Island Park Oldies Snowmobile Race brings classic racing back to east Idaho

ISLAND PARK — Four dedicated snowmobile enthusiasts are bringing back the thrill of snowmobile racing with the inaugural Island Park Oldies Snowmobile Race on Friday, Feb. 21, to Saturday, Feb. 22. The event aims to unite seasoned riders, fans, and the Island Park community to celebrate classic winter snowmobile racing.

Self-described “oldies,” event organizer Jason Smoot and local businessmen Kevin Phillips, David Yuskewich, and Justin Pyne have worked together to secure sponsors and coordinate the event’s details. Even “Old Man Winter” helped out by providing great snow.

The 25-mile cross-country loop, which features men’s, women’s, and co-ed classes, starts and ends at Lakeside Lodge. Lakeside is a great place for spectators and racers to gather and stay warm while enjoying good food, drinks, live music and raffles.

Smoot, from Pocatello, is a well-known snowmobile and dirt bike racer in east Idaho with an extensive collection of trophies and other awards to prove it.

“I’ve been racing snowmobiles and dirt bikes since 1978. I wanted to do something to give back to the sport that’s given so much to me. That’s why I initiated this race on a course never done before,” said Smoot. “We’re targeting the grassroots people to come and enjoy snow machining with like-minded people.”

Following the “oldies” theme, race classes are determined by the combined ages of team members. Three-person teams compete in the under-150 or over-150 age class, while co-ed two-person teams are divided into under-100 and over-100 categories.

While racers can sign up for the races at Lakeside Lodge on Friday from 2 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8 to 9:30 a.m., they’re encouraged to come on Friday and pre-ride the course. All racers must have current insurance and registration.

Main sponsors for the race include Mountain Mayhem, Lakeside Lodge, Pocatello PowerSports, and Hardrock50 Cabin Rentals, which offers discounted lodging for the event.

While Smoot admits it has been challenging to manage the details of the event, such as insurance, permits from the Caribou-Targhee National Forest Service, permission from private land owners, and the logistics of laying out a 25-mile loop, he hopes to grow the race into an annual event that gets better each year.

“We’ve had a great response from local sponsors and learned a lot. We hope to eventually get recognized and picked up by big-name sponsors to help us like Polaris, Ski-Doo, or Arctic Cat,” said Smoot. “There’s nothing like this around.”

All custom trophies and awards, including a commemorative first-place belt buckle for the inaugural Island Park Oldies Snowmobile Race, are complete.

“We want to bring back the thrill of snowmobile racing with a competitive edge,” said Smoot. “World-class snowmobiling is right here in Island Park. The trails have been groomed, and they’re ready to go. They’re really, really good.”

For more information on the race or to contact the organizers, see the Island Park Oldies Snowmobile Race Facebook Page.