The Warriors of Winter Return to Boonville
By Ed Welsh

 Last Monday while the rain was pouring down and the historic Boonville Racetrack was under a substantial amount of water, Kevin Chambers and the entire Boonville Snow Festival committee were all concerned that months of preparation and hard work would be washed away. When I spoke with Kevin, he said that the area around Turn 4 was under about 18 inches of water earlier in the week. However, by Thursday, General Winter reported on time for duty with sub zero temperatures and by Friday morning the track was once again ready for racing with about 10 inches of ice left on its surface. The cold weather reversed dampened spirits and by Friday night the 4th Annual Boonville Snow Festival was well underway with many homes and businesses lit up with Holiday lights leading the way for the annual torchlight parade. This years parade was led by Parade Marshall Betty Haig of Constableville followed by a Majestic Fireworks show to cap off the evening. When Friday evenings festivities ended, Dave Algers track crew went to work and spread over 60,000 gallons of water on the racing surface in below zero temperatures to ready it for Saturday.

On Saturday morning over 300 Northern New York Vintage Snowmobile Racers led by Ed Stabb and his crew started the weekend of racing. This years field was quite large with racers coming from all over the Snow Belt and the Midwest to race on the historic Boonville track. One racer I spoke with summed up the sentiments of many racers. He was Dave Newman from Oak Grove, Minnesota. Dave was driving a 1980 Arctic Cat Sno Pro racer decked out with Steve Thorsen livery. He told me that he was very humbled and honored to race at Boonville. Dave went on to express his thanks to the committee and the community for bringing the races back.

During Saturday I watched an assembly line of sleds make there way to the track for each drivers turn to race. The race itself was well organized and things ran smooth. By 3:30pm we were ready for the Vintage Adirondack Cup. The starting field of 12 qualified for the 8 lap race. It was a rogues gallery of hot vintage iron. The usual suspects were there. Mercury Snow Twisters, Yamaha GPXs and SRs as well as Rupp Nitros rounded out the field. After introductions, the race began and featured two red flags that stopped the action on laps two and four. During the red flag delays, race crews scampered about, fueling the sleds and commiserating with the drivers. Time wise, this race was the longest in the four years of the Festival and only 7 sleds finished as the cold temperatures took its toll on the old iron. At the end, the 2010 Vintage Adirondack Cup winner was 41 year old Sean Wood from Spencer, Massachusetts aboard his Sno Pro Rupp Nitro. After the races, the track crew once again went to work in sub zero temperatures watering the track surface in preparation for Sundays Pro Races. 

Sunday arrived with slightly warmer temperatures in the low teens but a very stiff breeze. The threat of lake effect snow was in the air when the Eastern Division Pro Tour led by Marcel Fontain took to the track. These racers are the best in the world. The circuit is comprised of Canadian and American racers from the Northeastern parts of the US and Canada. One of the best features of this Division is its ability to nurture young racers as well as provide the spectators with world champions and record holding racers. The competition was keen all day with a mix of local racers and their Canadian counterparts mixing it up on the fast ice surface. Local racers like Dave and Anthony Pettinelli from Rome, NY and Boonvilles own Mike Platt to name a few, mixed it up with up and coming stars like Mason Hamilton from Diamond Point, NY and  Dustin Gerhke from Morrisonville, NY . But all eyes were on the 57 year old four time World Champion and 2 time Defending Pro Adirondack Cup Champion Jacques Villeneuve from St. Cuthbert, Quebec as he came out of the pits for qualifying heats. After winning his first two heats Villeneuve appeared unstoppable until the third heat when a mechanical failure sidelined the champions sled. That heat also featured a terrifying crash when the #66 sled piloted by Jason Lavaliee blew a track on the back straightaway at over 90 MPH. The blown track caused a loss of control as the sled and driver hit the hay bales in turn three. Jason was taken by ambulance to the hospital as the wreckage of his Ski Doo was towed off the field. Fortunately, Jason was not seriously hurt and will be OK. With Villeneuves DNF and Lavaliees crash many started to speculate who would win the 2010 Pro Adirondack Cup. 

At race time for the 2010 Pro Adirondack Cup, the large crowd huddled in subzero wind chill while eight of the worlds best Pro Champ drivers made their way on to the track. The Kings of the sport were assembling for introduction when the #96 Ski Doo, cured of mechanical malady, driven by Jacques Villeneuve entered the track waving to the cheering crowd. After introductions the race began and it was all Villeneuve. The master put on a driving clinic and actually lapped most of the field during the 11 lap race. In the end it was a jubilant Jacques Villeneuve winning his 3rd Pro Adirondack Cup race showing no signs that he will be retiring any time soon.

As the sun began to set on this years Boonville Snow Festival, a cold and happy crowd knew that the warriors of winter added another chapter to the history and legend of snowmobile racing in Boonville.

(Ed Welsh is an Oneida County legislator, host of Auto Talk on WIBX  radio, general manager of AAA New York and a veteran snowmobiler.)

Its fun for the whole family!  Mark your calendars for the 4th Annual Boonville Snow Festival on January 29, 30 and 31st at the Boonville Fairgrounds.

Vendors, Concessionaires and warming huts are available on the grounds. Bring your hand-held radio and listen to the action anywhere on the track. Snowmobile parking is available. 

Tickets are $10 for Saturday, $15 for Sunday and children 12 and under are FREE with an adult.  Those spectators who are interested in visiting the infield will need to purchase a Paddock Pass which will be available  at the main ticket gate for an additional $10.