Bryan Dyrdahl inducted into Snowmobile Hall of Fame

Article courtesy of Bagley Farmer’s Independent

The only snowmobile racers in history to claim five I-500 wins, Bryan Dyrdahl has earned his place in the Snowmobile Hall of Fame. Dyrdahl, age 39, of Bagley, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in a ceremony that took place Saturday, Feb. 17, at St. Germain, Wis.

Dyrdahl comes from a family well known in the snowmobile racing world. His late father, Gerald Dyrdahl, was an avid and accomplished racer, and he instilled a love of the sport into his sons Chad, Bryan and Brady, who all spent their share of time in the winner’s circle.

The Hall notes, “Bryan Dyrdahl of Bagley, Minn., is one of the all-time great snowmobile cross-country racers. During a 20-year career that began with a win aboard a Kitty Cat at Eagle River in 1987, Dyrdahl amassed wins at nearly every premier cross-country event in the ISOC, FANS and USCC circuits aboard Arctic Cat and Ski-Doo machines.

“He stands alone as the only racer to have won five I-500 cross-country events (2000, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009), plus he was a three-time USCC High Point Champion and was part of the 2009 Soo I-500 enduro-winning team.”

Besides cross-country, he has also raced in snowcross and enduro categories.

Six of Bryan’s snowmobiles -- those he rode to win the I-500 and his Kitty Kat -- will take their place of honor in the museum. They will remain on display in the museum for at least one year. Bryan rode his 2009 Ski-Doo that he rode to win his fifth I-500 in the “Ride with the Champs” last weekend as part of the celebration. His other four winning sleds were driven in the Ride with the Champs by his brothers Chad and Brady and Jim Boe and Todd Brustad – all members of his pit crew.

Also inducted on Feb. 17 were the following snowmobilers: Team Decker Racing of Eagle River, Wis.; Lynn and Wayne Trapp of Woodruff, Wis.; and the late Rick Ward of Sugar City, Idaho.

The Hall of Fame inducted its first members in 1988. Quite a number of the inductees are recognizable to snowmobile enthusaists in Northwestern Minnesota. Those include: Steve and Mike Houle, Brad Pake, Kirk Hibbert, Brian Neslon, Jerry Bunke, Edgar Hetteen, Pat Mach, Joey Hallstrom, Roger Skime, Burt Bassett, C.J. Ramstad, Guy Useldinger, Jerry Bunke and Steve Thorsen. Not all inductees are racers, some had major roles in developing and improving snowmobiles as well as the racing sport itself. Details on each of the inductees, as well as a list of all the other inductees, can be read on the Hall of Fame’s website.