Racers and fans on hand for the tradition season-opening round of USXC cross-country racing were treated with unusually warm temps and sunny skies that made for great visibility on the 11 mile loop circumnavigating Pine Lake in Northwestern Minnesota.
The Gerald Dyrdahl 200 is one of the those must-win races for any terrain pilot wishing to secure their spot in the sport’s record book. High speeds and cold temps are the norm at this long-running event, but the thermometer at race time on Saturday was reading over 60 degrees higher than the previous running last January. While the spring like day was more than comfortable, it did lead to several open water spots on the course, forcing USXC staff to scramble with a number of reroutes.
By Saturday night, the pit area on the lake was submerged in over a foot of water requiring more scrambling by teams who had to move trailers before they became permanent fixtures of the winter landscape. On Sunday, a crisp Northwest wind rolled in, firming up the racing surface and bringing a familiar sting to the event.
Multi-time champ Zach Herfindahl kicked off the action on Saturday winning the Pro Open class over Polaris-mounted Ryan Faust. The top four riders, including Arctic Cat’s Wes Selby and 2018 Pro Stock champ Aaron Christensen on a Polaris, kept each other in sight throughout the race and crossed the line on the same minute. The top eight riders were an even mix of Cat and Polaris racers, signaling great parity for the class this season.
On Sunday, Selby was the class of the Pro Stock field early in the going but would DNF with electrical issues after making his fuel stop. Gabe Bunke raced near the front of the pack right from the start and took a brief lead when he elected to be the last rider to make his mandatory fuel stop. As the running order sorted itself out after the fuel stops it was Alex Hetteen taking over the point ahead of Bunke and Ryan Faust.
The three Polaris riders paced each other at a comfortable gap for the final two laps to earn a podium sweep for Polaris at an event that is largely considered home turf for the green team. For Hetteen, it was his his first-ever win of the coveted Gerald Dyrdahl Pine Lake 200 in the Pro Stock class. Event organizer Chad Dyrdahl presented a check for $10,000 to Hetteen in victory lane and his name will now go on the prestigious trophy of race winners that stays on display in The Sportsman’s Lodge on the shore of Pine Lake just outside of Gonvick, Minnesota.
Dan Revering picked up his first-ever win in the Semi-Pro final on Sunday, holding off his brother Charlie. Although Charlie has four wins to his credit, it was the first time the duo has stood on the podium together. Dustin Schwandt followed the eldest Revering across the line just a few seconds back in third.
