Recap & Photos: Emily Wicklund
Cor Powersports brought racers to Naytahwaush, Minnesota for round six of the 2022 season: the Naytahwaush Snodeo 200. The racing surface was and unplowed ice course making it rough snow-covered ice track. The first mile was plowed in front of the start/finish line making a heads-up start possible. The Pro and Semi Pro classes ran a two-lap qualifier with Semi Pro classes running a six-lap final and Pro classes running a 10-lap final with a mandatory fuel stop. Pro Open and Semi Pro Improved ran Saturday with Pro Stock and Semi Pro Stock running Sunday.
On Saturday, it was overcast with a flat light making it hard to see the definition of the track. The day started with the two-lap Pro Open and Semi Pro Improved qualifier. This determined the starting order for their finals later in the day. After two laps of breaking in the track and starting to create lines, Zach Herfindahl was the fast time 7.4 seconds in front of Dylan Stevens. Back 32 seconds was Paul Brown in third, David Brown in fourth, and Abe Olson in fifth. In the Semi Pro Improved class, Caleb Nymann was the top time 7.4 seconds over Boe Bunke. In third 12 seconds back was Luke Van Lyssel, Jesse Hallstrom in fourth, and Nicholas Nyquist in fifth.
Races two through five consisted of all the other classes Cor Powersports has to offer with these classes running a two-day merged format. In the Pro Factory Womens class, Savannah Landrus had a 27 second lead after day one over Lydia Sobeck.
The Semi Pro Improved sleds took the line next for their heads-up six lap final. The top four qualifiers took the front row: Nymann, Bunke, Van Lyssel, and Hallstrom.
Nymann, Van Lyssel, Hallstrom, and Bunke took control of the race early separating themselves from the pack. After lap one, Nymann was the front runner with Bunke in second and Luke Van Lyssel in third. Nymann was running a fast pace but Bunke never left his rear bumper. On lap four, Bunke made his way around Nymann for the lead and started to pull away with clear track ahead. Nymann kept Bunke’s taillight in view and didn’t let him get too far away.
The last race of Saturday was the ten-lap heads-up Pro Open final. The top four qualifiers took the front row: Herfindahl, Stevens, P. Brown, D. Brown. Sleds got the green flag and top qualifier Zach Herfindahl took the early race lead on his Arctic Cat.
After lap one, Zach Herfindahl had a good lead over David Brown in second and Wes Selby in third on his stock sled. On lap two, Dylan Stevens was able to get around Selby for the third-place position.
Herfindahl continued to stretch his strong lead over teammate David Brown. On lap five, David Brown, Dylan Stevens, and Dan Revering pulled into the fueling area for their mandatory stop. This made Herfidnahl’s lead look even bigger but he still needed to stop for fuel. The following lap, race leader Herfindahl pulled in for fuel and made it out of the fuel stop before second place running Brown keeping himself in the lead. On lap seven, fifth place running Paul Brown took his fuel stop and remained in fifth after his fuel. On lap eight, the top five had all fueled and Herfindahl had a strong lead. David Brown had on off on lap eight which them put Stevens into second and now D. Brown sat in third, D. Revering in fourth on his stock sled and P. Brown sitting in fifth. On lap nine, the order remained the same with Revering closing in on the third place sled of Brown. On lap 10, David Brown had another off with under one mile to go.
Racers who scored a DNF in the final were Christen on lap one, Tate and Olson on lap two, Arlaud and Langaas on lap three, Bunke on lap seven, and Feil on lap eight.
On Sunday, the winds picked up a bit and the temperature dropped a few degrees. The visibility was the same with the flat light but add some light flurries here and there throughout the day. The first race of the day was the Pro Stock and Semi Pro Stock two-lap qualifier. After two laps, Dan Revering had the top time with a total time of 16 minutes 32 seconds. Taylor Bunke originally qualified second but after clipping a marker, was scored in third with a 10 second deduction. Paul Brown was moved into second 9.8 seconds behind Revering and Bunke in third 13.3 seconds out of the lead. In fourth was Zach Herfindahl 15.1 seconds out of the lead with Justin Tate rounding out the top five 17.7 seconds out of first. In the Semi Pro Stock class, Caleb Nymann was fastest with a time of 17 minutes 8 seconds. Jesse Hallstrom timed in second only 1 second behind first. O’Ryan Bosek timed third 35.9 seconds out of the lead with Luke Van Lyssel in fourth 39 seconds back and Evan Peppel rounding out the top five 39.7 seconds back.
In the Pro Factory Women’s class, Savannah Landrus took the win, her second win of the 2022 season, with a total time of 1 hour 14 minutes 31 seconds. Taking second place was Lydia Sobeck 1 minute 4 seconds out of the lead.
The Semi Pro Stock sleds took the line with the top four qualifiers starting on the front row for their six-lap heads-up final: Nymann, Hallstrom, Bosek, and Van Lyssel. Sleds got the green flag and were off. Jesse Hallstrom got the hole shot and took the early race lead taking command of the race pace. After one lap of racing, Hallstrom was out front with Peppel not too far behind. Nymann was sitting in third, Van Lyssel in fourth, and Bosek in fifth. The running order remained the same throughout the race with the only changes happening back in fourth through eight. Van Lyssel, Wolters, Bosek, Hulke, and Gainfourth continuously were swapping positions. Hallstrom continued his impressive run and hold the lead.
On lap five, Peppel continued to close the gap and ran an 8 minute 36 second lap time compared to the leaders 8 minute 38 second lap time.
The last race of the weekend was the premier Pro Stock final. These sleds ran a heads-up start, running 10 laps, with a mandatory fuel stop. The top four sleds took the front row: Dan Revering, Paul Brown, Taylor Bunke, and Zach Herfindahl. Sixth fast qualifier, Wes Selby was caught running the course during another race he wasn’t entered in getting very close to competing sleds and was forced to start last plus wait an additional 30 from the drop of the green.
Last week’s winner, Dan Revering got the early jump and lead the pack across the lake. A few miles in, Bunke was running top three when he blew a corner which put him back into the fourth-place spot. After lap one, D. Revering was holding the lead with fifth place starter Justin Tate sitting in second. Herfindahl ran third, Bunke fourth, and P. Brown in fifth. The top two ran nose-to-tail the entire race with Tate making the pass for the lead on lap four. Revering staying right on him in second and didn’t let him pull away. On lap six, four of the top five took their mandatory fuel stop. Fourth place running Bunke decided to wait a lap for fuel. Tate pulled out of the fuel stop alongside Bunke who was on a fast lap down the straight. Revering followed Tate out and now sat in third. Going into the first unplowed corner, Revering took the lead as Tate and Bunke went wide. On lap seven, Bunke pulled into the fuel stop and rejoined the field in fourth behind Herfindahl. Laps seven through nine the race pace really picked up with Revering and Tate exchanging the lead multiple times. On lap nine, Revering had just made the pass for the lead when Tate landed a little sideways causing his track to de-rail and barrel roll across the ice. This gave Revering a comfortable lead with Herfindahl now in second and Bunke in third. Tate was uninjured from the crash and is just sore.
Sleds who scored as DNFs in the Pro Stock final were Feil and Erdman on lap three, Murphy on lap four, D. Brown on lap seven, and Tate on lap nine.
