Snowmobiling is hitting primetime across the Snowbelt this weekend, with more and more trails and riding areas opening and some huge competitive events taking place. Let’s take a quick peek at this weekend’s three biggest events:
The New/Old Adirondack Shootout
The high-profile season-opening event traditionally known as the AmSnow Shootout is back in New York’s Adirondacks – even though its title sponsor American Snowmobiler has ceased publication.
The New York Shootout event – which traditionally pits brand-new, fresh-out-of-the-crate snowmobiles against one another in the season’s first big showdown of each year’s new machines and also showcases aftermarket-modified sleds – has a long history and is a great way to kick off the season in the East.
Now held on a nice track behind “The Old Barn” in Inlet, New York, and operated by race promoter Heinrich Kirchner and his crew, the event is partnering with Snow Goer magazine this year – and right here on SnowGoer.com is where you will see the event’s results! Originally scheduled for Saturday, December 14, the event has been moved back to Sunday December 15th to accommodate for the rain that is forecasted for Saturday. Gates will open at 9 a.m., with sleds roaring down the track starting at 10:30 a.m.
Participating dealers this year are Livingston Arctic Cat of Hillsborough, New Hampshire (bringing 2020 Arctic Cat ZR 6000, ZR 8000 and ZR 9000 Thundercat models to run); Arctic Adventures of Rosendale, New York (bringing three 2020 Ski-Doo Renegade Adrenaline models featuring the 600R, 850 and 900 ACE Turbo engines); Excell Motorsports of Hubbardsville, New York (providing a 2020 Yamaha Sidewinder SRX); and Kubecka’s Polaris of Mohawk, New York (bringing the 2020 Polaris machines from the 600- and 850cc classes).
If you can’t get to the event, look for results on SnowGoer.com early next week, of the stock snowmobiles as well as the cool aftermarket mods.
Snocross Season Starts, Again
After being snowed- and winded-out in the planned opening round of the Amsoil Championship Snocross season at Duluth, Minnesota, two weeks ago, the season re-starts this weekend – December 13-15 – in suburban Fargo, New Dakota, with three complete rounds of Pro class racing.
And, fantasy snocross fans, that also means this will be the season-opening round of the Snow Goer Snowmobile Racing Challenge fantasy game, presented this year by More Freakin’ Power. The game is easy to play, free and fun, and the top guesser at the final results for Saturday night’s race has a shot at a $40 gift certificate from More Freakin’ Power. Check it out.
Though called the Country Cat Fargo round, the event is actually held at the nearby Buffalo River Raceway in Glyndon, Minnesota – just east of Fargo. Racing starts at 12:40 p.m. Friday, 9:15 a.m. Saturday and 9:25 a.m. Sunday, though the “Pro” program starts at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday under the lights, and noon on Sunday.
If you can’t make it in person, make sure to check out the live webcast of the racing action at snocross.com.
Cross-Country Opener
The traditional, season-opening cross-country lake race where fans and racers always get to see “who has the smoke” (meaning the most pure speed) for the new season is also this weekend, in the form of the Gerald Dyrdahl Memorial Pine Lake 200 in Gonvick, Minnesota.
The event, hosted by the United States X-Country (USXC) racing circuit, features racers following a high-speed, serpentine course across the big lake. Qualifying heats start at 9:30 a.m. each day, with finals in various classes both days. The highly contested Pro Stock final is Sunday at 1:30 p.m., with the top cross-country racers in the sport running 10 laps on the 10.7-mile course, with an incredible $10,000 to win!
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