Michigan Technological University recently hosted modified snowmobiles from all over the U.S. and Canada in a challenge that was far from your typical snowmobile race. The entrants had to build a cleaner, greener snowmobile and show judges how it performed under endurance conditions.
The 2011 SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge took place over the weekend, and challenges college engineering students to redesign a stock snowmobile to reduce emissions and noise, while maintaining or boosting performance. It's a Society of Automotive Engineers competition.
Michigan Tech's home team had their machine break down during the initial test runs at the Keweenaw Research Center's test track, so didn't make it through the challenge, but several teams did.
Seven teams headed out onto the Keweenaw Peninsula trail system from Houghton, making the trek up to the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge in Copper Harbor.
Only three teams finished the endurance run on time: The University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Clarkson University and the University of Idaho. The team from University of Wisconsin-Madison also completed the course, but didn't keep a fast enough pace to stay in the running.
The drivers reported good trails, with much better conditions than last year, which was unusually warm.
"It was a great run," says Challenge co-organizer Jay Meldrum. He says the results were typical of other runs, since many teams fall out of the race during various stages; last year only three entrants made it to the finish line as well.
"All the contestants fight hard, but not everybody makes it," says Meldrum.
The endurance run was part of the Challenge's internal combustion division of competition; other snowmobiles competed in the battery-powered zero-emissions division, and were tested on range. The UW-Madison entry was the winner in that division, making it more than 20 miles on one battery charge. Clarkson University took second with just over 12 miles, while McGill University took third with almost eight miles. Michigan Tech didn't qualify in that event.
Writer: Sam EgglestonSource: Jay Meldrum, Michigan Technological University
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