The rule-making body that oversees pretty much all of snowmobile racing has a new owner, and it’s a familiar name to sled racing insiders.
Todd Achterberg, previously the general manager of the Eagle River Derby Track, has purchased International Snowmobile Racing Inc (ISR) from its founders, Dick Gokey, Tom Zernia and Olav Aaen.
With the purchase, ISR is moving to Eagle River, Wisconsin, where is will utilize space inside the World Snowmobile Headquarters building.
Achterberg, 49, has had direct management over the Eagle River World Championship for more than a dozen years, but also he’s simultaneously been involved in other efforts to grow snowmobile racing, including but not limited to a regional Great Northern Sno-X Series in Wisconsin, the Rent-A-Ride racer development program and various rules-making efforts within ISR.
He left the Derby track in February, after successfully guiding the track through the 50th anniversary event last January.
ISR was formed 31 years ago to provide a common rule structure and other support to snowmobile racing across North American. From the national circuits down to local clubs and organizations who host races, it has been vital to running races in a safe and organized manner as well as providing an outlet for such events to get insurance. The previous owners had been shopping for a new owner for several years.
The ISR organization has holds vital rules meetings, which sometimes can be contentious as racers, race circuits, aftermarket officials and snowmobile manufacturer race department personnel work out class structures and other rules. Achterberg will be charged with trying to make everybody happy, certainly a difficult task.
In a recent conversation with Snow Goer magazine, Achterberg said putting the ISR rulebook online, having a single location for all fans and racers to see all race circuit schedules and trying to ensure that class rules are similar between race circuits in a given type of snowmobile racing were some of his first priorities. He’ll also be meeting with several different groups at the Haydays Grass Drags this coming weekend.
In a press release, Achterberg said, “ISR has already started on the development of new programs that will launch in the coming months. These will bring additional opportunities for race promoters and organizations to produce improved events. We are building on a 20 year long commitment to conduct snowmobile races that fit and fulfill the needs of these organizations.”
The website hasn’t launched quite yet, but when it does it will be at www.isrracing.org. Achterberg can also be reached at 715-617-5054.
