Snocross Races Return; Williamstown Man Rides for His Brother
 East Coast Snocross returns to North Adams this weekend with bigger purses and more activities. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Chad Luczynski knows cold.
The former professional snowmobile racer and Winter X Games participant would rather see a forecast like last year's heading into this weekend's second annual East Coast Snocross event at its new course dubbed "The River's Edge" at The Range on Curran Highway.
"I'm kind of bumming," Luczynski said on Thursday. "Last year, it was 40, 50 degrees.
Not that he hasn't raced in temperatures in the 45-below zone before.
"[The cold] is a little bit of a problem. When you're racing, you tend to wear light gloves and light clothing so you can move around more."
But racing will keep him warm as he take to the track again this year in honor of his late brother, Matt Luczynski.
"I'm basically racing in the name of my brother," Luczynski said, noting that Matt won a bronze medal at the X Games.
But he does feel sorry for "the people who work the track and have to stand around all day in that stuff."
"That stuff" will include seasonal temperatures and snow on Saturday but a high of 8 with winds up to 35 mph on Sunday, the second of two full days of racing.
North Adams is the sixth of nine stops on the ECS circuit.
Gates open at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday with finals contested each day shortly after 3:30 p.m. Admission is $15 per day for adults or $25 for a weekend pass. Children under 7 are admitted free with a paying adult. Pit passes for the weekend are an additional $10.
Points and prize money will be on the line in the Pro and Pro Lite divisions, and racing will include competition in the Sport, Women's, Junior and Trail classes as well as a 120cc program for children aged 6 to 10.
Some $2,000 has been added to the Pro and Pro Lite purses and pro riders will battle for an additional $600 per day ($300 to win, $200 for second and $100 for third), while Pro Lite racers will go ski-to-ski for an extra $400 ($200 to win, $125 for second and $75 for third). Organizers are sure this boost in purses will ignite plenty of intense competition in North Adams; on the other side, ticket prices were reduced to make the event more afford
The event was considered a rousing success last year but now, with new local ownership under Kurt Gagne of Clarksburg, organizers say it will be even better with a focus not only on challenging racing but on entertainment.
Both participation and spectators are expected to top last year's event — despite the frigid cold. Organizers say better access for the crowds was considered when laying out the course. There will also be a warming tent and plenty of hot cocoa and beer, and local food vendors including Mingo's Sports Bar & Grill, to help beat the chill.
Industry and local vendors will also be represented, such as Carr Hardware and South Side Sales and Service, as well as booths for non-profits like Pop Cares. Lucky spectators may also get a chance to ride the course with one of the racers.
Racers were expected to start arriving Thursday through Saturday night with practice runs on Friday. Racers include fourtime Pro Open champion Danny Poirier and the Pro Lite class will include riders like Vermont veteran Wade Acker and "redhot rookie" Cody Paolella.
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The pros may be fun to watch — and they bring in lots of fans — but the event will also offer local riders like Luczynski a chance to compete. They, too, are expected to bring their own cheering sections.
Luczynski won his share of purses in the eight years he competed on a sled in the winter and a four-wheeler in the summer.
He gave up that life about eight years ago, a decision that was driven by the danger that accompanies the excitement of racing.
"I was never seriously injured like everyone else [in the sport]," Luczynski said. "... It was a hard choice, and I definitely miss it every day."
Luczynski, who lives in Williamstown, was glad the ECS initiated an event last year, giving him the opportunity to get back on the course.
It also gave him a chance to race for Matt, also a retired professional snowmobiler, who died in November 2012 at age 28.
"Last year, I raced for him, and it turned out really good. My cousin set up a booth at the race, and we had T-shirts that we were were selling to support a scholarship in Matt's name. The announcer said a few words about him when I went out on the course."
And on that course, Chad Luczynski scored a third-place finish in Saturday's Plus 25 division, a fourth-place finish in the same division on Sunday and a second place in the 30 Stock Pro Am.
"I'm out there for the fun of it," he said. "I'm still competitive by nature, but I'm just out there for the fun of it and to honor my brother.
"I kind of want to make this an annual thing, to do a race every year for my brother. It's something I needed to do personally.
"I needed that competitiveness back in my life. It's been a rough few years ... getting on the track, you kind of forget about everything else."
Tags: outdoors, snocross, snowmobiles,
