Entries keep going down all year
Costs going up- sleds, fuel
Economy lousy
What can save the sport?

Hard work and a positive attitude
I have been involved with both snowmobile and kart racing for decades, tough economic times will make it hard but it will survive The hardest hit will be th seres that travel the entire country. The big teams will show up but regional racer will probably travel less. Also hard hit are the smaller local series where losing 20 people is a large percentage.
The answer is promoting your series and that takes the involvement from everyone not just the series promoter. If every racer could get just one of their friends to try it, your numbers would double. I, for 24 years have run the largest kart racing club in the country, we promote endlessly, best luck in areas outside our sport itself, car shows and car races, I just did a karting booth at the WPSA Grand Geneva SnowX race with very good results. Snow racing like karting gets very little attention outside it self. You have to take it to the people. advertise what you do.
The karting National series which my kids do has the same problems, we race all over the country. Daytona had near record turnouts 750 entries on the sprint track and 700 on the big track, other racers are down by quite a bit. The difference is Daytona worked hard to make racers want to go there, free food at night at the track, parties, live music, even the C of C was involved. Other places just sit back and hope you come, many don't.
As a racer, if you want your series to survive, you have to help it survive, promote it

Perhaps the sport should do like oval racing and draw from it's past history. Vintage oval racing brings out more racers and also draws new/more fans. Most folks show up for the main event on Sunday, but throwing in some vintage racing is added entertainment.

Next weekend, the CSRA is introducing it's first ever vintage classes:

Attention Racers & Team Managers:
The 2008 CSRA race season is coming to a close with the CSRA National Finals at Horseshoe Resort on April 5-6.

This year the Ryde-FX NatioNEW” EVENTS AT HORSESHOE
- ATV Quad Terrain Racing with 4X4 ATVs. Try it!!! (See enclosed rules & entry form).
- (3) Vintage Snowmobile racing classes. Invite dad !!! (see enclosed rules & entry form).
- Free Yamaha Power Tour Snowmobile demo rides.
- See the Yamaha USA Factory Team in action.
- Free Ski-doo Test rides on the new Ski-doo E-TEC 600 and the new 1200cc 4-TEC Four Stroke snowmobiles.
nal Snowcross Championships will be bigger and better than ever with more special events for racers and spectators.

Vintage Race Classes:
Vintage-1
- 1974 or earlier (Leaf Spring and Bogie Suspension)
- Engine and frame must be a production-line sled offered in 1974 or earlier.
- Sled must retain close to stock appearance.
- Ski spreaders are allowed up to 3” per ski. No expansion chambers.

Vintage-2
- 1974 or earlier (Leaf Spring and Slide Suspension)
- Engine & Frame must be a production-line sled offered in 1974 or earlier.
- Sled must retain close to stock appearance.
- Ski spreaders are allowed up to 3” per ski. No expansion chambers.

Vintage Open-25
- Snowmobile must be Leaf Spring and a minimum of 25 years old. 1983 model year or older.
- Engine and Frame must be offered in 1983 or earlier.
- Modifications and Expansion Chambers are permitted.

Vintage Sled Rules and Safety Requirements:- All sleds must have a racing number on both sides of sled. (Minimum 6” high numbers).
- All sleds must have a tether cord engine kill switch.
- All headlights and tail lights must be covered with clear tape. Tail light must work.
- All Ski tips must be taped or padded.
- No Studs permitted in any class.


I will be there to take in the action....and maybe do some vintage racing.......Anyone got an extra Boa-Ski I can borrow?
Phil Molto
CSRA #340

First I must say that the I -Race series is on the right track.
But snocross can only survive if the manufacturers adopt the race on sunday and buy on monday principal.
What i mean by this comment is people have to be able to go to the dealership and buy a sled that they can race one weekend and go trail riding the next weekend(pump gas, etc)
Also the promoters need to remember that the spectators need to have fun too.....sometimes racing gets boring because the spectator does'nt know what's going on...what class, heat race or final,etc.
Now for the racers, they are too far removed from the fans, get out there and mingle with the fans,give away stickers and such, autographs and pics,,,,Get involved with the fans! Give them someone to cheer for.
Every fan likes to say they know a racer or has met them.
Finally the promoters MUST promote the races to the general public, not just the racers......think snomobile clubs, rotary clubs, vfws,chamber of commerce, local festivals,etc.
Oh also make it WIFE friendly(heated bathrooms,etc.) LOL!

From latest issue of Snoweek:
WPSA is working on bringing in a new major shareholder (owner). Same people running it though
Former ISOC owner put it a proposal to OEM's to hold a 10 race national series (fire ISOC back up). OEM's had till Apr.15 to accept proposal, haven't heard anything yet.

FYI, WPSA postponed 1st round of quad series

I heard from a very reliable source that the new shareholder backed out of the deal and the wpsa is in trouble.
I have'nt been able to confirm anything yet, but I should have confirmation in a couple of days.
I believe thats why atv 1st round has been postponed.

I have heard the same rumor. From also a reliable source

I think it will survive but they need to go back in time and have more regional and district races like they used to. It wouldnt cost much of anything for them if they would just asked around there would be many people that would put these small races on. It would expand the sport and get people interested in it again. Its getting to where a beginner doesnt stand a chance in the national races so they just get out of the sport and get discouraged. They need a place to develop and the national races are not the place its way to intimadating for a newbie to the sport at that level. IMO

Kart racing is a big sport, but like sleds not widely known unless you in it, In past years, several races like Daytona or Road America would pull 1000 entries. As predicted, so far this year, big races are down quite a bit. Regional and local races while still off a bit, but are not hurt near as much. I agree that it will take stronger regional/ local series to keep existing racers racing and bring in new racers that will save the sport.

and here we are. WPSA is out of business. at least in atvs. how far behind can the sled tour be????

When I was living up in Michigan during the 2006-2007 winter/race season I just started racing sleds and hit up both WPSA regionals and MSXRA (Michigan SnoX) events. There was as big if not bigger turnout at the MSXRA events I hit and the atmosphere was that of one big, happy (and at times disfunctional) family. Had I not moved, i would still be running the MSXRA. The cost was about the same, but the atmosphere and very competetive racing brought out a loyal and fun group of people. Snowmobile racing has become very expensive and it is difficult to go are race from a monetary standpoint. There are in my opinion several things that could help but my personal favorite would be trail 500 / 600 classes, where "trail" (as in non-race built) sleds could compete (with a tether and safe ski loops). This would be a simple way for people who want to race but cannot compete with straight up race sleds to get out on the track and try racing, go, similar to the stock class for ATVs.

Just my two cents, but if WPSA is back in business for racing, I will once again be competing this year in sport stock, the only place old, fat guys like me can have fun and win.

We've been running one day events for our series. I would think with gas prices the way they are having one day events is a good way to save racers the extra expence of hotel/food to race again Sun. I know many of the 2 day races were stretched out to both days, racing 1/2 day each day. We run three rounds through in a day. Luckily I have locations that are willing to do one day races cuz their not counting on the lodging from weekend events...Races used to be one day and then entries got so big that they couldn't do it in a day. With todays entries down as much as 50% maybe it's time to go back to one day'ers?

idk bout out there where you guys are, but here we still have race entires in the 450+ range, and with many many different classes for everyone to compete in, there is NOO way we could get it all in one day. besides, the 2 day event just adds to the excitement of it, parties every friday night and saturday night, goo time good times, and with the distance to the races, some poeple drive upwards of 12-14 hours to get to some of the races, you deffinetly would et those poeple to come out to a one day event

Also selling autographs is not a way of promoting the sport. I went to Milville 2 years in a row and,sorry I am not that starstruck to pay for an autograph or stand in line for one either.

I have to agree with 083. Our family has always raced, cars, sleds, karts and we travel alot I wouldn't even bother with a 1 day event unless it was real close to home. We race at Daytona, and at New Hampshire and everywhere in between. We live in Wi. Gas is the largest exspence of traveling. When we get there, we want to race, the more the better, the gas still costs the same and yes, the parties and friends are what make it fun At todays gas prices I want as much FPG thats fun per gal, as we can get

I understand what you're saying. 2 days of racing vs. only one day.
However we race 3 rounds in 1 day. Most of our riders prefer running 1 less round per weekend and not having to spend the extra $$ on hotel, meals, etc. for the 1 extra round of 3-4 laps. $100 for 3-4 laps = $25-$30 per lap for the FPG