By Ric Federau, Contributing Writer
Team ownership, support and the overall experience involved in this high stakes sport.
It’s time to take a look through a different perspective when it relates to oval ice endurance racing. It’s time to learn what team owners have to say about their involvement and support of oval ice endurance racing. This is a Who, what and why article that will pull together the perspective of ownership that teams fall upon for support and the overall experience involved. Amazing how many owners share the exact outlook about the sport of oval ice racing and the outstanding growth and recognition the sport is receiving due to the efforts of team owners and promotion alike.
Before I get too deep into the article, let’s take a closer look back at last year’s race won by Team “Nelson Racing “ and beyond.
I had the fortunate experience taking the time to have a personal sit down discussion with the owner of Nelson Racing (Mr. Ryan Nelson) which took the checkered flag at the 2025, 56th running of the International 500 at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
However…. A huge congratulation is certainly warranted for the Nelson Racing team.Yet…. let us, as race fans not forget the other professional race teams that compete within the sport of oval ice endurance racing. The overall opinion and known fact to some is that the International 500 race is recognized as the world’s fastest, toughest, longest and most brutal snowmobile endurance race, bar none. ALL teams and drivers who race the I-500 are the best of the best within the sport of oval ice endurance racing. It’s important for ALL race teams who fill the field at the I-500 be given credit for helping to keep this outstanding and prestigious style of racing alive and continuing to grow. Congratulations to NELSON RACING on their 2025 Championship run at the SOO and a hardy THANKS to ALL snowmobile race teams for their continued support of the sport and venues that host oval ice endurance racing.
All this being noted as an introduction to some very interesting information provided during our I-500 and snowmobile/ORV interview with the 2025 INTERNATIONAL 500 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM “NELSON RACING. “Let’s get this sled info roll’n, shall we use the famous words heard throughout racing history…..Gentlemen start your conversation.”
Ric: So, Ryan…. How long have you been involved in snowmobile racing?
Ryan: 40 years
Ric: At what age and how did you become involved with snowmobile racing in general?
Ryan: Actually, I started doing radar runs at the age of 12 yrs. I did my first cross country race in 1989 at the age of 16yrs.
Ric: When did you first become a team owner?
Ryan: Nine years ago I started Nelson Racing back in 2016
Ric: Prior to becoming a race team owner, did you personally have sled seat time racing? For what team and for how long?
Ryan: I raced cross country racing back in 1990 and from 1990 and from 1991 until 2002 I raced in the “Pro Class” at cross country racing. Those years were a combination of family support and running my own racing operation. My family has a long history in many forms of snowmobile racing but mainly within the cross country arena.
Ric: What motivated you to become a team owner?
Ryan: After taking several years off from racing to focus on business and family I got the itch to go racing once again. I returned to racing and got back into it through the cross country classic class. I was racing a 1998 Indy just like the old days. I had a friend who wanted to go cross country racing so we successfully campaigned him in the “Semi-Pro” class. He could only race for one year so Polaris put Justin Tate and myself together and later added Aaron Christensen for cross country racing.
Ric: How many race sleds do you currently own and how many do you put on “ice” racing?
Ryan: Between the International 500 sleds, mod and cross country sleds plus a few vintage Indy sleds, we operate with eight (8).
Ric: What did you decide to race “Oval ice endurance” racing and is that the only type of snowmobile racing you participate in?
Ryan: I got to know the Bunke’s when I got back into cross country racing and Taylor Bunke asked me to come to the SOO the year he was racing with Cardel Potter to help with mechanics. I did Rookie practice that year and after the overall experience of the race, I was hooked ! LOL, Gabe Bunke warned me that I would get hooked on the sport so it’s all his fault.
Ric: How many drivers do you have per sled, what are their names and for fans, what sled number do they ride with?
Ryan : We race two (2) sleds at the I-500. The #28 sled driven by Justin Tate and Marshall Busse and the number #18 sled driven by Dan and Charlie Revering.
Ric: How many team members do you have for each race sled?
Ryan: We have about seven people per sled to “Pit” sleds. These are people who may or may not touch the sled at every pit stop, it depends on what kind of work we are needing at that particular pit stop. We have a few team members that have other support roles such as radio’s and lap counting.
Ric: Fans are brand loyal, what O.E.M. sleds do you race?
Ryan: We race on Polaris 600R’s
Ric: The International 500 hosted at Sault Ste.Marie, Michigan on the ONLY mile oval ice track in North America is certainly the most coveted snowmobile race of its type and there isn’t a bigger stage anywhere worldwide. For obvious reasons it’s known throughout professional snowmobile racing as the “ONE” oval ice endurance race all teams want to win. It’s the Grand-Daddy of all snowmobile endurance races bar none. That being said, what do you and your drivers like most about racing the International 500 at Sault Ste. Marie?
Ryan: It’s an amazing challenge and experience. I think the draw for our team is that it’s a total team effort so everyone relies on each other to do the job they do in order to win the I-500. Collectively it’s a TOTAL team effort.
Ric: Can you express what it means to you and your team to win the worlds most prestigious professional snowmobile race (The I-500)?
Ryan: It’s surreal to win the I-500. It is the one race all teams want on their resume. It’s humbling one you run the I-500 and figure out what it takes just to be able to finish the 500 mile race let alone win it. The preparation, strategies and luck it takes just to get to the end of the race in one piece against some of the best competition in snowmobile racing makes it really special. It’s like no other race in the sport of snowmobiling.It truly is NASCAR on ice.
Ric: Speaking of NASCAR and auto racing, I’m sure you’re aware that over the past three off seasons and beyond, I-500 representatives traveled weekly throughout Michigan promoting the sport of oval ice endurance racing. The project was known as the “I-500 Pure-Michigan” summer tour. The objective being to promote the sport of oval ice racing and the I-500 race itself to true race fans thus “bridging” summer racing into winter racing. After all “Race’n doesn’t stop when the leaves fall,” right? Race fans are race fans. The collective efforts on behalf of the I-500 summer tour proved to have a positive impact in favor of oval ice endurance racing drawing the attention of NASCAR participants, major network coverage and thousands of true race fans throughout Michigan and beyond.
As a team owner involved within oval ice endurance racing, do you feel the I-500 promotion efforts supporting the sport of oval ice racing on a year round basis is important and effective, if so why?
Ryan: I think the representatives from the International 500 do a fantastic job of promoting the sport and race throughout the year. Having FLOSPORTS cover the race has been a true game changer with all the people at home being able to watch a high quality broadcast of the race. Bunke racing and Nelson Racing have booths at Hay Days event in Minnesota and we always display our SOO sleds and trophies we win. We get a lot of activity in our booths with people looking at the sleds and asking questions. “The I-500 reps do a fantastic job.”
Folks, this is it…..SHOW TIME! Time to enjoy the sport of oval ice endurance racing. The 57th. running of the famous International 500 snowmobile race. An experience for fans, spectators and teams alike. Building memories that last a lifetime and supporting the greatest sport and race in the world of winter sports. There’s nothing like the International 500 snowmobile race. A spectacle in it’s own right with support from the best of the best. That includes professional race teams, sponsors, OEM and of course YOU as fans.
It’s all left turns from here as we approach the 2026 I-500 after all…. “Race’n doesn’t stop when the leaves fall.”
For more I-500 information:
Visit us at www.i-500.com.
See y’all this year at the 2026, 57th running of the International 500 race. The world’s toughest, fastest, longest and most exciting snowmobile race proclaimed as “Michigan’s Premier Winter Sporting Event”… •