Cat Racer Herfindahl Wins USXC Weekend Title

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Herfindahl Wins at USXC Oslo 100

Zach Herfindahl (Cat) Edges Gabe Bunke (Pol) for Pro Stock Win

Oslo, MN (January 25, 2014) – USXC Racing returned to the ditches Saturday at the Oslo Merchants 100 after three consecutive lake races to kick-off the season. At the end of the 100-plus mile Yamaha Pro Stock final, Christian Brothers Racing’s Zach Herfindahl (Cat) managed a narrow victory. In hot pursuit were two racers with veteran resumes: Polaris’ Gabe Bunke (2nd place) and Justin Tate (3rd).

For the first time all season, race-perfect temps and moderate breezes awaited those arriving Saturday morning. Plenty of snowfall repositioned by Minnesota winds, however, were the recipe for some rough ditch lines. The course consisted of 27 miles of technical ditch and some high speed Red River running. After three consecutive races where pro class lap times shrunk as the day progressed, the Oslo Merchants 100 race broke that trend. By the time the Pro Stock race dropped, the course had holes as deep as four feet greeting racers.

A total of seven riders dropped out of the Pro Stock race before the checkered flag flew, by far the most DNFs at the half way point of this season. In the continued revolving door of podium finishers in the pro classes, Bunke earned a decisive victory in Speedwerx Pro Open over the returning Ryan Simons (Cat), with Ross Erdman (Doo) breaking out of a funk with a solid third. Bunke’s best time in Pro Open was a shade under 23 minutes, his Pro Stock time was a full 3 minutes slower. Making a charge at Oslo, Bunke’s teammate Spencer Kadlec battled for a fourth place finish in both the Pro Open and Pro Stock classes.

Photo lifted from the USXC Facebook page.
Photo lifted from the USXC Facebook page.

Rider parity this season is not restricted to the pros, with the semi-pros trading out positions, as well. Clearly using his knowledge of the area to his advantage, Oslo local Timmy Kallock (Cat) managed a first place finish in both the Semi-Pro and Amsoil Semi-Pro Improved classes. No stranger to the semi-pro podium, Alex Hetteen (Pol) grabbed second place in both classes, but his lap times increased too as the day progressed.

Perhaps just as notable as the winners and losers, was who did and did not show up in Oslo. Christian Brothers and Arctic Cat welcomed back Ryan Simons, as well as an old friend to cross country racing, D.J. Ekre. Ekre, who retired after a season-ending injury early last season apparently missed the smell of two stroke smoke enough to make a comeback. CBR, however, was missing racer Brian Dick Saturday, who likely would have made a serious run in the pro classes. Also conspicuously absent from Oslo was Yamaha’s Corey Davidson and semi-pro riders Cale Anseeuw and Casey Pries.

The Oslo Merchants 100 could be a preview of what’s up next: The Seven Clans Casinos I-500 in Thief River Falls, MN February 6-8. Parents, February 8 marks the running of the special Mini I-500 for the hard chargers on 120cc sleds. See www.usxcracing.com for details.

The complete recap of winners from Oslo include:

Yamaha Pro Stock: Zach Herfindahl (Cat); Speedwerx Pro Open: Gabe Bunke (Pol); Semi Pro: Timmy Kallock (Cat); AMSOIL Semi Pro Improved: Timmy Kallock (Cat); Drift Racing Super Stock: Jon Arneson (Cat); Polaris Expert 85: Austin Lunde (Cat); FOX Expert 85 Improved: John Langaas (Cat); Ski-Doo Masters 40+: Jon Arneson (Cat); Red Lake Outdoors Legends 50+: Brian Brown (Cat); Carver Performance Sport 85: Hunter Houle (Cat); Woody’s Sport 600 Stock: Nels Wicklund (Pol); Action Graphics Sport 600 Improved: Chase Nordstrom (Cat); C&A Pro Trail: Nathan Sillerud (Cat); FLY Racing Vintage: Jim Mattison (Cat); Arctic Cat Vintage Legends 50+: Gerry Mattison (Cat); TEAM Industries Classic IFS 18-50: Steve Martinson (Cat); On Snow Magazine Women’s: Anne Pladson (Pol); Seven Clans Casinos Junior 10-13: Tyler Brown (Cat); Mattracks Junior 14-17:
Hunter Houle (Cat); Yamaha Generators Junior Girls 10-13: Sarah Kleinvachter (Cat); Applied High Performance Products Junior Girls 14-17: Kelsey Bardson (Pol).

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