The weekend of January 29-30, 2005 saw the MIRA Snowmobile Racing circuit come to Sault Ste. Marie for the first annual Runway Park 250 on the newly made half-mile ice oval. In the 250 lap event Sunday Ski-Doo picked up it’s first ever victory in the MIRA series as the number 21 sled driven by Jeff Leuenberger and Greg Rugland. Rounding out the top five were Grant Vermeersch and Tim Leto on the number 12 Polaris, the number sixteen Polaris sled of Corey Davidson, Justin Winter on the number 63 Arctic Cat and Joe Burch and Mike Haynes on the number 30 Polaris. As for the local contenders George Wilson teamed up with Joel Diamond on the 02 Yamaha for an eighth place finish, Terry Wright and Kraig Karlash came in tenth while Ted Ritchie Jr. and Henry Sabourn came in tweveth. The defending I-500 winning team of John Hoos, Matt Hoos and Corey Furkey came in seventeenth place after breaking early in the event. Saturday sprint event winners included Dan Avery in both the Sportsman 500 and Sportsman 600, in the 600 Fan class Jim Kirts, Derek Coerow taking the Junior divison, Adam Meihls captured the Stock 500 Pro crown, Jeff Longton in the Champ class, Todd Krikke taking the win in Stock 600 Pro, the Sportsmen Enduro going to Isaac Wolfgang, Joel Diamond winning the Pro/Am Enduro and Echo Bay’s Antero Taruudd winning in the Open Category.

Written By Lucas Punkari