Torchmate Racing Tyler Thomas and Matt Shrive Compete at 2011 Arctic Man
RENO, NV APRIL 12, 2011 Torchmate Racing Tyler Thomas and Matt Shrive were rookies among the veterans at the 2011 Arctic Man event that got weather postponed to Saturday April 9, 2011 in Summit Lake, Alaska approximately 280 miles north east of Anchorage. Their high hopes of leaving with the win and a finish got cut short when Shrive crashed at speeds over 50mph on his snowboard. “I am ok, but it completely knocked the wind out of me,” recalls Shrive. “I was trying to help the snowmobile in the turn and when I crossed the rooster tail I got sucked in and thrown down.” Luckily Thomas looked back and immediately stopped to help get his teammate up in attempt at a finish. The unfortunate turn of events gives the team even more motivation to come back in 2012 as now veterans.
A combination of downhill snowboarding and snowmobiling, Arctic Man is a 5.5 mile race that only takes 4.5 minutes to complete. Tyler Thomas remembers, “I asked Matt one day at work ‘Hey Matt, do you want to go 100mph behind my sled holding onto a 15ft rope?’ His answer was ‘Yea, sure I will!’ Not your average guy wants to go 100+ on a snowboard let alone behind a snowmobile, so I knew I had the missing link to make this dream happen!” The Torchmate team, including team manager JT Taylor, arrived on the snowy icy plane on Sunday in anticipation of a week long opportunity to practice and learn the ropes of the Arctic Man. With winter weather playing a role in the outcome of the week, it disappointed the team that they could only practice for one day.
Matt Shrive, X-Games and World Cup snowboarder, started at the top of the 5,800ft mountain and dropped 1,700ft within two miles into a canyon. When Shrive hit the canyon, Tyler Thomas successfully got the handle to him and they quickly maintained speed. “It is the most physically demanding thing I have ever done,” said Shrive. “Crossing the rooster tail of the sled was gnarly and getting hit by ice at speed while trying to hang on was a huge challenge.” Both Thomas and Shrive agree that this competition was among the top level of intensity, and not only physically demanding but mentally as well.
Both currently from Reno, Nevada, 19 year old Tyler Thomas drove a 2011 Polaris RUSH 600. Matt Shirve, a seasoned competitor and former US Snowbard Team member, rode a Burton snowboard.
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Video of the Team Practice Run: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLS4iKUPeSY
More Information on Arctic Man: http://www.arcticman.com/
About Torchmate : Torchmate CNC Cutting Systems has been bringing affordable CNC plasma cutting tables and other automation solutions to manufacturers worldwide for over 30 years, and have now extended their product line to include a 2x2 table suitable for any fabricators’ garage. Torchmate Racing has supported the offroad racing community through marketing partnerships and putting their key employees behind the wheel of the best equipment. The Torchmate Racing Team is currently involved in racing a Class 6 in the SCORE Baja series and BITD, a Rock Crawler in CalRocs and W.E. Rock, an Ultra4 racer and also support multiple racers in other series including CHCA, TORC, LOORRS and Dirt Track. Please join the thousands that are already part of the Torchmate family. Call toll free today at (866)571-1066 or internationally at (775) 673-2200 and let one of the trained CNC professionals guide you through every step of the CNC cutting process. www.torchmate.com
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About Tyler Thomas: Tyler Thomas was winning snowmobile competitions before he was even old enough to drive. At only 19 years of age, he has already racked up an impressive list of accomplishments that include podium finishes at the 2005 and 2006 Semi-Pro 600cc Hill events at both Mount Shasta Ski Resort and Boreal Ski Resort. His talents have not gone unnoticed by the media either, earning Thomas spots in films including “The Go Big Project” and “Keep Tahoe Real”. 2011 will be a pivotal year for Thomas as he represents Torchmate Racing at the Arctic Man Ski and Sno-Go Classic and attempts to qualify for the Winter X-Games.
Marketing Partners: Torchmate, SoCal Super Trucks. Reno Cycles and Gear, Big Lake Powersports, Walker Evans, Polaris, Novik gloves
About Matt Shrive: Matt Shrive works for Speed Technologies competing in desert racing events such as the Baja 1000 and the Lucas Oil Off-Road Short Course Series. His first Baja 1000 victory came in 2006, where he co- drove for Chuck Sacks in Class 500. That first victory came in Shrive’s very first race in Baja. While he was new to desert racing at the time, Shrive is a seasoned competitor and former US Snowboard Team member. He has competed in the Winter X-Games in Bordercross six times, as well as competing in World Cup and Grand Prix events around the globe. Shrive has been snowboarding for 21 years, and loves it as much now as the day he started.
Marketing Partners: Torchmate, SoCal Super Trucks. Reno Cycles and Gear, Big Lake Powersports, Walker Evans, Polaris, Novik gloves