Clean Snowmobile Challenge getting ready to begin
CALUMET — In an effort to protect our environment from hydrocarbons and harmful exhaust emissions, 22 collegiate teams from across the continent will be filtering into the Keweenaw area over the next few days with snowmobiling on their minds.
ABC 10 took a look at the 19th annual Society of Automotive Engineering’s Clean Snowmobile Challenge is set to take place at the beginning of next week.
Today’s snowmobiles are faster, quieter, more efficient, comfortable, and leave less of a carbon footprint on our world then their predecessors, and that is directly related to a gathering that takes place every year right here in the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Michigan Tech is the hosting venue for the competition that nearly two dozen teams have been preparing for all year.
Students are given targets each year, like a certain decibel level to stay underneath at full throttle, or certain emissions level ceilings to help control pollutants cased by exhaust. Those teams work on meeting those requirements throughout the year, redesigning things and tubes that the average rider has no clue of its purpose. But these kids understand the inner workings of those parts, and that by making certain adjustments, or even major ones, that involve redesigning the wheel, or the piston, or engine timing, or fuel temperature, or many other variations, those goals can be achieved.
Monday begins the week long event where each team compares the results of their research and development against those standards, and against competing teams who are all reaching for the MacLean-Fogg Cup, a traveling trophy awarded to a first place team- who has created the Clean Snowmobile of the year.
Technical inspections begin Monday morning at 8:00 am at the Keweenaw Research Center, with lab and field testing events to take place throughout the week. There will be a public display of the sleds on Wednesday at 6:00 pm at the Copper Country Mall with a industry networking session to begin two hours prior.
More information and a full schedule of events can be found at www.mtu.edu/snowmobile.