marilla ny grass drags

Nearly 5,000 northeastern snowmobile fans watched as more than 250 entries vied for titles in the 14th annual New York State grass drag championships. Race director Dave Curran noted that the racers came from as far west as Minnesota and as far east as Maine. A strong showing of racers from Quebec and Ontario gave this big eastern event an international flavor.

The flavor of Yamaha power was in abundance as Bender Racing's drag racing veteran Bruce Schrader scored twice with four cylinder Yama-power.

First, in a Double A Stock field that counted more than 50 entries, Schrader prevailed over strong competition from fellow Vmax-4 rider Pat Hauck of Wisconsin and a very determined Bill Bickford aboard a 1992 Ski-Doo Mach I-X. In the finals, it was second place Bickford's New Hampshire-based Ski-Doo that very nearly bested the '92 Vmax-4.

Second triumph for Schrader at the September 29th event came in the Open Fuel class where his 1,100cc Bender-Yamaha four cylinder powered dragster made quick work of the finals. For his efforts in Open Fuel, Schrader walked away with the Wiseco-Roetin Trophy.

Sponsored by the Colden (New York) Trail Riders, the Marilla grass drag race entertained more than 250 entries in stock, modified and open racing classes and hosted nearly 5,000 fans who came to watch the races and view the manufacturer and dealer displays.

It was quite obvious that, with more than 50 drivers in Stock AA, many people had come to see the show down between the big bore production sleds. One question in the minds of the "in the know" snowmobilers was "how would the Vmax-4 handle the short drag strip?" Quite well was the answer as Schrader and Hauck looked strong in the heats as they worked their way to the finals. But close and potential trouble if the Yamahas faltered were the Ski-Doo Mach IX stock racers. As it happened, Wisconsin's Pat Hauck did get a bad holeshot which allowed the two Ski-Doos to get into second and third place while Schrader was strong and pushed his four cylinder Yamaha to the overall win.

At the Hay Days races in Minnesota a couple of weeks earlier and at the Syracuse, New York grass drags just prior to the New York State grass drag finals, the Yamahas showed that they could win on a longish 600 foot strip. But with the strong short track ability of the twin cylinder Ski-Doos, no one was giving the Marilla race to the Vmaxs. At Marilla, the strip measures less than 500 feet. But by race day, pre-race testing had shown Schrader and other Vmax-4 riders what they had to do to get the four cylinder Yamahas first down the short drag strip. The pre-race testing paid off.

Schrader, who has been Bender Racing's primary test pilot for the Vmax-4 grass drag program, did such a good job at disseminating racing information to other Vmax-4 racers that he had little time to dial in his own Vmax at the Hay Days event in Minnesota where he took secondary billing to Pat Hauck. The outcome was reversed in Schrader's backyard as the Holland, New York driver made no mistakes on his way to the Double A stock title. And he answered the question about the 130 horsepower Yamaha's potential on a short strip. "No problem!"