twintrack pioneer succumbs to cancer

 Robert A. Bracey, the man behind the Raider, Manta and most recently Trail Roamer twin-tracked snowmobiles, has died of cancer at his home in Almont, Michigan. He was 66 years old.

"Bob was one of the true pioneering entrepreneurs of snowmobiling," recalled American Snowmobiler magazine editor Jerry Bassett. "He spent 30 years of great effort engineering and refining the sit-in snowmobile concept. In the 1970s his twin-tracked racing designs were very successful on the circle tracks of the upper Midwest. This was way before the Ski-Doo designs."

For three decades Bracey evolved his twin-tracked, rear-engined snow vehicle concept. During the early '70s, Bracey designed, built and sold more than 10,000 Raider snowmobiles. His next evolution occurred in the '80s with the Manta and culminated in the '90s with a very sophisticated Trail Roamer design.

All of Bracey's designs shared dual rubber tracks at the back. His early models relied on leaf spring front suspensions that eventually evolved into independent front suspension designs that proved more precise and increased handling.

The rear-engine, twin tracked concept was one that "he believed in all of his life," stated Carol, his wife of 39 years. "It gave you two tracks where rear tires would be on a car. It gave you a cockpit. You sat in it, and you were protected... The last version had a heater, a radio... and it was made for creature comfort."
Three R Industries, a company that he owned, built the snowmobiles and also did custom fiberglass work for homebuilders and handled auto display work. He closed the company upon his retirement in 2001.

Born in Detroit Bob Bracey started his career in the auto industry, working at one time or another for each of the Big Three, the former Chrysler Corp., General Motors and Ford Motor Co. He also worked for Karkraft, a Dearborn firm where he helped develop Ford GT40 racecars.

But Mr. Bracey always was dreaming up his own inventions, especially his snowmobile, and after working awhile for Leisure Vehicles in Troy, he went into business for himself.

"Bob's latest snowmobile, the Trail Roamer was a very nice product," Bassett recalls. Perhaps his biggest challenge was in the engine department. In the 1970s his twin-tracked snowmobiles reflected the times as a variety of power plants were available. Those early Raiders used Canadian Curtis Wright (CCW) power. But in the '80s and, especially, the '90s, sled manufacturers had secured independent engine suppliers and Bracey had problems securing engines that could power his concepts. The final Trail Roamer version relied on a low horsepower commercial Kohler 4-stroke with electric start and fuel injection.
"To Bob's great credit, he persevered and has left a unique legacy to our sport.
His creativity and pioneering spirit will be missed."