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A Dozen Teams Sign on for Clean Snowmobile Challenge
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HOUGHTON--A dozen teams representing universities from the length of North America’s Snow Belt have registered so far for the Society of Automotive Engineers’ Clean Snowmobile Challenge, coming in March to Michigan Technological University.
The sleds will compete March 19-22 at MTU's Keweenaw Research Center, known for its vehicle test grounds and the Midwest's finest winter driving track. This will be Michigan Tech’s first year hosting the event, which is being organized by the Keweenaw Research Center and MTU’s mechanical engineering department.
The Clean Snowmobile Challenge is the SAE’s newest collegiate design competition. Teams of engineering students from participating schools take a perfectly good stock snowmobile and then reengineer it to reduce emissions and noise while maintaining or improving performance.
In addition to Michigan Tech, Clarkson University in New York, Colorado State University, Idaho State University, Kettering University in Flint, Minnesota State University-Mankato, State University of New York at Buffalo, the University of Idaho, the University of Waterloo in Ontario, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and the University of Wyoming have registered.
The teams will compete in a series of events, including an endurance trek from the Keweenaw Research Center to Copper Harbor. Teams will also be judged on emissions, noise, acceleration, braking, handling and fuel economy.
On Saturday, March 22, the the center’s 500-acre test track will be opened to spectators for the handling event.
More than 1,000 contestants, volunteers and support personnel are expected to participate in the Clean Snowmobile Challenge this winter, in addition to visitors coming to view the competition. To fund the Challenge, organizers are raising $100,000.
To contribute, send your donation to Clean Snowmobile Challenge 2003, Keweenaw Research Center, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931-1295. If you would like to be a volunteer, contact Jay Meldrum at 487-3178, jmeldrum@mtu.edu.
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