SPRING BAY—The Manitoulin Snow Drags were back by popular demand after an excellent inaugural year, with the 2019 event drawing about 30 racers to the Spring Bay area for some high-octane action earlier this month.
This event was sponsored by the Manitoulin Island Dirt Riders Association (MIDRA), a group that put on two snowmobile drag races last year. Rob Cranston organized the event just as he had the previous year.
For just $20, racers could take part in a heat based on their engine size. Any extra races they wished to participate in were just $15. Admission to the drags was only five dollars for spectators and there were plenty of snacks and treats available for sale to help everyone keep warm. Fortunately, the deep freeze of the past few weeks had subsided and participants were treated to a balmy -4° Celsius day with the warm sunlight occasionally peeking through the clouds.
Each race could accommodate four snowmobiles at a time as they shot along a 660-foot packed snow track. There were 20 categories to accommodate sleds of all sizes and attributes.
For stock, non-studded sleds, there were 250cc, 340cc, 440cc and 800cc categories. Under the stock, studded sleds header, there were 500cc, 600cc, 700cc, 800cc and open categories.
In the improved category were 600cc, 700cc, 800cc, open and outlaw sections, and in the vintage sled group there were 500cc, 600cc, 700cc, 340 and under 300 categories.
After many hours of racing, 28 people had ranked among the top in their heats. The full results are as follows:
Stock, non-studded 250cc: Caleb Byers, first; Cade McCurdy, second.
Stock, non-studded 340cc: Dennis McCurdy, first; Josh Guenette, second; Ben Dewar, third.
Stock, non-studded 440cc: Dennis McCurdy, first; Cade McCoy, second.
Stock, non-studded 800cc: David Middaugh, first; Chris White, second.
Stock, studded 500cc: Alayna Cranston, first; Caleb Byers, second; Sammy Stoneypoint, third.
Stock, studded 600cc: Rob Cranston, first; Alayna Cranston, second; Freddy Roy, third.
Stock, studded 700cc: Greg Howson, first; Brooke Addison, second; Alayna Cranston, third; Cole Chisholm, fourth.
Stock, studded 800cc: Cheyenne Corbiere, first; Greg Howson, second; Freddy Roy, third.
Stock, studded open: Dan Amyull, first; Greg Howson, second; Cole Corbiere, third; Darren Dewar, fourth.
Kids: Ariella Lanktree, first; Lorne Middaugh, second.
Improved, 600cc: Josh Guenette, first; Brandon Croft, second; Alayna Cranston, third; Freddy Roy, fourth.
Improved, 700cc: Greg Howson, first; Brooke Addison, second; Josh Guenette, third; Brandon Croft, fourth.
Improved, 800cc: Cole Corbiere, first; Roman Roy, second; Cheyenne Corbiere, third; Dennis McCurdy, fourth.
Improved, open: Kevin Mossip, first; Digger Clark, second; Dan Amyull, third; Darren Dewar, fourth.
Improved, outlaw: Kevin Mossip, first; Dan Amyull, second; Roman Roy, third.
Vintage, 500cc: Alayna Cranston, first; Caleb Byers, second; Ben Dewar, third; Steven White, fourth.
Vintage, 600cc: Rob Cranston, first; Digger Clark, second; Bert Gagne, third; Alayna Cranston, fourth.
Vintage, 700cc: Cole Chisholm, first; Alayna Cranston, second; Eli Sloss, third.
Vintage, under 300: Alayna Cranston, first; Cade McCurdy, second; Caleb Byers, third; Steven White, fourth.
Vintage, 340: Dennis McCurdy, first; Brooke Addison, second; Alayna Cranston, third; Dennis McCurdy, fourth.
