Cross-country is a form of snowmobile racing that is accessible to anybody. It is interesting to watch or to participate in. And it is most closely tied to the sort of riding most real riders do with their snowmobiles in most of the Snowbelt, outside of the mountains.
All of that makes so-called “XC” racing a favorite of many fans as well as snowmobile factory officials.
To get you in the mood for the winter ahead, we take a look at what some of the big circuits and events have in store.
COR Powersports XC
In the Upper Midwest, the majority of cross-country snowmobile racing’s biggest events are a part of the Cor Powersports tour. That circuit has a particularly intriguing seven-weekend schedule planned, with six race weekends of three different types scattered across Minnesota, followed by a closer at a ski hill in Michigan.
It starts with two ice races featuring plowed laketop surfaces in Brainerd (Dec. 27-29) and Ottertail, (Jan. 11-12) Minnesota.
The circuit then becomes a true terrain circuit for a couple of rounds. Competitors will be pounding ditches, trails, forest roads and more in Park Rapids’ Heartland 200 on Jan. 25-26. Then they’ll compete in the modern version of the traditional/historical I-500. In this case, though, it’s once again the Goodridge/Grygla I-500 Feb. 8-9.
Then comes another shift, this time to unplowed laketop races Feb. 22-23 in Walker, and March 1-2 in Naytahwaush. The courses can be quite unique, depending on the snow that winter provides and how that snow gets move around by wind and the race sleds.
It all wraps up March 14-15 with the Gogebic Community College Ironwood XC Snowmobile National Championship event at Mt. Zion in Ironwood, Michigan.
XC In The Northeast
Two different race circuits have turned cross-country racing into a success story in the Northeast.
The New England XCcounty Racing and Adirondack Cross-Country Race Series circuits kind of split racing in that area in half. Living up to its name, the New England circuit hosts race events in places like Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. The Adirondack series in primarily dedicated to New York State, with two late-season runs up north.
While the two circuits do a good job of staying out of each other’s way geographically, they also do it on the calendar. There are only so many winter weekends available, yet the two circuits work cooperatives to only have one overlapping weekend despite 12 combined events.
The five weekend New England XC Racing schedule includes an opener in Elmore, Vermont, Jan. 25-26, followed by the Oquossoc 150 in Oquossoc, Maine, Feb. 8-9. Next comes the Lincoln 100 in Lincoln, Maine, Feb. 22 and the Portage Lake Loon 100 in Portage Lake, Maine, on March 8. The season championship weekend is March 15 in Sinclair, Maine.
The Adirondack Cross-Country Race Series released a particularly robust seven-race schedule. It features four terrain races and three laketop shootouts. January and February are 100 percent dedicated to New York State. The season opens Jan. 11 on Lake Colby in Saranac Lake before moving to Pine Lake in Caroga on Jan. 18. Then it’s on to Lake Pleasant in Speculator on Feb. 1, followed by a trip to Salisbury Center on Feb. 15. The attention then turns to the High Voltage Hills MX Park for use of its amazing grounds near Greig for a Feb. 22, competition.
The Adirondack group then wraps up its season with stops at Young View Farm in West Glover, Vermont, on March 1, and a yet-to-be-publicly-named location in New Hampshire to wrap up the season March 29.
Big XC Independents
Three of the biggest cross-country races in North America are huge but independent race events.
The biggest is the Iron Dog in Alaska. Just competing in and completing the 2,500-mile challenge across the rugged Alaskan backcountry is incredible. Winning it is beyond belief! This year’s Iron Dog is set for Feb. 15-25, 2025. There are also other great cross-country races every year in Alaska, but getting information like schedules and locations has always been difficult.
The roughly 1,900-mile Cain’s Quest in Eastern Canada is another epic challenge. It is only held once every two years, though, and 2025 is an “off” year. Planning has already begun for 2026.
The third is the Gerald Dyrdahl Memorial-Pine Lake 200, a historic, big-dollar, early-season laketop showdown. This year is scheduled for Dec. 14-15 in Gonvick, Minnesota.
More XC In Store
We know other local laketop cross-country races are held in locations across the Snowbelt. Please feel free to add you own events in the comments section below.
Last winter was a tough one on many races and race events, but after last season we all sort of figure “we’re due” for a good one this year!
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They need to run the I500 original route WInnipeg to St. Paul used to have thousands of fans at the start on Winnipeg and all along the route. even in -40 weather with blowing winds.