Alberta
1965

Snowmobile racing in Alberta began with closed course “Power Toboggan Races” featured at the 1965 Edmonton Winter Carnival known as the MUK-LUK MARDIS GRAS on a track built onto the frozen North Saskatchewan River

As snowmobile racing became a rising pass-time in the late 60s the Alberta Snowmobile Racing Association (ASRA) was created with numerous events held at the Edmonton International Speedway, Ma-Me-O Beach, as well as the “Circle-8 Speedway” stock car track in Calgary and by 1970 expanded to oval, closed course, and “cross country” events throughout Alberta

As sled racing increased in popularity in the early 70s the North Western Snowmobile Association (NWSA) was formed which developed into numerous events held across Alberta all winter long. The NWSA feature event was always the North-Am International at/near Wetaskiwin AB which in its heyday drew up to 600 entries chasing 10s of thousands of dollars in prize money and the racing action delivering crowds exceeding 20,000 spectators

Alberta 1969-70
ASRA era

Alberta
1971 NWSA is formed

Alberta
1972

Alberta
1973

Alberta
1974

Alberta
1975

Alberta
1976

Alberta
1977

Alberta
1978

Alberta
1979

Alberta
1980

Alberta
1981

Wainwright, AB 81

Tony Maloney

Alberta
1982

Alberta
1983

More Alberta Racing Action late 80s and early 90s

NWSA “Hall of Fame”

Alberta Nominee Racing Resumes

Class of 2026 Nominees

Dennis Clarke (Winterburn, Alberta) active 1969 -1989

Dennis Clarke from Edmonton was the NWSA’s most prolific, and successful racer having won more feature races and North-Am Championships than any other racer (and by a long shot!). With a storied race career stretching from 1969 through to the late-80s NWSA #20 Dennis Clarke is a name most revered when it comes to performance and true dominance in the sport of snowmobile racing in Western Canada. Good friends called him Pee-Wee due to his short and stocky stature but he was anything but small when out on the track! The list of major wins across Western Canada over Dennis Clarke’s 20+ year career is almost impossible to list here but focusing on NWSA’s North-Am International results only his vast achievements include-
71 North-Am: 1st 300 Mod 72 North-Am: 1st 650 Mod, 2nd 800 Mod 73 North-Am: DNF (injured) 74 North-Am: 2nd 440 Super Stock, 2nd 440 Mod 75 North-Am: 1st 440 Mod, 3rd 340 Mod 76 North-Am: 1st 650 Super Mod “Players Feature Even Champion” 77 North-Am: 1st 440 Super Mod, 2nd 441 Super Mod Open, 2nd 340 Mod ~Named “Most Outstanding Driver for 1977” 78 North-Am: 1st 441 Super Mod Open, 1st 340 Super Mod, 1st 440 Mod, 1st 340 Mod, 2nd 440 Super Mod ~Named “Most Outstanding Driver for 1978” 79 North-Am: 1st 440 Mod, 1st 340 Mod, 2nd 441 Super Mod Open 80 North-Am: 1st 440 Mod, 1st 340 Mod 81 North-Am: 1st 440 Mod, 2nd Formula II 82 North-Am: 1st Formula II, 1st 440 Mod

Marvin Glanz (Ma-Me-O Beach, Alberta) active 1967 - 1975

Marvin Glanz was Alberta’s original King of high displacement oval snowmobile racing. Starting out competing in Edmonton Speedway events in the late 60s and often running in the fastest modified 650cc and 800cc Mod classes throughout the 70s it seems Marvin always found a way to make it to the winner’s circle. From running the rare EXT Special Arctic Cats early in his career, and eventually moving up to his now infamous hand-built Chaparral 650cc Sachs triple IFS racer (with its custom “ape hanger” bars and painted in Arctic Cat purple of course) it seemed Marvin was always innovating his way out in front of the competition.

Here Marvin Glans recounts him being able to pass and beat Arctic Cat factory rider Charlie Lofton at North-Am in 1971

Here’s the great Marvin Glanz explaining his winning race prep process and strategy

Don Ayers (Edmonton, Alberta) active 1970 -1980

Ken Benson (Sylvan Lake, Alberta) active 1975 -1985

Dale “Gundy” Gunderson (Whitecourt, Alberta, Canada) 1947-2007

Dale Gunderson was a prominent racer and notably an early President of the North Western Snowmobile Association (NWSA) based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and contributing greatly to the early development of snowmobiling, and snowmobile racing in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia.

In the late 60s Dale (known to everyone as “Gundy”) raced both Polaris and Rupp sleds to great success and was even awarded one of the rare “Rupp Ruby” rings from Mickey Rupp himself in 1972. In those early years Dale was easily recognizable as the tallest guy in the pits especially while wearing his bright green and red “Mark Ten” snow suit! (Mark Ten cigarettes was a primary sponsor of the NWSA circuit and snowmobile racing at that time)

Like many, in the mid-70s Gundy raced and mostly won riding Merc Sno-Twisters, then eventually graduating to a pair of beautiful 1979 IFS Moto-Ski SnoPro sleds while continuing to take down a number of NWSA feature events and regular podium appearances. As such over his 11 years of active racing Dale won numerous NWSA season series “high point” class trophies

Later in his lifelong involvement in snowmobiling, Dale became a transformative member of the Alberta Snowmobile Association (ASA) and his local Whitecourt Trailblazers club, becoming a popular organizer of weekly club rides, ASA Jamborees, and was the driving force behind the club’s extensive “trail grooming” efforts. As such in 2004 Dale Gunderson was awarded with ASA’s Excellence Award as “Alberta’s Outstanding Snowmobiler” followed by the “ASA Louise Sherren Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2007 (posthumously). As a fellow NWSA racer and longtime family friend, I am honored to nominate Dale “Gundy” Gunderson to the Western Snowmobile Racing Hall of Fame. ~Alan Nagel