Top 10 Racing Venues

With the fifth largest city in the state (pop: 86,110) right nearby, lodging is easy to find and there is plenty to do. Although parking is sometimes tough, the actual race facility is great! Located on the second highest ski hill in Minnesota, it overlooks Lake Superior, the seaway that separates Wisconsin and Minnesota. From here, the racing is fast, beautiful and easy to see. There is plenty of excitement too, as a Thanksgiving weekend event usually kicks off the ISOC National Snocross racing season. More info: www.snocross.com

This ranking may come as a surprise to some people, but not to anyone on the oval circuit, or anyone from Michigan for that matter. The Soo I-500 is an incredible racing venue, and it keeps getting better. Simply watching the size, length, and scope of this oval race is like nothing else, but the town also goes out of its way to make all spectators and teams welcome. “Seeing the track lit up at night is just something I like to share,” said Soo I-500 Chairman Ric Federau. More info: www.i-500.com

The granddaddy of all snowmobile racing venues could be first on any list, but it is always so dang cold! Joking, somewhat. But this track might have more heated VIP boxes than Green Bay’s Lambeau Field! The large indoor vendor area, restaurant and bar gives spectators a chance to warm up, and the CTV system is constantly running the racing. More records and snowmobile racing history have been made here than arguably anywhere else in the U.S. More info: www.derbytrack.com

If you’ve never had a chance to experience the wild and rowdy hillclimbs here, we suggest you go at least once in your life. You can get super close to all the action, either on the chairlift or alongside the uphill race course (if you’ve got the legs to climb around the mountain a bit). You can’t miss the action of the “hillclimb help”, they risk life and limb to save runaway sleds as they often tumble back down the hill. The town of Jackson makes this center stage all weekend! More info: www.rmsha.net

You should definitely check out the quaint Canadian town that has almost undoubtedly claimed to be the birthplace of the snowmobile. Championship oval racing and snocross, family games, entertainment and more are all part of this three-day event. Ski-Doo is based in Valcourt and obviously has a big influence on the event, and  that type of solid involvement makes this event one of the best races to attend. There’s snocross and oval and more kinds of racing. If you don’t know French, maybe learn a little before you go! More info: www.grandprixvalcourt.com

For this event, listen to Lloyd Christmas and make sure you bring your Samsonite packed with plenty of extra gloves and camera gear … as well as some extra cash, because Aspen ain’t cheap! Since 2002, this January event has taken over this beautiful, highly affluent town that sits at 7,908 feet  above sea level. Over  the years, we have seen  snocross, freestyle, speed and style, long jump, adaptive snocross and more events packed into one weekend. There has been a lot of tragedy and triumph at this event every year since inception. This year, there will be snocross and adaptive snocross, as well as freestyle and snow bike racing. More info: www.xgames.espn.com

Every year, the little town of Oconto Falls gets pretty crazy for this weekend in mid-February. It is small-town America, and that’s what we like about it. There could be 50 more races like this on this list, but our Tech Editor, Olav Aaen, swears by this one. The drag racing is fast and furious, and the track is one of the best in the world for straightline snowmobile drag racing. The atmosphere is fantastic; if there’s one thing about Wisconsin Packer fans, it’s that these folks know how to have a pretty good time! More info: www.facebook.com/OcontoFallsWorldSeriesOfIceDrags

The culmination of the ISOC National Snocross season happens every year at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wis., and everyone who is anyone in the ISOC scene is usually there. The AmSnow crew goes every year, and we bring our families too! The mid-March weekend usually means slightly warmer conditions, so viewing the race is often done in a long-sleeve T-shirt, bibs and sunglasses. The resort is a full-service, grade-A place to stay, and many fans make a full weekend out of it. More info: www.snocross.com

We couldn’t have a Top 10 list without a little shameless self-promotion. The New York Shootout has been THE official event to kick off the actual snow season for the AmSnow and DynoTech Research team for many years. Our new location at the Ole Barn draws big names in the modified industry: Bikeman Performance, D&D Racing, Boyesen, BCM, Crank Shop, CJ Motorsports, Kurtz, Sports Unlimited, Sherlock Performance and more. Old school meets new school at this annual event with a revamped attitude and a professional track. It’s the only chance for the public to see what kind of performance numbers the newest stock sleds can get without any OEM interference. Plus, if there is snow, you can ride your sleds right to this event from the trail! More info: www.AmSnow.com

This is where so many snocross legends started, where Toni Haikonen, Blair Morgan and many more first got a taste of the spotlight. It is also a great place to watch a race, and it’s basically in Senior Editor Ross Halvorson’s backyard. There’s nothing better than getting to see the best of the best right near Minneapolis. More info: www.snocross.com