Eighteen-year-old Travis MacDonald works full time as a commercial plumber in Lockport, Manitoba, but on weekends, he competes in the sport of ice oval snowmobile racing. Travis started racing as a junior six years ago, and now he competes in Canada and the United States with several veteran racers in a premier class called the Pro Champ 440.
Travis comes from a snowmobiling family; he grew up riding sleds on the trails and in the ditches near his home in Lockport. His father, Jeff MacDonald—who is the owner of and crew chief for the MPH Racing team based in Lockport—is responsible for getting his son into the world of ice oval snowmobile racing. At first, Travis was reluctant to try it out, and then he had a change of heart.
“One time, I went out to the garage and I surprised him and said ‘Dad, I want to race this season,’ so he put a sled together for me and I went off and started racing from there,” said Travis.
Ice oval racing is very different from recreational riding. According to Travis, it is more tiring and racers have to focus hard. He said in some racing events there are nearly a dozen other sleds around him reaching speeds of 105 miles per hour; it’s no wonder he said his nerves go crazy before a race.
“It’s scary but fun at the same time,” said Travis.
Learning from the pros
Making the transition from recreational riding to competitive ice oval racing was easier for Travis because he started out at a young age. Now that he’s worked his way up the rankings, the competition has heated up—especially this season.
“There’s about 22 Pro Champ 440 sleds that are trying to compete for every race and they only take 12 sleds for the final, so you have to qualify for every final (race),” said Travis. “And they are all good—there are no slow sleds. It’s a really competitive year.”
Although Travis is one of the youngest racers in the Pro Champ 440 class, he has no problem holding his own on the track. He has learned a lot about racing techniques from his father as well as from his teammate, Brian Bewcyk, who is a two-time winner of the World Championship Snowmobile Derby in Eagle River, Wisconsin. Travis said his former teammate, Chris Hortness, also proved to be a big help to him at the beginning of his racing career.
“I learned a lot from him, too, because we kind of have the same driving style,” said Travis, “so it was a lot easier for me to learn from his driving compared to mine.”
Although Travis is determined to finish first, he said safety is his primary concern on the track.
“I’ll race hard but I’ll make sure I finish the race and I won’t hurt myself and be out for the whole season,” said Travis.
A unique lifestyle
Travis and Jeff spend nearly every weekend from December to March at races. The other members of Travis’s family support him as well. His mother, Mandy, videotapes the races, and his sisters, Samantha and Shelbie, attend five or so races per season.
Lockport is located about 30 minutes from where the Canadian Power Toboggan Championships (CPTC) are held in Beausejour, and Travis is allowed access to the CPTC’s racetrack. He uses the track to practise and work out any kinks in his Ski-Doo 440 racing sled. Built on a custom Wahl Brothers Racing chassis, this machine is fully modified for ice oval racing. A liquid-cooled engine, 10-inch carbides on the skis and about 400 studs on the track allow it to run at top speeds and manoeuvre on the smooth surface of the racetrack.
Travis has a trail sled as well and enjoys riding with friends in his spare time. This season, however, he is focusing all of his attention on racing and proving himself a strong contender in the U.S. and at the CPTC season finals in Beausejour on March 3 and 4, 2012.
For more information on MPH Racing, see the MPH Racing website or visit the MPH team on Facebook.
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