snowmobiles

[rocket]

Hello:
IS there a class for snowmobiles?

[dwarner]

No

[rocket]

Hello
Is there anyway to run a snowmobile?

[John Noonan]

Hello
Is there anyway to run a snowmobile?

Yes you can run the snowmobile engine in a motorcycle frame or install it in a rear engine modified roadster... Or look up Franklin and see if he will have you at his private meet with the Propster.

J

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Wasn't there a lakester running a snowmobile engine a couple of years ago?

[rocket]

Hi :
I have been running snowmobiles for over thirty years .
On the lakes up here in Maine the sleid runs over 111 in 1000 feet .
It is very hard to run to the machine flat out on the ice because the lakes are not allways flat so I don't set it up for an all out speed run.
I have a buddy that runs a snow machine between 5 and 6 seconds at the one eight mile drags strip .
What I am saying is our machins are fast and it would be something new to the sport.
Thank you for replying
Johnny Rocket

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Rocket:

Yep, I know that sleds can be fast.  But I betcha you'll have a difficult time getting permission to run on the Salt -- because of the fragile nature of the surface if nothing else.  Snowmobile tracks wear the surface of paved roads (where the trail crosses the highway), and the runners/skis won't help the salt stay firm and hard, either.     

I don't think you'll easily convince the "officials", including BLM, that you won't do major harm to the racing surface.

But hey, give it a try.  See what they say. . .

[rocket]

Hello
The machine would be set up like we do for the drags on pavement .
Wheels on the front and a track would be flat with no picks/

[mtkawboy]

I think you would have to cool the track rollers & track with water or some form of coolant to run them that distance which would be illegal {dumping water on track}. I remember Scott Guthrie, I believe, driving a Polaris snowmobile powered lakester or something a while back. A 1/4 mile is a long way from Bonneville distance

[dwarner]

The minimum track length is 3 miles. Any part of a vehicle that may caused damage to the track surface is strictly forbidden.

I have seen snowmobiles running on land, dirt/grass, surfaces and they seem to kick a lot of terrain while making a pass.

I don't see the inclusion of snowmobiles in the class mix in the near future. There is in excess of 580 car classes and over 1800 motorcycle classes available now so the events are pretty well filled with enough vehicles for the time alloted. If your desire is that sincere you may want to contact the BLM and contract private time on the salt.

There was some guy that ran a riding lawn mower early last Summer. He could give you the details on a private time deal. Kinda costly from what I understand.

Good Luck,
DW

[rocket]

Hi
You are right the machine does kick up the grass and snow real hard .If the salt moves a lot that is a big problem.I don't know how hard the salt is , I was thinking the salt is as hard as rock.
A mower on the salt ,was it jet power?

[dwarner]

The salt surface is actully rather fragile. You may be running at aprt of the course in water, then to soft salt then portions of hard salt. All of this in just one mile, you must run a minimum of three miles to set a record.

Anything that damages the surface is not allowed.

DW

[GeneF]

No

 NO! And I just took mine out for it's first test run. 

[JackD]

The salt surface is actully rather fragile. You may be running at aprt of the course in water, then to soft salt then portions of hard salt. All of this in just one mile, you must run a minimum of three miles to set a record.

Anything that damages the surface is not allowed.

DW

Actually 2 runs are still required and that would be 6 miles ubder power.
You can groom a surface on a frozen lake and actually do better.

[rocket]

I have seen setups like yours,good job.
How fast is it?How good does it handle?
The big thing  now has been four wheel drives with tracks on all four wheels .
Even Years ago they used to take the wheels off of there model Ts and this is how they dorve down the roads .They used to pull this big roll behine to pack the snow down and drive over it till spring.