Tell us about your season so far. Your second full year with the Ebert Arctic Cat team?

Things have been really good. It’s been even better than last year. Everybody’s the same on the team and there’s no getting used to a new environment. I already have a win in Fargo and I couldn’t be happier with where I’m at.

Last year at Canterbury, you won your first race, only to have it taken away on a questionable flagging situation. The next week, you won at New York and have been on a terror ever since. Looking back, was that whole ordeal a blessing in disguise?

Although his choice of workout attire is questionable, there's no denying Pallin's work ethic.

In a way, yeah. That was a tough weekend for me because I was out there leading by quite a ways. Then, the next day, I got the holeshot and ended up falling off. It showed me that I have the tools but I really wanted that one.

But now, the sleds have been awesome and I feel really good on them. Especially this year we’ve been riding a lot at ERX. We go down there three days a week and I couldn’t ask for a better situation.

You are from Ironwood, Michigan but spend the winters living with the team in Lakeshore, Minnesota. How does that work?

I have a town home just about five minutes from Russ and Joni Ebert’s house, which is where the shop is. So everyday I get up and head over to the shop and we work on sleds together and go to the Y together, Dan, Cody and I. And when we are in Elk River at ERX, we work out and then go ride. It has been awesome, the Carlson’s let us sleep at their house. We bring all of our stuff and they treat us like it’s our own.

Everybody helps each other out. I work with my mechanic to get my sled ready. He comes up at night, so one day I might be studding tracks and one day it might be cross-country testing. The other day we were breaking in belts so everyday it’s something different.

Pallin made quite an impression at Winter X 15 where he finished 4th.

Your dad is one of the happiest, most enthusiastic guys in the pit area. Is he like that all the time?

Yeah (laughs) He’s always so excited when I do good. I get so many comments from people who say it’s so fun just to watch your dad at the races.

What is your approach as we head into the meat of the season, with points, travel, etc?

The first part of the season has slowly been getting going and it’s going to get pretty brutal with a lot of races pretty quick. You just have to keep track of your goals. I write down my goals and look at them everyday and as long as I do that I always have a purpose for training or going to the shop. That and just keeping a  positive attitude and being mentally prepared is going to get me through these next months.