The Yukon dirt bike race season got off to a rip-roaring start Sunday.

Thirty-eight racers took part in the Yukon Cross Country Motorcycle Association’s Mosquito Enduro-Cross Sunday at the Schirmer family ranch near Kookatsoon Lake.

“The racing is more exciting to watch because it’s a shorter course and spectators can see more of it,” said club president Mike Beaman, who finished second to Neil Ryckman in the Intermediate A race.

“The action is a bit more intense, and with the obstacles – you can make or break the race just by getting stuck on an obstacle. So it makes for some really good back-and-forth racing.”

Shawn McFarland bested the field in the expert course, while Derek Kindervater took victory in the popular Intermediate B race.

Other winners included Broden Cull (Junior Over-15), Sawyer Adams (Junior Under-15), Brent McNeil (mini) and Sam Adams (peewee).

The enduro-cross format saw riders race three 15-minute heats through a short course full of new and improved obstacles.

A-loop riders experienced a more difficult short course with plenty of technical trail with log, tire and rock features.

Meanwhile, riders on the B circuit saw some obstacles, but more single track and open trail.

“Track master” Hans Gatt played a large role in remodeling the well-used racetrack, Beaman said.

“It made it a lot more fun. Hans and a bunch of volunteers helped build a much bigger rock corner with a fence,” said Beaman. “He also dug in some big loader tires, recycled from Fountain Tire. Hans had a lot to do with getting our track more well-established out there.”

The shorter-heat enduro-cross format was tried for the first time at last year’s season-ending race.

“There’s more racing for the kids and everybody gets to race all day,” Beaman explained of the switch.

“For family racing, it’s really nice. Everybody can hang out all day and the camaraderie within the dirt bike community is really nice. It makes for a real fun day.”

The obstacle-heavy course evens out differences in motorcycles, said Beaman.

Smaller bikes have an advantage on the obstacles while larger bikes find their speed on the straightaways.

“It kind of levels the playing field.”

The trick to being successful is going slow and steady until you’ve mastered the track, said Kindervater.

“The advice I was given years ago was: ‘To go fast, you have to go slow first,’” he said. “You have to go slow so you can manoeuver around the corners. Once you get used to them, that’s when you increase your speed.

“You get tired. It’s only 15 minutes, but by the time you’re finished, your forearms are all pumped up, your grip is really weak and you’re glad it’s over.

“But it was really fun. We were able to get reasonable speeds and some good competition racing.”

Kindervater praised the volunteers who spent hours spicing up the track.

However, the newly-configured track did cause at least one injury, with Tim Schirmer being forced to withdraw with a sprained wrist.

On Saturday, the club hosted an enduro clinic for all levels of riders.

The next dirt bike race will see riders compete in a hare scramble format Aug. 9, followed by a final event Sept. 20. Enduro clinics for novice riders will occur the Saturday before each race.

Hare scramble participants will race longer tracks through the countryside, completing as many laps as possible within the allotted time.

For more information on the association or this summer’s race circuit, visit www.yccma.ca/.