WINTER X GAMES 11 SNOCROSS COMPETITION KICKS OFF TOMORROW AS 32 POWERSPORTS SNOWMOBILE TOUR RACERS HIT ASPEN

_{source: PowerSports Public Relations}

Snocross action from Winter X Games 11 begins tomorrow at 7 p.m. MST with Round 1 of qualifying from Buttermilk Mountain. The event will be telecast on ESPN, beginning at 9:30 p.m. EST.

Round 1 will pit the 32 invited WPSA PowerSprots Snowmobile Tour athletes against each other in four heats of eight riders each. The top-two finishers in each six-lap heat will transfer to the final.

The next six finishers in each heat will move to Round 2 of qualifying being held Saturday, beginning at 12:30 p.m. MST. Round 2 consists of two heats with 12 riders. The top-two finishers of each heat will also receive one of the 12 spots in the final. Coverage from Round 2 will be telecast on ABC beginning at 1 p.m. EST.

The 20-lap final is scheduled to take the green flag 8:15 p.m. MST on Saturday. The final will be telecast on ESPN on Saturday, beginning at 9 p.m. EST.

ESPN's Winter X Games, the world's premier winter action sports event, will be showcased on a wide variety of media platforms within ESPN and ABC, from nightly X Center highlight shows to daily Mobile ESPN content and more. The 11th annual event will be held January 25-28, 2007 in Aspen/Snowmass, Colo.

ESPN and ABC will feature 15 hours of live programming January 25 - January 28. ESPN2 will present daily late-night highlight programs from January 26 - January 29, resulting in 19 total hours of original programming for Winter X Games 11. Additionally, the Winter X Games will also be televised on ESPN's International networks to more than 121 countries and territories in Latin America, the Pacific Rim, Middle East, Africa and Israel.

SportsCenter, ESPN's flagship daily news program, will report from Aspen/Snowmass starting Thursday, January 25 through Sunday, January 28. Each of those nights, the 11 p.m. ET SportsCenter will contain event coverage from Winter X Games 11.

About the PowerSports Snowmobile Tour
The PowerSports Snowmobile Tour is North America's leading snowmobile racing tour and features the greatest show on snow. The Tour is North America's premier form of Snocross racing, with its high-flying aerial displays, jumps, jolts and high-speed runs on short tracks throughout the United States and Canada. The Tour is sanctioned by the World PowerSports Association, North America's largest and most respected organizer and promoter of snowmobile and ATV racing on both the regional and national level. For more information, please visit PowerSportsTour.com.



The Winter X Games 11 invitee list includes many of PowerSports Snowmobile Tour's top athletes. They are:

Dave Allard (No. 167 Blair Morgan Racing/Ski-Doo)

• Best finish in Winter X Games competition, sixth, came last year.
• This his Allard's third year of X Games competition
• Older brother is veteran Snocrosser Karl Allard.

Simon Belzile (No. 74 Western Slate/Ski-Doo)

• Competes in WPSA-sanctioned Regional Competition in the Rock Maple Racing Region.
• Missed all of last year with a broken femur.
• This year will mark his fourth Winter X Games appearance.

Brett Bender (No. 19 Pirtek/Polaris)

• Has won three out of four Semi-Pro Races this season, and sits first in the Semi-Pro Open standings.
• Son of Tim Bender, a legend in snowmobile racing, particularly in ice-oval competition
• This year will be his fourth Winter X Games start

Katejun Coonishish (No. 101 Blair Morgan Racing/Ski-Doo)

• Has three podiums in four Semi-Pro starts this season.
• Competed here last year.

Kurtis Crapo (No. 9 Speedwerx/Arctic Cat)

• The elder of the two racing Crapo brothers, Kurtis made his first X Games start in 1998
• Best Winter X Games finish in eight starts is a fourth, recorded in 1999.

Shaun Crapo (No. 3 AMSOIL/Polaris)

• Best Winter X Games finish came in his first start in 2002 when he finished fourth.
• Has three more Winter X Games starts to his credit.
• Joined Scheuring Speed Sports in the off-season

Cory Davis (No. 160 Speedwerx/Arctic Cat)

• Will make his rookie start this year in Winter X Games 11.
• A regular competitor in the PowerSports Snowmobile Tour's Semi-Pro ranks.

Dan Ebert (No. 602 Speedwerx/Arctic Cat)

• Current leader in Semi-Pro Stock points on the merit of one win and a third-place finish.
• A Winter X Games rookie.

DJ Eckstrom (No. 25 AMSOIL/Polaris)

• Has competed in Winter X Games since 1999 and owns Silver (2003) and Bronze (2001) medals.
• Rides for Sheuring Speed Sports, along with teammate Shaun Crapo.

DJ Ekre (No. 52 Christian Brothers Racing/Arctic Cat)

• Made his first Winter X Games in 2005, and also competed last year.

TJ Gulla (No. 44 Pirtek/Polaris)

• Owns a Winter X Games Gold Medal (2003) and won Bronze in his rookie Winter X Games start in 2000.
• Has one victory and a runner-up finish in six PowerSports Snowmobile starts this season.

Iain Hayden (No. 93 Blair Morgan Racing/Ski-Doo)

• Is a regular competitor in the PowerSports Snowmobile Tour Pro competition.
• Is a Winter X Games rookie.

Tucker Hibbert (No. 64 Monster Energy Drink/Arctic Cat)

• Has one Gold (2000), three Silver (2002, 2004, 2005) and one Bronze (2003) Medal in Winter X Games competition.
• Comes to Aspen after sweeping both Pro Stock finals at Brainerd earlier this month.
• Returned to the PowerSports Snowmobile Tour this year after a three-year hiatus, during which he competed in AMA Supercross.

Andrew Johnstad (No. 255 Avalanche Race Team/Polaris)

• Sits fourth in Semi-Pro Open points, sixth in the Semi-Pro Stock standings and has two overall podiums in three events this season.
• Is a Winter X Games rookie.

Matt Judnick (No. 58 Judnick Motorsports/Polaris)

• A four-time Semi-Pro National Champion, Judnick returns to Aspen after a one-year hiatus.
• Has competed in Winter X Games in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005.

Garth Kaufman (No. 48 Jack Link's Beef Jerky/Arctic Cat)

• Comes into Aspen after earning his second Pro Stock podium, in Brainerd.
• Made his first Snocross start at Winter X Games last year.

Levi LaVallee (No. 108 Pirtek/Polaris)

• Was running away with last year's Winter X Games final when a slight bobble relegated him to a second-place finish.
• Owns a Gold Medal in Hillcross (2004) and as well as his 2006 Silver Medal.
• Joined Hentges Racing in the off-season

Bobby LePage (No. 244 Pirtek/Polaris)

• Returned to WPSA competition last season after suffering serious injuries in a tangle the year prior.
• Will make his first Winter X Games start this year.

Robbie Malinoski (No. 4 BOSS Racing/Yamaha)

• Defending Pro Open and Pro Stock PowerSports Snowmobile Tour Riders' Champion
• Joined the factory Yamaha team in the off-season and gave a four-stroke-powered sled its first Pro Snocross victory in history earlier this month at Brainerd International Raceway.
• Made his first Winter X Games start in 2003.

Ross Martin (No. 837 Judnick Motorsports/Polaris)

• Returned for his sophomore season of PowerSports Snowmobile Tour Pro Snocross racing this year by winning both the Pro Open and Pro Stock finals at the season opener in Duluth.
• Earned a Bronze Medal in last year's Winter X Games, and has one previous start here, in 2004.

Steven Martin (No. 18 Dodge/Ski-Doo)

• Won a Bronze Medal in 2005 and a Silver Medal in Hillcross in 2002.
• Also works as a mechanic during the summer for Warnert Racing's factory Can-Am team, which competes in the Snowmobile Tour's sister series, the PowerSports ATV Tour.

Blair Morgan (No. 7c Blair Morgan Racing/Ski-Doo)

• Five-time Winter X Games Gold Medalist
• Has won eight medals here in nine tries, the most in Winter X Games History
• Made his first Winter X Games start in 1998.

Mathieu Morin (No. 27 XPS/Ski-Doo)

• Moved up to run both Pro Stock and Pro Open during the 2006-2007 PowerSports Snowmobile Tour season, after running Pro Stock and Semi-Pro Open last season.
• Won in his first Pro start, last season.
• Finished seventh in his rookie Winter X Games start last season.

Zach Pattyn (No. 99 Warnert Racing/Ski-Doo)

• Competes for Warnert Racing in the PowerSports Snowmobile Tour's Semi-Pro Class.
• Finished 10th last year in Winter X Games 10.

Mathew Piche (No. 518 Christian Brothers Racing/Arctic Cat)

• A former bull rider, Piche competes full time in the PowerSports Snowmobile Tour's Semi-Pro classes.
• Finished fourth in his Winter X Games debut, last year.

Danny Poirier (No. 312 Cycle Worx/Polaris)

• Competes in the PowerSports Snowmobile Tour's Pro Stock class.

Carl Schubitzke (No. 6 Speedwerx/Arctic Cat)

• A regular in the PowerSports Snowmobile Tour Pro ranks, Schubitzke joined the Speedwerx team in the off season.
• Has seven Winter X Games starts, beginning in 1999 and recorded a top finish of fifth in 2002.

Mike Schultz (No. 5 Avalanche Race Team/Polaris)

• Joined Avalanche Racing Team in the off season.
• Best finish in Winter X Games competition is 16th, scored last year.
• This will be Shultz's fourth X Games start.

Ryan Simons (No. 67 Speedwerx/Arctic Cat)

• Leads the PowerSports Snowmobile Tour Pro Open points and has two podiums this season in six starts.
• Has four Winter X Games starts, beginning in 2003.
• His best Winter X Games finish, fifth, came in 2005 and last season.

Jeff Snow (No. 192 Speedwerx/Arctic Cat)

• Moved up to the Pro classes after winning the Semi-Pro Open title last season.
• Finished eighth in his first Winter X Games start, in 2005.

Brett Turcotte (No. 196 Blair Morgan Racing/Ski-Doo)

• Is a regular in the PowerSports Snowmobile Tour's Semi-Pro classes.
• Will make his rookie Winter X Games start this year.

Mike Van Dolder (No. 999 Ski-Doo)

• Has competed in WPSA PowerSports Snowmobile Tour competition in the past, but hasn't made a national start yet this season.