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March
25, 2003 08:32 ET
Gage
Is Official Snowmobile Challenge Sponsor
DETROIT –-- Gage Products Company served as
official fuel sponsor for the fourth annual SAE Clean
Snowmobile Challenge held this March in Michigan’s Upper
Peninsula.
Twelve student teams from universities in the U.S. and
Canada took part in the four-day event (March 19 to
22, 2003) with snowmobiles modified to reduce noise
and emission levels. Michigan Technological University
in Houghton hosted the competition.
A
leading global supplier of test fuels, paint solvents
and paint-system recycling programs for the automotive
industry, Detroit-based Gage Products Company provided
specially blended fuel for the event.
“Gage
had an important role in this year’s competition,” said
Jay Meldrum, director of the Keweenaw Research Center,
a lead organizer of the program. “By donating specially
blended fuels and measuring the fuel economy of each
snowmobile, Gage helped to assure an even playing field
for every competitor.”
Meldrum
noted that this is the first year that the competition
has taken place in Michigan. As in past years, student-modified
snowmobiles competed in a variety of events designed
to measure emissions, noise, fuel economy, acceleration,
handling and braking. Prior to this year the competition
was held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Meldrum noted that the overall intent of the competition
is to develop snowmobiles that are acceptable for use
in environmentally sensitive areas. Snowmobiles entered
in the program are expected to be quiet and emit significantly
less unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide than
conventional snowmobiles.
Technical
inspections and team check-ins took place on Wednesday,
March 19. The competition began with an endurance and
fuel-economy event on Thursday, followed by noise, acceleration,
braking and emissions events on Friday. Cold start and
handling events were scheduled on Saturday morning.
Teams
registered for the program included entries from Colorado
State University, Idaho State University, Kettering
University, Michigan Technological University, Minnesota
State University – Mankato, University of Idaho, University
of Wisconsin – Madison, University of Wisconsin – Platteville
and the University of Wyoming.
The
University of Idaho received the “Gage Products Best
Fuel Economy” award for most fuel-efficient snowmobile
at the 2003 event.
“As
a company dedicated to improving the environment, Gage
is especially pleased to part of a program that not
only encourages the development of student engineers,
but also contributes to a better environment,” a Gage spokesperson
said. “A major goal of the Clean Snowmobile Challenge
is to develop snowmobiles that are acceptable for use
in environmentally sensitive areas.”
A
specialist in the production of test fuels for the automotive
industry, Gage has provided its customers with more
than 1,000 different test-fuel blends over the past
five years. Gage’s custom-fuel customers include Bosch,
Visteon, TI Automotive, Inergy Automotive Systems, Eaton
Corporation, Detroit Testing Services Group and Stant
Manufacturing.
Headquartered in Ferndale, MI, Gage has facilities in
Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium,
Brazil and Mexico. A leader in the field of sustainable
manufacturing and solvent remanufacturing programs,
its paint-system solvent-recovery processes are used
in a majority of North America’s automotive assembly
plants and have attracted the attention of European
and Asia-Pacific manufacturers as well.
Additional
information about Gage is available on the Internet
at www.gageproducts.com.
Further details about the 2003 SAE Clean Snowmobile
Challenge may be found at www.mtu.edu.
Source:
Gage Products Company
CONTACT:
Company Contact: Tom Murray of Gage Products Company, Phone: 248-691-6737, Email: tmurray@gageproducts.com
; or Media Contact: Larry Weis
of AutoCom Associates, +1-248-647-8621, E-Mail: lweis@usautocom.com
, for Gage
Products Company
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