2020-21 Snowmobile Racing Update: Cross-Country

rock maple racing

The slow start to winter in many areas plus the restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 coronavirus situation has scrambled the early season snowmobile racing plans. The good news is that the vast majority of race circuits are definitely planning to host a bunch of events this year, and race teams are excited to get going. But there have been some alterations. Let’s take a quick look at the cross-country racing below; click here to see an update on oval racing.

Cross-Country

The annual kickoff event to laketop cross-country racing in the Upper Midwest – the Gerald Dyrdahl Memorial Pine Lake 250 – was at first delayed and later cancelled by the local organizers and the Cor Powersports race circuit.

Citing the current COVID restrictions in Minnesota and the fact that state officials were not even reviewing permit requests for near-future events, Todd Myers from Cor announced the cancellation on December 3. Beyond the Pine Lake race, Myers said alternative plans are being worked up for future races this winter.

“With the news of the hold on permits in MN earlier this week we have already started working on potential venues outside the state of MN where restrictions will allow events like our’s to continue,” Myers wrote in a letter to participants, sponsors and the media. “We have options for both lake and terrain venues in North Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin that we are working with our contacts in each state to secure alternate locations if the need arises in January.”

Remember, Cor Powersports purchased the United State X-Country (USXC) circuit last spring and is hosting the big Upper Midwestern events this year, including the cross-country 500.

Meanwhile, in the East, the Rock Maple Racing circuit – which had previously announced it was for sale – posted a full schedule on the night of Sunday, December 6 on its Facebook page. Racers in that area were delighted to see a schedule with five named locations in Maine, New York and Vermont, and two “possible TBA” dates on the calendar. It’s all scheduled to kick off January 16 at Gould Mountain Farms in Sherman, Maine.

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