Need For Speed Is Unending
Baynes Pro Mod Sets New Acceleration Standard
ENGINE : 2020 Yamaha 998cc four-stroke triple with stock IHI factory turbo . Hypersports modifications and tune .
FUEL : VP C25 Race Fuel
BY CHRIS RILEY OF SUPER SLED ONLINE PHOTOS BY ANTHONY ZINSKI / STUDIO 77
SKIS : PowerMadd Performance Mini Skis
ECU : Link Fury X
FRONT SHOCKS : Marvin Shaw
POWER OUTPUT : Believed to be over 400 HP , but how much over is not disclosed
LAUNCH : Typically leaves starting line at 6200 RPM @ 11.5 PSI of boost
Competitive snowmobile drag racing has always seemingly been in a state of evolution , with changing emphasis on which classes are popular , where they ’ re run and even on what surface they compete .
While driver entries may not compare to the “ glory days ” of the 1990s and early 2000s , drag racing is still the most widely dispersed form of snowmobile racing . From local club shootouts where buddies settle scores to national events with stringent rules , exotic sleds and big prize money , you ’ ll find folks drag racing sleds 12 months of the year on snow , ice , grass , asphalt and , yes , even across the water .
In the past , the Stock classes with factory support grabbed much of the attention . However , the race class emphasis now falls on sleds with higher levels of modification , including the Pro Stock , Pro Mods , Pro-Extreme 55 and those insane 1000- plus horsepower , $ 150,00-plus Outlaws .
In Snow Goer over the last decade , we ’ ve spotlighted big dollar , elite ice and asphalt Outlaw sleds and their mind-blowing speeds . This time , we ’ re focusing on the increasingly popular Pro Mod machines , which are still exotic and relatively expensive , but they ’ re more approachable to regular sledheads .
Run on grass , snow , ice and asphalt , Pro Mod is an interesting “ combo platter ” class where different engine and chassis configurations can be run against one another . The machines are handicapped by weight to ( theoretically ) level the playing field and provide close competition among the various sled / engine packages . You ’ ll see big displacement two-strokes running against turbocharged four strokes in Pro Mod . As a side note , the only turbocharger allowed in the Pro Mod class is the stock IHI unit that comes on Yamaha Sidewinders and Arctic Cat ZR 9000 RR and Thundercats .
As an example of the Pro Mod handicap weight system , the sled featured above that runs a Hypersports 998 Yamaha four-stroke triple with the IHI Turbo must weigh at least 720 pounds with the rider . But a naturally aspirated four-cylinder
38 / JANUARY 2025 / SNOWGOER . COM