Racing teams and fans from around the country will converge on Eagle River this week to witness the 62nd running of the World Championship Snowmobile Derby, with ice conditions in pristine condition ahead of racing that will take place Thursday, Jan. 16, until Sunday, Jan. 19.
Tabbed as the “Indianapolis 500” of snowmobile racing, marquee names are set to return to the half-mile track in an attempt to etch their names in history as the 62nd World Champion this week.
Tens of thousands of fans can expect high-speed, competitive racing throughout a variety of classes on a surface that Tom Anderson, CEO and Owner of the Derby Complex, said is the best he’s seen in recent years of the event.
Ski-doo rider Matt Goede is the reigning champion of the world championship Formula III class and is looking to make it three consecutive championships since Blaine Stephenson did it when he piloted his No.102 Polaris to a record four straight championships from 2018-21.
Stephenson and another fan-favorite, Gunnar Sterne, will also make their way back to Eagle River.
A limited amount of hot seat tickets remain available, which will be $215 online for the Championship weekend.
Fans can also purchase super tickets, which are admission to every day of racing throughout the weekend and are $95 online.
Single-day general admission tickets are also available online or can be purchased at the door.
Racing doesn’t officially start until Friday, but paid practice will take place starting tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 16, from 12 to 3 p.m. Gates officially open at 8 a.m. along with registration, safety tech and pit pass sales.
Gates reopen Friday, Jan. 17, starting at 9:15 which will be followed by a drivers meeting for every class.
World Championship time trials will kick things off Friday starting at 10:30 a.m. and will be followed by three heats of the USSA Pro Champ ProStar Cup class. Two other rounds of heats will take place throughout the day before a last-chance qualifier race for the Pro Champs will run as the second-to-last race of the afternoon.
Friday Night Thunder, a fan-favorite of the Derby, will start with the opening ceremonies at 5:30 p.m., with racing beginning at 6 p.m.
The Pro champ class will run its 15-lap final, with an added $3,000 to the winning purse. Another highlight of the thunderous event is the WC Sweet 16 event. Other racing classes include the Big Bikes, USSA Outlaw 600, and a F-500 final.
Gates will reopen for racing at 9 a.m. Saturday with action on the track beginning at 9:30 a.m.
A mix of pro-lite, junior and women’s classes will dominate most of the morning before the WC class takes over the oval in the afternoon.
There will be two seven (7) lap heat races with a third optional, before quarterfinal and semifinal action. The day will conclude with the World Championship Pro Enduro time trials and last chance qualifier.
Championship Sunday will conclude the weekend with eight different classes hitting the oval starting at 10 a.m. The 62nd WC last-chance qualifier will be run between 11 and 11:30 a.m., with the top two finishers getting the back row positions in the World Championship race which will run at 1:30 p.m. Twenty-five laps later, one racer will be able to call themselves a world champion in the Formula III class.
Fans will want to stick around after that race as the 5th World Championship Pro Enduro will go around for a 130-lap final starting at 3:30 p.m. or earlier, depending on the finishing time of the Formula III race.
For more information on tickets, race schedules and classes, visit the WCDC website at https://derbycomplex.com/.
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