LINCOLN - Unseasonably mild weather dealt a blow to local businesses when it prompted the cancellation of Lincoln's annual 250 enduro snowmobile race last month.
Sanctioned by the Midwest International Racing Association, sponsored primarily by Michigan CAT, and originally scheduled for Feb. 25-26, the race was canceled on Jan. 21 because the weather was too warm to sustain a safe track for the snow machines. The event has become a staple of local commerce since its inception in the early 1970s, historically drawing thousands to Alcona Recreation Area's race track.
It is the event the track was built to accommodate, one that brought anywhere from 30 to 100 racers from Michigan, Ohio, Canada and throughout the region to the Village of Lincoln, and local business owners were disappointed to see it canceled this year.
"(Lack of) snow in general, being this town, has done damage to everybody," North Swamp owner Tom Michaud said. "Party store, restaurant, bar, it doesn't matter. It's done damage to all of us. So with the snowmobilers not coming into town, the party stores aren't getting the sales of the meats and the goodies and the bar and restaurants, they're not stopping in on their way in and out of town, so it's done a lot of damage."
He said he would miss the exposure local businesses would enjoy from sponsoring the event.
"We go in the paper with it, we hang posters along the fence line there so people can notice us and notice we're here," he said. "After hours we invite them to different restaurants for dinners, so it's another thing that's really impacted us."
Heidi Morang, another local restaurant owner, said businesses also will miss income from locals who would spend money to get in on the fun.
"It draws out the locals, sure," she said. "I'm sure (businesses) will hurt."
Event organizer Ken Manning said he has only canceled a race once since taking over responsibility for the event from the Lincoln Lions 16 years ago, but weather conditions left him no choice.
"The weekend of the Caro race, I talked to the MIRA president and told him it was just way too risky. Without the cold and the frost, there's just no way ... with really extreme conditions like this where the ground is just too warm now, the sun's up too high," he said. "Because the water is 55 degrees coming out of the ground, you try and build a race track, but you need at least 20 degree weather to run one water truck, otherwise it just keeps melting the ice you have."
Manning said the event impacts surrounding communities and used to bring crowds of 1,000 to 2,500 people in its heyday, but Michigan CAT already has committed to sponsoring it again next year.
"Actually it helps Alpena and Oscoda. We say it's the same area, because of the hotels and motels where people stay," he said. "It's brought a lot of people to town every year, and a lot of people have actually ended up buying cabins on Hubbard Lake, and hunting camps they've bought just from coming up to the race and liked the area."
Andrew Westrope can be reached via e-mail at awestrope@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5693.