by Dave Salter
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan22/97) - We have a champion snowmobile racer in our midst.

Roger Barabanoff captured first place in the open category of a Pro Sno-Cross event in front of 1,000 Edson, Alta., fans recently.

Sno-Cross tracks feature sharp turns, jumps and ramps, unlike traditional snowmobile racing. Barabanoff says the tricky course makes for an exciting contest.

"The track is about three-quarters of a mile and is like a moto-cross track, so you need special shocks and racing suspensions on your sled," says the Force One mechanic.

Barabanoff says 135 racers took part -- 27 in the pro open event and 13 in his final race. Those 13 racers lined up at the same time, making for tight cornering at speeds that often reached 105 km/h.

"On the first corner we were banging our skis and bars together," says the 30-year-old.

"You lose control a few times and if you don't you're probably not riding fast enough."

Barabanoff has been racing for "eight or 10 years" and says Yellowknife has a small but dedicated group of racers.

"We have a core of five or six guys here who race together and I enjoy the camaraderie.

We do a lot of lake racing on icy conditions."

He says the rough conditions faced by Yellowknife racers give them an edge in southern competitions.

"The conditions are much softer down there. The terrain of our trails are often worse than the courses they race on."

Barabanoff says that, while he enjoys a leisurely Sunday drive, nothing compares to the thrill of race day.

"It's a real adrenaline rush, for sure.I think you need to have a edge to be a racer and lots of concentration," he says.

"It's fun to push the limits in a controlled environment."

Colin Bradbury of Yellowknife also took part in the event.