First weekend of Snowmobile Olympus features vintage races

By ZACHARY MARANO

zmarano@yourdailyglobe.com

Ironwood - Despite arctic temperatures on Saturday, many racers and enthusiasts came out to attend the first day of the Ironwood Snowmobile Olympus at the Gogebic County Fairgrounds.

Event organizer Greg Basom said the first day of the races went well and that they managed to fit all 52 of the scheduled races in. He said that there were no incidents, no racers had to drop out and with such low temperatures, there was no danger of the ice on the track melting.

The races on Saturday featured vintage snowmobiles from 1985 and earlier. Among the vintage classes was the current world championship class, the 440 Super Mod, which is derived from any stock qualified 400 cc displacement, leaf spring suspension model from model year 1985 and older. Other vintage classes included the 340 Super Stock, 440 Super Stock, 340 Super Mod and 340 Sno Pro IFS.

Other non-vintage races included the junior classes. According to the Ironwood Snowmobile Olympus website, the Junior I Stock spec sleds class was for ages 12-13, the Junior II Stock was for ages 14-16 and the Junior I F-500 restrictor plate class was for ages 11-13.

The race results were not made available as of press time Monday.

The event attracted racers from across the country because the racetrack at the fairgrounds is half a mile long and allows snowmobiles to move at high speeds. Basom said that snowmobiles in this weekend's USSA Prostar racing event will reach speeds of 100 miles per hour.

Basom said that the USSA Prostar be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday as part of the second weekend of the Olympus.