There were all kinds of sleds being raced. From older models such as these that could pop a "wheelie"...
...to a more modern style like these...
...to these lean mean racing machines. Even the graphics are intimidating!
I noticed that some of the sleds and their drivers had to cross the scale after their races. Not sure if it was just the winner of the heat or what. It looked official, that is for sure.
In between the heats, sweeping of the racing lanes and some other kind of grooming took place. This contraption looked and sounded like a modified weed eater machine.
Some of the teams have invested quite a bit of money into their operation including their haulers. Check out the glass doors on the back of the trailer. Keeps the heat in so the team can stay warm! (on a side note...all of these rigs were parked on the ice.)
Here's one way to move a small racing sled around. Many of the larger sleds had their rear track up on rack that was pushed around on the ice (see the one Yamaha photo above).
Why would they move the sleds around like this? To not chew up the ice in the pits and damage the sled track. Look at the metal studs on them! That is how they get traction on the ice. I wouldn't want to get run over by one of those!
All in all, it was a fun couple of hours outdoors watching a new sport. You should try it sometime. Just bring warm clothes and wear snow boots to keep your feet warm. :-)
