A new featured class, a field filled with several racers who have never made the World Championship final before and a track that has been hosting fast racing all weekend all promise to deliver a super-exciting final Sunday afternoon in Eagle River, Wisconsin.
There’s only one past champion in the 59th running of the Eagle River World Championship – the pinnacle of snowmobile oval racing – but he’s the four-time defending champion Blaine Stephenson on the No. 102 Polaris. His longtime main rival Gunnar Sterne is again his biggest challenger on the No. 220 Red Bull Ski-Doo.
However, the switch to the stock-based Formula III class for the World Championship has created a fascinating field. You’ve got some interesting veterans like Tom Olson, Jake Beres and unretired Jay Middelstaedt in the field looking for their spot in history. There are up-and-comers who have emerged from support classes like Calvin Cook and Tyler Beach making a name for themselves. Then there are a slew of Michigan racers with experience in longer races like Jake Gerow, Dakota Harris and Kevin Vermeersch to shake things up.
Below are details on those 10 racers, plus Snow Goer’s fictional odds to keep things entertaining. For the record, we’re not covering any wagers or side-bets you make with your friends – this is all just for fun! Two more racers will be added in Sunday’s last change qualifier.
The World Championship is set for 1:30. Check it out, then check SnowGoer.com tonight for all the behind-the-scenes detail.
Gunnar Sterne, No. 220 of West Chicago, Illinois, was the Friday Night Thunder Sweet 16 winner and is one of the sport’s best. He’s won everywhere except for here: Could this be the year? Odds: 2-1. Blaine Stephenson, #102 from St. Cloud, Minnesota, is the four-time defending champion, was the fastest qualifier and won twice in Saturday’s qualifiers, but he has been fading late in races this weekend. Odds: 3-1Tom Olson, No. 39 from Lodi, Wisconsin, has finished seventh, fifth and second in the last three World Championships, so his trendline is pointing up. Is this the year he breaks through instead? Odds: 5-1Calvin Cook, No. 75 of Dayton, Minnesota, is just 19 years old but he was the second fastest in qualifying and ran second in Friday’s special Sweet 16 race. He could pull the upset. Odds: 7-1Jake Gerow, No. 72 of Osceola, Michigan, will try to be the first Michigan rider to win the W.C. since 2013. He earned an impressive win Saturday afternoon in a qualifying race. Odds: 8-1Jay Mittelstaedt, No. 297 of Lavalle, Wisconsin, is a veteran racer who unretired for this race and was fast on Friday but crashed hard. It was great to see him back on the track Saturday, when he muscled through qualifying. Odds: 8-1There are two No. 23s in the race, with very similar looking Polaris sleds. Jake Beres of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is nearest the camera. He was fifth last year and won a semi-final on Saturday afternoon. Odds: 6-1. Dakota Harris of Morley, Michigan, is on the outside in this photo. He has been getting better all weekend and finished second to Olson in Semi Final No. 3. Odds: 9-1.Kevin Vermeersch, No. 44 of Akron, Michigan, is a member of enduro racing royalty who is trying his hand at the world championship of oval sprints. Odds: 10-1Tyler Beach, No. 68 of Dakota, Minnesota, seen here running in snowdust and competing with Jake Gerow, is young but he’s actually been racing for 14 years. His sled was experiencing cornering problems on Saturday. Odds: 10-1
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I wouldn’t count Out Troy Dewald