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Snowmobile Report – Wisconsin team cleans up

Student engineers from the University of Wisconsin in Madison are the 2004 winners of the annual Clean Snowmobile Challenge contest. The team, which was dead last in the 2003 challenge, redeemed itself by using a modified hybrid gas-electric engine. The engine included an electric motor for power assist on acceleration. They built the engine themselves. The competition took place on March 15–20 in Houghton, Michigan, with 14 teams from the US and Canada trying to create a snowmobile with cleaner emissions while maintaining or improving performance. The event is a part of the Society of Automotive Engineers collegiate competitions. The team from Michigan Tech in Houghton took second place, despite a gas-tank failure that forced their sled out of the endurance run. They used a motorcycle engine. The University of Maine finished third using an Arctic Cat 660 four stroke with a catalytic converter.
Redline Begins Shipments
Redline Performance Products, Inc. says it started shipping an early release of the 2005 800 Revolt snowmobile to its dealers in mid March, and intends to ship 600-700 of the 800 Revolts during the industry’s annual spring sales period.
Minnesota powersports dealer Heinen & Mason Inc. said it signed up to carry the snowmobiles late last fall after being approached by Redline.
“We haven’t seen the product yet; we’ll probably take delivery in the next two weeks,” Monte Steinke, Heinen sales manager, told Powersports Business in late March. Steinke said the dealership has sold four of the $12,000 sleds, and that interest in the machines continues to be high.
Anderson Named Racer Of The Year
Chris Anderson, an employee of Ski-Doo dealer Bickford’s Sports Center in Epsom, N.H., was named Racer Of The Year by Snow Week magazine. Anderson was honored for his domination on the grass drag circuits the summer and fall of 2003. He races a fleet of Ski-Doos in the stock classes. Anderson, 20, is also a mechanical engineering student at the University of New Hampshire.
Klim Introduces Womens Line
Klim Aggressive Sledwear Inc., Rigby, Idaho, has introduced its new product line, which includes a women’s parka and bibs and a jacket made with Windstopper material. The womens outfit, called the Sundance Parka and Bib, are made with Gore-Tex waterproof, breathable fabric. The parka comes in women-specific sizes, has hand gaiters and multiple ventilation zippers. The bib, also made with Gore-Tex, has a drop-seat design. The Inversion jacket, made of W.L. Gore’s proprietary Windstopper material, is windproof and water resistant. It has removable sleeves and is meant as a layering garment or as a light jacket. psb

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