Christal Treadwell just can’t get excited riding through the countryside on well-groomed snowmobile trails.

“I can’t even trail ride because it’s so boring,” said the 38-year-old professional photographer and mother of three girls from Dixfield. “It’s so smooth and flat. There’s no adrenaline when you go trail riding.”

For the last four years, Treadwell has had to travel around to race tracks and fairgrounds in northern New England to get her adrenaline pumping. As a competitor in the 12-year-old Rock Maple Racing Series, she’s found a home in the twists, turns and jumps lining the snow-covered tracks.

“It’s always a challenge. Every race is different, every track is different,” said Treadwell, the series’ Womens Legend champion. “I like the competition. It makes you feel young.”

Treadwell and dozens of other competitors will be on the track when RMR snocross makes its first of two stops at the Skowhegan Fairgrounds this Saturday and Sunday. The series returns March 13 and 14, and also has a Hillcross event scheduled for Shawnee Peak in Bridgton on April 10.

RMR was a big hit when it raced in Skowhegan last year, drawing over 4,000 people. The Skowhegan site was also a favorite for a lot of racers.

“I talked to a lot of the racers and nine out of 10 said it was the best track last year,” said Treadwell, who won her first race of the season about a month ago at Colebrook, New Hampshire. “You’ve got the fairgrounds with the stands somewhat enclosed. For the spectators, it’s a better option, and it’s a bigger track for the racers. It’s a little faster and it’s easier to pass.”

Treadwell learned to love racing as a youngster, watching her father, Harvey, race snowmobiles on ice ovals during the winter and automobiles at Oxford Plains during the summer. The need for speed was handed down to her and younger brother Mike, a professional motocross racer on the Canadian National tour. Mike has returned to RMR competition this year after a two-year absence. The 35-year-old Dixfield resident and part-time power lineman was the Semi-pro 440 champion in 2001, but got out of the sport to concentrate on motocross.

Mike said Cristal’s stories about winning her championship helped convince him to return to the snow this year. He received a rude welcome back in Colebrook last month, though, as it was 26 below when he got to the track.

“We complain in motocross racing if it’s 50 degrees,” said Mike, who won the Pro Vet class at Colebrook and again at Rutland, Vt. last week. “That’s the biggest obstacle. You’re freezing out there and you don’t want to have a lot of clothing on because it gets all cumbersome.”

Until he started racing in 2001, Mike hadn’t even ridden a snowmobile since he was a young boy.

“I didn’t have a clue how to ride a snowmobile,” he said, “but I knew how to race.”

But he’s quick to point out it wasn’t exactly like getting back on a bicycle.

“It’s tough because you’ve always got a rough line (on a snowmobile track). On a bike, you can always find a good line,” he said.

RMR racers sometimes find a good enough line to reach speeds as fast as 60 MPH. Some of the fastest, Simon Belzile and Danny Poirier, who competed in the recent Winter X Games, can go even faster.

“A lot of people ask, ‘How fast do you go?’ I don’t really know. There aren’t any speedometers on the machines,” Christal said. “It’s not really about the speed. It’s how fast you can go and stay on.”

Christal Treadwell will stay on, as long as she’s on the track