On Saturday, around 500 people dressed in their best racing gear gathered outside the Centre de Loisirs des Draveurs, in Fort-Coulonge, for the 23rd annual Snowmobile Drag Racing event.

As loud motors roared, and colourful snowmobiles rolled at a frenetic pace, the races were certainly popular among snowmobile enthusiasts present, as crowds of people gathered around the track not wanting to miss a moment of the action.

With over 100 racers competing in 31 different classes, some coming all the way from New York and northern Ontario to participate in, the event provided all kinds of racers with opportunities to compete for the grand prize.

For the event’s main organizer Pierre Laporte, the races are always a great time to connect with the racers.

“I love meeting the people,” said Laporte. “I love seeing the kids, the families. I love seeing the movement. It’s all so precious to me.”

Having been a popular activity in the region for over 40 years, Laporte said it’s a no-brainer to host the event annually, as it gives people an opportunity to race and also a reason to congregate outside during the cold season.

“It’s an outdoor event, and we have a great place to do this,” said Laporte. “It’s not everywhere you get to race on a track.”

As much as the event has grown in the last 20 years, so have the motors and the competition, with many of the riders now being professional racers who compete at the highest level of the sport, according to Laporte.

“It’s much bigger,” said Laporte. “The machines are much more powerful. It’s totally evolved nowadays. People are rolling at 100-125 kilometres per hour… and these guys are professionals, they race all around the world. The competition is very high, it’s very competitive, because they all know each other. We have great prizes, people want to win.”

For Haley Reed, one of the riders who travelled all the way from New York to participate, the event was enjoyable as it gave her a chance, to race against quality competition in a foreign country.

“I like the hard surface on the ground,” said Reed. “And the competition with the other teammates. I know quite a few of them. I think they all travel together.”

In the adult divisions, the winner was awarded 80 per cent of the money from registration fees, while the runner-up got 20 per cent. For the kids, the champion and runners-up were both awarded with trophies.

All the remaining funds raised from the event go back to the arena for renovations and general upkeep, according to Laporte.

Racers and spectators take in the action, as they stand beside the track.

Around 500 people attended the event, with some travelling all the way from the United States to participate. Pictured, Haley Reed, a snowmobile racer from New York, takes off from the starting line, during one of her races

Over 100 racers competed in the event, in 31 seperate classes. Pictured, racer Eric Gauthier gives a thumbs up to his team as he prepares for take-off.

Pictured, the event’s main organizer and designer of the race track, Pierre Laporte stands beside the track.

Eric Gauthier rides alongside the track, following one of his races.

Register or subscribe to read this content

Thanks for stopping by! This article is available to readers who have created a free account or who subscribe to The Equity.

When you register for free with your email, you get access to a limited number of stories at no cost. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access to everything we publish—and directly support quality local journalism here in the Pontiac.

Register or Subscribe Today!