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Drag races draw in over 120 sleds

The snow was falling gently on Sunday afternoon, but despite the somewhat calm and ideal winter conditions, there was a lot of action taking place just outside of St.
The start line was a busy place to be on Saturday and Sunday, during the snowmobile drag races held just outside of town.
The start line was a busy place to be on Saturday and Sunday, during the snowmobile drag races held just outside of town.

The snow was falling gently on Sunday afternoon, but despite the somewhat calm and ideal winter conditions, there was a lot of action taking place just outside of St. Paul at the SSRA’s (Straightline Snowmobile Racing Associate) 2016 Western Canadian Championship, as the final races took place.

Similar SSRA events have been held in the past in St. Paul, but this was the first time a two-day event would be held. And although the weather leading up to the races was less than ideal, in the end, organizers were more than happy with the turnout and success of the event.

“It went absolutely amazing,” according to Dan Blain, one of the members of the St. Paul Trailblazers, the volunteer-run group that did much of the crucial work behind the scenes, like building the track for the drag races ahead of time.

Jennifer O’Connor has been racing sleds for the past 12 years. She was introduced to snowmobile drag racing after her dad bought a repossessed Artic Cat machine. The local races were coming up in her hometown of Wetaskiwin, and the duo decided to enter.

O’Connor says she was hooked right away.

“I’m really competitive,” she says, with a laugh, adding, the adrenaline rush is a main reason she keeps coming back.

After taking a break from racing last season and half of this season, following the birth of her son, O’Connor was excited to be back doing what she loves.

Clearly, O’Connor is a bit of a minority out on the track, given that snowmobile racing appears to be a sport dominated by men. But, this doesn’t appear to be an issue for O’Connor and the other women out there.

At first, the other racers told O’Connor’s dad he was entering his daughter in the wrong class, and that she would only be embarrassed losing to all the men.

“I’ve just been beating them ever since,” says O’Connor, with a smile on her face, noticeable even behind her helmet. She admits that some guys don’t like losing to a woman.

To make things fair, O’Connor and some of the other women involved in the races have to add weight to their machines. Racers are supposed to weight at least 180 lbs. To make up for weighing less, the women have to tie weights to their machines.

Although O’Connor’s racing career started in Wetaskiwin, she now spends much of her time in the St. Paul area. O’Connor is engaged to fellow racer, Cory Carter, who was raised in St. Paul, and still lives in the area. Carter was also competing over the weekend.

O’Connor and Carter met while racing, and now have a seven-month-old son together. When the duo first met about nine years ago, they were competing against each other. O’Connor again laughs, saying the two did not get along when they first met.

“But, when he realized he couldn’t beat me, he put me on his team,” says O’Connor.

Now, the small family gets to do what they love, together. And they are clearly good at what they do. Over the weekend, Carter placed first in Open Stock, the only class he competed in. O’Connor placed first in Improved Stock 600, first in Improved Stock 700, third in lady’s class, and third in Stock 800.

Leading up to the weekend, organizers were worried about conditions with lower-than-normal snowfall being experienced this year. But when all was said and done, a “fantastic track” was built, and the weekend went seamlessly.

“We’ve never run a race that smooth,” says Blain. On Saturday there were 90 heats, while on Sunday there were about 60 heats. In the past, similar events have drawn in about 97 sleds, and organizers were hoping to break the 100-mark this year, which they did.

A total of 128 snowmobiles took part in the races, and a record was set in the number of kids taking part in the 120cc class, at 23.

The SSRA was “ecstatic” about the success of the event also, says Blain. “We’re thrilled as a group.”

Blain says it takes a good crop of volunteers to ensure the event runs smoothly. There was at least 70 to 80 man hours needed to build the track in the days leading up to the race, and over the course of the weekend volunteers who weren’t even part of the Trailblazers group decided to come out and lend a hand.

The Poirier family is also to thank for the success of the event, since they allow use of their land, which is located just on the outskirts of St. Paul. Blain says there was also a lot of support shown by the local business community, which also allows for the weekend to be a success.

As a competitor, Carter also acknowledged and offered thanks to the Trailblazers and all the volunteers who helped put on the event.

Blain says that moving forward, the SSRA is confident that St. Paul will have to continue to host two-day events given how popular the races are proving to be, which is a direct result of the quality of the track and how well organized everything was.


Janice Huser

About the Author: Janice Huser

Janice Huser has been with the St. Paul Journal since 2006. She is a graduate of the SAIT print media journalism program, is originally from St. Paul and has a passion for photography.
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