News Release

National Straightline Snowmobile Racing, Inc. (NSSR)

Buffalo, Minnesota on January 17, 2009

NSSR is back for the first time since 2000 with a Fantastic weekend of Racing Action coming to you from Buffalo, Minnesota. The physical race track preparation began on Thursday and proceeded in two days of frigid subzero temperatures (-32 F on Friday morning) on Buffalo Lake after being relocated at the last minute from Big Sandy Lake in McGregor. The NSSR crew was most appreciative of their new Snosuit Winter Wear in keeping warm and working on equipment in the cold weather. Race Day proved to be a lot warmer with temperatures pushing close to + 20 F, but with a great quartering tail wind.

The racing action lived up to the themes of “Fire on Ice” or the “Fastest Show on Ice” with the New Top Speed being set at 174.545 MPH in 1000 feet by “Fast Eddy” Ensor from Illinois with crew member and tuning guru Glen Stickels of RPM Specialties tuning the 1300 cc Turbo Busa Mod for each run. Next, we seen Justin Durand with crew members Glen Hall and Curt Wald throw out the old record in the Lake Racer Open Class by setting the new World Record speed at 162.406 mph on his Turbo VMax Yamaha. This is the fastest full body sled running the 1000 foot World Record Series without a doubt!

There are Twelve New World Records in various classes which fell this weekend. Jeremy Reid piloted his Yamaha SRX to a new record of 101.886 mph in the Trail Stock 600 class. The Professional Stock 440 Class was taken over by Patty Olson on her 2004 Sno Pro at 103.846 mph. The long standing record of 103.597 mph was set by Crystal Bray on her 2002 Ski Doo 440 MXZX in February of 2005 at Forest Lake.  Rick Schellbach bumped his Open Mod 800 Record to 152.112 mph and Ed Ensor raising the World Record mark in the Exhibition Class to 169.744 mph. Fourteen sleds ran at or over 130 mph at this event!   There were over 240 passes on the professional track, and over 300 passes by Vintage, Trail Sleds, and four wheelers on the Fun Track.

The question from many has been: “why is the World Record Speed for the Exhibition class set at 169.744 mph rather than the 174.545 mph”? Well, all World Records require a back up speed within two percent of the best run. A faster speed can back up a lower speed if the two percent requirement is not met. “Fast Eddy” decided to wait for another day to back up his 174.545 mph run because he plans to raise the Top Speed and the World Record at our upcoming event in Menomonie, Wisconsin on January 31^st at Lake Menomin. Stay tuned or just be there to see the Battle for Top Speed at Menomonie, or at our other events planned to be in  Forest Lake and Annandale Minnesota. You don’t want to miss this and the upcoming event if you want to be part of history! Will Marv Jorgenson’s Jaws1 with Dale Ibister and Darrin Weber take their record back? There are other huge horsepower custom sleds being tuned as we speak, and they plan to show up at NSSR and make their mark. See www.racenssr.com for more information on schedules and locations. Registration is at 8AM and the Action begins at 10AM.

NSSR would like to thank Snosuit, the Series Sponsor, and all our sponsors for making the return of NSSR possible. We also extend a big thank you to the Minnesota DNR, Wright County Sheriff’s Office, City of Buffalo Police Dept., and the Buffalo Businesses for making the Buffalo Event a success. Thank You!