Get your motor running for SnoCross - East Idaho News
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Get your motor running for SnoCross

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DRIGGS — Earlier this month, Intermountain SnoCross snowmobile racing arrived in Driggs.

“It’s similar to a motocross track, but built out of snow,” local Bob Tomb explains. “This track I built was about a half mile long with jumps, table tops, some whoops, and a big table top start.”

Tomb says it took about 30 hours to prepare the course, which was for youth ranging from four years old to 17 to compete in the event.

“I bought a piston bully 240 snow groomer and got after it,” Tomb says. “I built it first for my son to practice, then we spent 8 hours changing it so it would be a fair course.”

Tomb’s son, Garrett, is now 11. He’s been racing since he was four, and is even sponsored by Skidoo.

“Some of our kids, my son included, will go to national events,” Tomb says. “There’s an official association, we follow international snow mobile racing rules.”

The more than 23 page rulebook covers topics from restrictions to the snow machine to what protective gear racers must wear to the size of the race track.

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14 racers get their downhill start in the 120 heat. | Bob Tomb

“It’s over 30 feet wide, plenty safe for kids to pass,” Tomb said.

A lot of racing takes place, with kids qualifying for multiple entries each.

“There are two heats for each entry,” explains Tomb. “We tally the points the kids got, which decides basically where they will start in the final.”

Like all good races, there are prizes—but only at the end of the season.

“There’s 10 races over five weekends,” said Tomb. “Every weekend there are two races. The final one is in West Yellowstone.”

Driggs is one of those five stops. This year it had more than 40 racers from Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and even Colorado.

“It’s catching on like wild fire,” Tomb says with enthusiasm. “Snocross is an old sport. It’s been around a long time. Everyone that was running it before, their kids grew up and they kind of dropped it and we have decided to pick it back up. Hopefully this association will stay alive.”

This week’s race will take place in Alpine, Wyoming.

“Sunday will include vintage oval racing,” Tomb said. “Only snow machines 1984 and older. These guys come from everywhere. They bring out the old iron and race in circles.”

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Craig Green waves the checkered flag during a heat. | Bob Tomb

Although the racing can get competitive, Tomb does not get caught up in that.

“The main things it gives our kids something to do other than sit on the couch and watch TV or play video games,” he says. “It takes a village to raise a child, and this is a pretty good village to do that.”

For more information about the Intermountain SnoCross Association, visit www.imrsnocross.com.

This article was originally published in the Teton Valley News. It is used here with permission.

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