grass racing

 Clouds part before first light and let the sun warm the earth to 75 degrees. Dew lifts from the grassy field. A September morning awakens. A snowmobile racer rises early to finish tuning his sled for the 28th Annual Hayday World Championship Snowmobile Grass Drag. He makes final adjustments to his track and loads his machine on his trailer.

At the race site near Lino Lakes, Minnesota, a throng of racers hurry to test their traction and suspension one last time before the races begin. Dozens of adjustments are made with hopes of winning the Stock A Championship. All four manufacturers are represented at the line. Engines roar. The starting lights flash and the racers twitch. They're off. More than 30,000 excited spectators look for the winning sled in search of answers. Some hope to confirm that the sled they just bought is the best. Others look to the winning sled as an indication of which snowmobile to buy. Manufacturers hope a win will promote sales. However you look at it, snowmobiling grass drags have become increasingly important to consumers and manufacturers in recent years. As the sport continues to grow, manufacturers put more and more time, money and effort into promoting their sleds at the drags.

The four manufacturers each have different reasons for focusing their marketing effort on grass drags, but all agree that the preseason races can't be ignored. Bob Nygaard, product manager for Polaris snowmobiles, sees it this way: "It's important to the customer so it's important to us. It's a way for the customers to get an early start on snowmobiling. You get started with the season in September and October to get people interested in snowmobiling before the snow flies." The large number of potential buyers catches Yamaha's eye, says Yamaha's Marketing Manager Rit Lefrancois. He says more people watch or participate in grass drags than any other segment of snowmobile racing. For Ski-Doo it's timing. "Summer and autumn are when new sleds are introduced," says Ski-Doo's public relations manager Loren Anderson. "Sleds and how they run are seen by the public for the first time. They (the grass drags) help get the consumers' juices flowing." Arctic Cat's public relations manager, Paul James, agrees, but adds, "If you're fast on the grass, people who already have a sled that is winning will feel good about their purchase and Arctic Cat in general."

With each philosophy comes a different marketing approach. There is, however, one underlying rule-of-thumb that "What wins on Sunday sells on Monday." Polaris' Racing Coordinator Ray Monsrud says many people hear about a new suspension, for example, and want to see it in action before they buy. "If someone is debating if they should buy a Polaris or the other brand, a winning Polaris will definitely tip them over to Polaris," he adds. Ski-Doo approaches matters with a similar strategy, but sees another ramification. Tom Rager, U.S. racing manager for Ski-Doo, says name recognition of a winning rider gives a sled additional credibility. "Last year Ken Hallas of Mosinee, Wisconsin, won the Minnesota Cup for the third consecutive which has never been done before. I've heard of 'big time' references to Ken when people buy Ski-Doos. They say they saw Ken win on a certain Ski-Doo and they want it." Another name that attracts attention for Ski-Doo is Guy Parquette, also of Mosinee, Wisconsin, who was named "Driver of the Year" for 1993-94.

Yamaha and Arctic Cat look at racing differently. For Arctic Cat, winning helps, but it isn't everything. That's mainly because grass racing is not a perfect test for snowmobiling. Joey Hallstrom, Arctic Cat's racing manager, says winning doesn't necessarily bring people straight to the dealership. "They race on a 660-foot track and there are so many more things to consider like how well the sled handles the bumps, turns, hills, ice, snow, cold, wind and long distances," he adds. "The races give people the fever. If you win an event, Arctic Cat people feel good. The races get snowmobilers thinking of snow when the air turns cold." For Yamaha, grass drags help keep the manufacturer in racing and showcase their performance sleds. Gordy Muetz, racing coordinator for Yamaha says, because of the rules, Yamaha can't compete in oval racing. As Muetz see it, "When you're selling snowmobiles, you're racing snowmobiles." Lafrancois says races like the Hayday are used to showcase sleds like the Vmax-4, which was first revealed at the 1991 Hayday. "We particularly like to concentrate on the sleds that sell early, like the Vmax 800, Vmax 600 and Vmax 500…We put a lot of effort into the stock 800, 600, and 500. If a modified class or another class we've worked on wins it's a bonus."

The four manufacturers seek payoffs with various methods. Polaris presents performance checks to the three top amateurs in each class and contingency money to the top three pros in the stock classes. For Ski-Doo, being visible is as important as winning. Ski-Doo posts promotional signs with dealers' help, sponsors TV coverage and offers hospitality for Club Ski-Doo members.

Meanwhile, Yamaha and Arctic Cat choose to unveil new sleds at the Hayday drags. In 1993 the Arctic Cat ZR440 was introduced. A plane flew a banner that advertised the unveiling. "Hayday is the biggest promotional event for Arctic Cat," says James. "Minneapolis is a key snowmobiling market. To unveil at Hayday is a marketing decision that says we know where the customers are so we're going to give them a treat." The Hayday was also the site where the Vmax 800, Yamaha's most powerful sled, was unveiled. According to Lefrancois, Yamaha also makes a victory video which is sent to dealers and runs victory ads.

Marketing success at grass drags is difficult to measure precisely. As public interest increases so do marketing efforts. Starting last year, Polaris has put more emphasis on grass drag racing than in the past, according to Nygaard. Monsrud adds that Polaris puts as much emphasis on grass drags as on cross country races. When it comes to Yamaha and Ski-Doo, grass drags use up most of their racing budgets. Ski-Doo's Rager says, "I have a budget to support the racing program and grass drags are number one. That has changed in the last three years. That's because a grass drag is the first time people can see a sled run." At Yamaha, interest in grass drags goes back to the 1970s when it produced the SR series (stripped down sleds with light tracks and modified suspensions) specifically for grass racing, says Muetz. Arctic Cat's commitment to the sport is proven by the recent appointment of Al Shimpa as racing coordinator. He tests sleds on a grass strip and gives advice on how to clutch and set the carburetor, traction and chassis.

Races that all manufacturers focus on include the Hayday, New York State Grass Drags Championship and the entire Southern Wisconsin Drag Racing Association circuit. Manufacturers agree that the Hayday is the biggest of them all. "Certainly Hayday is the king. It has the most spectators, it is in a key snowmobile market and it is an established race," says James. Muetz adds, "The customers would be perturbed if we weren't there. It's important and very competitive. The Hayday is more than a race. It's where the bull stops."