Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
A COMPETITOR tries to get the fastest speed on Lake Gogebic Saturday during the Moonshine Riders Radar Run at Gogebic Lodge Saturday. Over 100 competitors entered the event in various classes, with top speeds exceeding 120 mph.
By RICHARD JENKINS
LAKE GOGEBIC - While it may have been the prize money on the line Saturday at Lake Gogebic that drew a crowd to the radar run at Gogebic Lodge, it was everyone who uses the local snowmobile trails that benefits as the organizers donated close to $11,000 to the Gogebic Area Grooming group.
Jeff Brauer, one of the Moonshine Riders group that put on the fundraiser for the local trail system, said he and his brothers have been coming up to the area to snowmobile from Tennessee for years.
"(We) always come here to the Gogebic area - love the area, love the people," Brauer said. "I grew up in snowmobiling and so did my brothers, and we want the sport to continue. We felt bad about coming to ride but not being able to support the trails."
He said the group just consists of his family.
"The Moonshine Riders are just three brothers and a nephew, we're not a club," he said.
While they grew up outside Milwaukee, they moved to Tennessee in 1981. They started coming to the area to snowmobile in '97, and have come every year for the last 12 years.
The radar run featured over 100 competitors competing in five stock classes and three modified snowmobile classes racing one at a time down a 1,000-foot track trying to get the fastest time.
The competitors raced the clock one at a time for safety reasons, with the fastest speeds exceeding 120 mph.
By the end of the night, Brauer said $11,000 had been raised. He is still selling t-shirts so he hopes that amount will increase even more.
Brauer said the idea of a radar run came up last year and organizers have been working on it since then.
He was pleased with how it went, but also wanted to improve next year.
"I think it went off really good. Next year, twice as big - more stuff, more surprises," he said.
Along with his brothers Steve and Tim and nephew Charlie Riggins, Brauer said he loves coming up to the area and the people here.
"The locals we all meet are such good people," the brothers said, calling it God's Country and saying it makes the 15 hour drive each way worth it.
The Moonshine Riders hope to see future events get more families and other local businesses involved, so that everyone can benefit from the snowmobilers drawn to future events.
Jeff also credited the other volunteers and people involved in hosting the event for the success it was. This included race director Ron Wantland, and the Berquist family that owns Gogebic Lodge.
