team skidoo

Fulfillment of prophecy is not reserved for the Biblical world. The phenomenon is also taking place in the snowmobiling realm, with the most stunning forecast coming from the SKI-DOO® racing team. Dominance in cross-country and terrain racing is the prediction set by Racing Manager Tom Rager. Evidence of such success is slowly mounting. And, if Ski-Doo's unconditional, zealous commitment to being the best continues during the 1995-96 race season, many MX Z racers could soon find themselves on top of the winner's platform.

But just winning isn't enough. Dominating races that speak most about the first-place sled's durability, reliability, handling, suspension, comfort, speed and endurance is Ski-Doo's ultimate goal.

In Rager's eyes the ultimate race is the Grand 500, a 500-mile endurance race that runs from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to Hinckley, Minnesota. The sled that'll take them to the top is the MX Z 440, Rager says. "To be number one we have to win this race," he says. "We will win this race. We are going to stay here until we prove to the world that we can win a 500-mile race."

Since the first-ever 500-miler- the International 500 (I-500) was the kick-off event for the St. Paul, Minnesota Winter Carnival- was run over 30 years ago, Ski-Doo's best finishes include one first and one second. Yvan Duhammel took the checkered flag in 1972 and Gerard "King" Karpik was runner-up in 1980. Over 15 years ago Bombardier (Ski-Doo) withdrew factory support for cross-country racing to pursue ovals. When it re-entered the world of terrain racing in 1994, Ski-Doo racer Todd Wolff of Annandale, Minnesota, placed third in the I-500. Last year, Wolff, and Toni Haikonen, a Finnish racer who resides in Eveleth, Minnesota, placed ninth and 11th respectively in the inaugural Grand 500 (Jan. 24-27), the race that replaced the I-500.

Though Ski-Doo racers did not fare as well as he hoped at the Grand 500, Rager isn't disappointed with his team and says 1996 will prove to be Ski-Doo's best year. "We are very happy for Todd and Toni," he adds. "It's too bad we didn't see them do as well as they could have, but of the three years we've been back, we have the best chance of winning this year."

Rager is encouraged by Team Ski-Doo's overall performance during the 1994-95 season. He looks at it as a foundation, a building year. "Last year was a stepping stone to get to this year…The 95 MX Zs were the sleds that got us through the transition," he says. "Two big events played big roles." Haikonen's International Series Of Champions (ISOC) Canterbury Super Enduro win at Shakopee, Minnesota and Wolff's ISOC victory at Detroit Lakes, Minnesota (Ski-Doo's first ISOC victory) are proof that the MX Z can claim coveted races.

Ski-Doo's momentum, combined with its history, could put it on the fast track to victory. Also, durability has been a mainstay for the Montreal, Quebec-based company: Of the 67 MX Zs entered in last year's Grand 500, 57 percent, or 38 sleds finished- the highest start-to-finish ratio among all three brands competing.

The yellow sleds also had the highest percent of finishers- 70 percent- two years ago at the I-500. "We have reliability," says Steve Brand, cross-country racing coordinator. "The big thing is you first have to finish before you can finish first." Compared to the 1993 I-500, Ski-Doo placed more racers in the top 50 and top 100 last year at the 1994 Grand 500, Brand adds. "We know what it takes to win," he says. "Our building program is working."

Some of the most important changes Ski-Doo has made to its racing program over the last year are improvements on the 1996 MX Z. Rager says two substantial enhancements include a 40-pound weight reduction and an additional two inches of rear suspension travel. The newest modifications, coupled with the proven 436.6cc engine, two Mikuni VM 34 carbs and tuned pipe-to-spiral muffler exhaust, offer boosts in performance and handling.

Dealers express total confidence in the improved 1996 MX Z. Nick Haupt, a sales representative for Waldoch Lawn and Sports of Forest Lake, Minnesota, points to key features, including the redesigned chassis, Cushion Drive T.R.A. clutch, Bremo brake and wider ski stance. "I think all of the improvements make for a better handling machine that is more stable," he says. "The complete redesign is going to make for a faster machine."

In addition to increased rear travel and decreased weight, the 1996 MX Z offers an additional 1.5 inches of front travel, improved aerodynamics, increased top speed created by a redesigned hood and belly pan, reduced engine vibration, providing a longer lasting clutch, and an improved hydraulic, self-adjusting disc brake.

"The Bremo brake is the best in the industry," says Haupt. "That's what they used on the 1995 Formula series. A better brake means you don't have to apply it as hard. That means more life for the pads and less brake fade."

Even the MX Z's new seat and gas tank designs offer racers an edge, providing more comfort and freer driver movement. Placing the engine lower in the chassis provides a lower center of gravity for increased handling and stability.

The changes came after endless hours of testing and evaluation. Snowmobile experts met for multiple group sessions to discuss modifications. Among those present was Karpik- a top cross country racer in the '70s and early '80s. "Gerard was a part of those tests and he gave very prudent feedback that wound up going to the engineers at Valcourt, Quebec [Ski-Doo's manufacturing plant and headquarters]," says Rager.

Karpik estimates that the redesigned hood and belly pan will help the MX Z gain at least one or two mph - a big difference in cross-country races. "The '95 sled was one to two miles per hour off winning major events," he adds. "When I raced, I was about one mph faster than everyone else. That means everything. It's very, very important to be a smidge faster because it gives you confidence in the bumps and turns knowing you don't have to win it all." Meanwhile, the former racer says the new 10-inch long-travel suspension isn't twitchy at high speeds and provides consistent running over its predecessor, the C-7.

One definite advantage Ski-Doo racers will lord over the competition is its engine, says Karpik. "It has the most power and excellent acceleration in the ditches," he says. "The clutches run like clock work and their reliability is very high."

Even though Ski-Doo didn't win the inaugural Grand 500, it benefited from "being active in hands-on competition," states Karpik. Brian Spielman, an employee of FAST (Karpik's performance shop in Eveleth, Minnesota) was the mechanic for two FAST-sponsored Ski-Doo racers. He says that after hundreds of miles of testing- including ISOC's Brainerd 200- parts that needed reinforcements were identified. For example, the weld on Haikonen's front arms was wrapped and stitching in the skis was doubled. "It all adds weight, but that's a sacrifice you have to make if you want your sled to finish," he says. "At the end of each day you have only one half hour to work on it. You don't have time to do major adjustments." Other pit stop maintenance included carbides, studs, clutch settings and spring preload. "Repairing a sled on the trail may be done, but fix-it items are limited to commodities like tie-wraps, tape and bungie cords," says Spielman. "Basically it's up to the ingenuity of the driver. If he has the will to win there's always something that can be done."

Increased sled reliability and a growing number of drivers have made easier Brand's job of getting the most Ski-Doos possible to the finish line. He sends racing and mechanical tips, highlights and updates specifically to Ski-Doo's Grand 500 racers. The better prepared the team is the better job it'll do, he adds. "We have a great driver's pool and we're learning all the time. My job is to get the guys to the finish line. The race results are up to drivers' ability," says Brand.

A well-endowed contingency program gives racers added motivation to win. For 1995, Ski-Doo's incentive plan, the richest in the industry, dedicated more than half of the season's $320,000 purse to one race- the Grand 500. A Ski-Doo racer taking first would have earned $25,000. That wasn't the case. Still a total of $42,100 was paid to 52 drivers.

With a redesigned racing sled and improved dedication to a flourishing number of racers, the fulfillment of Ski-Doo's prophecy- winning a 500-miler- may be just around the corner. "The MX Z had the potential of winning the Grand 500 last year," says Karpik. "It certainly has the potential to win it this year. It's a race that's eluded Ski-Doo for a number of years. so it would be nice to get that one back in the barn. It's something you want as a race team."