After the gifts are unwrapped and holiday gatherings have been enjoyed by all, visiting a new venue in northern New York will rev up the 2013 snowmobile racing season in fine style.
Mathieu Morin
Officials at East Coast Snocross (ECS) are preparing for a trip to historic Airborne Speedway, in Plattsburgh, NY, for the first leg of the new high-stakes Triple Crown Series with the Quebec-based SCM circuit. On Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 12-13, the top Pro and amateur riders from New York, New England and eastern Canada will compete for points and prestige in a variety of classes.
Top ECS Pro riders like New York’s own Corin Todd, two-time champion Danny Poirier, 2010 champion Mathieu Morin and North Dakota native Derek Ellis will take on Canadian sensations Maxime Taillefer, Dave Asselin, Jean-Sebastien Cote, Francois Pare and others in side-by-side battles.
Spectator gates open at 10:30 a.m. each day, with amateur racing already in progress. Pro racing begins at 12:30 p.m. Admission is $12 per day for adults, $5 for children ages 6-12, age 5 and under admitted free with a paying adult. Pit passes valid through the weekend are available for an extra $10.
After a successful two-year run at the nearby Crete Civic Center in Plattsburgh, the event moves to a place synonymous with speed for decades. Current promoter Mike Perrotte thinks his ½-mile paved oval, with ample space for a great track and existing fan amenities will serve as the ideal venue for snocross.
«I appreciate the strong support received from city officials and employees the last two years,» said Perrotte. "We all had a great time at the Civic Center, but I thought it would be interesting to try something different and move the event to Airborne. I hope our local and visiting fans will embrace the change and come enjoy the races."
Race fans have an ample supply of lodging choices in the greater Plattsburgh area, including longtime Airborne Spoeedway partner EconoLodge. Hotel and motel owners have extended a warm welcome to snocross teams and fans since ECS first arrived in Plattsburgh back in January of 2011. There are literally hundereds of quality rooms and dining establishments waiting for fans in January of 2013.
East Coast Snocross co-owner and President Bob Roscoe knows this Triple Crown event is huge, and also knows that Airborne is right for hosting the first leg.
«I know Mike and his great staff at Airborne have been hosting and promoting races for a long time,» Roscoe said. «They have strong ties with local media and a large core following of race fans. I also know we’ll have an impressive field of riders competing at Airborne from both ECS and SCM, so I hope folks (more)ECS kicks off Triple Crown with SCM at Airborne Speedway – Page 2 make plans to attend what will definitely be one of our biggest events this season.»
