Sylvie Campbell says she’s still the “fastest chick” around…on a snowmobile that is. Campbell hit 162.3 miles per hour Sunday at the Fastest Sled On Ice competition, held on Lake Nipissing off Sunset Park.
Sylvie Campbell says she’s still the “fastest chick” around…on a snowmobile that is.
Campbell hit 162.3 miles per hour Sunday at the Fastest Sled On Ice competition, held on Lake Nipissing off Sunset Park.
It wasn’t good enough, though, to beat Port Perry’s Wayne Simpson, who pushed his
low-to-the-ground Polaris to
165.8 mph.Simpson can enter the Guinness Book of World Records if maintains or beats that speed during two more races in North Bay next month, said Nicky Levasseur, who organized the weekend event with her husband Claude.
“Guinness told us to hold off until after those races in March and if Wayne is still fastest then he goes into the book,” Levasseur said.
Tommy McConkey, of Coldwater, Ont., had the third fastest time overall, at 162.2 mph.
"It was a real rush, man," McConkey said after his race.
Guinness reserves the rightCampbell and her husband Ralph already hold certificates from Guinness for having snowmobiled the most miles in the least amount of time.
“In 1998 we did 8,000 miles in 25 days,” Ralph said, “and Guinness now reserves the right to put us in the book. So this would be a nice way to add to that.”
Campbell, from Barrie, was leading at one point, but her success was short-lived.
She took one last shot but could only muster 158.9 mph.
Engine problems may have plagued her, she said.
“She went soft at the end and I don’t know if I hurt a cylinder. I’m disappointed. All this work to get beat during the last half hour. But, hey, I’m still the fastest chick.”
Hates to loseNicknamed Bart, Simpson, rail-thin at 126 lbs, set the pace during his first attempt, at 164.3.
He admitted to having stayed out till 4 a.m. Sunday.
“I got here late and everybody thought I was all partied out, but Bart don’t lose. I hate to lose,” Simpson said.
Blowing snow Saturday had left the 608-metre track in so-so shape.
After Claude Levasseur
scrapped it down, though, speeds increased dramatically.
Trying to catch SylvieCampbell, 5’4 and 104 lbs, had a good day Saturday hitting 159.5 mph.
“We tuned it to 163 and today she started off at 161.4 mph and we’re tuning again for another 163,” Ralph Campbell said. “So everybody’s trying to catch Sylvie.”
Ralph said her wife’s driving strategy was fairly basic.
“Run what you brung, and hope you brung enough.”
What I neededRacing at over 160 mph hour was “a little scary,” Sylvie said.
“It’s easier for me, though, because I’m not so heavy so I don’t get the G-force and I can lean right under the windshield.”
Sunday’s victory was particularly sweet for Simpson since he’d been having problems with his machine all day. But those problems obviously had been corrected by the time he hit the ice around 5:20.
“I reached 166.2 on Lake Scugog in December, and I’ve been hitting my head against the wall trying to hit that again,” said Simpson, whose best friend is Ralph Campbell.
“But 165.8 is pretty good for the day and that’s what I needed.”
Sundays Results:
Results Pro Classes
500 improve...1)Renee Boltz @104.4 Corbeil
2)Brad Boltz @103.1 Corbeil
3)Team Muskoka @99.1 Baysville
600 single...1)Marc Tourigny @104.5 Cache Bay
2)Darryl White @102.3 Sunridge
3)Dennis Cloake @95.6 Etobicoke
600 triple...1)Marc Tourigny @103.4 Cache Bay
2)Darryl White @102.4 Sundridge
3)Dan St-George @97.0 North Bay
600 improve...1)Darryl Danahy @113.5 North Bay
2)Team Muskoka @112.5 Baysville
700 single...1)Rob Julien @112.5 New Liskeard
2)Joel Preseault @110.6 Sturgeon Falls
3)John Love @102.9 North Bay
700 improve...1)Larry Simon/Buffalo Bob/Bender Racing @131.2 North Bay/Buffalo
2)Troy Prior @121.6 Chisolm
3)G&S Performance @119.1 Redbridge
800 single...1)Rob Julien @111.7 New Liskeard
800 improve...1)Rob Chambers @132.9 Barrie
2)Larry Simon/Buffalo Bob/Bender Racing @132.1 North Bay/Buffalo
3)Steve Leskovar @130.8 Cambridge
900 improve...1)Larry Simon/Buffalo Bob/Bender Racing @131.5 North Bay/Buffalo
2)Vic Rizzo @127.0 North Bay
3)Pat Drouin @122.6 North Bay
1000 stock...1)Reg Laporte @124.6 North Bay
1000 improve...1)Brad Boltz @138.1 Corbeil
2)Andrew Fry @135.4 Barrie
3)Tom Tyson @134.3 Sudbury
4 Stroke...1)Dale Glass @127.7 North Bay
prostock 1000...1)Rob Julien @145.5 New Liskeard
2)Vera Beavan @142.0 North Bay
3)Steve Leskovar @141.7 Cambridge
prostock 1250...1)Tom McConkey @162.2 Coldwater
2)Dan Winterick @160.7 Barrie
3)Ray McQuaid @146.3 Lindsay
mod full body up to 1500...1)Sylvie Campbell @161.4 Barrie
2)Dan Winterick @160.1 Barrie
3)Tom McConkey @159.6 Coldwater
mod lay down up to 1500...1)Wayne Simpson @165.8 Port Perry
setting Guiness & top speed of the day
open full body over 1500...1)Sylvie Campbell @162.3 Barrie
2)Don Emery @157.7 Hawestone
3)Bob Switzer @157.0 Oshawa
