Check the calendar: Yep, it says 2025, meaning it’s been a quarter century since the year 2000 – when the world in fact DIDN’T melt down after much Y2K fears.
It’s also been that same length of time – 25 years – since the 1999-2000 race season. That’s when Mike Houle won his last World Championship at Eagle River, Mark Maki won his last watercross championship at Grantsburg and Tucker Hibbert won the X Games gold medal as a 15-year-old punk!
That makes this a great time to look back on the Snow Week magazine Racer Of The Year and Top 10 from the 1999-2000 race season:
RACER OF THE YEAR: Mike Houle, No. 22 Ski-Doo
After recovering from a near career-ending crash the previous February at Valcourt, Quebec, Mike Houle attacked the 1999-2000 season and cleaned up. Aside from winning his second straight World Championship at Eagle River, Houle won 26 of the 27 finals he entered on the USSA circuit that season. Only an engine burndown prevented perfection.
TOP 10 (in alphabetical order):
Troy Dewald and Todd Krikke, No. 60 Polaris
The dynamic duo dominated enduro racing in both the Midwest International Racing Association (MIRA) and the International Championship Enduro (ICE) circuits, while also finishing second in the Soo I-500
Dennis “DJ: Eckstrom, No. 25 Ski-Doo
The Duluth, Minnesota, native took second place in Pro Open and Pro Stock season points in his first full season racing in the Pro division.
Marc Gelormini, No. 172 Ski-Doo
The Massachusetts drag racer dominated the Pro Stock division and collected numerous Improved 1000 and Mod 1000 victories.
Darin Gould, No. 19 Polaris
Coming out of the Jackson Hole Hillclimb, the Idaho racer was leading the Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Hillclimb Association (RMSHA) points in three classes and had just earned King Of The Hill honors in Improved Stock with his winning Improved Stock 1000 sled.
Tucker Hibbert, No. 68 Arctic Cat
The young phenom was still in the Semi-Pro division during the “regular” season and dominated, winning season championships in the Stock and Open divisions on the World Snowmobile Association (WSA) circuit. But the year was most marked by his stunning X Games snocross victory against the top pros.
Mark Maki, No. 1 Ski-Doo
The king of skimming the waves won his record 12th Grantsburg Watercross World Championship in July of 1999 and 9th straight victory at the Wild Rose Watercross, leading to his 12th points championship on the International Watercross Association.
Blair Morgan, No. 7c Arctic Cat
The snocross superstar from Saskatchewan and two-time defending Snow Week Racer Of The Year won 16 of the 27 finals he entered on the World Snowmobile Association, Indoor Super Snocross, Canadian Snowcross Association and Rocky Mountain Cross Country Racing circuits and finished second at the X Games behind Tucker Hibbert.
Brad Pake, No. 53 Arctic Cat
The terrain star from Felton, Minnesota, dominated in cross-country racing, winning First American North Star (FANS) points championships in Pro 440 and Pro Open.
Greg Rugland, No. 33 Polaris
For the third time in four years, Rugland won the WSA Pro Ice lemans overall pro title after finishing first in points in Pro 440 and Pro 600, and second in Pro Champ 440.
Ryan Zollinger, No. 13 Polaris
After finishing the previous season as the Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Hillclimb Association (RMSHA) high points championship, young Ryan picked up where he left off with more domination, including four class victories at the 2000 Jackson Hole Hillclimb.
Other Specialty Awards
The Snow Week staff also handed out a handful of specialty awards. Haydays was singled out as the “Event of the Year.” The “Development Of The Year” was the Indoor Super Snowcross circuit. The “Team Of The Year” award was bestowed on the drag racing duo of Bryan and Jamie Bellman. And “Rookie Of The Year” honors were given to first year pro snocross racer T.J. Gulla.
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