Fargo, ND (January 28, 2011) – The wrenching has been fast and furious at the race shop as Bunke Racing has spent the past week preparing to race the Soo I-500, set for February 5, 2011. A 500-mile enduro run on a 1-mile ice oval, the Soo I-500 is basically NASCAR on a snowmobile. Gabe Bunke has won the race twice (2002, 2005) and, with increased support from Polaris this year, will be looking to take his third victory.

“Polaris has really stepped up this year,” said Bunke. “They want to win this race as bad as I do and when you get a combo like that together big things should happen.”

Bunke Racing will have two sleds at the Soo, one ridden by Gabe and Aaron Christensen and a second sled piloted by Ryan Faust and Jeff Klein. Bunke was the last Polaris rider to win the Soo, and with Polaris’ renewed efforts to win the race he is definitely one of the favorites to be in the hunt as the laps wind down late in the day on Saturday.

“You don’t go into the Soo just looking to run laps,” said Bunke. “You definitely need a strategy to win and I won’t say what ours is, I’ll just say we have one and I think it’s one that will win us the race.”

The team will be racing a pair of 2010 Polaris IQ600R race sleds. The chassis were built by the guys at Walker Evans Racing and the team at the Polaris race shop in Wausau, Wisconsin; the engines were built by Larry Rugland at LRM.

The Soo track opens Tuesday, February 1 at Noon with practice running from Noon to 6:00 PM. From 7:00-10:00PM riders will make runs for pole position with the Top 2 positions locked in for the race. Qualifying for the rest of the field happens on Wednesday from 11:00AM-9:00PM. Thursday features final qualifying from 11:00am-5:00pm with a Pro-Am race starting at 7:00pm. Friday features race registration, a driver’s meeting and “Meet The Drivers” event from 6:00pm-8:00pm at WalMart. Saturday, February 5, is race day with a parade lap at 9:00am and the green flag at 10:00am. For more info on the Soo I-500 visit www.i-500.com. For more information on Bunke Racing please visit www.bunkeracing.com and www.onethirtyoneracing.com.