WEST BRANCH — For the first time in more than 25 years, motorcycle ice racing is scheduled to take place in West Branch.

H&L Racing of West Branch is sponsoring two separate events, one on Sunday, Feb. 14 and the other two weeks later on Sunday, Feb. 28. The races are slated to take place at 11 a.m. both days at Bunting Sand and Gravel, off of Cook Road in West Branch.

Chris Liesen, one of the co-sponsors of the event, said the time was right to bring ice racing back to West Branch.

“The community has been great and everyone has been working together,” he said. “I think it’s great to have it in West Branch, with all the motorcycle enthusiasts here.”

He added that the last such event in West Branch took place in 1983, and was sponsored by the Rifle River Motor Club. Liesen said that he and co-sponsor Kyle Hawley took a look at a couple of different locations in West Branch for the race before settling on Bunting Sand and Gravel. He said the track is about a half mile long.

Liesen said there are 28 different racing classes for each of the two events, and participants ranging from ages 4-60 are eligible to participate. Hawley added that race participants have to be an American Motorcyclist Association member, as well as a District 14 resident (which encompasses the entire state of Michigan).

He added that he hopes for between 125 and 150 participants for each event.

One of the scheduled attractions for each race, Liesen said, is the “Kold Kutter shootout,” in which all the money for the race is “100 percent payback that goes back to the purse.”

Hawley said that spectators should expect a “lot of speed” during the race, with top speeds of approximately 85 miles per hour.

Sign-in for the races will take place from 7-9 a.m. for each race, he added, while practice will take place at 9 a.m. before the races are scheduled to get underway at 11 a.m.

Several local businesses are participating as sponsors for the two events.