For the 42nd year in a row, the area just southwest of the campus of Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie will be busy this weekend with the roar of snowmobiles and the cheers of spectators during the I-500 snowmobile race.

Rather than snow, the track is actually primarily made of ice, according to co-chairman of the I- 500 board Ric Federau. For the past two weeks, Mr. Federau said, 10,000-gallon tanker trucks have been supplying the track with about 1.5 million gallons of water to form what is now a 10-inch-thick ice track.

"Track conditions are excellent," he said. "People are under the impression that we run this thing on snow. Snow is actually not important. The freeze is more important."

The consistent supply of water over the past weeks, the periodic thaw experienced in the region, and the recent cold temperatures have worked to the advantage of organizers, Mr. Federau said, providing good, thick ice for the race, which first opened for practice runs Tuesday, February 2.

About 22 racing teams from across the country had already arrived in Sault Ste. Marie for the race by Monday, February 1, and Mr. Federau said more would be coming. Race organizers look to qualify up to 40 teams, he said, and if they get at least 35 sleds in the race it is a good year.

"Most of the teams come from the Midwest," Mr. Federau said. "They are coming from as far away as Alaska, North Dakota, one driver is coming all the way up from South Carolina. It's pretty versatile."

More than 200 volunteers organize and run the event every year, something he said the race owes much of its success to.

"That in itself is really amazing to me," Mr. Federau said, "that these same people come back every year to make something like this happen."

The economic recession hitting the nation and Michigan in particular has not negatively affected the race in recent years, he said. Mild winters like this year's have actually drawn more snowmobile enthusiasts from downstate to attend the race and ride in the Upper Peninsula.

"Snowmobilers chase snow," he said. "That's the bottom line."

Organizers expect between 8,000 and 12,000 spectators this year, based on the estimated 8,000- some who attended last year's race. Depending on how many entrants the race gets, organizers estimate the purse for the I-500 winner to be between $30,000 and $40,000, Mr. Federau said.

A $15 admission fee buys spectators a button that allows access both to the 500-mile I-500 snowmobile race and the sno-cross races. The sno-cross races, a newer phenomenon in snowmobile racing, focus on maneuvering the machines over a series of moguls and jumps.

Another feature of the I-500, he said, is that the track is the only onemile oval track in North America, while most are shorter tracks.

"If you've never been up here for this," Mr. Federau said, "you have got to come see it."

Qualifying sessions will run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, February 3, and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, February 4. A rookie round-up race will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, followed by a 40-lap pro-am race at 7:30 p.m., in which amateur drivers complete the first 20 laps and professional drivers take the last 20 laps. Thursday evening will finish with a pub crawl in downtown Sault Ste. Marie.

Events Friday, February 5, include a "Meet the Drivers" event from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Walmart and the Kids Mini Z Races at 7:30 p.m. at the I-500 track upper-level parking lot, when children up to 12 years old, for a $10 entry fee, can compete in kitty cat, stock 120, and modified 120 divisions.

On Saturday, February 6, the I- 500 race will begin at 10 a.m. and sno-cross races will run on both Saturday and Sunday. A vintage snowmobile display, food, vendors, and a beer tent for spectators 21 and older will all be open during the race Saturday.

Following this year's race, the track will be used Monday, February 15, as the starting point for the MichCanSka (a combination of Michigan, Canada, and Alaska) 4,440-mile trip from Sault Ste. Marie to Tok, Alaska, to raise money for diabetes research. Mayor John Rowswell of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and Mayor Anthony Bosbous of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, will both wave the green starting flag for the I-500 race at 10 a.m. Saturday, February 6.

"That is a great honor to have them both start the race," Mr. Federau said. "It kind of brings the community into it."

For a full schedule of events at the I-500 race, see the advertisement on page 6 in this issue of The St. Ignace News.