Kettering U Places Second In Clean Snowmobile Challenge
HOUGHTON -- Overcoming a number of setbacks, Kettering University's Motorsports Team-Clean Snowmobile managed to earn a close second place in the 2012 SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge, March 6-10 at Michigan Technological University.
The team faced a number of challenges with their modified Ski-Doo sled, including an engine failure on Friday before they were scheduled to leave for the competition on Sunday, March 5, installing a new engine in the eleventh hour and an electrical failure that cost them a day's worth of competition points on Monday.
But the team persevered and managed to place second in the internal combustion category against 11 other teams. Kettering was one of the 12 teams registered in the internal combustion category while five teams competed in the zero emissions category for battery-powered sleds.
"We all should be proud of their efforts," said Dr. Greg Davis, Kettering Motorsports Team-Clean Snowmobile crew adviser, "I received many great comments from the engineering judges about how impressed they were with our effort-and success."
Davis explained that the engine failure posed a particular problem for the team because their sled is a new model and replacement parts are difficult to find.
"After much searching we found that we would not even be able to get the engine parts until Tuesday," he said, "Luckily, we found a used trail snowmobile with our engine in Houghton."
Davis bought the used snowmobile Sunday morning and the team arrived that afternoon. They quickly removed the engine and transferred it to their competition sled by Sunday evening.
