For immediate release

GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. (December 28, 2005) — Snocross will return to Crested Butte, Colo., for the seventh year and offer heart-pumping action on Feb. 11 - 12, 2006.  Racers from the western United States will compete for prizes and cash in this Mountain States Snowmobile Racing (MSSR) event that is coordinated by Gunnison County Sno-Trackers.

On both Feb. 11 and 12, the qualifying rounds kick off at 9 a.m., with races to follow at 10 a.m. at the Crested Butte Town Ranch.  In all, spectators can enjoy more than 50 races and five hours of excitement over the course of this two-day event.  Admission to the races is free.

Snocross is today’s most popular form of snowmobile racing with its high-flying aerial displays and short-track, which makes it both spectator and television friendly. A Snocross track features tight turns, banked corners and a variety of bumps allowing racers to catch "big air" in full view of spectators.

MSSR offers race classes for all ages and skill levels from four years old and up.  The four Pro categories include Pro Open (up to 800cc liquid-cooled machines), Pro Stock (440cc), Pro Am Women (600cc), and Pro Am Plus 35 (600cc).  In the Semi-Pro category, there will be Open, Performance and Stock classes with machines ranging from 500 cc to 800 cc. 

The Sports class will have four categories: Open, Performance, Stock and Stock Fan.  Three Novice and two Women’s classes also will race.  The Junior class will feature racers between the ages of 10 and 16, while the 120 class is open to children ages 4 – 12. 

Bring your snowmobile and get in on the excitement!  Racers and non-racers alike can enjoy more than 55 miles of groomed and marked trails and 170 miles of single-track in Gunnison-Crested Butte.  For the advanced snowmobiler, try riding the area’s bottomless powder fields, many at 10,000 feet or higher. 

For more information about Crested Butte’s SnoCross or to register for the event, visit www.mssrracing.com, call MSSR Race Director Phil Vallem at (970) 326-7305 or call Phil Chamberland of Gunnison County Sno-Trackers at (970) 349-5398.

Location of Gunnison-Crested Butte Snowmobile Trails

Kebler Parking Area: >From Gunnison, go north 28 miles, on Highway 135 to Crested Butte. Go straight at the three-way stop in Crested Butte to the next left. This is the first left at the gas station. This is County Road 12, also known as Whiterock Avenue. Follow County Road 12 about 3 miles to the parking area.

Ohio Pass Parking Area: >From Gunnison, go north about 4 miles and make a left on Ohio Creek Road. Follow Ohio Creek Road about 12 miles, then take the left at the “Y” in the road. The trail head is about 4 miles ahead.  There is limited parking at this trail head.

Erickson Springs Trail Head: From Paonia, take Highway 133 about 15 miles to County Road 12. Take County Road 12 south about 12 miles to the Trail Head.

To check trail reports, visit www.coloradosledcity.com.

Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages

Enjoy several other great events in Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte the same weekend as Snocross.  

Feb. 10 – 11      NCAA/ Rocky Mountain Division Nordic & Alpine Racing, Crested Butte Nordic Center & Crested Butte Mountain Resort

Feb. 10 – 19      Romance in the Rockies - Fun Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Week

• Feb. 10 – 19 - Gunnison Open Art Show, Gunnison Arts Center
•  Feb. 10 – 19 - Hospice Hearts, Silent Auction at the Gunnison Arts Center
• Feb. 11 - Mini Psychic Fair, The Secret Stash, Crested Butte, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Feb. 11 - Beginning Tarot Workshop, 300 Belleview Suite C3, Crested Butte, 4 p.m.
• Feb. 11 - Magic Moments by Crested Butte Music Festival and Crested Butte Mountain Theatre, Crested Butte Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m.
• Feb. 11 - Sweet Hearts Dance, Gunnison Elks Lodge, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Feb. 12             Life-Link/Dynafit Randonnee Rally - Crested Butte Mountain Resort

To find out more about Gunnison-Crested Butte’s calendar of events or to book personalized vacation packages, call the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association’s official reservations center at (800) 814-8893 or visit www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com.  The Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport is served year-round by United Airlines and during the winter season by American Airlines. 

About Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado

Gunnison-Crested Butte is nestled among almost two million acres of pristine wilderness in southwest Colorado.  Winter sports enthusiasts know the area for its world-class alpine skiing and snowboarding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing.  Gunnison-Crested Butte is also a haven for outdoor summer activities.  In the warmer months, visitors can choose from recreational activities such as hiking, climbing, mountain biking, boating, whitewater rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing, camping and horseback riding.  Year-round visitors enjoy distinctive restaurants, unique shops and stimulating cultural opportunities, and have a wide range of lodging options — from rustic inns to guest cabins and bed-and-breakfasts to full-service resort hotels. 

Recognized as the “Official Wildflower Capital of Colorado” by the Colorado Legislature, Crested Butte is the site of rich mining, ranching and skiing heritage and home to the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and Crested Butte Academy, a private college preparatory boarding and day school with special emphasis on world-class alpine, snowboarding and high altitude distance running programs.  Gunnison, a real western town, is home to the beautiful, high-country campus of Western State College, a four-year institution offering 22 majors in the liberal arts and sciences and professional fields, and the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport.  Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities.  Both Crested Butte and Gunnison are celebrating 125^th anniversaries in 2005.

In Gunnison County, visitors will find the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where dinosaur fossils were recently discovered; the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado's largest body of water and home to the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States; and The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of our country's newest national parks.  Gunnison County includes the quaint and historic towns of Pitkin, Gothic, Tin Cup, Marble, Powderhorn, Almont and Crystal, plus the better-known communities of Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte.

 

[###]