First RMR West Series Planned This Weekend

One of upstate New York’s favorite ski areas is about to be invaded by winter sports enthusiasts of a slightly different nature. Hundreds of snowmobile racing teams will converge on beautiful Windham Mountain in Windham, N.Y., this weekend, Dec. 10-11, as Rock Maple Racing’s (RMR) West series kicks off its 2005-06 snocross season.
Spectator gates will open at 8 a.m. both days, with racing getting under way at 9 a.m. sharp. Saturday will feature qualifying races for all divisions, while Sunday morning will begin with Last Chance Qualifying (LCQs) rounds before finals for all classes begin at approximately 1 p.m. Admission is $10 per day for adults, with children under the age of 10 admitted free with a paying adult. Pit passes are available for an additional $10.
This weekend’s event is the first of 10 on the 2005-06 RMR West series schedule. The series will visit four new venues this season, which includes this weekend’s debut at Windham Mountain. RMR West will also run its inaugural races at Big Johnson’s in Hector, N.Y.; Wyoming County International Speedway in Perry, N.Y.; and at Black Rock Speedway in Dundee, N.Y.
Also on the 2005-06 schedule for RMR West are stops at Oswego Speedway in Oswego, N.Y., the Gerry Rodeo Fairgrounds in Jamestown, N.Y., CNY Powersports in Cortland, N.Y., the McCauley Mountain ski area in Old Forge, N.Y., and at the Big Boulder ski area in Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania.
Leading the charge into Windham Mountain is Pro rider Ed Hawkins. Kenny Murphy, of Constantia, N.Y., the defending RMR West Pro champion, has joined Tech Lab Racing and will move over to compete in the RMR Central division, leaving the door open for arch-rival Hawkins, of Marion, N.Y. to possibly gain a championship. The Empire State will be well represented at the season opener, with dozens of New York natives in the pit area. Other New York-based riders to watch this weekend include Tim Edelmann of Troy, a veteran on the RMR series and Macedon’s Doug Wilbert, the overall Semi-Pro West Champion, who will move up to compete in the Pro division this season in hopes of claiming another victory.
Other riders to watch this weekend include last year’s Sport division riders Will Lux (Westernville, N.Y.), Erich Strizel (Williamson, N.Y.), and Justin Morris (Hopewell Jct. N.Y.), all of whom will be moving up to Semi-Pro to battle Chad Miller and other top Semi-Pro riders. Miller, of Amsterdam, N.Y., came on strong late last season with a victory in Semi-Pro 600 at Swain, New York. Adding excitement to the mix this year is a new 300cc class for 8-10 year olds. And RMR’s 120cc program for riders ages 6-10 is great family entertainment, as well.
Back in the late 1950s, the idea of a ski resort in the northern Catskills was introduced by a legislative committee. The plan called for a state-run resort on Cave Mountain, just off Main Street in the town of Windham. Although the project never got beyond the discussion stage, the idea had merit. A group of investors purchased the land for a ski area in 1960, and Windham Mountain was born. During its 45 years of operation, the resort has built a reputation for taking customer service to new levels. In mid-November, the ski area was purchased from Snow Time Inc. by a group of investors with local ties.
Rock Maple Racing is the eastern affiliate of the World PowerSports Association (WPSA), the national sanctioning body for snocross competition. In addition to its West series, RMR also operates the RMR Central and RMR East circuits across New England. For more information, visit www.rockmaple.com.