The USSA Story
The United States Snowmobile Association (USSA) is the world’s premier, first and oldest snowmobile sanctioning body with the most elite ice oval drivers.
The USSA ProStar Series was founded in 1965 and sanctioned its first event at Crandon, Wisconsin in December of 1967. The founding charter called for the establishment of uniform racing rules, improvement of safety and provided for trained officials in an effort to bring consistency to the sport of snowmobile oval racing.
Since its inception, USSA has sanctioned events in 25 states and several Canadian provinces. In the 60’s and 70’s it was common to have a dozen sanctioned races taking place on the same weekend in different sections of the country. In the late 60’s, with more than 115 brands of snowmobiles and 26 different engine manufactures, races were staged almost anywhere a group would gather. It soon became evident that competing with a sanctioned organization was important. Sanctioned races pitted the best against the best offering the winner true bragging rights. A uniform set of rules became important for the establishment of consistency in racing classes, verification of specifications and track safety.
Still to this day, USSA continues to lead the way in the development of equitable competition and safety. Working with ISR, the rules, administration and safety components of a race day are often implemented by other racing organizations in the sport.
A typical race weekend finds the USSA staff involved in all aspects of the race. Registration of drivers/crew and the order of the race day are handled by our race clerk and her staff. Paddock and on-track operations are managed by a trained and experienced crew to provide continuity and safety for the competitors. Post-race technical inspection is handled by USSA staff; a staff that attends regular seminars to remain current on machine specifications and measuring equipment to insure that all regulations are enforced equally.
USSA has led the way in the area of insurance coverage for its members. With driver safety being the biggest concern, USSA is proud of its association with ISR when it comes to venue safety, sled safety requirements, and protective gear for drivers.
Recently, the USSA ProStar Series has revamped the season long premier touring series under the ProStar Cup Tour (formerly known as the TLR Cup). This season long series features the Pro Champ 440 class racing at North America’s premier venues. The series as many as nine events during the season and crowns a season long champion.
When you attend a USSA sanctioned event or a ProStar Cup Tour race, you are watching North America’s best ice oval snowmobile racers compete at the highest level. Don’t miss it.