When Scott Bell started grass drag racing 14 years ago, he didn’t expect to go so fast he would be breaking records.
But that’s exactly what the 38-year-old Barrhead-area resident did on Sept. 25 during the Grassland Grass Drag Race, reaching a stop speed of an incredible 174 kilometres per hour, five seconds after taking off from the start line.
Grass drag racing involves driving a modified snowmobile over a straight, grass track 500 feet in length against four other competitors.
The event took place in Grassland, Alta., near Athabasca, where the sound of full-throttle snowmobiles and revved-up quads filled the air.
"You’re doing a 100 feet in a second … the adrenaline rush, the excitement of just being out there is great," Bell said.
The speed record was the fastest recorded by a member of the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association. Bell said he plans to break more records in the future, though beating his current speed will be an uphill battle, he added.
