The sport of snowmobile drag racing lost a true character this week with the passing of super promoter, competitor and general ball of energy Jimmy HcHugh of Sparta, Michigan. He was 60 and died after a brief illness.
McHugh became a known commodity in the snowmobile racing world starting in the 1990s. He was maybe best known as the promoter behind the Flat River 500 snowmobile grass drag event in Michigan that eventually evolved into the Hasting 500. Under that name, it became one of the biggest and most promoted grass drag races in the country in an era when that aspect of the sport was peaking.
Beyond that event, though, McHugh was a longtime tireless promoter of snowmobile drag racing and grass drag racing in particular through his Yankee Zephyr Racing Promotions and his general high-energy spirit. He dreamed big and talked big, helped other race promoters and spent a lot of time thinking of ways to raise the sport’s profile.
“Jimmy was a very larger-than-life presence everywhere he went and was a very enthusiastic about the sport,” said Chris Riley of Super Sled Online, a longtime friend of McHugh’s. “He loved to race, go to the races, have big event and was continuously trying to come up with ways to make the sport better.”
News of McHugh’s passing became public on Thursday morning after his wife, Julie, posted this online:
“My Jimmy McHugh crossed the finish line at 7:14 p.m. November 12th. #714 was his race number,” Julie McHugh posted on Facebook. “He was always fast off the line and never let go of the throttle. In normal fashion I was asking him to slow down!
“Not only a racer, but a builder who put up many masterpieces around the state,” Julie McHugh continued. “Proud father (Padre) of his amazing crew. Our lives are shaken and raw. Our God is an awesome God. He has been present in so many ways thru this last week. Our family will miss Jimmy, but we know he is healed in every way.”
In September of this year, McHugh was presented with the Dan Hill Memorial Award, recognizing lifetime achievement and contribution to the sport of snowmobile drag racing. It’s an award started by legendary sled builder and team owner Dave Dunigan, and it is now overseen by Riley at Super Sled.
“We had no idea that he was sick when he got [the award], in fact he was still racing up until a couple of weeks ago. He kept that information to a very small circle, so this was shocking,” Riley said. “When he received [the Dan Hill Memorial Award], I think that’s about the happiest I’ve ever seen him in his life. He told one racer who was there, ‘I finally feel like one of the cool kids now!’”
Riley dedicated his entire Super Sled Online radio program to McHugh on November 13, with many people from throughout the racing world and even some of his family members calling in to share stories about the personable promoter. It can be heard here.
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