame on you!) and you can alwaysfind him helping out at various RKCevents. Now, his position didn't land himthis feature however neither is the fact thathe's been a friend of mine for some years.I just happen to really feel that his Corvettestands out amongst a sea of others in a,dare I say it, bland community. From myobservations, most Corvette owners aresatisfied with what Chevrolet gave themfrom the factory and usually just add yourbasic bolt-on accessories. I like the pres-ence of Adam's car; you know it's there butit's not screaming at you with a lairy paintjob, or some big motor with a bajillionhorsepower. It's how everything flows sowell together, and how subtle it all is that

makes you stop, stare, and possibly be-come a little green with envy that this thingisn't parked in your garage.

Now, Adam's been a GM guy since I'veknown him. He's a certified GM tech so hewrenches on them all day for a living. Hestarted his modding career with a PontiacGrand Prix GTP moving to a Camaro Z28after. His Camaro received a healthy goingover sporting a heads/cam package andbuilt auto-trans in its final guise. However,fate decided that this car should meet aguardrail due to a tire blow-out on thehighway. This is where things got a bit in-teresting. Adam's co-worker Ben wantedto buy the wrecked Z28 to use so he couldswap everything over to his 2nd-Gen Ca-maro (Modern-Muscle feature a few

months ago). Adam's other friend hap-pened to be putting this Corvette up forsale because he didn't really drive it. Talkabout things working out in the end. TheFRC already sported a few mods whenAdam took possession of it, but he's beenable to add his own touch since takingownership. The most striking part of thecar is without a doubt the exterior. Thefactory Torch Red paint still looks brandnew, almost wet to the touch which is a bigreason why I love shooting this car. Hon-estly, it's one of my best shoots to date. Thecar also has a killer stance. Adam's 'Vette islowered all the way down on stock bolts upfront and the rear bolts have been removedcompletely. It's definitely lower than mostCorvette owners like and the tire-to-fendergap is a little too close for most, but I love

it. To fill those wheel arches, Adam's FRCwears a set of C5 Z06 wheels that havebeen powder-coated black with the red de-tailing painted on. Remember what I saidabout subtle details? The red for theCorvette logos is a little stroke of genius.On the motor side of things, the LS1 is

given a little extra breathing due to aported throttle-body and LS6 intake mani-fold. Exhaust gasses exit the V8 via LGMotorsports long-tube headers, 2.5” X-pipe, and a B&B Route 66 exhaust. Adam'sCorvette also runs on e85 so 42lb injectorsfrom Bosch take place of the factory unitswhile an AEM wide-band keeps tabs oneverything, and Carl from Lancer Automo-

tive provided the tune. Other modifica-tions include a full LED interior light swap,smoked tail lights and corner lenses, andRadioflier modified ACA head-lights fea-turing Infinity FX45 projectors.

The spec-list speaks for itself. It's short andsweet, but in no way does it mean that thisCorvette is anything less than stunning.

Just look at the photos if you need someproof. The car is devilishly good-lookingand carries a presence all its own. Anothersaying comes to mind when thinking aboutthis car's impact, “minimum effort, maxi-mum result.” There sure isn't a whole lotgoing on here, but the results are far greaterthan what was put in. Just goes to showthat less is indeed sometimes more.



Kailey Sherratt is a nine yearold from Nowthen, Minnesota.When her parents would tell

her that she can do whatever she put hermind to, they didn’t think Kailey wasgoing to say she wanted to race go karts.One night after her softball game, Kailey


Karl, Tim, and the staff at the Racewaywere nice enough to stay late and allowKailey to take that kart out on the ovaltrack after the races and give driving a try.It was the first time she had ever driven ago kart. She held it wide open, evenaround the corner, and drifted up and hitthe wall on her first time out. But insteadof getting out of the kart and giving up, shedrove herself out of the wall and continued

to do laps around the track – this timeslowing down on the corners.

That next week Kailey ran her first race.Heat race after heat race you could see shewas getting more comfortable in the kart,and that night in the feature she came insecond. Both her parents were stunned ather driving. She has played fastpitch soft-ball for years, enjoys fishing, boating, andsnowmobiling, but they didn’t know she

Kailey SherrattAnything is possible when you put your mind to it!

and her family went to RamseyRaceway to watch her cousin race.She watched for a while and thenspotted a kart for sale. She talkedher mom into writing down thephone number and it all unfoldedfrom there.


had racing motorsports in her.

One night, Late Model Dirt Track RacerTom Nesbitt was at Ramsey Raceway, andKailey was able to talk to him and get a pic-ture with him. Kailey has said she wantsto drive a Mod 4 when she is a teenager.

Kailey has shown continual improvementin her driving every week. Last week sheactually won her first feature race. When

we ask her about her favorite part of rac-ing, she says that they are “all like familyat the race track.” All the kids play to-gether between races and encourage each

other. Kailey plans to keep racing and keepgetting better. When I ask her what hergoals are, she says “I want to go to the Uni-versity of MN and then race in Nascarsomeday.”

Well when Kailey actually get’s old enoughto drive, she should have turning left downto a science.

When’s the last time you had the

chance to introduce your kid to a

fun and family-friendly sport with-

out spending a fortune? If you think your son

or daughter has that competitive sparkle in

their eye but you’re not sure what type of

racing to have them try, kart racing might be

just the thing. It’s easy to get started and kids

of all ages love to get out and race in a sport

where everyone’s a winner!

HOW TO GET YOUR KID INTO KART RACING


Oval dirt tracks are, by far, the most popu-lar go-kart venue in the Midwest. There aretracks spread all across the countrysideand, while the rules and classes vary fromtrack to track, generally anyone can racewith a minimal investment. We’re not talk-ing about those go-karts at the amusementpark, either. These are high performancekarts with plenty of power to appeal toeven the BIG kids in the family; mom anddad.

You can begin by searching the internet forkart racing tracks near you. Each track typ-ically has a website with a list of rules,classes and upcoming racing events. Stopby the track, check out the setup, and talkto the guys in the local kart accessoriesshop. If it seems like a good fit, bring your

family down to a race one night and ask toenter the pit area to see how things workbehind the scenes. Most of the time, you’llfind a great group of people, eager to an-swer any questions you might have.

Once you decide to go for it, the first thingyou’ll need is a kart to race with. There areseveral options for finding a good used kartthat’s still in decent shape. You may needto make a few adjustments, but there arerace-ready karts out there starting as low as$1000. One option for the newcomer is tocontact Scott Willis of Hoosier Tire North([email protected]), a kart broker whobuys, sells & trades karts of all kinds.

You will also need to buy some well fittingsafety equipment, which will run another$200. A chest protector is a must-have forall junior racers, as well as a helmet, neckbrace, elbow pad, gloves and racing jacket.Of course, there are lots of other goodiesout there but the gear you need to test thedirt is pretty basic. You can pick up any-thing you might need at a kart accessoriesshop, such as Karl Janzen’s Power by Karl,located in Ramsey, Minnesota.

The majority of the tracks do not requireracers to join any associations, but WorldKarting Association (WKA) and Interna-tional Kart Federation (IKF) membershipsare required for certain national races.Talking with long time kart racer, ScottWillis, kart racing is today as stock car rac-ing was back in the mid-70’s; every trackhas different rules. He would like to seekart racing band together like car racinghas. “We need a series sponsor to help pro-

Written by Kim“KimmyCat” Niles

Photography byRussell Cramblit



mote karting locally and in the upper Mid-west,” said Willis. “Uniting on one set ofrules and one point system with a seriessponsor will help to ensure a fair and con-sistent set of rules within the sport.”

For now, let’s head down to our local Ram-sey Raceway racetrack to try a few lapswhere it’s just $30 to race, plus $10 for eachpit crew member. Ramsey Raceway is a1/9th mile clay oval racetrack run in a co-operative effort between the City of Ram-sey and TK Motorsports. Remember tobring your portable grill and a cooler offood, because half the fun in racing karts isthe family atmosphere in the pit before,during and after the races.

Believe it or not, the first time around thetrack for your youngster will likely be thepractice laps just before the evening races.

At Ramsey Raceway, there are races onmost Wednesday and Friday evenings,starting at 7pm. The track gates open at5pm with practice laps at 6:30pm.

After the first round of practice laps, theracers and their crew attend a drivers meet-ing and draw numbers for the lineup.Classes are based on age and weight, withthe youngest drivers starting as early as 4or 5 years old and entering the adult classeswhen they reach 15 years or become skilledenough to compete at a younger age.

Kids usually race first, with two heats foreach class. Drivers take a few laps aroundthe track to get everyone running and inorder. For the rookies, the karts are linedup at the starting line until the green flagdrops; and then they’re off! Usually, there

are about 4-6 drivers in each heat. If any-one goes off the track or breaks down, the

racers maintain their positions and the of-fending kart goes to the back of the line forthe restart. This timehowever, the karts areput into a tight, rollingformation until thegreen flag drops again(just like the big boysdo it) and racing con-tinues until the check-ered flag drops.

After all of the classesand heats have beencompleted, the featureraces begin. In the fea-ture races, drivers lineup according to howthey performed in thetwo heat races. Tro-

phies are awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rdplace, plus a photo in the winners’ circle.Of course, everyone is a winner at RamseyRaceway, so all of the rookies receive a tro-phy just for participating.

Keep in mind, when the race is over thebest question you can ask is whether yourchild had fun. This places the importanceon fun before winning, and if they’re hav-ing fun there’s sure to be a first place tro-phy in their future.

Happy Karting!

Editor’s Note: Wheels of Thunder would likegive a special thanks to Tim Marshefavre andScott Willis for donating karts to our Wheelsof Thunder “kids” so they could try out theRamsey Raceway racetrack first-hand.


BIKE SPEC’S:Name of Bike: Warrior Chopper

Builder: Wapello County Customs

Owner’s Name: Roger Borror

Bike Year: 2011

Bike Make: Full Custom

Bike Model: Hard Tail

Frame: Twisted Choppers

Rake: 40

Length of Bike: 8.5

Motor: Ultima

CC: 113

H.P.: 120

Exhaust: FSD Exhaust Flamethrower

Transmission: 6 Speed Ultma

Wheels: Ride Wright 23” Front 18/300 Rear

Tires: Avon

Tins/Body Work: Rear fender madeby Wapello County Customs

Gas Tank: P.B. Choppers

Paint: Air brush by No limit CustomDesign and Camouflage by Tarjac

Seat: Ottumwa Seat and Top

Seat Height: 26”

Handlebars: Wapello CountyCustoms

Bullets: All spacers and bullets onbody made by Roger at WapelloCounty Customs.

Additional Custom Parts: Roger,Wapello County Customs and spe-cial thanks to Indian Hill CommunityCollege Classmates and Instructors

Special Thanks to Mom, Dad,My Kids Hailey and Katelynn for

their patience with me. Tim Johnson,Ghost, Johnny, Shanahan and all

my buddies that stayed up for 4 days to finish the project!


This project has been in the back of mymind for a long time, since about 2004. Iguess it stems back to when I was 18. In-spired by my grandpa who fought in WW2,I wanted to get into the military. I tried toget in the service, but could not due tomedical problems. In the beginning of thechopper project, I wanted to see if I couldbuild a custom military chopper to be raf-fled off to raise money to help out the menand women that serve for us and a freecountry. The funds would go to TheWounded Warrior Project. Unfortunately,times were hard for me so the project wasdelayed, but I never forgot.

In December of 2007, after a lot of talkingand media coverage, I began raising moneyfor the project. Donations were very slowfor the first year, but by January 2008,word had gotten around and money, amotor and parts started to add up. I was inhopes of a build date of July 2008. How-ever, the economy had tanked and therewas no way to finish it. A preliminary un-veiling fundraiser was done but barelybrought in enough money to cover the ex-penses I’d added up thus far. Unfortu-

nately, the project hit a standstill.

In 2010, I enrolled in a welding school andGraduated in winter of 2011. Then I knewI wanted to stay in school so I entered aMachine Technology program and will

graduate this year. By doing so, I was ableto make most of the parts for the Militarybike and saw that this was a way to get themilitary chopper completed. It worked!We were back into building, touring with itto raise money and making this dreamcome true. That’s when I came up with acompletion date of 11-11-11. Time closedin fast as the difficulties in the final weeksarose.

I drove to Waterloo, NY 2 times in 2 weeksto get the Warrior Chopper all dipped incamouflage. We originally wanted to ship itto NY to get it done, back to us and com-pleted by 11-11-11. Realizing shippingwould keep us from making that date, Iasked my buddy, Ghost, who was helpingme, and my dad, “What do you think abouta road trip?” My dad said, “Where to?” Itold him Waterloo, NY and without hesita-tion he said, “Let’s go.”

Two weeks later, the parts were done andmom wanted to go along. So dad, momand I left town and drove all the way there

in one day. The parts looked amazingwhen we picked them up the next morn-ing from Tarjac. Left there, and with astop at Niagara Falls for mom made it thefirst family vacation since I was a child. Itwas blast! We then drove till we couldn’tgo any longer. The next morning, we droveto St. Paul, MN and dropped off the parts toairbrush.

Here’s where the story gets crazy. With twoweeks left until 11-11-11, I took the partsto the painter, he told me he could have itdone within about a week. However, Icalled on the day I was to pick it up and hesaid he’d lost track of time. Although por-tions of it weren’t done, I picked it up onthe 7th because time was closing in on us.Just as we’ve all seen on television, we were


back in the shop working 24 hours a day, still building parts,painting a few and powder coating others. We got it assembled aswe were unloading it from the trailer at the unveiling ceremony.

I had the VFW play taps and do the 21 gun salute. After that Iasked all who had helped with the build to grab a corner of thecover and help me unveil as I counted down from ten. As I said“one” and the Warrior Chopper was uncovered, my dad spun mearound and said, “I’m proud of you son and I love you.” It was byfar the best moment of my life. After the Warrior Chopper wasunveiled. I had my buddy Jeff Leonard sing the National Anthemwith a huge 14 ft flag that was going up behind him...what anawesome unveil!

Since the unveiling, we have had the Warrior Chopper to as manyevents across the US as we can afford to travel. If you would liketo be a sponsor or donate money go to my website and go to mypay pal account. My contact number is (641) 799-0444. We willbe giving away this chopper by a drawing on 12-12-12. All pro-ceeds will be given to the Wounded Warrior Project. To purchasea ticket for the bike go to our website: www.wapellocountycus-toms.com and www.woundedwarriorchopper.com


Alan Zumbach has been in the body shopbusiness for over 40 years. I had the pleasuresitting down with Alan to learn more abouthis success, and what it takes to do the varietyof work performed at his business. One thingI noticed immediately was his soft spoken,laid back attitude, and how he connected tohis employees. Alan stressed keeping as muchof the work in house play’s a major factor. “Ihave talented craftsman employed, and I listento their suggestions. By doing this it allows meto control the quality of work being done, andquality work makes for happy customers”.

Alan started out at a very early age, workingon a motorcycle. He didn’t have the money tofix it, so a guy showed him how to use a spraygun. His finished product was noticed, and he

George’s 2001Corvette with his custom paint job.

The hood onGeorge’s Corvette

took almost 160hours. The detail inthe rocks has over400,000 sectionsair brushed which

required a lot of en-ergy drinks and late

nights…..simplyamazing to see in

person!

Alan invited George to bring his 2001Corvette with his custom paint job for aphoto shoot for your viewing pleasure.

COUNTRY AUTO INC. &HWY 151 CYCLE CENTER

1501 CHAMBER COURTANAMOSA, IOWA 52205

319-462-5099Written by John Lentzkow


was my hired by a body shop in Dubuque, Iowa. The Body shopis where he honed his skills and learned the trade first hand. Alantook the big step and started his own business in 1989, and movedto his new location in 2007.

I asked Alan to show me around and talk about some of the manyprojects going on in his shop. Believe me, this is not your typicalbody shop. We walked to one of the many stalls and at the far endof the building and I immediately got excited. Here was a 1971Camaro Pro Street/Strip in process of a frame up restoration.

The 383 stroked motor kicking out 540 ponies was surroundedby beautifully detailed body work and custom fabrication. Alanexplained, the technology has changed so much from 20 yearsago, and to do a car like this requires a lot of research and designcapabilities. “Attending trade shows like SEMA, and keeping up

with all the new products and performance parts is a must to dothis kind of work. Networking with other people in the businessis very important and sharing trade secrets, but we still rely onour own styles “Alan said. The car is nearly ready for interior workand I can assure you this customer can’t wait for completion. Butsomething like this takes time and must be done right, and fromwhat I witnessed, it is awesome.

The other bays we visited had a variety of work being performedincluding everything from mounting tires, collision work, sand-blasting, parts being prepped for painting, to custom stereo equip-ment being installed. One particular major project caught my eye,and I just had to ask” Is that a semi-truck body”? “Yes,” the guysreplied who were hard at work flat sanding parts for this customcab. From custom semi-trucks to hail damage on your daily driver,this shop really does it all.

One thing I did notice was the work environment. I am not talk-ing how clean and organized, but the attitude of the employees.Colby Van Antwerp who manages the shop and technicians Joshand Bo seemed to take great pride in what they were doing, andwere eager to tell me about their projects. And in order to grow thebusiness, Alan is hiring 2 more employees and plans on expand-ing his shop area. With custom work sitting in his shop and workalready scheduled for next spring, Alan mentioned this is the onlyway he can keep up with the work load and more calls coming in.

Alan’s business growth includes bringing in a new certified tech-

Josh and Bo working on the custom semi-truck cab partspreparing for paint.

“If you make a list of what we don’t do,it would be a lot easier.” Alan Zumbach


nician, specializing in motorcycle repair.Alan hired Tom Gillespie to manage thatside of his business. The timing was right,so preparation was made to remodel aroom and add another talented individualto his staff. This direction of business in-cludes motorcycle repair, service, and cus-tom bike building with an opportunity totake on more custom painting and sales ofperformance parts.

Now I have saved the best for last. AlanZumbach is not only a very successful busi-ness man and a very friendly boss to hisemployees, but he has a talent beyondknowing how to mix epoxy and do bodywork. Alan is a professional at air brushpainting and graphic art design. I have in-cluded several photos which in no way dojustice to the detail involved. I know thereare many talented individuals out there

undiscovered, and worthy of some goodpress. This is what I like about my job, andsharing with our readers those who havethe skills to offer services for which wemay not be capable of. Add Mr. Zumbachto your list for custom painting; I did!

Allen, Tom, and Colby all play a vital role with the addition of the motorcycle business

Amazing hood air brushed with 3D rippedsheet metal.


GRASS DRAGS?!?Q.“Hey Mike, I saw you talking about

racing Watercross with snowmobiles inanother issue, what about grass drags?

How can they run so fast in 500 feet on grass?And isn’t it hard on the machines?”

Bill from Minneapolis

A.Bill, thanks for the question! Snowmo-bile grass drags have been going on foras long as snowmobiles have been

around and just like every other form of snow-mobile racing, it has evolved over the years andbecome faster and faster. Just as it is with everyother discipline, going fast on the grass is allabout setup and test time. The first thing youwill notice on the sleds that are running fast atyour local grass drag race is that they are sittingconsiderably lower than your average trail sled.This accomplishes two things: First of all, itkeeps the machine out of the air and limits theamount of air that can get under the sled whichgreatly improves the aerodynamics. Second, itimproves the angle that the track travels fromthe drive shaft to the front of the suspensionrails (commonly referred to as the “attackangle”). By limiting this angle, the overall effi-ciency of the track movement is greatly im-proved compared to the stock configuration ofmost snowmobiles today. You will also seemany sleds with air dams built in the front tohelp further reduce the amount of air goingunder the machine.

You will also notice that the tracks most racersuse for grass drags are quite different than whatyou will see on a typical trail sled. These spe-cially designed tracks have a relatively low lugheight by today’s standard, which reduces therolling resistance of the track and keeps theweight down. Many tracks designed for grassdrags have straight grouser bars all the wayacross the profile of the track which is also a de-

parture from the industry standard we see onmodern snowmobiles. Almost all of the trailsleds produced today use a “block pattern”track that has a repeating pattern of open andclosed sections of the track. This provides max-imum control for the average trail rider, evenwithout the use of any traction control prod-ucts. However, when your goal is to have thetrack clearing away debris so that the studs inthe track get maximum penetration, a fullgrouser bar or “wiper” is much more effective.Also, most purpose-built grass drag tracks donot have any windows in the track, and thatwill come into play with the next item.

Of course, most of you know that the snow-mobile track and suspension generally requiresome sort of lubrication to fight the friction be-tween the two parts. In general use, it’s thesnow you ride on that provides this lubrication.With grass drags, racers either use a slide lubesystem that distributes a lubricant to the sliderails, or they remove the slides entirely and usea series of wheels to facilitate track movementaround the rear suspension. Tracks moldedwithout the normal windows allow for a moreseamless movement in this regard. And, if youare using a lubrication system, it keeps more ofit in contact with the rails.

To answer the second part of your question, I’llsimply tell you this: With a little bit of prepa-ration, racing grass drags is no harder on themachine than a Sunday afternoon trail ride.The biggest concern I always had was keepingthe amount of dust down that the motor in-gests. To combat this, we always used a goodoiled air filter system. Another thing to con-sider is the way the cooling system operates onmost modern snowmobiles. The vast majorityof snowmobiles (especially those being raced inthe summer) run a liquid cooled engine pack-

age. Unlike your car or truck, these systemsuse a series of heat exchangers that normallyrely on snow, ice, or water to help dissipate theheat of the coolant as it travels through theminstead of a radiator and fan. Because of this,most racers will have some sort of cooling ap-paratus built to assist them in cooling themotor. Most of these are pretty simple in na-ture, and function by taking the hot coolant outof the system and replacing it with cold (or atleast cooler) coolant. I have seen many differ-ent and unique systems for this process over theyears. The one that I used was very basic andconsisted of a cooler, a small radiator, a fan, anda small submersible pump. I would use thepump to push new coolant into the systemthrough a quick coupler installed in the cool-ing line coming off the engine. I would forcethe new coolant into the system going awayfrom the engine first, thus pushing the hotcoolant out of the engine into the radiator ofthe cooling cart. It would travel through theradiator and be dumped into the cooler andwould circulate that way until the engine wascool. This system could bring the engine downto the ambient air temperature within about 3minutes. On days when it was warmer, wewould use frozen milk jugs full of water addedinto the cooler to help speed up the process.

I hope this answers your questions today, and Ihope to see you at a race sometime soon!

If you have a question you would like an-swered, please send them in as I am alwayshappy to do the best I can to give you an an-swer. Please email your questions to [email protected], or mail them in tothe following address: Wheels Of ThunderMagazine, ATTN: Ask Mike, 13915 RadiumNW, Suite D, Ramsey, MN 55303.

Newton, Iowa hosted the first annual Iowa Grand Motorcycle RallyJuly 25 - 28. The official schedule contained national level acts,celebrities and events on par with major motorcycle rallies fromaround the country. Iowa has a large motorcycle riding population

and is a known thoroughfare for riders heading to rallies aroundthe country. This summer bikers stopped in Newton at Exit 168 offInterstate 80 to attend the inaugural event.

Rally highlights began on Wednesday July 25th, and kicked offwith the Rusty Wallace Ride benefiting the NASCAR Foundationand Iowa Speedway Foundation. This charity ride headed to PBChoppers in Moravia, IA, for a BBQ and entertainment. Later on, a

classic rock night at the rally with Head East and Black OakArkansas entertained campers.

Thursday, July 26th the John Lehman Tribute Ride honoring thelate famous trike builder, bikers enjoyed the Iowa countryside end-

ing as part of a cruise-in parade of bikes into Newton Town Squarefor a pig roast hosted by the town. Hairball the spectacular tributeto 80s rock delivered a pyrotechnics filled concert experience atthe Speedway later that night.

Friday, July 27th a military tribute took place at the traveling Wallthat Heals with a presentation of the Rolling Thunder XXV TributeBikes built by world renowned bike builders. A ride commemorat-ing this event led by legendary bike builder Dave Perewitz headedto the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa. The IowaGrand Bike Show featured all makes, models and years with tro-phies sponsored by Jostens. Organized by Rick “Dakota” Kempf of

Motorcycle Cowboys, the judging was difficult according tocelebrity judges. Later on the alternative rock group Rev Theoryand country legend Joe Diffie rocked the Iowa Grand crowd.

IIOOWWAA GGRRAANNDDMMOOTTOORRCCYYCCLLEE RRAALLLLYY

wwwwww..iioowwaassppeeeeddwwaayy..ccoomm Find us on Facebook “Wheels of Thunder” September 2012

Saturday, July 28th was a celebrity filled day featuring meet andgreets with Katey Sagal and Charlie Hunnam of FX Network’sSons of Anarchy and Danielle from American Pickers on HistoryChannel. The official Iowa Grand Tattoo Competition was co-

hosted by Danielle and administered by Ink Addiction of DesMoines, featuring star tattoo artists. The Iowa Grand Vintage Bikeshow sponsored by the National Motorcycle Museum and organ-ized by Motorcycle Cowboys was an epic event attracting enthu-siasts of vintage rides from around Iowa and surrounding states.Eddie Money and Blue Oyster Cult stormed the main stage for anight of unforgettable classic rock. Miss Iowa Grand competition,sponsored by PB Choppers featured beautiful girls from aroundthe region on the stage that night.

ive music Wednesday through Saturday featured superstars fromthe legendary Sturgis and Daytona motorcycle rallies JasmineCain, Ryan Rolando, and Farrell Webber. Hosted by the legendaryJay Allen, creator of the World’s Biggest Biker Bar, The Broken

NEWTON, IOWAWritten by John Lentzkow


Spoke Saloon with locations at all the major rallies, the enter-tainment were non-stop. This included the Baker Smoke Down

Showdown where participants go head to head in stationarydrag style competition, and S&S Cycles Loud Pipes contest.Daily events also include Roller Derby Girls, Motorcycle Cow-boys Rodeo and Mini Bike Races, the stunt riders Squid Wheel-ies, Wall of Death thrill show, and Mark Reid, world famousbody painter.

Wheels of Thunder Magazine is proud to be part of this Rallyand commend organizers and staff for their effort to put onsuch an event. They have the perfect location and did every-thing possible to insure that bikers enjoyed themselves and re-main safe. After all, this is a major NASCAR track, and theyhave the experience to handle large crowds. With positive feed-back and expanded marketing, this event has potential to be-come one of the premier motorcycle rallies in the Midwest.


It's no secret, when it comes to power sports dealers, you have a vast array of themto choose from, so what's makes Todd Amar's Pro Power Sports & Marine in Ram-sey, Minnesota stand out?

First thing that comes to mind is their first-rate service center. The team takes greatpride in their “fixed right, first time” cul-ture, with minimal to no returns on thework they do – no matter the complexity.Pro Power knows that referral and repeatcustomers is first on their list and firmlybelieve in doing things right the first timearound. The technicians are Platinum cer-

tified in their product specialty areas, andthen able to cross train into other areas ofexpertise

Todd Amar is proud to say that his staff istrustworthy, hardworking, honest, anddedicated to their industry. The Pro PowerStaff is comprised of long term employeeswho enjoy what they do, making your en-tire experience at Pro Power Sports a supe-rior one.

Pro Power Sports was the very first Sea-Doo Dealer in the Country (Yes – dealer#001), and continues to carry the full lineof BRP products, including Sea-Doo PWC’sand Sea-Doo Jet Boats, Ski-Doo sleds, Can-Am ATV’s and UTV’s and the ever popularSpyder Roadsters. They also carry PolarisATV’s, Rangers, Razr’s and Snowmobiles,Kawasaki motorcycles, Suzuki Motorcyclesand ATV’s and Triton Trailers. Stop in andtalk with Randy Blomlie or one of the OEMcertified sales staff; they are always happyto help you select the product which willbest fit your Power Sports needs.

As you enter the large showroom you willbe able to find apparel and accessories foreach of the power sports machines offered,and then some! You will be greeted by the

friendly, knowledgeable staff, and can eas-ily find the department you are looking for.Don't forget to grab a cup of coffee at thePit Stop Cafe, or watch the latest in inno-vation on one of their many big screens.

When it comes to OEM parts, many peo-ple have an idea of what they are lookingfor....and Pro Power makes it even easierfor you to find your machine parts andorder correctly. Instead of the frustrationthat sometimes comes from trying to ex-plain the part you need for your at homerepair job, they offer an OEM parts finderright on their web site at:www.propoweronline.com. This allowsyou to chose your make and model, visu-ally find the part numbers you are lookingfor and with a simple visit to the store,phone call or online order you are on yourway!

So for the best in the power sports busi-ness, stop by their Ramsey, Minnesota storeor visit www.propoweronline.com or Face-book.com/propowersports and start thefun!

Written by Ceaja Philp



BESTOF THE

MIDWEST!Opportunities forbusiness whoqualify for ‘TheBest of the Midwest’ are now available!

CallScott Robinson612-730-3719

When the time came for WOT tohave a bike created, MCS Specialtiesof Forest City, Iowa was an easychoice to make that happen. ClintWicke, the team's 'Mad Man Creator'didn't miss a thing when it came tothe design layout. The team startedwith a 2002 Yamaha YZF 600R, andcompletely took the bike down toparts. As they put it back together itwent a little like this....

The frame was painted with 100%custom mix right at the shop. Theskins were removed and custommolded to make the three piece rear

become one, French taillights, not tomention the space left for the two flatscreens in the fairings. They also didthe first ever blinkers molded into the6"extended swing arms. The overallheight was dropped 4", and they wereable to squeeze a 200 series tire onthe rear. As far as the engine goes,they only had to do a little jettingwith the carb and rerouting for the airintake. They made some custom ex-haust changes and with an overallweight drop of 18lbs, were able togain approximately 20mph to the topspeed. For some of the 'finer things'they added a DVD player, SIM and

Flash readers, full GPS Navigationsystem, and full segmented LEDstrobe lighting.

While some of the details were beingfinished on the MCS Specialties side,the skins had been sent over toLeRoy's Customs in Coon Rapids,Minnesota where the black base paintwas put down, and final airbrushedwhite lightning bolts were added.

Once the paint had dried the graphicswere created and applied by LeDouxSigns out of Mason City, Iowa.

Wheels of Thunder Bike - Far From NormalWritten By Ceaja Philp


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As summer starts to wind down we start tothink about those last minute trips we needto fit in before winter is upon us. I want toremind everybody that you don’t have to govery far to have a great time! This is thetime of year that the county and state fairsare in full swing. I live in Baldwin, WI soI am closest to the Minnesota State Fair. Ilike to try and make that fair my priorityevery fall. It is always a great time and ifyou’re taking your motorcycle, rememberthey do have a parking area for us riders.This year the MN State Fair has some greatentertainment like Blake Shelton, AlanJackson, and Journey among others andbest of all, who can resist the great fairfood? A few of my favorites are the Frenchfries, cheese curds and yes, the bucket ofcookies.

The MN State Fair has changed over themany years it has been around. I remem-ber as a kid going as a family and mom andgrandmother would take us kids to therides and games, while dad and grandpa

would go to machinery hill. At that time itwas a true machinery hill, full with tractorsand the new farming equipment. One thingthat I really remember was doing the spinart. I always thought mine was the best.

In Wisconsin, we just had the St. CroixCounty and Pierce County Fairs. Myneighbor Austin Vansomeren competed inthe Pierce County Tractor Pull. He wasusing a 1958 Oliver 880 tractor and was

competing in the Farm Stock Class. A trac-tor pull has three classes of competition;farm, farms stock and open farm stockmodified. He managed to pull 285 ft. a fullpull is 300ft. The tractor he was using is hisuncles; they have been using this tractorfor 20 years of pulling and it is now beingput to work on the farm.

The second night at the Pierce County Fairwas the demolition derby. They also havethree classes of competition; compact, fullsize and full size modified. With used carprices at an all-time high, some people findit hard to smash up their used cars, butthey managed to get 22 compacts, 20 fullsize and 6 modified. So, if you’re lookingfor some different fun I recommend goingto the tractor/truck pulls and demolitionderby’s in your area, just remember it doesget loud so bring some ear protection.

Another event that will soon be windingdown is car racing. Raceway Park which islocated in Savage, MN, is a great place towatch the races on a black top track. If youlike Nascar Racing then Raceway Park iswhere you should go. My sister Dee andher husband Les are owners of WholesaleSalon Equipment in Minnetonka, MN andthey sponsor a car driven by Jeremy Wolf.So if you don’t know any other drivers thencheer for him. It seems to be a tradition inmy family, my dad had sponsored stock carracing for many years and I started workingin the pits at about the age of 13. At 17 Igot my own race car and competed at ABCRaceway in Ashland WI. I really miss thosedays.

Another event that just occurred was the25th Annual Hammond Days Car Show.This was the 25th Anniversary Year of thecar show and it was held on Saturday Au-gust 11th in the Village of Hammond, WI.

Written by Brad Coplan



Off the Beaten Path Filling the last days of summer

weather with FUN!

The day was a beautiful sunny day and thecar show opened up at 7am with classiccars waiting to be entered. This event isput on by the United Fire DepartmentHammond Fire Station. By the end of theday they registered 210 cars and trucks forthe show. The firefighters of this depart-ment and of the United Fire Departmentwork very hard to make this a success eachyear. The car show is organized by Ham-mond Fire Chief Andy Jensen and Asst.Fire Chief Todd Criego. The proceeds fromthe car show go for the purchase of newequipment for the Hammond Fire Station.

Once the day is nearly done the awards areawarded. The awards are 4 Choice Awards,Top 50 car and Top 10 Truck Awards.Great food and music were also availableas you looked over the beautiful classiccars.

For those of you that are fans of MotocrossI would recommend Summit Lake HareScramble in Stone Lake, WI or Hill City in

Grand Rapids, MN. This is real bike racingand it’s open to all ages male and female.They have several Motor classes and theyoungest is about 5yrs old. Their race isusually about a mile long and these littlekids can ride. They also have the SuperSeniors which is 50 plus years old and a

class for the women riders. All in all thereare about 26 classes and it makes for a longweekend of riding and watching. I havetwo neighbor boys that race these tracksJoe Medes runs the Pee Wee Class that’s age7-11 and his older brother Justin runs the250 B Class, which is a bigger bike andmore power. The boys and their dad workon the bikes all week to get them ready forthe weekend of racing. Keep in mind thisisn’t racing in a circle, this is off road racingthrough fields, mud, jumps and in throughthe trees. So both the bikes and the riderstake on a hell of a beating. Both Minnesotaand Wisconsin have several Motocrossevents going on throughout the summerand fall, try and make one of these you willenjoy it.

By now you should have enough things todo for the remainder of the summer.Whether you’re out on the bike or justdriving around with the family; this is thebest time of the year, the weather is now alittle cooler and Fall is approaching fast.Before you know it the kids are back inschool and summer is will be a distantmemory.

Top drivers from around the countrywill be at Tri-State Raceway in Ear-lville, Iowa, the weekend after Labor

Day for one of the biggest Lucas Oil DragRacing Series events in the country. In thepast, the event, contested the weekend afterthe most prestigious race in the world, theMac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis,has attracted national championship con-tenders from as far west as California andNevada and as far east as Massachusetts.

Photos provided by David Smith

Ray Drew Find us on Facebook “Wheels of Thunder” September 2012

"This is our biggest race of the year," saidtrack owner Reid Kuhlman. "It's usuallythe biggest race in Division 5, and a fewyears ago it was the third-biggest race inthe country in terms of car count. We hadmore than 600 cars there. I have the racescheduled for the weekend after the U.S.Nationals because a lot of the West Coastguys stop here on their way back home."

Last year, perennial championship con-tender Jim Whiteley won the Top AlcoholDragster title over the "Shredder" dragsterof transplanted Englishman Michael Man-ners. Canadian Shawn Cowie edged Cali-fornian Chris Demke in the 2010 final and

Whiteley defeated Demke in the moneyround in 2009.

Andy Bohl won Top Alcohol Funny Carover many-time Division 5 champion andhome state driver Kirk Williams last year,and Williams downed Bohl in the final in2010. Bohl appeared in the final four timesin Earlville, finishing second in 2007 and2008 and winning in 2009 and 2011. Thegreatest drag racer in Iowa history, 15-timeDivision 5 champion Vern Moats has nevermissed an event at the all-concrete stripwith his Alcohol Funny Car, and he'll beback this year with veteran Mike Bell at thewheel.

For many, the main attraction at Tri-StateRaceway, which opened on Father's Day in1998, is the track surface itself. It's con-

crete from the burnout box to the lastturnoff in the shutdown area, 4000 feet inall. Even the grandstands are made out ofconcrete.

"We've had some of the biggest names inthe sport here over the years," Kuhlmansaid. "We've had Jay Payne, Duane Shields,John Lombardo Jr., Whiteley, Demke,Cowie, and of course, Vern. It's great tohave them at our track, and it's the onlypurpose-built all-concrete track in thecountry that's this long. People have racedon old airport runways, but this is the onlypurpose-built track like this. We love hav-ing all the Funny Cars and dragsters at ourtrack. Most of these people haven't seennitro cars before, and they just love watch-ing the alcohol cars. In our neck of thewoods it's almost like a national event."

Written by the ProSportsman Association

Marty Thacker

Mark Billington


I got that feeling again. Happens every timeI cross the border into South Dakota. Can’texplain it exactly, but the feeling comes onstrong when I see the 65 miles per hoursign on a two lane road. The road didn’tchange. Same two lanes, same paint strip-ing, same gravel shoulder...but the speedlimit is 10 miles per hour higher, and I getthe feeling that South Dakota expects meto act like a responsible adult.

Minnesota on the other hand, seems tothink everybody is so immature that weneed to be restricted in all we do. Don’t getme wrong, I love Minnesota. But we have aculture of excessive state power that goesback many decades. And this type of con-trolling policy has a way of creeping intoevery aspect of your life. Speed limits, fire-works, gambling…you name it and Min-nesota is typically more restrictive than themajority of other states. Once ingrainedinto the system these types of laws are veryhard to change. It was only a couple yearsago that we were “allowed” to exceed thespeed limit to pass a car on a two lane road.Ever try to pass a car that is going 50mphat 55mph? It takes a while. The old law wasso safe, it was dangerous!

Minnesota motorcyclists have done a goodjob at keeping wrongheaded policy out ofour life. But in our society, no issue is eversettled. And those who wish to restrictyour motorcycling freedom will keep at ituntil they are voted out of office or quit,and they continually try to persuade theircolleagues to their way of thinking. It’s al-most like a religious passion for some peo-ple. It might have only been a dozenlegislators who signed on to a helmet billlast session, but they will keep trying to ex-

pand their numbers. Remember, the statewide public smoking ban was viewed as acrackpot idea when it was first proposed...but, they kept chipping away at the oppo-sition until there were enough votes to passthe bill.

Don’t think for a minute that this is a par-tisan issue. There are democrats and re-publicans among the ranks who wish tocontrol your freedom (for various reasons),but for now they are outnumbered.A.B.A.T.E. of Minnesota has many, manygreat friends on both sides of the aisle whostand strong for us during the legislativesession, but this is an election year andnothing is guaranteed despite any of thepolls you see. Your job between now andNovember is to talk to the candidates run-ning for office locally and ask them if theybelieve in motorcycling freedom. We needto vote for A.B.A.T.E. friendly legislators

and vote against those who oppose us. Sowhen you receive campaign literature, callthe number on the bottom and ask “Ifelected would you support the currentMinnesota motorcycle helmet law as iswith no changes?” It is a yes or no questionthat you have every right to ask. After all,they are asking you for the most preciousthing in the world – Your vote.

Feel free to contact me if you have anyquestions or ideas.

Respectfully submitted,

Mack BacklundState Coordinator

ABATE of Minnesota

763-226-9195

[email protected]

SAME ROAD – DIFFERENT RULES


G reetings Race fans! GameON! We hope yoursummer has been fantastic and you are ready forthe fall! Always great to be back with you as

GameON! moves into the new season and that means asmany runs outdoors before the snow flies and Vikingsfootball. As always, GameON's relationship with Wheelsof Thunder continues to grow and just like you, we alsoenjoy what Wheels of Thunder provides. THE most com-prehensive race magazine and website to be found!Wheels of Thunder magazine gets you into the outdoorslike no other magazine. All the races, gets you behindthe scenes and gives you the newsmakers in one of thefastest growing sports in the country. And the picturesare second to none!

GameON! Continues to have special moments and bigleague guests. GameON! is always broadcast in crystalclear full High Definition & GameON! and still servesas the lead-in to the award winning FOX NFL pre-gameshow on FOX's MY29 here in the Twin Cities. Everyweek, GameON! welcomes all your favorite pro athletesfrom all the teams including the Vikings! As the NFLseason begins, it's make or break time for the MinnesotaVikings and GameON! will have exclusive interviewswith purple newsmakers. We blanket the up and com-ing Minnesota Timberwolves and when the new seasontips in this fall, we'll be all over winter sports. And makeno mistake, as the seasons change, we're all over the rac-ing seasons that bring you to Wheels of Thunder eachand every month!

We like to say that this is about getting your GameON!We share the passion that runs through the carburetorsat Wheels of Thunder. It's what we love to do. To bringall the sports together. I can't tell you how exciting atthese tapings to see the pro's interact. From Hall of FameHeros like Randall McDaniel, Paul Molitor & Carl Ellerto Wolves standouts JJ Barea, Derrick Williams andKevin Love. There's Wild Coach Mike Yeo, Swarm starsfrom top Defenseman Joe Cinosky to big time scorerslike Andrew Suitor & Corbyn Tao. We'll also get you oneon one with the most dominant racers in Levi Lavallee.

GameON! delivers! This show is interactive, please visitour Facebook site (friend us @ GameONTVMN on face-book), we invite you all to visit our website www.game-ontvmn.com and let's kick it on twitter #gameontvmn.And we're always planning bigger and better shows at

our location in downtown Minneapolis,SEVEN Steakhouse / Sushi / Ultra Lounge /Skybar. We'd love for you to visit our livetapings and each week we list guests andupdates on the GameON! website as wellas our Facebook site. Get upclose and per-sonal with us!!

We also partner with the one of the largest Vikings fansites in the world, www.PurplePride.org. I've said it be-fore and I'm saying it again! Get off the couch and getyour GameON! Please join us and be a part of the excit-ing new effort we're putting on! Have a great fall andkeep your GameON!



Don’t feel like cooking during the middle of the week? Crank upthe Harley and make a road trip to Clear Lake, Iowa for Bike Nightand a great place for food and fun. The Other Place is noted fortheir awesome pizzas and every Wednesday night throughout thesummer is ‘Bike Night.” This social gathering draws a large crowdwith both local and area residents who enjoy a mid-week break,featuring grilled brats, burgers, and chicken.

Established in 1970, The Other Place is a full-service restaurantand bar. The restaurant maintains locations throughout Iowa andKansas. Its appetizer menu includes garlic and cheese bread, onionrings, chicken tenders, nachos and Buffalo wings. The restaurantserves salads with a variety of dressings. It offers pizzas with var-ious toppings, such as beef, sausage, onions, tomatoes, green pep-pers, pepperoni, ham, black olives, anchovies, pineapple andmushrooms. The restaurant serves a variety of pasta dishes, subs,sandwiches and wraps, as well as ice tea, coffee, fruit juices,chocolate milk and aerated drinks. The restaurant has a specialmenu for a child that includes corn dogs, spaghetti, chicken fin-gers and small pizza. The Other Place maintains a presence inClear Lake, Iowa.

The Clear Lake location features a huge outdoor party deckand an exclusive “backyard BBQ” menu that has become a

summertime favorite for locals

Inside seating is spacious offering a wide variety of menuchoices.

Written by John LentzkowAMERICAN SPORTS GRILL & PIZZERIA


Typical Wednesday Night Bike Night at the OP.

The Chrome Horse Saloon bar-restaurant opened for businesson Friday, February 13, 2004, to a near-capacity crowd that hadeagerly anticipated the opening. Customers witnessed a reno-vated century-old building - the former Z.C.B.J. Hall - with a to-tally unique atmosphere.

In late 2003, four local businessmen came together to form theownership of Chrome Horse Saloon. Their vision was simple:

Create a bar with a motorcycle theme that would be enjoyed bypeople of all ages.

An outdoor patio seats 80 people with low and high top tables.Two paved parking lots including the main one which includesample angle parking for motorcycles.

An interior designed around Harley-Davidsons which are hang-ing throughout the bar include:

2003 Anniversary Edition Softtail Deuce2003 Anniversary Edition Fatboy1978 AMF Dirt Bike1969 M651951 Pan Head1911 Excelsior

Chrome Horse Saloon


In 2008, Cedar Rapids was devastated by a flood that crested at31.12 feet on June 13th. The Chrome Horse took on 12 feet ofwater which took months of cleanup. Downtown Cedar Rapids,Iowa was covered with some 9 square miles of flooding reach-ing into residential area in the worst 500 year flood reported.

This crew is responsible for much gratitude for their effort inthe flood clean up.

You can see the water line just above the windows. Just imagehaving to clean all fixtures and equipment from which filled thebottom story of the building.

There also was considerable redesigning, which resulted in an84-foot horseshoe bar, more booth seating, relocation of thekitchen and restrooms, and more of a saloon-type look withconsiderable wood craftsmanship.

Saint Paddy’s Day isone of the biggestevents of the year inCedar Rapids and TheChrome Horse saloonrock’s the crowd withoutside bands.

The “Horse” is morethan a biker bar draw-ing not only the Harleyrider, but a mix of allage groups who enjoygreat food and musicwith their friends.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa


Located by the banks of the Wapsipinicon River near the damin Troy Mills, Iowa is The Dam Bar & Grill. And if you are hun-gry, they serve up some dam good food too, and plenty of it.

Owner, Joanne Hartnett and her friendly staff make you feelwelcome, and are noted throughout the area for their big ten-derloin. It’s juicy and cooked to perfection with very littlebreading, and with a side of fries, you are going to be happyand full. In addition, their menu offers a wide variety to choose

from including daily lunch specials which remind you of Mom’shome cooking. Throughout the year, every Wednesday nightof the week all you can eat meatballs and wings is the special.The 2nd week of each month prime rib is available, and the lastof week of each month is fish night with all the trimmings.

Not only do the local resident’s pack this cozy little bar onthese special nights, but people from around the area whoknow about it drive great distances also. I have learned if youhave to wait because their busy, that is a good sign. With beerso cold it makes your teeth hurt, or favorite cocktail, waitingturns into social networking.

The Dam Bar & Grill


So if you are looking for a new destination to log some miles on your Harley, orkeep the piston rings from sticking on your classic or muscle car, 3 roads leadinto troy Mills. This small town nestled in the heart of rural Iowa is a favorite stopfor great food, great drinks, and friendly service.

Troy Mills, Iowa


ATTENTIONRIDERS!

Do you have a hiddengem? That path youhave found where youride and get away

from it all?

We want to hear yourstory and see your

photos! Share with usyour favorite stopsalong the way and

brag about that greatlittle place with those

good burgers!

We are looking to sharewith our readers, newplaces to explore andwhat better way thanby a referral from you!

If you have an ideaplease submit yourstory and photos to

[email protected]

A new ride will bepublished every month,so keep an eye out fornext months issue!


YOUR ADCOULD BEHERE!Call

Scott Robinson612-730-3719

Become one ofthe “Wheels of

Thunder” newestadvertisers!


Coralville Lake located near North Liberty, Iowa is amega playground for boaters and campers in North-east Iowa. Bobbers Grill pretty much has you cov-ered for all your water activities including suppliesfor your camping and boating needs.

The store has ice, snacks, a walk-in cooler with bev-erages and general camping supplies, including afull menu and bar. Also make sure you visit the ShipStore on the gas dock!

Written by John Lentzkow

Ms. Bobbers Contest (BYOD-Bring Your Own Bikini) rulesare simple. Make your own out of anything you want withno visible fabric. How about Red Solo Cups or Chicken of

the Sea and a hand full of Lettuce?

Owner Kris Kay knows howto throw a party and enter-tain her guests overlooking

Beautiful Coralville Lake

A large outside beer garden and patio is great for dancing and dinning after a day on the water.

Inside seating with big screen TV’s to watch your favorite NASCAR Racewith lunch and a cold one.


Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin hosted the annual Countryon the River August 3-4 with full line up of country artists.This year a new site was built located south of the city toaccommodate more fans and camping. With record ticket

sales, some unexpected issues had to be dealt with in-cluding traffic flow and parking. Concert officials did theirbest to handle these problems and insure next year to dealwith those issues. Once the music started, most everyoneforgot about those issues, and enjoyed a fun filled week-end with their friends.

If you like to party,camp, and enjoycountry music,Country on theRiver is one wildweekend. A freeconcert kicked offThursday to getthe party started.

It was a hot weekend with upper 90 degree weather, whichmade for fun in the sun days and country stars performingunder the stars at night.

The beer tents were busy and the music was awesome.

Eric Church wasthe main headlinerfor Friday night.

Top recording artist Luke Bryan heated up the crowd onSaturday night .


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wheels of thunder september 2012 issue

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