Snowstorm Doesn't Deter Derby Fans
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ENIR IS OUV SUE S DERBY INDEX INSIDE 2020 OPINION ................... 10A Falcons drop SPORTS ..................... 8B Derby Game OUTDOORS ............... 9A n The Eagle River Falcons fell to LIFESTYLE ................. 1B De Pere in the annual Derby CLASSIFIEDS ............ 8A Game Saturday night. Pg. 8B VILAS COUNTY Section A NEWS-REVIEW $1.75 VOL. 134, NO. 46 EAGLE RIVER, WI 54521 • (715) 479-4421 • vcnewsreview.com WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22, 2020 Snowstorm doesn’t deter Derby fans ___________ BY MICHELLE DREW NEWS-REVIEW ASST. EDITOR ___________ Although a snowstorm tered to compete for a cash forced organizers to adjust and prize purse exceeding the start time of the ever-pop- $100,000, so organizers aim ular Friday Night Thunder, to provide quality conditions thousands still made the jour- and safety for racers. ney to the Snowmobile Capi- Davis, Tom Anderson and tal of the World in Eagle Craig Marchbank purchased River to take part in the 2020 the Derby Track from Chuck World Championship Snow- Decker in fall 2018. mobile Derby last Thursday Temperatures were mild through Sunday. for most of the weekend, cre- Organizers say nearly ating a pleasant atmosphere 10,000 fans from across the for fans attending the “Indi- United States and Canada at- anapolis 500” of snowmobil- tended the 57th annual event ing. Snowfall Friday night during the four days. and into Saturday created ex- Russ Davis, co-owner and tra cleanup work for crews, Blaine Stephenson of Hutchinson, Minn., won his third straight Derby Queen Tatum Campbell, left, and Derby Princess Kylee general manager of the World but the grounds were in good World Championship Sunday. He received the trophy from Swendson, right. —STAFF PHOTOS Championship Derby Com- shape for spectators on Satur- plex, said that there is always day and Sunday. a ton of work that goes into Davis said they had crews building the track for the out clearing snow starting at A three-peat for Stephenson Derby. In total, 450 racers regis- To DERBY, Pg. 2A Blanchet first woman to reach title race ___________ Manitoba, on a Ski-Doo. He BY GARY RIDDERBUSCH also finished third in his AND DOUG ETTEN ___________ previous title start. Stephenson was thrilled, The 57th annual World but stunned, about winning Championship Snowmobile three straight World Cham- Derby was one for the his- pionships in the most de- tory books. manding race in the sport. Blaine Stephenson of “It doesn’t feel real. It Hutchinson, Minn., became just doesn’t feel real,” said the first racer to win three Stephenson, who was re- consecutive championships minded that Wandersheid’s as he took the checkered record of four total titles was flag in the 25-lap title race now in sight. at the Derby Track in Eagle “He texted me Saturday River Sunday afternoon. night that he is worried The 23-year-old Stephen- about his record,” said son topped 11 other racers Stephenson. “It definitely in the new Pro Champ 440 Blaine Stephenson used a low line in the corners to race to would be something cool to title race class — a transi- his third World Championship. shoot for.” tion that resulted in 30 en- The 2020 World Champi- tries in the World third racer to win three Placing second Sunday onship race saw three red Championship class. World Championships. afternoon was Nick Van flags. Gunnar Sterne of Meanwhile, 22-year-old Jacques Villeneuve of Que- Strydonk of Tomahawk on a North Chicago, Ill., got the Sabrina Blanchet of Drum- bec won three titles in 1980, Polaris. Van Strydonk also hole shot and was the leader mondville, Quebec, became ’82 and ’86; Dave Wahl of was trying to win his third in the first lap when Justin the first female to qualify for Greenbush, Minn., won World Championship after Peterson of Campbellsport the World Championship three titles in 1990, ’96 and winning titles in 2012 and and Tom Olson of Lodi went race on her Ski-Doo. She fin- ’97, and P.J. Wanderscheid of 2017. He finished second into the bales in turns 3 and ished ninth. Sauk Centre, Minn., won each of the past two years. 4. On the restart, Sterne Stephenson climbed into four titles in 2002, ’03, ’06 Third place went to The 2020 Badger State Games torch ride ended at the World the record books as only the and ’11. Travis MacDonald of Gonor, To TITLE RACE, Pg. 3A Championship Snowmobile Derby Complex. Radar Run canceled due to ice conditions ___________ BY NEWS-REVIEW STAFF ___________ ST. GERMAIN — The St. weeks checking on the ice Germain Hiller’s Radar Run conditions and hoping Mother set for Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 has Nature would cooperate,” said been canceled due to the poor Greenberg. “Still, in the end, condition of the ice on the looking at the upcoming fore- West Bay of Little St. Ger- cast, we realized that we main Lake. could not continue with the Amy Greenberg, the coor- event.” dinator of this year’s event, Event organizers invite ev- stated, “It is with a heavy eryone to the West Bay of Lit- heart that this event cannot tle St. Germain Lake on go on as planned. Not only is Saturday, Feb. 1, at 6 p.m to it a huge fundraiser for our “Light up the Lake.” People community, but this year’s are invited to attend the event was also dedicated to event by snowmobile or walk Mark Hiller, who was instru- out onto the lake. mental in making this event “We hope to light up the what it is today.” lake by headlights, cellphone Hiller passed away unex- lights or a good old-fashioned pectedly this past summer. lighter” to show support for Greenberg said safety was Mark,” said Greenberg. the number one concern when The Radar Run annually making the decision. attracts hundreds of racers “The committee spent HARD CHARGERS — There was plenty of action in the corners bile Derby in Eagle River on Saturday afternoon. The tight, chal- countless hours the last few To RADAR RUN, Pg. 2A during the Sno-Cross races at the World Championship Snowmo- lenging course is located inside the ice oval. 2A WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22, 2020 VILAS COUNTY NEWS-REVIEW/THE THREE LAKES NEWS WEATHER DERBY CORNER Note: Precipitation amounts are recorded at 8 a.m. for the previous 24 hours. LAST SEVEN DAYS ONE YEAR AGO Hi Lo Prec. Hi Lo Prec. Tues., Jan. 14..........30 24 0.9''S Mon., Jan. 14...........28 23 None Wed., Jan. 15 ..........24 15 None Tues., Jan. 15..........27 19 Tr. S Thurs., Jan. 16.........15 -16 2.3''S Wed., Jan. 16 ..........19 -8 Tr. S Fri., Jan. 17..............21 -19 None Thurs., Jan. 17.........18 -10 None Sat., Jan. 18 ............26 13 5.5''S Fri., Jan. 18................9 -15 0.4''S Sun., Jan. 19 ...........21 13 1.8''S Sat., Jan. 19 ............10 -12 None Mon., Jan. 20...........22 3 Tr. S Sun., Jan. 20 .............3 -18 None The average daily high at this time last year for the next LAST YEAR seven days was 9, while the average overnight low was -11. There was snow on five days measuring 3.3 inches. Days precipitation recorded since Jan. 1, 2020, 12 days; COMPARISON 2019, 8 days. Average high of past 30 days, 2020, 24; 2019, 24. Aver- age low of past 30 days, 2020, 13; 2019, 9. With nearly 2 feet of snow SNOW ’18-’19 ’19-’20 on the ground, snowmo- Snowy days 45 45 CONDITIONS bile, cross-country ski and Inches to date 36.7" 52.35" snowshoe trails are in Ground cover 8" 22" very good condition and are being groomed weekly. Snowmobilers are being urged to stay off the lakes until STREAMS the crossings are marked with barrels. There are still re- AND LAKES ports of very thin ice in areas with moving water. FIVE-DAY OUTLOOK Wednesday: Wintry mix. High: 32º Low: 29º Thursday: Wintry mix. High: 34º Low: 30º Friday: Light snow. High: 32º Low: 20º While Oval racing is the backbone of the World Championship ment during the weekend. These high-flying Sno-Cross drivers Saturday: Mostly cloudy. High: 28º Low: 17º Sunday: Mostly cloudy. High: 29º Low: 23º Snowmobile Derby, Sno-Cross classes also offer plenty of excite- competed in the Pro-Am final on Saturday afternoon. (PORTIONS OF THE WEATHER CORNER ARE THROUGH THE COURTESY OF DARYL RUTKOWSKI, EAGLE RIVER and NEWSWATCH 12 WEATHER.) Derby: about 90 volunteers vital to event “Spectators were all very includes all 57 names of the man the gates instead of vol- FROM PAGE 1A understanding of the slight World Champions dating back unteers. 3 a.m. both nights to keep change in schedule, and we to 1964. “We used off-duty or re- grounds in good condition for saw no real issues. They un- tired police officers to keep ev- spectators. They had snow derstood we are just trying to Volunteers vital eryone safe. We had a sort of cleared and plowed by 6 a.m. keep everyone safe.” Davis said the volunteer change in our security philos- to be ready for that day’s ar- Racing on Saturday began base was important, as people ophy on the grounds, focusing rivals. with Sno-Cross events in the from the community helped in both for safety and enforcing “There is going to have to morning, followed by oval admissions, in the Hot Seats the laws.” be a big cleanup in the spring. heat races in the afternoon and suites, and on the track. Security also worked to We didn’t have the time to and World Championship “We had about 90 volun- keep fire lanes open in case of pick out the refuse, so all of qualifying quarterfinals and teers.