At a time when the high school basketball tournament usually takes over the Maine sports scene, two snowmobile racing events are grabbing their share of the spotlight.

This weekend, Skowhegan and Caribou will be hosting snowmobile racing at the Skowhegan State Fairgrounds and Spud Speedway, respectively.

The race in Skowhegan is a World Series of Snowmoblie Racing sanctioned event. This series is returning to Skowhegan for the first time since 1987 with more than 140 drivers scheduled to compete in the two day event on Feb. 28, March 1.

The Skowhegan Sportsman Club has rounded up $20,000 in prize money for the top drivers in the WSSR.

“Two local businesses really went to bat for us when we were negotiating prize money,” said WSSR co-chairman Tom Lyons, referring to the New England Dodge Dealers Association and Big A Auto Parts. The Dodge Dealers donated $15,000 while Big A put in $5,000.

The Sportsman Club is expecting that more than 12,000 people will attend the event over the weekend to watch qualifying and feature racing at the half-mile, all-weather oval.

Co-chairman Denny LeClair says that efforts have been made to get the track in top shape for the coming event. More than 1 million gallons of water were spread on the track, which was groomed to allow speeds of more than 90 mph for the high-powered sleds.

One Maine resident expected to compete is Scott Lanpher of Manchester, who will team up with Philip Moulton of Baldwinsville, Mass.

This event will also be the finale for the Eastern Pro Tour Series, which pays out more than $200,000 in prize money plus manufacturers’ bonuses.

In Caribou, Spud Speedway will show that it can be used for more than stock car racing as it hosts a snowmobile event of its own on Sunday.

Three Trail Performer Class events will highlight the day, and races for ages 3 and up will be among the festivities.

For more information on the Skowhegan race, contact Tom Lyons 474-2677, Denny LeClair 474-9258, or Denny Morin 474-2620. For the Spud Speedway event, call 498-1423 or 948-2525.