Beauséjour, Race Day

We hopped in the rental car and made our way to Beauséjour, Manitoba on March 5th, to see some of the 48th annual Canadian Power Toboggan Championships (CPTC).  The CPTC is held at the race-plex, which is a pretty impressive track that boasts a sizable grandstand with wooden seating, concessions, and beer gardens.  There are two ways to watch the events.  The first is to pay the $15/head fee and park in the parking lot and walk into the arena area to watch from the stands.  The second is to pay  $25 and drive your vehicle right up to the racetrack and watch from your vehicle.  "Power toboggans" came in free.

Admittedly, I am totally clueless when it comes to these machines.  I wonder to myself why they call them power toboggans, and not snowmobiles.  There is no danger of un-intentional sponsoring there, is there?  As there would be if say we called them "skidoos" or something similar.  Why is it not the "Canadian Snow Mobile Championships"?   Leave me a comment if you know why!


There were races of different classes of sled, from vintage modified, to Pro 600, and everything in between.  It was interesting to see how technology has advanced from the 1950's to today's ultra high tech racing sleds.  The lap times were quite different.  As was the noise!  I suggest earplugs, or earmuffs.  Especially for the younger folks in your group.  Some of the high end sleds were quite loud.  Painfully so.


It was funny at first to see the racers lining up at the start line, and start bouncing up and down on their sleds like they were riding a bucking bronco.  Until I figured out what they were doing.  They were digging in the treds on the track to get a better bite and a quicker start off the line!  Duh.  The riders lean over to one side of the sled to keep it from tipping over around the corners.  They hurl around those corners so fast, the g-forces must be huge!  Looks like loads of fun.  Expensive fun.


So here's some of my photos from race day.  Enjoy!

 Dustin Wahl Winner of the Pro 600 Open Final 15 Lap race