Over 50 snowmobilers from all over the Midwest will converge at Marquette Mountain Saturday. This is one of the longest continuing races held in the Upper Peninsula. It is sanctioned by the Mid America Snow and Terrain Expert Racers Circuit, commonly known as the MASTERS Racing Circuit.
The popular Ski Hill will host 3 separate forms of snowmobile racing. One hill will host the MASTERS-Ojibwa Casino Snow Drag Championships, another will host the Marquette Mountain Hillcross, and both of the hills will host the 2nd Annual World Championship KIDS Climb.
It is the snow drag races that has been running at Marquette Mountain for over 20 years. The drag races feature some of the fastest snowmobiles racing on snow. Racers and teams will run in the Trail Stock, Race Stock, and Pro Mod Divisions.
“The heavily modified snowmobile division includes the ‘Magic,’ Trail Turbo, and TOP GUN classes,” stated Jason Kleinschmidt, MASTERS Director of Race Operations. “TOP GUN is our feature class, and along with the Magic class, the champions in each of those classes will be determined on Saturday.”
The past TOP GUN Champion for the last 2 years is Al Turin of Greenland. Turin has a commanding point lead going into Saturday. It is a Polaris Factory employee, Nick Gustafson of Roseau, Minnesota that is in second place.
The Magic Class Championship has Iron River, Michigan’s, Chris Nordang has a 2 point lead over Gustafson, and a 3 point lead over Traverse City’s, Kyle Nash, and Lake Linden’s Jerry Buschell.
The snow drags will have 2 sleds racing on two groomed lanes.
The Marquette Mountain HIllcross is a combination of a drag race and snow cross. 2 sleds will be racing in separate lanes. Each lane will have jumps that will propel the snowmobiles into the air. Hillcross races include the fast and high flying TOP DOG Class.
It is the second year that Marquette Mountain will be the home of the World Championship KIDS Climb. This is where children between the ages of 4 and 12 race stock and modified, small 120 cc sleds. The children will go for the fastest time as they go up the hill. The course will have the children going around a series of cones.
“The MASTERS has always taken a lot of pride in our 120 cc racers. This is the future of our sport. Plus the children, parents, and families love getting the kids into racing, “stated Sandy Schulz, MASTERS Officer.
The fastest 3 times of the children in their 2 runs up the hill, qualifies them for the World Championship KIDS King of the Hill ‘Shoot-out’ in both the Stock and Modified classes.
Final registration for the racers will be Friday Night at Marquette Mountain from 6 to 8 pm ET, racing to begin Saturday Morning at 9:00. Racing is expected to run till 4; 30 pm.
“This event not only draws racers, but race teams. Each team come with a crew to prepare and work on the snowmobiles throughout the day,” concluded Schulz. “On top of that, you have the racers that bring their family and friends from all over to watch. At this time of the year, the snowmobilers take advantage of all the snow Marquette Mountain still has. It’s good for this area’s tourism economy.”
