Audette, Bergs, Bunke & Krikke To Be Enshrined In February
St. Germain, Wis. (September 12, 2026) – The competition-focused Snowmobile Hall of Fame (SHOF) and Museum in St. Germain, Wisconsin, proudly announces Larry Audette, Tim & Roxanne Berg, Gabe Bunke and Todd Krikke as its 2027 class of inductees.
These honorees will be inducted into the SHOF during a two-day celebration, February 19-20, 2027, in St. Germain.
Voted into the Hall of Fame by their peers in the snowmobile racing community – which includes past inductees, media members, race circuit leaders and many others – the 2027 class represents multiple facets of the sport – from legendary engine builders to race circuit promoters to competitors who excelled in the sport’s most grueling events.
These inductees will be recognized and celebrated during the 43rd Annual Ride With The Champs weekend, culminating with a formal induction ceremony on the evening of February 20, 2027. Their likenesses will then take their place among the legends honored on the walls of the Snowmobile Hall of Fame Museum
The 2027 Inductees
Larry Audette (Support)
Some people seem destined to become big horsepower gurus. One prime example is Larry Audette, a self-taught machinist, engine builder and businessman who operates the renowned The Crank Shop performance center of Essex Junction, Vermont. For nearly 40 years, Audette has been the force behind some of the most successful racers and most powerful sleds in virtually every aspect of snowmobile racing. From drag racing to snocross, watercross to hillcross and beyond, engines from The Crank Shop have been breaking records and breaking competitors’ hearts for decades.
A former racer himself, Audette launched his business from his garage in 1987. He built his first three-cylinder rotary engine in 1988, and by 1989 his motors won 8 classes at the Canadian World Series of Drag Racing. Audette didn’t just build big horsepower, he innovated and pushed technological limits in many directions – causing him to win multiple ISR Engineering Awards throughout his storied career.
Tim & Roxanne Berg
The racing bug bit Tim Berg early; he entered his first race at age 14. While his career as an on-track competitor was relatively short, he and his wife, Roxanne, made an enormous impact on the sport as race promoters, performance shop owners, engine building and industry leaders for more than three more decades.
Tim transitioned from racer to mechanic in the mid-1970s. Soon he and Roxanne got involved in operating the Central Cross Country (CCC) circuit. Under their ownership, it evolved into Motorsports Racing Plus (MRP) before they sold it in 1989. During that era, they helped usher in a new generation of snowmobile competition with short-course ice lemans racing and the emergence of snocross.
The Bergs launched Black Magic Motorsports in 1988. The business became the go-to shop for Arctic Cat racers and enthusiasts, and built engines for key Cat racers like Blair Morgan and Carl Kuster.
The Bergs sold Black Magic Motorsports in 2005 but remain tied to the snowmobile racing community. Both 72, Roxanne and Tim reside in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Gabe Bunke
The Bunke name was already legendary in snowmobile racing, but the son of late Hall of Famer Jerry Bunke didn’t begin racing until age 20. Encouraged by Polaris legends who had worked with his father, Bunke quickly assembled an impressive collection of victories and championships.
Bunke earned 8 Soo I-500 enduro race victories – beginning in 2002 with co-driver Mike Gentz, and then in 2005 with Josh Davis and Cory Davidson. But his real run at racing immortality began after he partnered with Aaron Christensen and won an unprecedented six more Soo races in seven years (2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018).
In addition, Bunke also won multiple season championships and countless races in cross-country competitions. Now 50, he lives in Roseau, Minnesota, and leads the Bunke Racing team that includes his son from the pits.
Todd Krikke
When Todd Krikke started racing snowmobiles in 1984, nobody could have envisioned the remarkable career that lay ahead – first as a competitor and later as a sled builder, crew chief and mentor.
Primarily focused on enduro and oval racing, Krikke captured three Soo I-500 victories, including one with cousin Randy Krikke in 1991 and back-to-back wins with Troy Pierce in 1996 and 1997.
Krikke also earned 5 overall season championships on the Midwest International Racing Association (MIRA) circuit, 3 MIRA class championships (Pro Stock 600, Pro Open & Formula 3), and won 23 MIRA enduro race victories. He was twice named the MIRA Driver of the Year and also won a Vintage World Championship in oval sprint racing.
After retiring, Krikke has been a championship-winning sled builder, crew chief and coach. Now 59, he resides in Hudsonville, Michigan.
Join The Celebration!
Snowmobile racing fans, enthusiasts, legendary racers and industry insiders are invited to the 43rd Annual Ride With The Champs and induction ceremony weekend, presented by Livingston’s Sales of Hillsborough, New Hampshire, on February 19-20, 2027.
The two-day event includes:
- A Friday Night Fish Fry with famous guest speakers and story tellers;
- A Polaris reunion ride with legendary racers and team members;
- Vintage and modern trail riding opportunities on the Ride With The Champs;
- A Snowmobile Hall of Fame Open House and meet-and-greet with past and current SHOF inductees, along with other snowmobile industry celebrities; and
- The formal induction ceremony and dinner on Saturday evening, where inductees share tales from their fascinating careers.
In addition, the Snowmobile Hall of Fame and Museum will be open throughout the can’t miss weekend.
Every year, it is a truly inspirational weekend! Advance tickets will be available here on the website soon.
