As the first widespread frost and freeze advisories go out around northern New England, officials at East Coast Snocross (ECS) have announced seven of nine planned events on their 2012-2013 racing schedule.
With an early layer of snow already atop the highest peaks, excitement is starting to build for what should be a highly competitive season. A number of the region’s veteran meteorologists and even those at the Farmer’s Almanac are predicting a cold and snowy winter for the northeast.
"We feel we’ve put together a pretty solid schedule at some excellent venues," said ECS General Manager Shawn Longbook. "Most of the sites are familiar to our teams; with hosts that were very gracious in the past and wanted us back. I also think the new sites we’ll visit have a lot of potential. I expect this to be the most competitive season to date for ECS. We’re all very excited about the arrival of winter."
Sanctioned snocross will return once again to Vermont’s scenic Northeast Kingdom to kick off the new season. On December 8-9, the Burke Mountain Ski Resort will host Round 1 in one of the most beautiful settings in the entire northeast. This marks the third straight year that Burke has hosted the lid-lifter, and 2012 has produced a new level of excitement in East Burke. The ski resort was recently purchased by respected developer Bill Stenger of Jay Peak fame, with several major improvements planned over the next few years at one of Vermont’s true hidden gems.
After the holiday season, teams and officials will load up and head for the Crete Civic Center in Plattsburgh, New York on Jan. 5-6 for Round 2. With its proximity to a large population, ideal building for displays, food vendors and a chance fans to get warm, the Crete makes an ideal home for snocross in northern New York. Event promoter Mike Perrotte is one of that region’s top assets given his record for success at nearby Airborne International Raceway.
While there is a slight gap in the schedule after Plattsburgh, contracts for two more dates in January are close to being signed. One will take the circuit back to the Great State of Maine, the other will see a visit to a part of New Hampshire that always has snow. We can’t reveal any more on these sites just yet, but for now we will say they’ll both become favorite stops for teams.
The following month will kick off with a second-year return visit to Boscawen, New Hampshire. On Feb. 9-10, the Town Line Trail Dusters serve as hosts just north of Concord. Last year’s debut in southern New Hampshire drew a good crowd to witness the sport, and we’re hoping for an even bigger turnout in 2013. Southern New Hampshire is loaded with powersports enthusiasts, making sanctioned snocross a great fit in the Capital district.
Following the standalone event in Boscawen, Pro and Pro Lite teams will head north to compete for points at the historic Grand Prix Ski-doo de Valcourt on Feb. 15-17. This event compares to the famed Eagle River Championships in size, scope and prestige. If you are a fan of snowmobile racing but haven’t been to Valcourt, make your plans now for 2013. The crowd, ice ovals and snocross combine to provide an atmosphere unlike anything in the sport.
On February 23-24, ECS teams will join the International Series of Champions (ISOC) at the Seneca Allegany Casino and Hotel in Salamanca, New York. After three years in Farmington, this move provides the sport with great exposure in a new market area.
The Empire state of New York will host the final two rounds of competition in 2013. On March 2-3, teams will converge on rural Boonville for Round 8. Boonville is situated in the heart of snowmobile country, with thousands of riders and enthusiasts nearby. With great hosts this promises to be one of the real highlights on the entire schedule. On March 22-23, the season finale will take place at the beautiful Titus Mountain Family Ski Resort in Malone. Titus Mountain came through for ECS in a big way last season, hosting the 2012 finale when things didn’t work out in Killington, Vermont.
Details on the final two race dates for 2013 will be announced in the coming weeks. Along with presenting sponsors AMSOIL and Woody’s Traction, other highly-valued returning sponsors for 2012-2013 include New England Race Fuels, Choko Design, Arctic Cat, Malibu Boats, C&A Pro Skis, EVS, Ski-doo, Polaris, Ingles Performance, daSilva Motorsports, AFX Helmets and RPMs Apparel. Thanks to Ingles, daSilva and BRP, ECS officials will have reliable BRP machines for trackside use again this coming season.
For more information, go to www.eastcoastsnocross.com.
