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If you've been snowmobiling for any amount of time at all, you probably know someone who loves to tinker on old sleds, the "One Lungers" that were made before 1973.

While restoring and showing a vintage sled is one part of the fast-growing vintage sled world, mechanics who also love to race these one lungers (single-cylinder sleds) are becoming more numerous too. Clubs find one-lunger races valuable to put on as well.

Why? Its fun! The sleds are colorful, cheerfully noisy and fairly simple machines to work on. What's not to like?

In the East, one-lunger races are chugging toward more widespread acceptance. In Turner, Maine, a town of about 5,000, they're planning the seventh annual "One-Lunger 100 Vintage Snowmobile Race" on Saturday, Feb. 23. The race is run just behind the Pit Stop Mobil Station on Route 4 in Turner. Registration and qualifying races begin at 8 a.m. with the main race - 50, ½-mile laps - usually taking place by mid-afternoon.

How exciting and unpredictable are these races?

With only a ½ lap to go in last year's main race, Bobby Hogan of Lisbon was in fourth place, but he pulled off the win because the first-, second- and third-place snowmobiles blew up as they neared the finish line.

Clubs, towns benefit
Ron Blake one of the event founders and a member of the Turner Ridge Riders Snowmobile Club, which puts on the races, says, "Our snowmobile club was looking for a (fundraising) event. We used to have swap meets in the fall. I saw that they were doing some vintage snowmobile races out West, and I thought it would be a good idea for our club." He proposed the one-lunger race to the club, which initially turned down the idea. But the idea grew on them, and the race was approved the following year.

Like all first-time events, Turner's event had some growing pains. The first year the race was run in a cornfield and wasn't very organized, but it was a start. There were roughly 50 snowmobiles and "smoke everywhere," says Blake.

"The sleds were three abreast and you had a parade of these old sleds.
Of course, I grew up in that era since I've been snowmobiling since the late 1960's. I can't tell you how much the race has pulled the whole town together," he adds.

The second year, the race was much more successful and raised more money. The club rented a public-address system for the announcers, which gave the race a big boost. Blake was able to get pointers from vintage racers and clubs in other states too, such as Wyoming.

Now, the "One Lunger" has become such a part of this Maine community that the vintage sleds are in the Fourth of July parade! (Wheels are put on the sleds so they can drive on the blacktop.)

Prepping for the race
Getting these old sleds to be race-ready has become a year-round hobby for many who feel that if there's little snow for riding, they can still work on a sled.

Racers scour the state looking for old machines in fields and barns in hopes of getting the right parts that will make their new "Frankenstein sled" run. One can easily put $1,000, or more, into a one-lung sled.

"I've got this '73 Yamaha I've been fixing up, and I've gone all over the state to get parts. It's like a scavenger hunt, and I've got a garage full of parts," says Tim Gilbert, a member of the Ridge Riders Snowmobile Club and a regular race participant.

"You don't buy your parts where everyone else does, because you need to be competitive. My buddy is a mechanic, and we've been accused of cheating in the past because we will have an old sled that goes really fast, but we didn't cheat. We've just put a lot of time into the sled. You tinker for an hour for a 10-minute ride," Gilbert says.

The pursuit of the perfect part is a labor of love for all who spend hours working on these old sleds that often don't even finish the race. If your sled doesn't break down during the races, your chances of placing are pretty good.

"I went all the way to Vermont just for a piston for a 1969 Motoski Zephyr with a 372 Hirth engine," says Blake of his rare find. "It was a brand new piston that hadn't been used in all those years."

The Turner race is strictly for authentic vintage snowmobiles. Sleds are closely checked for authentic vintage parts. The first few years of the race, organizers would actually tear down sleds to inspect the parts. Winners have been disqualified for using new parts in an old sled.

"One of the problems we had was that sleds had to meet a criteria and be as authentic as possible. We were trying to keep the cheaters from coming in," Blake says. "2 years ago, I had to disqualify the winner because he didn't have the right engine for that sled. I took a lot of heat for that, but that was my position. He was actually pretty gracious because he knew he was wrong."

Something for everyone
There are a number of different divisions and races, including a powder puff race for women and a kids' race on mini snowmobiles, the 120cc class.

"The kids' race has 2 laps for a total of 1 mile," says Ed Morris, one of the race organizers. "I was scoring the kids' race and you should have heard how excited the crowd was as the kids came in toward the finish line on their sleds."

Last year, more than 4,000 spectators came through the gates, and they even enjoyed tailgate parties that featured deep-fried turkey, sausage, steaks and chicken. They watched more than 200 snowmobilers in various races. Because the main race can accommodate only 44 snowmobiles, there are races and divisions for many who don't qualify for the finale.

Few snowmobiles finish a race because of age and mechanical condition, and without much for a suspension, operators have a pretty rough ride too.

While the machines remain vintage, the race itself has grown in sophistication and professionalism.

"In the beginning, these guys used to just jump on the sleds and go. Now, it is more professional and there is more actual racing and fewer crashes. It's an action-packed race - even in the qualifying rounds," says Morris, who has taken a back seat in the race during the past few years. "The race made me proud, and now, it's so well-participated in, it's phenomenal. A nearby town in Maine (Minot) is talking about getting its own vintage snowmobile race going."

Why not?

Cathy Genthner is the snowmobile columnist for the Maine Sunday Telegram, is a registered Maine Guide and owner of River Bluff Camps in Medford, Maine. She can be reached at Riverbluffcamps@maine.rr.com.