Snowmobile - Types of Races

Types of Races

• The International 500 is a large racing event held annually in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan. It is a 500-mile (800 km) race on a track, with the current purse being in excess of $40,000.00 usd. It has been running since February 1969, and continues to excite those attending the race to date.
• Drag racing is common with snowmobiles all year long, with summer and fall often with grass or closed-course (asphalt or concrete) drag strips, with the largest event being Hay Days in North Branch, Minnesota. Hay Days has always been the first weekend following the Labor Day Holiday.
• The World Championship Watercross or Snowmobile skipping races are held in Grantsburg, Wisconsin in July. The snowmobiles are raced on a marked course, similar to motocross courses, without the ramps and on water.
• The Snocross racing series are snowmobile races on a motocross-like course. The races are held during the winter season in Northern United States and Canada. One of the largest in New England is the Northeast SnoX Challenge held early January of each year in Malone, New York and run by Rock Maple Racing and sponsored by the Malone Chamber of Commerce.
• Snowmobiles are used for ice racing. The racing is held on an "Ice Oval" track. The World Championship Snowmobile Derby is held each winter in Eagle River, Wisconsin.
• The "Iron Dog", the longest snowmachine race in the world, is held annually in Alaska. It is 1,971 miles (3,172 km) long and runs from Wasilla to Nome to Fairbanks. Its name refers to Dog Mushing, long popular in Alaska.
• Vintage snowmobiling is the racing of vintage snowmobiles and has grown in popularity as a sporting event on the Canadian prairie and in America.
• The World Championship Hill Climb competition is held in Jackson, WY at the Snow King ski resort each year in March.