Adrenaline rush of snocross returns to Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel for a second year

AMSOIL Championship Snocross returns Feb. 7 and 8 with a new track location and more than 200 of the world's greatest snowmobilers; the first-time event in 2013 drew an unprecedented 15,000 fans and was named Snocross "Event of the Year"

The thrills, twists, turns and high speeds in the snow return to Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel Feb. 7 and 8, 2014, with AMSOIL Championship Snocross powered by Ram Truck. The region's newest winter tradition promises to provide fun for the whole family during a two-day, nationally televised event that, last year, saw tens of thousands of fans descend upon the foot of the Allegheny Mountains for nonstop, heart-pumping, action-packed races with the world's best snowmobile athletes.

Tickets for the event are on sale now at www.isocracing.com and at the Logo Shop inside Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel. Advance ticket prices are $25 for Friday, $25 for Saturday, or a value-priced $30 all-weekend pass. A special four-pack of weekend passes is available online for a discounted price of $100. Admission is free for children ages 6 and younger.

Crews with International Series of Champions Racing will once again turn 1 million gallons of water into snow over a football-field-sized plot of land outside Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel. This year, the race site will be presented in a new location, directly west of the casino, on the right-hand side of the main road leading to the hotel parking ramp. The racecourse will include wicked twists and giant ramps that will send vehicles flying dozens of feet into the air.

More than 200 of the top snowmobile racers from North America and nearly a dozen countries worldwide will face off in a full-throttle, action-packed series of races that combine big-air jumps and competitive racing. The weekend is one of eight nationally televised events on CBS Sports Network for the 2014 season, with new technology added to the production this year for instant replay features. The races also will be streamed live on U-Stream for online viewing.

The previous races drew an unprecedented 10,000 fans during the Saturday events and nearly 15,000 for the entire weekend. A panel of Snocross industry experts decreed the Seneca Allegany experience as the "Event of the Year."

"The event was special in so many ways," said Carl Schubitzke, president and race director, ISOC Racing. "Everyone at Seneca Allegany was so helpful and professional. The city embraced the event. And the fans were just absolutely wonderful. They were gracious, enthusiastic and very active. That's a real blessing, and it gets the racers even more excited to perform their best."

Bleachers set up around the track can accommodate thousands of fans, and bright lights will illuminate the track during the evening hours on Friday and Saturday, when the main events take place and are taped for television. A new "Family Zone" will be outdoors this year, which will include a small-scale "120" snowmobile to test drive. Various vendors, including food and beverage, will also be on site.

Indoors nearby at the Seneca Allegany Events Center, fans will have the chance to interact with racers and get autographs. Snowmobile gear will be on sale, and the popular Traxxas "Try Me Track" will return with a course filled with remote-controlled miniature trucks.

Approximately 50 practice, qualifying and final races will take place each day, including 22 races during both the Friday and Saturday night main events. As many as 15 vehicles will be on the track during a race. Individual races are broken down by age, gender and snowmobile type.

Schubitzke considers the region a "hotbed" for snowmobile enthusiasts. There are nearly 20,000 registered snowmobiles in Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties combined. For the entire state of New York alone, snowmobiling represents a $1 billion industry. In response to the industry's growth and popularity, Seneca Gaming Corp. and the Seneca Nation of Indians recently provided a $66,850 sponsorship to Snow Bounders Inc., a local snowmobile association, for the construction and maintenance of a new, 1.5-mile snowmobile trail that connects Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel to 90 miles of existing trails in nearby Allegany State Park. Thanks to that addition, fans can come to the weekend events on their snowmobiles. Otherwise, plenty of parking will be available, as well as shuttles from nearby attractions in Salamanca.

"There's so much to do throughout the whole experience," Schubitzke said. "It's highly entertaining, and there's never a dull moment. Most of all, I think attendees will be amazed at the speed and athleticism of the athletes. They make the twists, turns and jumps look effortless."

The International Series of Champions is the premier snowmobile race sanctioning organization in North America and sanctions national AMSOIL Championship Snocross, in addition to affiliating with nine regional circuits. Visit www.isocracing.com for more information, fan and racer memberships, schedule details and more.

Visitwww.SenecaCasinos.com for more information about the venue.