 I make the following disclaimer on this story: I am not a veteran snowmobile racer or mechanic. This is a story of my limited experience of half a summer of asphalt bracket racing. I’m sure that there are those of you reading this that have far more experience than I do. I welcome your constructive comments. I’m sure the rest of the people reading this story would welcome your input as well. I wrote this story because I talk to a lot of snowmobilers that have heard about this activity but don’t know how to get involved or where to turn for information on getting involved. For those people I hope this story enlightens them as to just how easy it is to get started in this exciting sport. It’s a shame to leave your snowmobile sit in the garage all summer long when you can be racing and learning.
Take the following Test: 1) You know nothing about performance tuning a snowmobile. 2) You know everything about performance tuning a snowmobile; or at least you think you do. 3) You like to go fast on your snowmobile. 4) You look at your snowmobile sitting in the garage collecting dust from May through November and wish you could use it. 5) You have a limited budget for racing modifications. 6) You have an unlimited budget for racing modifications. If you answered "yes" to two or more of these questions then you could be a candidate for a fast growing new snowmobile activity: asphalt drag racing. This year (1998) the NHRA added a snowmobile class to the bracket-racing program. That means you can now tear down the ¼ mile asphalt drag strip on your sled. No speed limits. Sound like fun? It sounded like fun to me, the combination of two of my favorite activities: snowmobiling and drag racing. Like some of you reading this, I have no previous experience racing a snowmobile, nor do I have an extensive background in performance tuning a snowmobile. This is all new for me. That’s the beauty of the NHRA bracket racing class. In bracket racing it doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner with a stock sled or an expert with a sled modified to the hilt. You can still be competitive. Bracket racing equalizes the playing field. The snowmobile asphalt racing at an NHRA track is defined in the NHRA rulebook as "ET Snowmobile class". All snowmobiles run in the same class regardless of modifications. How is that possible you ask? Some definitions are in order here for just what is a drag race and what is "ET" bracket racing. The following is from the NHRA web site : In basic terms, a drag race is an acceleration contest from a standing start between two vehicles over a measured distance at a specifically designed drag race facility. The accepted standard for that distance is either a quarter-mile or an eighth-mile. These contests are started by means of an electronic device commonly called a "Christmas Tree." Upon leaving the starting line, each contestant activates a timer, which is, in turn, stopped when the same vehicle reaches the finish line. The start-to-finish clocking is the vehicle's ET (elapsed time), which serves to measure performance and often serves to determine handicaps during competition. By far the most popular form of drag racing is a handicapped form of competition known as "ET Bracket Racing." In this form of racing, two vehicles of varying performance potentials can race on a potentially even basis. The anticipated elapsed times for each vehicle are compared, with the slower car receiving a head start equal to the difference of the two. With this system, virtually any two vehicles can be paired in a competitive drag race. For Example: Car A has been timed at 17.78, 17.74, and 17.76 seconds for the quarter-mile, and the driver feels that a "dial-in" of 17.75 is appropriate. Meanwhile, the driver of car B has recorded elapsed times of 15.27, 15.22 and 15.26 on the same track and he has opted for a "dial-in" of 15.25. Accordingly, car A will get a 2.5-second head start over car B when the "Christmas Tree" counts down to each car's starting green lights. If both vehicles cover the quarter-mile in exactly the predetermined elapsed time, the win will go to the driver who reacts quickest to the starting signal. That reaction to the starting signal is called "reaction time." Both lanes are timed independently of one another, and the clock does not start until the vehicle actually moves. Because of this, a vehicle may sometimes appear to have a mathematical advantage in comparative elapsed times but actually lose the race. This fact makes starting line reflexes extremely important in drag racing! After both cars are staged the Starter activates "Christmas Tree" and three amber lights and one green are sequenced. Drivers use amber lights as a guide to anticipate the green bulb coming on. Leave too soon and a bright red "foul" shows a "breakout". What is "Break-Out" and/or "Red Light"? Should a driver go quicker than his/her predetermined "dial-in" it is a "break-out," and grounds for disqualification. In the case of both vehicles making their runs under their dial-ins, the win goes to the driver who breaks out the least. Another form of disqualification is a foul start (or "red light"). This happens when the driver reacts to the "Christmas Tree" too quickly and drives his car away from the starting line before the green "go" signal. When dual infractions occur, say a red light and then a break out, the red light takes precedent over the breakout.
The Most Frequently Asked Questions:
Is it hard on clutches? What about skis? What happens at the Race Track? What are the basics I need? So what's it been like? I’d like to take this space to thank the people that made this project possible for me:
I’d like to give a special thanks to my wife Cyndi for putting up with me during all this. You can just imagine how happy she was when I told here I was going to build a snowmobile for asphalt drag racing and I’d be gone to the race track every Sunday, May through October. I think her exact words were "you mean now you’ll be playing with your snowmobile every weekend all year ‘round?" I gave her a true Tim Taylor answer…. "well, no, not exactly. There usually isn’t any snow in April or November, and besides, it rains a lot in Syracuse, I’m sure some of the races will be rained out". She’s a very understanding woman. Especially since it wasn’t just Sundays. For the first few months of this project I was either in the garage at night, every night, or I was travelling back and forth between Belleville Ontario and home on the weekends. Chris
Heaven, Powerhouse Racing, Belleville Ontario Mike
Ingles of Ingles Performance Ski-Doo in Phoenix, NY Kim Cole, owner of Ace Precision Tool, Auburn, NY. Ace is a machine shop that has fabricated a number of custom components for my clutches, engine and chassis. Thanks Kim! She completed many Friday afternoon "must have" jobs for me. Bruce McKee, owner of NDM Precision Welding, Cicero, NY. He has fabricated a number tools and accessories for me as well as shelving and components for my trailer. Special thanks to Rich Zurek and Tom Scholl. These guys infected me with the racing bug 10 years ago when we built a 4wd mud and sand drag truck. You can usually find these guys hanging around in the pit area watching all the scenery go by. Thanks to Bob Alger for helping me out. Bob got hooked on this the first time he went with me. He recently bought a used ZRT800 to pound the pavement with next summer. Finally to the folks in the fabrication department at Bombardier Transportation in Auburn, NY where I work: thanks for all those little "government" jobs you did for me. Special thanks to Joe Bennett for your contribution. |
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