Courtesy Photo This photo by Tara Hurlin, of Turbo Tara Media, provided to The News by SnoDrift Rally spokesman Alex Berger, shows spectators attending the 2019 SnoDrift Rally.

ATLANTA — More than 40 racing teams, 250 volunteers and thousands of spectators are expected to attend the annual SnoDrift Rally races that start on Friday.

The two-day event is held in Montmorency County, with races taking place on back roads in portions of Atlanta, Hillman, and Lewiston. The event kicks off on Friday with a car show from 4 to 6 p.m. in downtown Lewiston, followed by the first stage of the rally, which begins at 6 p.m. and ends around 9:30 p.m.

A car show will also be held from 8:45 to 10 a.m. on Saturday in Briley Township Park in Atlanta, with races to begin at 11 a.m. Racing will wrap up around 6 p.m. at the Hillman Community Center, followed by an awards ceremony.

“We’re really happy to be back in Montmorency County for another great event,” spokesman Alex Berger said. “The people in the county and all the businesses are very accommodating to letting us play, so it’s a huge thank-you to them.”

Berger said those planning to attend the event can expect to see cars sliding around the icy roads “at speeds that seem crazy.”

Spectators should also expect cold winter weather.

The rally is a high-performance racing event, according to the SnoDrift Rally website, where road-legal cars race on snow- and ice-covered sections of closed forest roads. The most popular racing cars are small sedans, such as Fords, Dodges, Subarus, Audies, Hyundai, Mazda, Mitsubishis, and Toyotas.

Teams with the fastest times earn first, second, and third place in their respective classes. Berger said each class is based on the type of car — whether it uses two-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, along with the engine size. The winning teams receive trophies.

The race marks the first race on the American Rally Association’s National Championship calendar. He said the rally in Montmorency County is the only “true winter event in the series,” as other events may get snow, but this is the only race where snow is expected.

“It adds another level of difficulty for the drivers, because snow really takes away a lot of advantages besides driving skill,” he said. “Because, if you have a powerful car, you’re just going to spin your wheels. So it’s more about how you drive the car than it is how much power you have on a car.”

Crystal Nelson can be reached at 989-358-5687 or cnelson@thealpenanews.com.

If you go

∫ WHAT: SnoDrift Rally

∫ WHEN: Various times 4 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Saturday

∫ WHERE: Various places in Montmorency County

∫ INFO: Detailed information about race times and directions to the race sites can be found online at sno-drift.org. Questions can be directed to 734-306-2135 or snodriftweb@gmail.com.