Snowmobile Racing Aka Snowcrossing
December 4th, 2008

What is it that draws so many people to snowmobile racing? Is it the snow, the snowmobiles themselves, or perhaps the crisp fresh air of winter? Suffice to say the draw is all of the above mentioned. Snowmobile racing is a cross between watching the Daytona 500, speed skating, and roller derby. Throw in a few hairpin turns and paint the snowmobiles bright neon colors, and you have yourself a snowmobile race. Where are some of these snowmobile or snowcross races held?

Eagle River, Wisconsin has had a snowmobile derby for the past 41 years and this race and location is rich in history. In 1944 the first snowmobile (well at least one that closely resembles the models of today) was built. It basically consisted of a toboggan on skis that could be driven over the snow. During the 1960s is when the thought of using snowmobiles in the form of a sport caught the attention of many. The idea came as a way to boost the winter economy and boost, it did. The snowmobile derby in Eagle River today can draw crowds upwards of 50,000 people.

West Yellowstone in Montana has some excellent areas for experiencing the thrill of riding your snowmobile and they also have the Snowmobile Expo. There are also several snowmobile race competitions to enjoy. The races bring in the cream of the crop and you will not be disappointed watching the freestyle techniques of the professionals! The Three Bear Lodge is a great place to stay due to the fact that you are near the best trails and action around. After a long day on the trails, you can come back to the Lodge and relax. Then you will make you are way to the Expo and races all are within a close proximity to your accommodations.

Salem, New Hampshire has a snowmobile-racing site also at Rockingham Park. The racers will go over jumps that could be as much as 30 feet high and take them a distance of more than 80 feet in the air. This is an amazing race to watch as the skill level ranges from beginners, semi-professionals, to professionals all racing through bumps, turns, ramps and going as much as 60 miles per hour.

There is also the International 500 that began in the 1960s and is run entirely by volunteers. The volunteers prepare the track; the snowmobile racers come, qualify and race at top speeds. The spectators love it and you will, too. This great race began with the simple comment of one man asking another man how many miles can snowmobiles run consecutively. Thus the International 500 Snowmobile Race came to life. Come and visit Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

The Maritime Snowmobile Racing Federation (MSRF) began in 1978. With each passing year the MSRF abounds with more and more individuals wanting to join the race. They come from all over the Northern United States and Eastern Canada. As diverse as their racers are, the locations are spread thought cities all across the Northern United States and Eastern Canada. To watch these professionals in action is surely an event you do not want to miss. You can contact your local snowmobile outfitters and they will have a schedule of when the MSRF will be near your city.

Island Pond, Vermont has joined the ranks of many other states hosting the snowmobile racing teams. The particular team that met up in Vermont is part of the Rock Maple Northeast SnoCross Series. If you have the opportunity to watch these professionals in action, it is amazing to see them flying across the snow. They reach upwards of 60 miles per hour as they try to make the hairpin turns, fly over the bumps without hitting another racer or wiping out themselves. It is truly exhilarating!

If you want to know all there is to know about snowmobile racing, you may be interested in the Snowmobile Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Germain, Wisconsin. Within this museum, you will see the past come to life while viewing sleds, clothing, and trophies from years gone by. They even have a theater, which shows amazing racing videos. Each year they have a Classic Sled Roundup when the owners proudly display their snowmobiles from the past this is a great time to be had by all

---

Please use the form below to comment on this page:

Name:
Email Address:	(kept private)
Comments:
Let me know if my message is replied to:	yes
Please enter the digits 513 in the box. This keeps away spam robots:

PHP Warning: Unknown(): Unable to load dynamic library 'C:\Program Files\HSphere\3rdparty\PHP\PHP5\ext\php_curl.dll' - The specified module could not be found. in Unknown on line 0 PHP Warning: Unknown(): Unable to load dynamic library 'C:\Program Files\HSphere\3rdparty\PHP\PHP5\ext\php_gd2.dll' - The specified module could not be found. in Unknown on line 0 PHP Warning: Unknown(): Unable to load dynamic library 'C:\Program Files\HSphere\3rdparty\PHP\PHP5\ext\php_mysql.dll' - The specified module could not be found. in Unknown on line 0