Ski-doo Grand Prix starts today in Valcourt
The 37th annual Grand Prix Ski-doo de Valcourt gets started this weekend, with the site opening at 10 a.m. this morning. The region’s only race of snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVS), motorbikes on ice, and high performance snowmobiles, the Grand prix draws participants from across North America and regularly attracts close to 30,000 people to the small community northeast of Waterloo.
This year 273 athletes will be competing in 171 starts between 11:30 Friday morning and the grand finals which start at 12:30 on Sunday. In addition to the race program, the weekend schedule also includes live entertainment, a family zone with games for children, and autograph sessions and opportunities to meet with the racers.
The Valcourt Grand Prix has been running since 1983, when it was founded by the Fédération des Clubs de Motoneigistes du Québec (FCMQ) as the Festival International de la Motoneige, or international snowmobile festival. Supported by Bombardier, because of their company’s link to the history of the snowmobile, the inaugural event attracted more than 15,000 snowmobilers from across North America.
Valcourt is famously the hometown of Joseph Armand Bombardier, inventor of the ski-doo and founder of the Bombardier company that continues to make its mark in Quebec and around the world today through the production of varied transportation vehicles. Bombardier separated from its recreational products division in 2003, with the latter becoming a new company BRP, which is still headquartered in the small community today. The community is also home to the Bombardier innovation museum, which traces the history of Bombardier and his company from its founding to the present day.
For more information about the Grand Prix check out https://www.grandprixvalcourt.com/en or call 1-450-532-3443