The five-race series of the New England X Country Racing snowmobile championships ended Saturday with the Long Lake 100 in Sinclair.
Record crowds turned out to see the last race, organizers said. To add to the excitement, the Northern Maine Ice Busters, a Sinclair-based group that has won multiple ice carousel world records, created a spinning disc on the ice.
This racing season was the first to be coordinated by North Star Motorsports, an Aroostook nonprofit that absorbed New England XC Racing last year. Besides offering a new kind of winter entertainment, the races provide an economic boon to the area. Racers come from across Maine, New England and beyond, and their entourages and spectators boost hotels, restaurants and other local businesses, series officials said.
“Our circuit has been known to book out every single available Airbnb and hotel in a given area,” NEXC Production Manager Chris Carroll said Monday. “Because we race in more remote areas, this is a disproportionately large impact.”
The Long Lake 100 was the final event in the series, with other races being held in January in Presque Isle and Morgan, Vermont, and in February in Greenville and Lincoln.
One thing that stood out to Carroll was the number of youth racers, or mini racers, who participated. The racing group has classes for all ages and abilities, from beginner to pro, and hopes to inspire new generations to adopt the sport.
He estimated Saturday’s attendance at 750 to 1,000 people, which is a record for the series.
“We were blown away by the community support for our fifth and final race of the 2026 season,” he said. “The Long Lake 100 was also our biggest race of the year, bringing in 112 unique racers and 202 race entries.”
The races have grown a significant following this season, thanks in part to local promoters in Vermont and throughout Maine, Carroll said.
Last year the races were in danger of not happening because the previous leaders stepped back, he said. Then North Star Motorsports, owned and operated by Buddy Collins, took over the organization in the fall. Because NEXC is a nonprofit, proceeds go back into growing the organization.
While North Star had participated in some of the racing before, this was its first year running the entire circuit.
“The Long Lake 100 was an absolute banger,” Collins said Sunday on social media. “The racing was on fire all day long.”
Collins thanked numerous people for their support, including volunteers, first responders, safety workers and law enforcement, as well as the Northern Maine Ice Busters for their participation.
Saturday featured a 5.5 mile course. The day’s fastest lap was 4:17, set by Lessard, Carroll said.
Race results included the following:
Pro Improved, 1st, Lessard; 2nd, Eric Gleich; 3rd, Dylan Thompson.
Pro Stock, 1st, Lessard; 2nd, Thompson; 3rd, Gleich.
Semi-Pro Improved: 1st, Cameron Young; 2nd, Buddy Collins; 3rd, Mark Moore.
Semi-Pro Stock: 1st, Collins; 2nd, Bailey Slocum; 3rd, Young.
Pro Women: 1st, Molly Nichols; 2nd, Madden Fuller; 3rd, Charly-Rae Collins.
Novice Women: 1st, Charlotte Lilley; 2nd, Kilyn Bonville; 3rd, Via Edgecomb.
Sport Improved: 1st, KJ Payson; 2nd, Whitney Robinson; 3rd, Padrick McGuire.
Sport Stock: 1st, Payson; 2nd, Brennan Comeau; 3rd, Russ Drost.
SOO: 1st, Young; 2nd, Robinson; 3rd, Jason Bonville.
Masters: 1st, Chris Craig; 2nd, Dan Edgecomb; 3rd, Joel Carvell.
Classics: 1st, Matthew Hanscome; 2nd, Klay Stevens; 3rd, Chad Jones.
Junior 14-17: 1st, Luke McQuade; 2nd, Carson Howes; 3rd, Madden Fuller.
Junior 10-13: 1st, Kenzie Harringon; 2nd, Lydia Bonville; 3rd, James Collins.
Three racers achieved perfect scores for the season, never losing a race throughout the entire circuit: Pro racer Remington Lessard in the Pro Stock class, Charlotte Lilley in the Novice Women’s Class and Chris Craig in the Classics Class, Carroll said.
Racers travel at close to 100 miles an hour, he said. For that reason, emergency medical services and first responders attend every race, and spotters keep an eye out for any equipment breakdowns.
Carroll said he couldn’t have been happier with Saturday’s race, which went smoothly and saw few mechanical problems.
“We had no injuries on course and only a few breakdowns, which is very rare,” he said. “With racers traveling close to 100 miles an hour as they came through the crowd area, the energy was exciting all day.”