Snow Outlaws snowmobile drag racing series race coverage report
STM Powersports Snow Outlaws Shoot-Out on Spirit Lake
Three Lakes-Brule River Trails at Spirit Lake
February 14-15, 2025

Gibas Finds Nitro Groove with Snow Outlaws at Spirit Lake

The STM Powersports Snow Outlaws snowmobile drag racing series made their first trip to Three Lakes, Wisconsin, for the Shoot-Out on Spirit Lake, hosted by Three Lakes-Brule River Trails on February 14-15. The result was exactly what one would expect when the most extreme sleds on the planet show up for 500 feet of explosive racing action.

Outlaw

It’s been over two long years since Alec Gibas saw the screw-charged nitro future displayed by Jeff Ratzlaff’s Hypersports-built “The Grinch” and showed up for Outlaw racing with his own nitro “Hulk.” It wasn’t exactly success at first hit, but after a season of learning and last year’s warmed-out season of sitting, Gibas found his nitro groove at Three Lakes.

Racing luck is always part of winning, and Gibas—qualified second with a 3.80—found some when The Grinch broke a chain in E1. The Hulk then raced past Rice Lake winner Matt Musselman on the sharp, retro Hypersports-built “Sno-Twister” to face R. Dustin in the final.

Proving that turbos also mix well with nitro and alcohol, Dustin qualified number one with a 3.69. That Friday night performance made for a fairly easy Saturday for Dustin, who had an unscheduled bye when Chris Connelly’s “Problem Solver” (with Jeremy Hannen riding) failed to make the call. A big wheelie bent the frame and left that team with an unsolvable problem for the weekend. Dustin then had a scheduled bye in the semis for a clean shot to the final against Gibas.

Inspired by having a sled alongside, Dustin nailed the light for an early advantage. “We were out by two (lengths) at 100 feet,” said R (that’s really what he goes by). And then Gibas drove around. “We spun hard and had to lift. That’s racing…”

“Honestly, I’m still pretty speechless,” said Gibas. “From making one good run on Friday to closing out Saturday with the win just has me speechless.

“It was a long journey to finally get our first Outlaw win. My team never gives up and I owe it all to them. Also, for people who didn’t know, this race was on the lake I first ever drove a race sled—where I fell in love with the sport. So that was a pretty special thing to take home the win at the place it all started for me.”

“It’s a battle of screw vs turbo now,” said Dustin, who’s up for the challenge. “We are just getting started with the new build—only two full passes so far. It’s a Hypersports Gen2 159 inch chassis, and we worked together with Hypersports to get the most efficient turbo kit and have something for the screw blowers. This to me is the best kind of racing—two opposite sleds racing in the final!”

Snow Outlaws drag racing—no matter what the power adder is—just gets better and better.

Pro Xtreme 55

Rice lake Pro Xtreme 55 runner-up Kyle Shilts came back strong for the Three Lakes win against Rice Lake opener winner Ryan Santry.

Santry and his Hypersports Screaming Yellow Apex Yamaha won at Rice Lake despite wild wheelies, and dialing those wheelies out of his launch may have contributed to his sled having a creeping, foul start launch in the Three Lakes final.

“That is exactly what happened,” said Santry. “It creeped, which made me red….I knew it so got out of the throttle. No reason to needlessly put time on the motor. Still trying to investigate why it happened, but either way the sled will have a line lock on it for Cable so that cannot happen.”

“Redemption baby!” said a jubilant Shilts. “We managed to take down the guy who beat us in Rice Lake, which was pretty awesome to get that redemption race against the same guy at the second race. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that happen before.

“My team is amazing! It was an awesome effort all around. My dad, Adam the owner and our great friend Boyd had our PX55 flying on the tough track that had very loose conditions.

“Shoutout to all of our amazing sponsors that support us with the best products that help us do so well! Bikeman Performance, Nextgen Powersports and Watersports, FXR Factory Outlet Super Store MN, Century Power Equipment and Sports, Whiplash Designs and Graphics, Hi-performance Engineering, SouthBay Fuel Injectors Inc, ProLine Performance, Sanders Service LLC, Fowler Parts Service, STUD BOY Traction, OGIO powersports, Fastenal Company, 6D Helmets, Torque Link, FXR Racing, ODI Grips, Ride MN, Caliber, GoPro and BCM.”

Pro Mod

If the Outlaw final was blower vs. turbo, the Pro Mod final was four stroke vs. two.

Jesse Bruns nailed the launch when starter Sam Shackleton lit the bulb, but Louie Goldbach had his 2-stroke wailing as he gave chase. It was too little too late for Goldbach, and Bruns had his second Snow Outlaws win. Bruns beat Casey Rosenbrook, Rice Lake winner Kyle Baynes, and Devin Kirane on his way to the final.

“We didn’t even know if we were going to end up in Three Lakes,” said Bruns. “When we ran the sled in Canada last weekend and it performed like it did, we decided last minute to make the trip.

“Friday In testing was not looking good. We changed some things that through the week we thought would work, and it didn’t. Friday night testing was terrible to say the least, so we went back to what we knew worked from the weekend before and on the first round Saturday, I knew we made the right choice in the change. After that just knew we had to cut killer lights and the sled would do the rest.

“For being a fresh build this year and straight off the dyno two days before Rice Lake, I’m super impressed on how that stock chassis sled works.

“Want to thank Craig (Campton) and the whole crew at Hypersports, and Chad and Jenny for being the best in the business for snow racing; Nate Bay, the owner of the sled. He’s a huge part in this along with Ryan Stell. They make it possible to race this thing weekend after weekend. And the whole Badjaxn crew that helps out.”

Shutdown Area

The Snow Outlaws season final is coming way too soon, but the annual Weenie Roast at Lakewoods Resort in Cable, Wisconsin, on February 28-March 1 is the Big One and this year’s promises to be the best ever. You will NOT want to miss this fantastic celebration of snowmobile culture.

Visit the Snow Outlaws Facebook page

Snow Outlaws thanks STM Powersports , Hypersports , Woody’s Traction ,Transport Refrigeration , Badger State Electric, H&H Performance , Red Cup Racing , Days Powersports , Musselman Home Improvements , Studio 77 , Tracks USA , Sullivan Custom Farming , Sullivan Transport , Bormann Performance , G-Force Racing , Timber Inn , Snap-On Tools/Aaron Wold , Troy Fisher Photography , Knutson Fabrication Inc. , Darana Hybrid , Kyle Cook Racing , Rice Lake Tourism , Pioneer On Long Lake , Lakewoods Resort , Weenie Roast , Kostman Racing , ISH Racing , Hogan Racing , Chris Connelly Racing , Brunn Construction Company, 515 Racing, Stampkrete, Casey Hauck Performance, Troy Larson, CabComfortDirect, Three Lakes-Brule River Trails, Pro Cycle Performance and Xtreme Sound.

story by Tim Hailey with photos by Troy Fisher

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