I got this sent to me by the author and wanted to share.
By Jim Wyckoff, Raccoon Valley Snow Chasers
Snowmobiling across the wide-open expanse of a solidly frozen lake offers a rider the opportunity to press the thumb down a little harder on the throttle and experience the arm-stretching performance of his or her machine. That may just include pinning the throttle to the handlebar, if only just briefly. Most sledders will admit to succumbing to this primal urge. A few will boast of pinning their sled all the way across the lake and may even mention, truthfully or not, hitting triple digits. However, a Minnesota man plans to go the ultimate “all in” on the need for sustained speed. On March 8, Willie Ewing, 45, of Becker, will attempt to set a world distance record for a 24-hour period by a single rider, on Devil Track Lake, near Grand Marais, Minnesota.
Ewing, who owns and operates “The Shock Shop” in Becker and specializes in snowmobile shock absorber reconditioning, reckons he will have to average 80 to 100 MPH over the entire 24-hour time period to be successful, and will travel over 1,900 miles. The current world record for the greatest 24-hour distance by a single snowmobile rider is held by Nicholas Musters of Lake of Bays, Ontario. In March 2011, he drove 3,069.12 kilometers (1,907.06 miles) in 24 hours. Ewing said, “Once that stopwatch starts, I’m on the clock for the next 24 hours,” so the pit stops need to be as few as possible and as fast as possible. He added, “If we can average 84 miles per hour (for the entire 24 hours) we will break the 2,000-mile mark. That’s kind of our goal.” The normal Minnesota speed limit for snowmobilers is 50 MPH. However, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has waived the speed limit for the event.
A four-stroke, turbo-charged 2022 Arctic Cat Thundercat will be Ewing’s sled of choice for his world record attempt. The snowmobile is being provided to Ewing by Thomas Sno Sports in Ogilvie, Minnesota. Tom Rowland, the owner of the Cat dealership, is a longtime promoter of the sport of snowmobiling. Ewing approached Rowland about helping get the Arctic Cat factory folks involved in the project, including marketing and engineering staffers. Rowland “has been a great help” in getting Arctic Cat involved in our effort, said Ewing. Veteran snowmobile racers know it’s a real big deal when they can get the factory involved in their process.
The Thundercat, called “Thunder One,” is mostly all stock and passes all current snowmobile emission standards. The reverse mechanism was removed from the snowmobile in order to reduce some of the moving parts in the chain case. “Most of our work is on stuff like hand guards and anti-vibration handlebar things. We are just trying to make the sled as comfortable as possible,” Ewing said. ROX Speed FX is working with Ewing and his team on the handguards and steering matters.
As for clothing, Ewing will have most of his body heated by electric warmers in his suit. “Lots of wiring” on me, he said.
The groomed five-mile straight-aways on the oval track on Devil Track Lake will be set up by the local Cook County Ridge Riders snowmobile club. For the kind of speeds at which Ewing will be operating, a track that is as smooth as possible is imperative. “The curves will be banked, as I plan on hitting around 100 MPH, give or take, on the straight-aways and around 60 MPH on the curves,” Ewing said. Riders on Cook County trails will attest that the local groomers have perfected the art of making their trails as smooth as glass for those lucky enough to be the first to come upon a freshly groomed trail. Thus, the track will likely be in very good shape for Ewing’s run.
Ewing will have around a 15-person pit crew that will include fuel-handlers, suspension experts and drive belt-changers. “I will be stopping every hour for refueling, which should take less than 10 seconds,” said Ewing. Thunder One will have a NASCAR refueling system. Ewing said the plan is to change the drive belt every 500 miles, to prevent blowing a belt. There will even be skid-frame specialists who will be able to change out the skid in less than three minutes—which would be faster than putting new hy-fax, or slides, on the existing skid. It’s likely a new skid frame will be put on the sled during the run. “A lot will depend on the snow conditions,” said Ewing.
Also, 10-15 people will be patrolling the track all during the 24-hour speed run, to check for other snowmobilers, or wildlife, that may come too close to the track. There will be reflectors set up all over the track, for the nighttime riding.
As for mental preparedness, Ewing said he’s put a lot of thought and effort into that important element of the run. “We have equipped this snowmobile with long-range radio equipment so I can be constantly talking to people—whether it’s friends, family or the crew chief.” Bathroom and fuel breaks will be during the fuel stops. “I am going to have to stay hydrated and eat energy bars,” said Ewing.
Ewing said he is taking on this daunting challenge in part to honor a cousin, Darcy Ewing, a snowmobile racer in the snowmobile hall of fame who was killed many years ago in a non-snowmobile accident. Darcy had wanted to do a 24-hour distance run and break the record. The speed/distance run is also a fundraiser. Proceeds from the event will be used to help under-privileged kids go to summer Bible camp. For more information on donating to this cause, go to Ewing’s FaceBook page, “The Shock Shop” or see his “1 Day 4 Kids” FaceBook page to support Ewing’s charitable efforts.
By Jim Wyckoff, Raccoon Valley Snow Chasers
Snowmobiling across the wide-open expanse of a solidly frozen lake offers a rider the opportunity to press the thumb down a little harder on the throttle and experience the arm-stretching performance of his or her machine. That may just include pinning the throttle to the handlebar, if only just briefly. Most sledders will admit to succumbing to this primal urge. A few will boast of pinning their sled all the way across the lake and may even mention, truthfully or not, hitting triple digits. However, a Minnesota man plans to go the ultimate “all in” on the need for sustained speed. On March 8, Willie Ewing, 45, of Becker, will attempt to set a world distance record for a 24-hour period by a single rider, on Devil Track Lake, near Grand Marais, Minnesota.
Ewing, who owns and operates “The Shock Shop” in Becker and specializes in snowmobile shock absorber reconditioning, reckons he will have to average 80 to 100 MPH over the entire 24-hour time period to be successful, and will travel over 1,900 miles. The current world record for the greatest 24-hour distance by a single snowmobile rider is held by Nicholas Musters of Lake of Bays, Ontario. In March 2011, he drove 3,069.12 kilometers (1,907.06 miles) in 24 hours. Ewing said, “Once that stopwatch starts, I’m on the clock for the next 24 hours,” so the pit stops need to be as few as possible and as fast as possible. He added, “If we can average 84 miles per hour (for the entire 24 hours) we will break the 2,000-mile mark. That’s kind of our goal.” The normal Minnesota speed limit for snowmobilers is 50 MPH. However, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has waived the speed limit for the event.
A four-stroke, turbo-charged 2022 Arctic Cat Thundercat will be Ewing’s sled of choice for his world record attempt. The snowmobile is being provided to Ewing by Thomas Sno Sports in Ogilvie, Minnesota. Tom Rowland, the owner of the Cat dealership, is a longtime promoter of the sport of snowmobiling. Ewing approached Rowland about helping get the Arctic Cat factory folks involved in the project, including marketing and engineering staffers. Rowland “has been a great help” in getting Arctic Cat involved in our effort, said Ewing. Veteran snowmobile racers know it’s a real big deal when they can get the factory involved in their process.
The Thundercat, called “Thunder One,” is mostly all stock and passes all current snowmobile emission standards. The reverse mechanism was removed from the snowmobile in order to reduce some of the moving parts in the chain case. “Most of our work is on stuff like hand guards and anti-vibration handlebar things. We are just trying to make the sled as comfortable as possible,” Ewing said. ROX Speed FX is working with Ewing and his team on the handguards and steering matters.
As for clothing, Ewing will have most of his body heated by electric warmers in his suit. “Lots of wiring” on me, he said.
The groomed five-mile straight-aways on the oval track on Devil Track Lake will be set up by the local Cook County Ridge Riders snowmobile club. For the kind of speeds at which Ewing will be operating, a track that is as smooth as possible is imperative. “The curves will be banked, as I plan on hitting around 100 MPH, give or take, on the straight-aways and around 60 MPH on the curves,” Ewing said. Riders on Cook County trails will attest that the local groomers have perfected the art of making their trails as smooth as glass for those lucky enough to be the first to come upon a freshly groomed trail. Thus, the track will likely be in very good shape for Ewing’s run.
Ewing will have around a 15-person pit crew that will include fuel-handlers, suspension experts and drive belt-changers. “I will be stopping every hour for refueling, which should take less than 10 seconds,” said Ewing. Thunder One will have a NASCAR refueling system. Ewing said the plan is to change the drive belt every 500 miles, to prevent blowing a belt. There will even be skid-frame specialists who will be able to change out the skid in less than three minutes—which would be faster than putting new hy-fax, or slides, on the existing skid. It’s likely a new skid frame will be put on the sled during the run. “A lot will depend on the snow conditions,” said Ewing.
Also, 10-15 people will be patrolling the track all during the 24-hour speed run, to check for other snowmobilers, or wildlife, that may come too close to the track. There will be reflectors set up all over the track, for the nighttime riding.
As for mental preparedness, Ewing said he’s put a lot of thought and effort into that important element of the run. “We have equipped this snowmobile with long-range radio equipment so I can be constantly talking to people—whether it’s friends, family or the crew chief.” Bathroom and fuel breaks will be during the fuel stops. “I am going to have to stay hydrated and eat energy bars,” said Ewing.
Ewing said he is taking on this daunting challenge in part to honor a cousin, Darcy Ewing, a snowmobile racer in the snowmobile hall of fame who was killed many years ago in a non-snowmobile accident. Darcy had wanted to do a 24-hour distance run and break the record. The speed/distance run is also a fundraiser. Proceeds from the event will be used to help under-privileged kids go to summer Bible camp. For more information on donating to this cause, go to Ewing’s FaceBook page, “The Shock Shop” or see his “1 Day 4 Kids” FaceBook page to support Ewing’s charitable efforts.
