He wasn’t entirely sure where the trail turned into a cat track at Snoqualmie, but it definitely did. Somewhere back there, it most definitely did. Kirk from Seattle-based Quattromog was out driving his 1990 Audi Quattro he put on tracks for the first time when the off-road trail he was following turned into something entirely different.
“The people all around me in the middle of a ski hill looked very confused,” he told me. “I had three ski patrollers who escorted me out. It was pretty funny.”
Kirk said he explained to all of them that the off-road trail he found was never closed for the season and it was all a misunderstanding. They seemed fine, he said, albeit a little miffed that instead of yelling at straightliners, they were yelling at an iconic 1990s German coupe ready to literally tackle a mountain. Or the end of days.
The Audi Quattro that Kirk built is equal parts experimentation and marketing. Kirk owns an Audi upfitter that supplies parts and lifts for vintage Audis, but also it was his passion project for so long that he just wanted something else to do with it. The car started life as a 1990 Audi Quattro with a 6-inch lift that he built six years ago—and named his shop after. Kirk sold it three years ago, but repurchased it a few months ago to find new inspiration.
“I’ve been wanting to do (tracks) for a long time, but then I realized designing and building my own tracks was a silly endeavor,” he said. But the aftermarket for tracks—especially used tracks—has grown in the decade since Ken Block slapped some on his RaptorTRAX nearly 10 years ago. As prices went down, Kirk’s interest went up.
He has a small child now and, as he said, “I needed something to go mob around with.” Kirk’s first time snowmobiling was relatively recent and inspiration met fabrication.
He landed some Camso tracks that were basically off the shelf, aside from some work on the hubs and some custom-made anti-rotation brackets he made. “I own a metal fabrication shop, which makes it easier and helps me afford my stupid habits,” he told me.
His first snowy shakedown went well. “It worked flawlessly, it was shockingly good,” he said. “Now, I need to go find some real powder to mob around in.”
Agreed. Just, you know, not on the blues or greens.
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