Joliet's Route 66 Raceway hosts second pro snocross event Friday, Saturday

JOLIET – Joliet-area motorheads clamoring for the adrenaline-pumping engine noise and stadium atmosphere of a car race won’t have to wait until spring to fill their cravings.

The AMSOIL Championship Snocross national tour is returning Friday and Saturday to the Route 66 Raceway for its second run featuring the best snocross, or specialized snowmobile, racers in the world.

Chicago Speedway and AMSOIL Championship Snocross have been filling the drag strip at the Route 66 Raceway with snow for the past several weeks to get ready for the Hollywood Casino Snocross National, which is the last race before the snocross organization’s finale event at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

“I think it’s just a great escape,” Chicagoland Speedway President Scott Paddock said. “When you think about the winter, you’re looking for things to do, excuses to get out of the house. This is a great, affordable, family-focused event.”

Good first lap

Last year’s event, held Feb. 20 to 21, was the first time AMSOIL Championship Snocross ventured south of Lake Geneva. And while the first night of racing was cold, a milder second day featured a large turnout for the new event.

“Based on what we saw last year with the quality of the product, the feedback and how we were able to logistically operate, we said we’ve got to bring the event back for year two,” Paddock said.

Last year, children and adults, snocross enthusiasts and locals looking for entertainment were enamored with the experience filled with snowmobiles flying 60 feet in the air at the event.

Paddock expects this weekend’s event to attract more people through word-of-mouth and a favorable forecast.

“Any time you do outdoor events, the weather is a big unknown,” Paddock said. “It was incredibly challenging Friday evening [last year], and almost perfect Saturday. The weather seems to be looking good this year.”

Holding the event during the automobile racing off-season allows the administration to seize on an opportunity to stay relevant during winter, Paddock said.

Probably the only drawback to the event was that the snow didn’t melt fast enough in time for the drag racing season, Paddock said, adding that this year, AMSOIL Championship Snocross will pick help pick up the snow after the event.

New snocross market

AMSOIL Championship Snocross President Carl Schubitzke said the event was great for a first year.

“We moved the event back a few weeks to avoid the cold,” Schubitzke said. “We’ll hopefully get a good crowd.”

Schubitzke said the hosting organization of the event hopes to open up snocross to an untapped market by attracting those who love motor sports at the Chicagoland Speedway and those living close to Chicago and looking for an exciting winter sporting event.

“We think it’s a good market,” Schubitzke said. “It definitely has its difficulties, making the snow and everything like that, but in the end, it’s a good opportunity.”

Star racer Tucker Hibbert, who Paddock described as "the Michael Jordan of snocross," won the event last year and leads the field in total points this season.

“It’s just a really cool opportunity,” Hibbert said Monday of racing at the Route 66 Raceway. “It’s a little different venue setup with the track being built right on the drag strip.”

Hibbert said the track is tight and the close proximity to the fans makes it a unique venue.

“I’m a fan of a big, wide-open track,” Hibbert said. “But we have a good mix all season. This is definitely a good racetrack.”

Off-track activities

The event will feature a collection of family-oriented attractions.

Pit passes, purchased on-site, allow the public to get up close to riders and watch crews prepare snowmobiles. The Kids’ Zone includes test driving a youth-sized, 120cc snowmobile, and an appearance by Route 66 Raceway mascot Dash the Cheetah.

The Four Seasons Heating and Cooling Warm-Up Zone is a backstage pass where visitors can purchase merchandise and meet snocross stars, including Hibbert. Fans can also enjoy the autograph session with several athletes, including Joliet native Ian Buchman.

Tickets are available online at Route66Raceway.com.

“If you’re a motor-sport enthusiast, all the noise, the sound and feel of them racing in this venue, is amazing,” Schubitzke said.