FREMONT — For Matt Robertson of North Conway, drag racing with a snowmobile isn't an experience — it's a lifestyle.

“My dad didn't throw balls to me in the backyard. We went to the drag strip,” the 35-year-old Robertson said while taking a break from racing his Ski-Doo on a grass track in a field at the Peterson farm on Martin Road.

Robertson joined 550 snowmobile riders competing in this weekend's annual Grass Drags and Water Cross races.

With the start of winter still many weeks away, few people have snowmobiling on their minds — unless they're one of the estimated 45,000 snowmobile enthusiasts expected to pack the three-day event that began Friday and wraps up today.

The races are hosted by the New Hampshire Snowmobile Association.

They feature snowmobile riders racing across a 500-foot drag strip, reaching speeds of up to 125 mph in a matter of seconds.

Other racers prefer to take their chances on the water. They race laps around an island in a large pond, or from one side to the other. Those who don't make it across sink.

The racers might not smile when they sink, but spectators such as 10-year-old Kaylie Croteau of Pelham can't wait for a snowmobile rider to go under.

“I like the water crossing. It's pretty funny,” said Croteau, who rides her own Polaris 100 during the winter.

She and the rest of her family never miss the Grass Drags and Water Cross.

“It's a big family thing. The kids pretty much like everything,” said her dad, Shawn.

There's a lot more to the drags than just racing. There's also fair food, vendors selling snowmobile equipment, demonstrations and the Rave X freestyle show.

The freestyle riders are always a crowd-pleaser as they launch their snowmobiles from mounds of dirt and perform flips through the air.

“I like it all,” said John Grenier, 24, of Deerfield, who watched the races with his family.

Grenier, who purchased his snowmobile last year, has been attending this event since he was a kid growing up in Epping.

He's now sharing the experience with his daughter, Brooke, who's almost 2. The little girl was all smiles as she climbed around on a Ski-Doo snowmobile for sale.

Grenier said he'd like to try racing someday.

Joe Lowell, 41, of Moultonborough has been a snowmobile drag racer for the last decade.

“It's almost a numbness because everything is moving so fast,” said Lowell, who reached 113 mph in 4.4 seconds Friday night.

Like Lowell, Robertson has watched the Fremont snowmobiling event grow into one of the largest of its kind in the country, with racers and spectators coming from around the United States and Canada.

“There's nothing better than seeing 40,000 people coming through the gate to watch snowmobiles,” Robertson said. “It shows the power of the sport.”

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Jason Schreiber may be reached at jschreiber@newstote.com.