Snowmobile drag racing is making a come back to the City of Cold Lake.
In partnership with the Cold Lake Ag Society, the Cold Lake Snowmobile Club is hosting a snowmobile drag racing event on Saturday, Feb. 16 at the ag society grounds.
After being approached by the Straightline Snowmobile Racing Associate (SSRA) about hosting a race in the area, the local snowmobile club was happy to pull together an event that would promote safe and responsible sledding.
“We previously had races (in Cold Lake), and we thought we’d give it a try again to see if we can make things better,” explained club director, Dean Dube.
A major component for bringing the races back was being able to offer residents a fun, fast-paced sport to enjoy in the colder months.
“We’re trying to attract more people to town, to the region, and to enjoy the outdoors in the wintertime,” Dube explained.
The event is affiliated with Snow Fever, which is taking place over the Family Day weekend.
“(Local municipalities) want to see more motorized events come to town to bring more people, so that we could have a variety of people coming in and things to do. They can have one day where they can get the races, and one day go down to the marina and do the sculpting, skating, and whatever else they have going on down there,” Dube explained.
Chris Rourke, fellow club director, said it attracts another demographic to the area.
“We’re looking to carry it on over the years and make it an annual event,” he noted.
The club is expecting anywhere from 80 to 100 professional racers to attend, while they hope to see local participants sign up.
The classes for the races include improved stock, pro sno, classic super stock, ladies, mountain, and outlaw.
“If there’s enough entrants, there will (also) be a kids class for children-sized snowmobiles,” Rourke explained.
Dube encouraged everyone to come out and enjoy the races.
“It’s a way to promote the sport, snowmobiling in general, and the races are exciting... There’s noise, speed, and action,” he exclaimed.
While snowmobile drag races are typically hosted on lakes, Rourke believes having it at the ag society grounds is easier for everyone involved.
“It’s a lot more convenient in the logistics for the event, spectators, and racers. We’re a lot better, and more controlled. We can have facilities on-site, (we’re close) to town, and other events going on for other people.”
For racers, registration is from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. the day of. Races kick-off noon.
