| Related Stories:
|
| Keywords: | |
|
Michigan Sledders Boost Clean Snowmobile Challenge
For more information on this story contact:
MARCH 12, 2004 -- As college students from across the continent descend on Michigan Tech this weekend for the SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge, they'll be joined by scores of sledding enthusiasts.
Volunteers from the Michigan Snowmobile Association are donating their time, effort and expertise to serve as liaisons for the 15 university teams. "Plus, company people are coming in from all over," said Lori Witting, who is coordinating the event.
The Clean Snowmobile Challenge is the Society of Automotive Engineers' newest collegiate design competition. Teams of engineering students from participating schools take a stock snowmobile and then reengineer it to reduce emissions and noise while maintaining or improving performance.
The sleds will compete Monday through Saturday, March 15-20, at MTU's Keweenaw Research Center, known for its vehicle test grounds and the Midwest's finest winter driving track.
Representatives from Harley Davidson, Bombardier, Bosch, General Motors, Horiba, Land and Sea and Arctic Cat will be here to assist. Gage Products employees will also be on hand-the company is donating all the fuel for the Challenge entries.
"Many local businesses have also provided cash and in-kind support, along with the cities of Houghton and Hancock," Witting said. "The support has been phenomenal."
And, as at last year's inaugural event, the Michigan Snowmobile Association will be on hand to help make the Challenge run smoothly.
"We're coming with 16 people," said MSA president Rick Brown of downstate Lawton. "We've got a lot of guys on board. I had a hard time limiting the number who could come. The guys enjoyed it so much last year they wanted to come back."
The Clean Snowmobile Challenge appeals to the MSA members on more than one level.
"We think it's important to contribute to and shape the future of snowmobiling," Brown said. "Snowmobilers are environmentalists, and if we want to continue to snowmobile in the forest, we have to change the way we think about the sport."
In addition, working with the team members was an unexpected pleasure.
"The students impressed me quite a bit," Brown said. "I've never been to college, and I'd never had much use for college kids. But these young adults I met last year changed my mind.
"They were cool to be around, they were serious about what they were doing, and they were very knowledgeable. They wanted to make things better," he said. "It was great to meet people who love snowmobiling and want to change the future of it."
"And there are gals twisting wrenches, and they are just as knowledgeable as the guys," Brown noted. "We wouldn't miss it this year for the world."
For more information, visit http://www.mtu.edu/snowmobile
|
|
