Only four days earlier was the decision made to host the first scheduled series of races of the Canadian Snowcross Championships. Snow was sketchy in the area, but Calabogie Peaks Resorts’s snowblowing facilities created a sufficient base for the season-opener.
It was strong debut, with more than 500 registrations and an estimated 3,000 fans for the Dec. 4 and 5 season-opener. It was so successful, says Canadian Snowcross Association president Ken Avann, the series is already booked for the same series and same weekend next year.
“It’s not just good, it’s fabulous, to pull off an event like this at the beginning of the season,” Avann told The Mercury.
Some racers referred to the one-kilometre as tame, and less challenging than normal, but Avann said the course was just as hard because of the added speed element.
Races reached estimated uphill speeds around 120 kilometres per hour. The event attracted racers from Quebec, Ontario and the United States.
The weekend stars included Dylan Martin of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin and Iain Hayden of Espanola, Ont. Martin, racing for Skidoo, won Saturday’s pro open to leave Hayden second. Sunday’s victory went to Hayden, racing for Polaris. That left Mike Island of Warminster, Ont., second, after placing fourth Saturday. Martin was third.
