Twenty five snowmobilers line up ski-to-ski, ready to do what it takes to get the whole shot. 

For Minnesotans who love vintage sleds, the Ditchbanger Nationals is a vintage snowmobile race in Elk River, Minnesota, which takes place on February 24, 2024. 

This annual race is for everyone who has a snowmobile, qualifies and has the money to join. If the $110 per class fee is too much, spectators can watch the race for $20 per person.

With a mix of professional and amateur riders, it’s a fun race to watch. People come to see their favorite vintage snowmobiles  – from Polaris XLT’s, to Arctic Cat ZR’s, to SkiDoo MXZ’s: they can even see their favorite racers in the professional class.

For people who want to try racing for the first time, this is the chance for beginners because there are no jumps. Experienced racers in the novice class can also participate, just cornering and a sweet trophy if they win. The requirements for snowmobiles is that they can’t have a rider forward chassis, so anything before the year 2000 is usually ok (with some exceptions).

There are different rules for the Ditchbanger Nationals. Riders must be at least 14 years of age, have a race number on the side of their snowmobile, a helmet with eye protection, and also need a TekVest with leather boots. 

The snowmobile itself needs to meet some requirements such as a safety tether switch; if a rider falls off, their snowmobile will automatically shut down. They also need a regular kill switch to shut it off at any given moment. Snowmobiles can get damaged because there are so many riders on the track, but if rider takes all the precautions and keeps an eye out, their machine will be fine. 

Those are the physical things people need to race, but one of the most important attributes to success is confidence. Riders should stay calm and focused. There is always a possibility someone will get hurt, but it’s easy to prevent, and if all of this seems like too much, then people can just watch in the stands.