Stephenson Makes Incredible Eagle River History, Again

[Bob Riebe]

I am putting this here because these are same type of machines DuHamel, the Villeneuve brothers and Sammy Sessions drove -- plus this gent won his first three while still in my home town where he was born.

2021



This sort of domination is not supposed to happen at the Eagle River World Championship Snowmobile Derby – especially on a high-banked ice oval track as rugged as the one this year!
Blaine Stephenson of ( Hutchinson) St. Cloud, Minnesota, got the holeshot in the 25-lap final, won the sprint through the first set of turns, held off an early challenge from his main rival Gunner Sterne and then stormed away to an incredible fourth straight World Championship title in Eagle River, Wisconsin.
Last year Stephenson became the first driver to win three consecutive World Championships; he now has topped that feat by winning four straight while also matching the legendary P.J. Wandersheid – one of his childhood racing heroes – as the only four-timer overall in snowmobile racing’s biggest prize.
“It’s just insane – you look at this place and the history, I don’t know what to say about it. It’s just crazy – four years and four championships. I looked up to Wanderscheid as a kid – a lot – and now, gosh, it’s just him and I,” Stephenson said....

[Lloyd Smale]

i raced there in jr class in 71 and 72 and in stock c class in 73 and 74. Best i did was in 73 i took a second on my rupp. havent been back there i over 20 years.  Im sure a girl can do well in oval track racing today because its not as physical as it used to be. But that said the I-500 will kick anyones ass!! Try running 500 miles in a circle at near a 100mph. Last time i raced it i had to take 3 days off of work to recoup. I think every cell in my body hurt and i was in shape then.  Theres even a couple girls that do well here at the snow cross track. But there dad owns the track and they practice about every day. But its comical to see them win and take there helmets off and there long hair flows out. Makes a few guys jaws drop. When i got out of the snowmobile scene Kurt hibbert was the king. He was a good friend with one of my friends and i trail road with him a number of times and that boy could RIDE!