The Midwest International Racing Association (MIRA) returned to the Eastern Upper Peninsula this weekend with the inaugural running of the Bay Mills Resort and Casino 225 at the Chippewa County Fairgrounds.

“Overall it was a very successful race weekend,” said MIRA President Karl Schwartz, indicating the organization has is already eying a return in 2019. “We are hoping the area will want us back.”

Schwartz said the volunteers had delivered a good racing surface and plenty of competitors turned out, but the uncooperative weather put a damper on the number of spectators and forced a modification to the scheduled 225-lap final.

“Attendance was down on Saturday due to the cold temperatures,” said Schwartz, noting it bounced back on Sunday as the thermometer rose into the high teens and mid 20’s. “We had a respectable turnout on Sunday.”

The increased temperatures, however, brought falling snow and as a safety precaution event organizers opted to run three separate qualifying races — two fifty lap shootouts with 10 sleds a piece and a 10 lap last chance qualifier to set the final field.

The #11 sled of John Bosek and Eric Churchill took first place in the final with a time of 32:55.338 just ahead of the #21 machine piloted by Troy Dewald and Ryan Spencer.

The #19 of Tyler Nickels and Cody Bauer finished third followed by the #20 of Billy Skea in fourth and the #414 of James Hicks and Eric Zellar in fifth.

Danny Maki and Grant Lynch piloted the #34 sled to sixth place followed by #407 Isaac Wolfgang in seventh.

The #7 of Matt Town and Luke Krentz finished in eighth while the #125 sled featuring Young and Mayer came in ninth.

Jake Gerow partnered with Kevin Vermeersch to bring the #44 machine in tenth place, while a pair of Vermeerschs — Grant and Cam — came in eleventh of the #12 sled.

John Hoos and LJ Quick rounded out the field in the finale with a twelfth place finish on the #67 sled.