Team Arctic cross-country racers headed to Warroad, Minnesota for the sixth round of USXC Racing, and were led by Zach Herfindahl as he swept the top spots of both Pro Stock and Pro Open classes.
The Warroad 100 was a 10-lap course consisting of five miles of ice groove departing the Seven Clans Casino on Lake of the Woods, with the loop back navigating five miles of running in the cattails. There was one commonality, the course got rough. Really rough.
"Pro Open on Saturday went really smooth for us. I rode a basic, fast race start-to-finish and won. Sunday, in Pro Stock, was a little more challenging,” laughed Zach Herfindahl. “That course was rough in the cattails. When your sled was at the bottom of a hole, all you’d see is the rider. It was so rough. Towards the end of the race on Sunday, my well- seasoned, custom-built handlebars broke in half, but the risers were strong enough to hold them vertical - until the last lap. The left half came off, so I operated the brake from my lap. With the win, and finish line in sight, the wires from the handwarmers pulled apart, shorted out, and cut power to my sled. After some time, she came back to life and I got it across the finish line winning by a narrow margin of ten seconds. You get arm pump real quick riding with one arm!”
The Warroad course was a challenge for all riders, but the Team Arctic racers showed their grit with notable performances from Semi-Pro Paul Brown who won Stock 600 and placed second in 600 Improved. Team
Arctic’s Expert 600 Limited racers swept the podium, led by up-and-comer Jesse Hallstrom, followed by Braden Sillerud and McKenna Cloose.
In Eagle River, Wisconsin, Cadarette Collision Racing completed their fifth event sweep of the MIRA Pro Enduro circuit, sealing the books on an impressive undefeated season.
“Our cross-country racers captured half the class podiums in Warroad which is something to be proud of. Herfindahl’s finish in Pro Stock was quite entertaining and well- deserved,” said Team Arctic Race Manager, Mike Kloety. “Team Arctic fans should be proud of all these cross-country racers as well as the undefeated season Cadarette Racing had in Pro Enduro. That’s remarkable!”
