Snowcross races return to Sudbury this weekend

After almost seven years, Greater Sudbury racing fans are revved for the return of Snowcross racing this weekend.

The Canadian Snowcross Racing Association will be at Sudbury Downs March 5-6 where almost 200 racing teams from Ontario, Quebec and other eastern Canada locations will vie for top spot in the national event.

Ken Avann, president of CSRA, said there is a lot of action lined up for this weekend with youth in the amateur classes hitting the track each morning, with the professionals taking over the course in the afternoon starting at 2 p.m. Races will also take place for sledge snow bikes and side-by-side ATVs, Avann said.

“We haven't been in Sudbury for probably seven years now for the snowcross races,” said Avann. “The Sudbury market is a fabulous market for us, so we wanted to come back here. We want to keep on growing the event into a really big race.”

There are a lot of top racers who have come out of the Sudbury area, Avann said, such as Iain Hayden, from Espanola, and Greater Sudbury’s own Lee Butler. There will certainly be local representation at this weekend’s races, said Avann.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted snowcross racing the past two years, Avann said. Three races were held last year, but there were no spectators. Snowcross races, on average, bring in about 5,000 spectators over a weekend event.

“Obviously, it has put a damper on things, but my sponsors have all held in there with us, and everyone is excited to go this weekend,” said Avann.

“Everything we've done so far this year has had really good attendance, and even with some of the severe weather, people still piled in. So the fans are wanting to get out, and the racers want to go.”

This year, organizers will be collecting food donations that will go to local food banks.

“We're asking spectators, our racers, our crew members, and our fans if they could bring a bag of non-perishable food for people who need it,” said Avann. “Most events that we've been doing, we've been getting over 1,000 pounds of food for people in need. We've had lots of support with that. It’s  just kind of a nice way to include the community a little bit in our event and help out.”

The forecast is calling for mild temperatures this weekend, expecting to hit 9 C on Sunday. However, a freezing rain warning issued by Environment Canada for Saturday night into Sunday morning could make for some slick situations.

“We need people to understand that this is an outdoor event, and we are not using the stands at Sudbury Downs for seating, and there are no indoor facilities, so make sure to plan and dress appropriately,” Avann said.

Advance tickets for the races can be purchased at Royal Distributing. Tickets can also be purchased both race days at the game. For more information, click here.

Following the races in Sudbury, CSRA is off to Timmins for its next series of races.