2005 Season Overview ~

~ 2005 Season Overview ~

Team Bauerly competed in 19 total Snocross races and 5 Hillcross races, as well as the ESPN Winter X-Games Snocross event in Aspen.

WSA National Series:

24 - National Finals were qualified for and run by the team

16 - Top 10 finishes and 8 top 5’s were netted by the team

Paul gained Top Qualifier honors at Canterbury in S.P. Stock

nd Kurt captured a 2 place podium finish at Green Bay in S.P. Stock

Paul made the front row of the Pro Stock final at Lake Geneva in his first try

th Semi-pro Stock Season Points = 6 overall (Kurt)

th Semi-pro Open Season Points = 9 overall (Kurt)

Privateer of the Year Award = Team Bauerly Racing

WSA Regional South Series:

44 - Total finals were qualified for and run by the team

22 – Podium finishes were netted by the team

Paul went undefeated in both Pro classes for the weekend at Hutchinson

Chad & Paul took all podium finishes in Pro class at the Rochester event

st Semi-pro Stock Season Points = 1 place overall (Ross)

st Semi-pro Perf. Season Points = 1 place overall (Ross)

st Semi-pro Open Season Points = 1 place overall (Ross)

st Pro Stock Season Points = 1 place overall (Paul)

rd Pro Stock Season Points = 3 place overall (Chad)

st Pro Open Season Points = 1 place overall (Paul)

rd Pro Open Season Points = 3 place overall (Chad)

WSA Midwest Hillcross Series:

56 – Finals were qualified for and run by the team

46 – Top 3 podium finishes were netted by the team st 28 – 1 Place finishes were captured by Team Bauerly racers

5 – King of the Hill Titles were won by the team

Kurt went undefeated, 15 for 15, at Ski Gull Brainerd Hillcross

Paul G. made a clean sweep of his classes at Park-X and Spirit Mountain

*With 124 finals run by the team, and 69 podium finishes, the exposure we have gained this season was incredible for our team and all of our sponsors.

*For 2006, look for Team Bauerly to accomplish even more as we move up in the ranks and push the competitive envelope even further, with new classes and new circuits!

~ 2005 Snow-X Results ~

Nov. 26-28 Spirit Mountain Duluth National Snocross

Thanksgiving weekend always signals one thing in the sport of snowmobile racing, the start of a new season and the first look at the new machines and competition. November 26-28 marked the annual running of the Spirit Mountain Duluth National Snocross, the 1st stop on the WSA Worldwide Snocross tour. Due to warm weather, all of the snow was made in the 3 days prior to the event, so it became a very grueling and rough track. The entire team participated in the event, with all 4 racers in the Semi-pro Stock and Semi-pro Open classes. Saturday brought the running of the Semi-pro Open class, where the team put in some good runs. Ross started things off with a 1st place finish in round 1, followed by 2 – 3rd place finishes in rounds 2 and 3, gaining him enough points to make the LCQ (Last Chance Qualifier). Kurt posted finishes of 2nd, 1st, and 4th in his 3 rounds, also putting him into the LCQ. Chad ran strong with finishes of 2nd, 2nd, and 4th, just missing the cut for a transfer. Paul worked through some tuning of new equipment and came out with finishes of 3rd, 7th, and a 2nd, just shy of a transfer spot. In the LCQ Ross and Kurt grabbed solid hole shots and ran up the hill toward the front of the pack, by the time the checkers flew they crossed the line in 6th and 7th, just short of the transfer to the final. On Sunday came the Semi-pro Stock class, where the team again looked strong against 100 of the best racers from across North America. Ross ran consistent with finishes of 5th, 6th, and 6th, putting him outside the margin needed to transfer, but showing he is in the hunt in this class as well. Kurt looked very fast, pulling off a 1st place finish in his first heat, but in round 2 as he was battling for 1st place he hit a hole awkwardly sending him flying and ended his day with extensive damage to his machine. Chad ran very consistent as well, pulling in a 3rd, 4th and 4th, just putting him outside the cut for a transfer. Paul looked very fast on his stock sled, winning his first heat, and placing 2nd in rounds 2 and 3, placing him directly into the final in the front row. In the final, Paul came off the line very strong and up toward the front. After 8 laps on a very grueling track, Paul hung on to a top 10 finish out of 15 riders, crossing the line with a well-deserved 9th place finish. All in all it was a successful weekend for the team, with some top finishes and some very fast lap times, everyone showed they have what it takes to win, and being it was the first time on snow for this team, the future looks very bright.

Dec. 4-5 WSA North Regional at Park-X

Park-X at Quadna in Hill City, Minnesota played host to the season’s first Regional Snocross races. Due to warm temps again recently, they only had a handful of days to make snow, so a shortened course had to do, nonetheless the racing was fast and furious on this demanding rough course. The entire team participated in the event, with Paul joining Chad and Kurt in the Pro classes for the first time and Ross running in the Semi-pro events. The race order was a bit different, with everyone running 3 rounds of qualifying and then the finals, no LCQ’s as usual, so 3 solid rounds had to be run in order to make the finals. Being this was an off weekend for the Nationals, most of the big pro teams were present to get some track time, so the boys had their hands full with the top talents in the nation in the pro classes. Chad, who was battling a bad cold, had some great runs despite his condition, and showed he will be in the hunt for the podium when back to 100 percent. Kurt had several great runs among the top pros, qualifying himself for the Pro Stock final in the back row. At the start he grabbed a huge holeshot, as he had done all weekend, and shot up the hill around everyone to land himself into 2nd place by the time he got to turn 2, he slotted in between Kurt Crapo and Tomi Ahmasalo and was charging hard. As he cleared the rough downhill with ease, he hit the bottom hard and caused a mechanical failure in the chain case, ending his hopes for a great finish. Paul ran hard all weekend and placed himself into both the Pro Stock and Pro Open finals. In Pro Stock, he started in the back row where he held consistently for the whole race and crossed the line in 10th out of 14. In Pro Open, Paul was qualified 7th in the front row, where he ran a great race among some very fast riders, after 10 grueling laps he held his own and crossed the line in a solid 6th place. Ross ran the Semi-pro classes where there were also some very fast riders, but he held his own very well. In the Stock classes he ran toward the front of the pack where he made the finals. In the final, Ross got caught up in the first corner but ran hard to pull back to an 8th place finish. In Semi-pro Open Ross ran through qualifying with ease, qualifying for the final in 1st. In the final, he shot off the line and into the front of the pack were he was in a 3-way battle for the lead for several laps. After a great race, Ross crossed the finish line with a well-deserved 2nd place podium finish. With some great runs, and promising finishes, the team is well on their way to a great season.

Dec. 11-12 WSA Winnipeg National

Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg, Manitoba played host to the WSA Canadian Open this past weekend December 11- 12. As the second stop on the National Snocross tour, the downs put together a great track and was an awesome venue for a race. A very strong front pushed through all weekend, creating very high winds and near zero visibility, but the racers and crew still pushed through and finished the weekend strong. Kurt and Chad made the trek for the team, and both had some great qualifying battles. In Semi-pro Open competition, both Chad and Kurt were nailing hole shots all weekend, it was just a tough fight to get through the first corner clean after that. Chad ended up running through with finishes of a 3rd, and 2 – 4th in qualifying, just 1 spot short of a transfer to the LCQ. Kurt, on the other hand came through with 2 - 1st place finishes, and one hole shot that ended by being flipped over in the first corner only to finish 8th. With that, Kurt made the LCQ where he ran hard and crossed the line in 2nd, placing him into the final. In the final he got caught up in traffic in the first corner, but was able to work his way up to an 8th place final finish at the checkers. In X-Games qualifying competition, Kurt showed he had the speed and skill to win, he took off and led from the start in his qualifying rounds, but on the front stretch triple jump he caught a high wind gust and his sled took off for flight, causing him to have to bail off and his sled landed upside down, ending his hopes for a transfer to the finals for X. In semi-pro stock action on Sunday, both Chad and Kurt had some fierce battles with competition and the zero visibility. Chad had some great rides going in both of his first two rounds, only to be taken out by a competitor in a tight corner, placing him with finishes less than that needed to make the final cut. Kurt, riding cautiously after being a bit beat up from his crash Saturday was able to muster 3 solid mid-pack finishes, also just missing the final cut. All in all, it was a successful weekend for the team, still always placing in the top 60% of the field in all heats, and Kurts final finish, they are both poised to win in the races to come, not to mention building up some solid points for the season points chase.

Dec. 18-19 WSA National X-Games invite at Park-X

On December 18th-19th Park-X at Quadna Resort in Hill City, MN played host to a National Snocross and X- Games invitational qualifier race. The entire team participated in the event, in both Semi-pro and X-Games qualifying competition. The first feat for the team was for Chad, Kurt and Paul to try and qualify for the Snocross event at Winter-X, in a special qualifier held for the Hillcross qualified athletes from across the country. All 3 were in the final for this class that would send the top 3 finishers on to compete at X. At the start, all 3 shot off the line great, but in the first corner Chad ran into trouble with another rider and was flipped over, causing him to lose his position. The other 2 ran up front, charging hard right through to the finish with Paul crossing the line in 3rd and Kurt in 4th, thus gaining Paul a spot to compete at Winter-X. Then in the regular X-Games qualifier class later in the day, Ross ran some terrific rounds of qualifying, placing him in the final, where the top 3 would go to X. In the final, among the world’s best competitors, Ross shot off the line and worked hard for 12 intense laps, where he would eventually cross the line in 6th out of 15 riders, another great run for the team. In Semi-pro Open class competition, everyone had some solid runs, with Ross and Paul making the final. In the final, they both got caught up in a first corner crash, but managed to get up and going and ran a hard race right to the finish where Ross crossed the line in 11th and Paul in 12th place. In the Semi-pro stock class, Chad and Paul were having a great day, pulling hole shots in each and every heat. Paul qualified himself for the final, and Chad missed it by 1 spot, so he had to run the LCQ. In the LCQ race, Chad shot off the line hard again and charged to a 2nd place finish, sending him into the final as well. In the final, Paul ran up the hill mid-pack off the line, where he would stay for the entire 8 laps, crossing the line in 6th place, with Chad behind him in 13th. Besides dealing with some very cold temps all weekend, it turned out to be a very successful weekend for the team, with 8 total finals run and Paul going to the X- Games for Snocross, things are looking great for this team. Now with a few weeks off for the Holidays, Kurt should have time to heal up a bit and be ready to rejoin the team at Canterbury on the 8th and 9th, see you then!

Jan. 1-2 WSA North Regional at Park-X

On Jan. 1st – 2nd Park-X at Quadna Resort in Hill City, MN played host to the Andy Hammerlund 382 memorial shootout, a North Regional Snocross race. The WSA crew had worked hard on putting together one of the longest tracks that has ever been raced at Park-X, which meant long races and very close competition. From the team, Paul was the only representative there, where he ran in both of the Pro classes. Through qualifying Paul won a couple of heats and finished mid pack in a few but made both finals easily. In the Pro Stock final he grabbed the hole shot and felt an enormous amount of pressure from 2nd and 3rd for the first 4 laps until they got tangled up with only 3 laps to go. So, from there on he cruised his way to his first ever Pro win. In Open competition Paul got a good start running in 3rd. He stayed in third for the first 5 laps until over a huge back stretch table top he landed a little too hard and broke his drive chain, which ended all hope of even finishing the race. With some great runs and a little misfortune it was still a very good weekend, Paul got some great practice and some more experience in the pro class earning himself his first win, which hopefully will not be his last.

Jan. 8-9 WSA MN South Regional at Canterbury

The 8th and 9th of January brought the first round of the MN South Regional Snocross series to Canterbury Park in Shakopee, MN. The crew made tons of snow and was able to put together a fairly sizable track. Being it was an off weekend for the National circuit, many of the top Pros and Semi-pros made the trek to Canterbury for what was a record regional turnout. Chad and Paul ran in the Pro classes, which were very fast and furious all weekend. In both Pro Stock and Pro Open Chad ran right with the pack, taking a 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and a few 6th place finishes, but when it came finals time he was just short of the cut. Paul, also ran right with the Pro pace, coming out of qualifying with a 1st, 3 – 3rds, and 2 – 4th place finishes, placing him into both finals. In the Pro Stock final Paul got a great start and ran in the 5th position for almost the entire race, only to be passed by DJ Eckstrom in the final laps, which netted him still a solid 6th place Pro class finish. In Pro Open Paul got a good start, but got caught up behind a rolled sled in the first corner. He had to come from the back, but put on some very fast laps to catch back up to the pack, where he started picking them off one by one. At the checkers, Paul had moved back up to finish in 8th place, another stellar ride for Paul and another big final for the team. Ross ran in 3 Semi-pro classes, where he went through qualifying with ease, taking all firsts and seconds in the 9 rounds. In the Stock class final he came off the line mid-pack where he battled the entire race and crossed the line in 6th. In the Performance class, Ross was running very fast, but a bobble on the backside whoops caused him to fall off, he quickly restarted and was able to work back up to a 9th place finish. In Semi-pro Open, Ross shot off the line and ran up toward the front for the entire race, by the time the checkers flew he crossed the line with a well deserved 2nd place podium finish. It was a great building weekend for the team, riding with and even ahead of many of the top Pros in the sport, and placing well in the finals again, the boys should be ready for next weekend where they again will be at the Canterbury facility for the even bigger National event.

Jan. 15-16 WSA Canterbury National Snocross

January 15-16, 2005 brought the WSA National tour to Shakopee, MN for the annual Polaris Canterbury National Snocross. Frigid temps hindered the spectator numbers a bit, but the track and the racing were still fabulous. Things went very well for the team, which at this caliber of event made it even more exciting. Saturday brought the Semi-pro Open class for Chad, Kurt, Paul and Ross. Ross and Paul both ran strong through qualifying, each gaining a few 3rd place finishes and a few 4ths and 5ths. Although these finishes were better than 60% of the field, they both fell just short of making the cut to the final. Chad had a solid first run, but had a mechanical failure due to the excess of snow dust and cold, that held him back from the top the rest of the day. Kurt ran through qualifying with a 4, 3, 1 and made it to the LCQ, which he went on to win and transferred to the final. In the Semi-pro Open final, Kurt, starting in the back row, found himself an inside line that moved him through the pack quickly to gain him a 4th place position. For the entire 10 grueling laps, Kurt battled for 3rd place, but every attempt to make the pass was blocked. At the checkers, Kurt crossed the line with a huge 4th place finish for the team. Sunday brought the Semi-pro Stock class to the line, and again all 4 teammates were competing. Paul put in some brilliant rides, as this was his type of track. Big air, with doubles and Triples galore, Paul showed his strong starts could be backed up by excellent rides as he went undefeated through qualifying to gain the top qualifier spot for the afternoons final. Kurt and Ross also put in some strong rides, pulling out some 2nds, a 1st and a 3rd, but just not quite enough to make the final cut. Chad, went 5, 2, 2 through qualifying, placing him into the LCQ along with Kurt. In the LCQ were the top 5 make it to the back row of the final, Chad got a great holeshot and immediately led the race. Kurt found himself some trouble in a technical rhythm section and fell back in the pack after a strong run early on. At the finish, Chad crossed the line in 2nd transferring him to the finals. The Semi-pro stock final was run just before the Pro Open final, so the track was groomed and built up with big air and tough mogul sections, making for a great race. At the line, Paul grabbed another great start, running right up front for the first few laps. On lap 3 the race leader had a huge wipeout in the mogul section and Paul had to quickly decide where to go, with all of the snow flying and sleds flipping, Paul also had a tough off. Once remounted, Paul regained a 9th place position just ahead of Chad who was battling at 10th. As the race wore on Paul was able to gain back a few spots and crossed the line with a solid 7th place finish. Chad kept battling on and was able to cross the line in 11th out of 15 for the day. With a top qualifier position, a 4th in Open and a 7th and 11th in Stock, the team had a strong showing at arguably one of the seasons most prestigious race venues, and with everyone still healthy things are building each and every week to promise for a solid finish to the season.

Jan. 22-23 WSA Michigan International Speedway National

January 22-23 the WSA National Circuit round 4 was held at the Michigan International Speedway. The facility was huge, the track was great, and the snow fell hard. Saturday brought blizzard conditions, causing close to zero visibility, but the racers always find a way to fight through it. Kurt rode some tough races Saturday in Semi-pro Open, earning a 3rd, a 2nd, and a 5th through qualifying. He got punished by some of the other racers in his early rounds, which set him back a little, but he fought hard to make his way into the LCQ. In the LCQ, Kurt bounced back to make his way into the final. In the final more bad luck struck. The two riders that were positioned ahead of Kurt got tangled up and crashed, catching him up in their mess. After being close to a lap behind during the first lap, Kurt rode to a strong 13th place finish. Sunday brought sunshine and a bigger crowd to MIS. Kurt rode well through qualifying placing him as top qualifier in the LCQ. He rode well in the LCQ, putting him in his 2nd final of the weekend. In the Semi-pro stock final, Kurt had to start in the back row but put together a great race passing some highly qualified racers and moved his way up to a well deserved 4th place finish. Overall, the weekend ended on a successful note, and only gave Kurt more confidence going into next races.

Jan. 22-23 WSA MN South Regional at Rochester

Rochester, MN played host to the second stop of the WSA MN South Regional Snocross tour on January 22 and 23. Mother nature helped the WSA crew big time as snow fell all day and night on Friday, totaling up to 10 inches for the city to haul onto the track. Chad, Ross and Paul all made the treacherous drive down on Friday, but the storm lifted by morning and gave way to a nice sunny weekend for racing. Ross ran all 3 Semi-pro classes, and did a superb job of holding his own in each through the 3 rounds of qualifying, where he gained several 1st and 2nd place finishes placing him in all 3 finals. In the Stock final he came off the line strong, but was hit hard by another driver in the far corner of the track and had to settle for an 8th place finish. In the Semi-pro Performance class he again was running up front and was struck by another driver, but this time he fought back up to a solid 5th place finish. Then, in the Open class, Ross battled hard with the frontrunners for a few laps, passing them all at the halfway point in the race, from there he marched away, having to lap riders as he stormed to an impressive Semi-pro Open class win. Chad and Paul both ran in the Pro classes, and both had some very good heat races. Paul went through qualifying for Pro Stock with 3 – 1st place finishes, and Chad pulled off a 1, 4,1 in his rounds. In the Pro Stock final, they both shot off the line and right to the lead, battling each other to the first corner. As the race went on, Paul continued to battle for 1st place with another driver and Chad held off the rest of the field in 3rd. At the checkers, Paul crossed the line with a strong 2nd place finish and Chad came across in 3rd. In Pro Open, Chad swept his qualifying heats to become the top qualifier for the finals and Paul gathered up 3 – 2nd place finishes. In the final, they both got great starts with Chad holding the edge going down the back whoop section. Chad and another driver got together in the air, damaging both of their steering systems, which in turn let Paul run away with the lead. As the race wore on, Paul led to the finish line in convincing fashion, with Chad holding on to everything he could, crossing the line with another podium position of 3rd. The team gathered 5 podium finishes, and some great points to help in the year end points chase, another great weekend thanks to all of the teams crew and sponsors.

Feb. 12-13 WSA Lambeau Field National - Green Bay, WI

Feb. 12th-13th brought the 5th round of the National Snocross Circuit to the famous Green bay Packers Stadium. This race was the first event ever held on Lambeau Field besides a football game. The weather was a beautiful 40 degrees and sunny and the fans were able to witness a wonderful show put on by WSA and the US Air force showcasing the best of the best riders. Kurt started Saturday off great in Semi-pro Open, finishing with 2 - 1st’s and a 6th in his qualifying rounds. This put Kurt directly in the final. In the final, Kurt battled hard for 14 hard laps on a rough, whooped out course. In the end, Kurt crossed the line in 4th place overall. On Sunday, Kurt had a great day of racing on his stock sled. He cruised through his qualifying rounds earning a 1st and 2 – 2nd’s, earning the 4th qualifier position for the final. In the final, Kurt started off in about 5th place. After figuring out the big triple through the rhythm section and riding smooth through the rest of the course, Kurt moved his way up through the pack and ended the race with his first podium position of the year, a stellar 2nd place finish. The weekend was a great success, moving Kurt up in series points, no injuries concurred, nothing was wrecked, and it was a great showing for Team Bauerly Racing in what was one of the most prestigious of venues for racing.

Feb. 12-13 WSA MN South Regional at St. James

The third round of the MN South Regional Snocross series was held at the Watonwan County Fairgrounds in St. James, MN on the 12th-13th of February. Unseasonably warm weather caused concern about the existence of a track, but the city of St. James hauled snow from everywhere around to make it happen. Despite the muddy pits the race went on without a hitch, and everyone even got a tan in the 60-degree weather on Saturday. Ross raced in all 3 Semi-pro classes, running some great rounds and taking 4 – 1st’s, a 2nd and a 4th. Chad and Paul both ran in the Pro classes, also pulling off some great rounds of qualifying. Chad started it off with 3 – 1st place finishes and a 4th in his 4 rounds, and Paul followed that up with 3 – 1st’s and a 2nd in his. Things were looking great for the team going into Sunday, except for the weather. Heavy rain and warm temps caused the cancellation of Sunday’s events and forced the finals to be run at the next event.

Hutchinson played host to round 3 and finals for this event, which was completed on February 19th. Ross finished round 3 strong sending him to all 3 of his finals. In the finals Ross brought home a 4th in Semi-pro stock, a 1st in Semi-pro 600 and a 1st in Semi-pro Open. Paul ran great in the Pro classes, bringing home 2 podium finishes with a 1st place in Pro Stock and a 2nd place in Pro Open. Chad fought hard all weekend and was able to muster a solid 4th place finish in both Pro Stock and Pro Open. Another weekend chalked full of podium finishes for Team Bauerly Racing.

Feb. 19-20 WSA National Grand Prix de Val court

This was a big weekend for Team Bauerly as the team split up to compete at 3 different race venues and in 3 different types of competition. First off was the National Snocross series race in Val court, Québec. Kurt made the trek to compete at the Grand Prix de Val court, which provided for an awesome weekend of racing. In Semi-pro Open he ran strong, but a big off in one of his heats held him back from reaching the finals. In Semi-pro stock competition Kurt ran very well, with a 4, 3, 1 in qualifying rounds and a very hard fought 4th place finish in the finals. Then came the Hutchinson Regional Snocross that Chad, Paul and Ross all ran in. The city of Hutchinson made a big effort to ensure that this race would happen despite the lack of snow by hauling all week out of parking lots to put together a fairly decent track. In Semi-pro competition Ross had a good weekend, making all 3 of his finals and bringing home a 2nd in Stock, a 9th in 600, and a well deserved 3rd place finish in the Open class. In the Pro stock class, Chad and Paul both ran very well through qualifying. In the final, Paul got tipped over in the first corner and ended up finishing 8th, but Chad fought hard the entire race and crossed the line in 2nd. In Pro Open they both ran strong as well, with Paul battling up front and Chad having to charge from behind, they both ended up finishing on the podium with Paul in 2nd and Chad in 3rd. Then, Paul Greenwaldt represented the team at the WSA Midwest Hillcross season opener at Park-X in Hill City, MN. Paul G ran very well through qualifying taking a 2nd and 5 – 1st’s in his rounds on Saturday. On Sunday came the finals where he ran very well again, bringing home a 3rd place finish in the Plus 25 class, a 1st place in the Plus 30 class, and a 1st place in the Plus 35 class. Then, to top it all off, Paul ran and won the King of the Hill competition. All in all, this was an excellent weekend filled with great results for the team.

Feb. 19-20 WSA MN South Regional at Hutchinson

Feb. 26-27 WSA Buffalo National Buffalo, NY

Over the weekend of Feb. 26-27, the sixth and seventh round of the WSA National Circuit was held in Buffalo New York. There were two events crammed into one weekend because the To Be Announced weekend did not have a location yet. Kurt started the long weekend off great cruising through his qualifying rounds and landing himself into both the stock and open finals for that night. The track was inside of the Buffalo Bills football stadium so the atmosphere was great. The finals went into the night and the track was well lit under the stadium lights making it a great show for the fans. In the stock final, a Polaris rider flipped over in the first corner and Kurt got stuck behind him until he was up right and off again. This put Kurt in the back of the pack, but after a very strong race and a hard charge through the pack he made he way to a 5th place finish. In the open final, Kurt again got caught up in the first corner and road well for a 6th place finish. After this long, tiring day of qualifying and two 14 lap finals, the racers had to do it all over again Sunday. Sunday started a little rocky for Kurt having a couple of mechanical problems but he was still able to go strait into the stock final. In the final, Kurt was able to hold himself together and finish in the 8th position. Kurt made the last chance qualifier in the open class and needed a 5th place finish to make his way to the final but after a hay bail wedged between his skies, Kurt found him self well behind the transfer spot. The weekend was long and tiring, but overall the team had a good showing, Pete and Brian did a great job keeping the sleds working top notch, and Kurt continues to ride competitively with the best. Feb. 26-27 WSA MN South Regional at Hutchinson

On the weekend of Feb. 26-27, Hutchinson once again played host to the WSA South Regionals. The Crew put together a very nice track with plenty of snow for the team to race on. Only Paul and Ross decided to show up to represent at the weekends race. For Paul racing in the Pro class, it was very close to a perfect weekend, winning 5 of his 6 heats gaining top qualifier honors in both classes. In the Pro Stock Final Paul shot out to an early lead and never looked back nearly lapping the entire field. When the Pro Open final rolled around, Paul once again got a big holeshot. He felt some big pressure from behind for the first few laps but then he spaced out nicely for his first ever Pro class sweep. In the Semi-Pro class Ross ran his usual 3 classes. Ross ran very strong through out qualifying to give him very high qualifying positions into the final. In the 440 final Ross got pinched in the first corner and had to fight from deep in the pack to finish 6th. In 600 Ross got a good start and ran to a strong 2nd place finish. In Open Ross Once again got squeezed in the first corner and had a battle his way back up towards the leader. When the checkers flew he made it up to a very strong 4th place finish. All in all, it was a very successful weekend for the team, with many great qualifying races and many great finals, the weekend was a huge success.

Mar. 5-6 WSA Park-X National Snocross

On March 5-6 Park-X at Quadna in Hill City, MN played host the second to last round on the Worldwide Snocross National tour. This race was one for the record books, as the track was the largest in the history of Snocross racing. With lap times at a minute and a half, the qualifying rounds lasted like finals on a normal weekend. The weather really cooperated too, with 50’s and sun all weekend. The team fared well on the grueling course, making several finals and topping the best in several heats. In Semi-pro Open competition, Chad Kurt and Paul all ran well, placing in the top 3 many times and also winning a few rounds. Kurt and Chad made the Open final, with Paul just missing the cut. In the final they ran hard for 8 intense laps, eventually crossing the line with Kurt in 10th and Chad in 11th place overall out of 15. Just to finish these races in one piece seemed a task in itself. Paul moved up to the Pro Stock class for the first time this weekend to try his hand against the worlds best, and had an impressive showing. Paul grabbed the lead right from the line in all three of his rounds of qualifying, but a big wipeout on the second downhill took him out of the finals contention due to points from that round. Paul did show though that he could compete at that level and we will look for great things from him in the future. Chad and Kurt ran in the Semi-pro stock class on Sunday, where the competition and the course were again fierce. Chad ran through qualifying with 4th place finishes, not quite enough to make the finals, but Kurt was able to squeeze into the finals with a few better finishes. In the final Kurt was lined up in the back row, but off the line he shot up and around the entire field to find himself in 4th at the bottom of the first hill. As the race wore on and wore on Kurt, he did give way to one rider, but was able to fend off the rest of the field to cross the line with a huge 5th place finish. It was a big weekend for the team, as everyone competed well and all came home healthy after the most grueling weekend of racing yet.

Mar. 12-13 WSA Powder Ridge Regional - Kimball, MN

Powder Ridge Ski Resort in Kimball, MN hosted the 6th and final round on the WSA MN Regional Snocross Tour March 12th and 13th. Winter was back with single digit nights and highs in the low 20’s for this event, making for a very hard fast track. There was plenty of pure white snow on the course though, which was nice to see after a few of the fairgrounds events run previously. Chad, Paul and Ross all ran at this event and had another superb showing. In Semi-pro competition Ross ran through qualifying with several 2nds and 3rds, placing him in all 3 finals. In the finals Ross ran mid-pack in all 3 bringing home a 4th overall in Semi-pro Stock, an 8th in Semi-pro Performance, and a 7th overall in Semi-pro Open. Chad ran through qualifying in the Pro classes right up top with a 1st and 5 - 2nds, placing him as the top qualifier in Pro Open and 4th qualifier in Pro Stock. Paul was able to do the same, cruising through qualifying with 3 – 1sts and a couple of 2nds and 3rds, qualifying him in 2nd for Pro Stock and 4th for Pro Open. In the Pro Stock final Paul got the hole-shot and lead the race from the start, Chad sat back in a battle for the 3 & 4 position. On lap 2 Chad was hit hard, damaging his steering system and taking him out of the chase where he would eventually finish in 11th. Paul on the other hand led the entire race but being chased hard by the #5 Amsoil sled of Mike Shultz. On the last downhill of the 10th and final lap Paul was blocked by lapped traffic, which let Shultz slip by as they sped to the finish-line jump. So, Paul came home with a very well deserved 2nd place finish. In Pro Open both Paul and Chad came off the line well, and on the first downhill Paul leapt his way into the lead. Chad battled hard in the 4 & 5 spots, while Paul was out front defending his lead. As the 10 laps came to a close, Paul crossed the line with over a half lap lead and a huge Pro Open win and Chad backed that up with a hard fought 6th place overall. It was a fast and furious weekend of racing on the ski hills, but again the team came home with some stellar results. Look for a rundown of the MN Regional Series Season Points Championships to come soon!

Mar. 18-20 WSA Lake Geneva National Grand Finale, WI

The Grand Geneva Resort and Spa played host to the WSA Nielsen Enterprises Grand Finale once again on the 19th and 20th of March to cap off what was a great season of racing on the National Snocross tour. Rain and fog early Saturday made visibility tough, but the track held up great with tons of snow and huge dissents on the hills of the resorts ski area. Warm temps both days brought out fans in droves for the grand event. The entire team participated in the last Snocross event for the season, and a good one it was. In Semi-pro Open action on Saturday, all the boys had some great qualifying heats, with Chad and Paul making it directly into the final. Kurt and Ross both made the LCQ, where some very tough battles were run, with both of them narrowly missing the cut. In the final, Chad pulled off the line well with Paul in tow, both in the top five. At the midway point during the grueling final, Paul came off of his sled on the treacherous downhill, but remounted quickly as Chad continued a battle up front. At the conclusion of the 8-lap feature, Chad crossed the line with a huge 5th place finish, and Paul backed that up with a hard fought 8th place overall. Sunday brought the stock classes for the team, with Chad, Kurt and Ross all running in the Semi-pro stock division. Again the course and competition were brutal, but the team persevered. After a horrific crash involving both Kurt and Ross in round 2, and another involving Chad in round 3, Kurt made his way into the final in the back row. From the back row Kurt ran a stellar race for the entire 8 laps, eventually crossing the line in 7th place overall. Then to cap off a successful weekend, Paul stepped up and ran in the Pro Stock class, where he did very well. After several great qualifying heats, Paul found himself qualified on the front row of the Pro Stock final. Off the line Paul was very strong running up front, but a few misfortunes set him back slightly. As the grueling 10 lap feature wore on, Paul held his pace and ran in the mix for the entire race eventually crossing the line with a 10th place finish out of 15, not bad at all for his first ever Pro National final. The weekend was full of ups and downs for the team, but as always they came out of it with no major problems and several great results, a great ending to an even greater season for the entire team!

~ 2005 Hill-X Results ~

Feb. 19-20 Park-X Hill-X - Hill City,MN

Mar. 5-6 Telemark Resort- Cable, WI

The third round of the Midwest Hillcross racing series was held at Telemark Resort in Cable, WI. Paul Greenwaldt again represented the team at the Hillcross races where he was able to pull off some great runs. Paul went through qualifying with 1st and 2nd place finishes in all of his heats, maintaining his dominant position in his classes as he did all of last season. In the final for the Plus 25 class Paul was well on his way to a win when he landed awkwardly by the finish line slightly injuring his ankle, yet crossing the line with a 3rd place finish. In the Plus 30 class, riding cautiously, he was again able to pull off a 3rd place podium finish. Then in the Plus 35 class final, Paul did what it took to win and crossed the line with a solid 1st place podium finish. Yet another great weekend of Hillcross racing for Paul, and another great representation for Team Bauerly.

Mar. 12-13 Ski Gull Hillcross- Brainerd, MN

March 12th and 13th marked the 2nd annual Hillcross race at Ski Gull on Beautiful Gull Lake in Brainerd, MN. Kurt made the trek up there for the team where he ran in 5 Pro classes. This was Kurts first Hillcross of the season, and things went great for him. He ran in the Pro 500, 600, 800, 900 and Pro Open classes and was able to clean sweep the 2 qualifying rounds of all 5. In the finals, Kurt did the same, bringing home 5 – 1st place finishes in all 5 of the classes he ran, which was a great effort put forth by he and the team. To cap off this stellar weekend of racing, Kurt was able to pull off a 2nd place overall finish in the King of the Hill event.

Apr. 2-3 Giants Ridge Biwabik, MN

Pro 500 st • Paul Bauerly = 1 Place rd • Chad Bauerly = 3 Place Pro 600 nd • Paul Bauerly = 2 Place rd • Chad Bauerly = 3 Place Pro 800 st • Chad Bauerly = 1 Place nd • Paul Bauerly = 2 Place Pro 900 st • Chad Bauerly = 1 Place th • Paul Bauerly = 5 Place Pro Open st • Paul Bauerly = 1 Place rd • Chad Bauerly = 3 Place King of the Hill - Pro st • Paul Bauerly = 1 Place nd • Chad Bauerly = 2 Place Semi-pro 800 th • Ross Bauerly = 4 Place Semi-pro 900 rd • Ross Bauerly = 3 Place Semi-pro Open st • Ross Bauerly = 1 Place King of the Hill – Semi-pro rd • Ross Bauerly = 3 Place 25 Plus Class st • Paul Greenwaldt = 1 Place 30 Plus Class th • Paul Greenwaldt = 4 Place 35 Plus Class st • Paul Greenwaldt = 1 Place King of the Hill – Age Classes st • Paul Greenwaldt = 1 Place

*9 – 1st place finishes, 17 – top 3 finishes and 2 – King of the Hill titles, another stellar weekend for the team!

Apr. 16-17 Spirit Mountain - Duluth, MN

Pro 500 st • Paul Bauerly = 1 Place nd • Chad Bauerly = 2 Place rd • Kurt Bauerly = 3 Place Pro 600 nd • Chad Bauerly = 2 Place th • Paul Bauerly = 4 Place Pro 800 st • Kurt Bauerly = 1 Place th • Chad Bauerly = 4 Place Pro 900 st • Kurt Bauerly = 1 Place nd • Paul Bauerly = 2 Place rd • Chad Bauerly = 3 Place Pro Open nd • Chad Bauerly = 2 Place King of the Hill - Pro st • Paul Bauerly = 1 Place nd • Kurt Bauerly = 2 Place Winter X Class 05 st • Chad Bauerly = 1 Place nd • Paul Bauerly = 2 Place th • Kurt Bauerly = 4 Place Semi-pro 600 st • Ross Bauerly = 1 Place Semi-pro 800 th • Ross Bauerly = 4 Place Semi-pro 900 th • Ross Bauerly = 4 Place King of the Hill – Semi-pro th • Ross Bauerly = 4 Place 25 Plus Class st • Paul Greenwaldt = 1 Place 30 Plus Class st • Paul Greenwaldt = 1 Place 35 Plus Class st • Paul Greenwaldt = 1 Place King of the Hill – Age Classes st • Paul Greenwaldt = 1 Place

*9 – 1st place finishes, 16 – top 3 finishes, 2 – King of the Hill titles; an awesome ending to a great season!!

ESPN Winter X-Games IX

ESPN Winter X-Games Nine

Aspen, Colorado again played host to the ESPN Winter X-Games on January 28 – February 1. The setting for an event of this magnitude is perfect in Aspen, with 4 separate mountains and a very exciting town, Aspen was again the perfect host for this extreme action sports event. Paul was qualified for the Snocross event at this years games, where 32 of the sports best riders from around the globe convened on what is always the years biggest and best track. The built for TV Snocross track in Aspen is always one for the record books, and this year didn’t disappoint. With 2 big air jumps spanning 105 feet, and several technical rhythm sections that could swallow up the groomers let alone sleds, the perfectly groomed track again provided a place for the racers to show their best talents to the masses. The format for qualifying was run with 2 rounds for each of the 32 competitors, the total scores for the 2 rounds were added up and broken down to a list of 16 who would move on to the semi-finals. The 2 semi-finals would then be split down to 8 who would go to the final, and 2 more would come from an LCQ. Paul, after several days of testing in the mountains was ready for the task at hand, that of running on a track most would only dream of, with the best racers in the world. In his first heat, he had a decent start and was able to run with the crowd he was paired with, negotiating the big whoops perfectly and clearing the huge jumps with a certain degree of confidence for his first time out. At the checkers, Paul crossed the line with an impressive 6 th place finish. In round 2, Paul was the first heat out, and the first heat to be broadcast on live primetime television, so the pressure was even more intense. Off the line he pulled up and into 3 rd place through the first big set of rollers, battling hard with some big names in the sport. He ran hard yet smooth for several laps, when he began noticing a dramatic loss of power. On the last lap, Paul slipped to 5 th place as his carburetor began to work its way out of his sled from the immense pounding that the big air landings gave. The mechanical problem he encountered in the 2 nd round was the thorn in his side, as he garnered a few too many points to make the transfer to the semi-final round. As seen on TV, and this time we can really say that, Paul has what is takes to compete at this level, his smooth riding style fits right in on a track of that magnitude, and the team behind him has also proved that they can put together a very competitive ride. Thanks to everyone that helped get Team Bauerly to this level, and look for big things to come, as this was an even bigger building block to success that this team could have ever imagined.