Mid America Snow and Terrain Expert Racers Hillclimb: Where Snowmobilers Race for the Sky

Put a little excitement in your life with a trip to the UP of Michigan where the Mid America Snow and Terrain Expert Racers (MASTERS) racing circuit springs to life with several snowmobile hillclimb competitions.

The season kicks off with a new form of racing that the MASTERS introduced two years ago. It’s called Terra-X, which is a cross between snocross and cross-country. The 1-mile course has sharp turns, jumps, and woops.  It’s perfect for the hardcore trail rider!

The Terra-X racers run by themselves, with the three fastest times in the different classes advancing to a two-sled Semi-Final and the Final.

The MASTERS also runs a 1999 and older 500cc “Shoot-out,” where all the sleds compete for a taxing half hour.

If you’ve never been to a MASTERS Hillclimb, you’re in for a treat. The racers compete in different classes depending on the machine and the rider’s experience. There’s even a children’s division. The hillclimbs have Pro Stock, Pro Mod, Women’s, and Children’s classes as well as snow bikes.

Riders have to muscle their sleds up a steep and challenging route. Many riders don’t make the summit, with some falling off and their sleds tumbling hundreds of feet down the hill.

The best of the best advance to the World Championship Snowmobile Hill Climb in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The events attract enthusiasts with their eyes on the sky as they cheer on their favorite racer. Brrraaaapppp is the sound ringing in your ears for days afterward. Dress for the temperature and wind chill; sunglasses and a lawn chair are also recommended. If you wish, you can watch from the warmth of your vehicle with the PA announcing coming over your FM radio.

Admission to Terra-X is $5 to the North Country Snowmobile Club as a fundraiser. The Hillclimbs are $10 at the gate for admission, $10 for parking.  Children 6 and under admitted free.

Here’s the winter 2021 schedule (be sure to check masterracing.net for the latest updates, as snow conditions may result in a postponement):

January 9 – North Country Snowmobile Club Terra-X, Ontonagon, MI.

February 6 – Mid America Championship Hillclimb (MACH), Wheakate Bluff, South Range, MI.

February 27 – Ojibwa Casino Winternationals Snowmobile/Snow Bike Hillclimb, Wheakate Bluff, South Range, MI

March 27 – Race of Champions Snow Drags, site to be determined. This race will be the tiebreaker for the 2019 Top Gun Champion and the 2020 Top Gun Champion.