University of Wisconsin-Platteville Team Captures Gage Fuel Economy Award at SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge

HOUGHTON, Mich., April 10 -- The University of Wisconsin- Platteville took three special honors, including the Gage Products Award for Best Fuel Economy, during the seventh annual SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge held March 13-18 at Michigan Technological University (MTU).

Gage presented the University of Wisconsin-Platteville team with the best fuel economy award at the recent honors banquet in Houghton for recording an average 17.04 mpg. Although the team finished seventh overall in the snowmobile challenge, it also received the Polaris Industries Award for Best Handling and the Emitec Award for Best Value.

Gage, a leading global supplier of test fuels, paint solvents and paint- system recycling programs for the automotive industry, provided specially blended fuel for the event. The company has been a Clean Snowmobile Challenge sponsor for four consecutive years.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison, which finished first overall in the snowmobile challenge, took second place in the fuel economy competition at 15.5 mpg, followed by Ecole de Technologie Superieure (Montreal) at 15.35 mpg, and Clarkson University (Potsdam, NY) at 14.89 mpg.

The fuel-economy award-winning University of Wisconsin-Platteville entry was equipped with a modified 2002 Polaris Pro-X 440, using a Rotax semi-direct injected, two-stroke engine for the 100.1-mile endurance test run. A catalytic converter and secondary air injection pump were added to the exhaust system to cut emissions while an automotive-style muffler was used to reduce noise.

Held in Michigan since 2002, the SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge is hosted by Michigan Technological University, its mechanical engineering department and the school's Keweenaw Research Center. Thirteen university teams from the U.S. and Canada took part in the competition, which is designed to encourage the development of environmentally friendly snowmobiles.

Other teams in the competition included Kettering University (Flint, Michigan), Michigan Technological University (Houghton), Minnesota State University (Mankato), State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY-Buffalo), University of Idaho (Moscow), University of Maine (Orono), University of Minnesota-Duluth, University of New Hampshire (Durham) and University of Waterloo (Ontario).

Additionally, McGill University (Montreal) and Utah State University (Logan) both fielded entries in the electric-powered snowmobile category, finishing first and second respectively.

"The SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge really engages engineering students to find new, creative solutions to reduce emissions and noise while boosting fuel economy," says Donald Dixon, Gage president. "At Gage, we're proud to recognize the skills of these talented students."

A specialist in the production of test fuels for the automotive industry, Gage provides its customers with more than 1,000 different test-fuel blends. The company's custom-fuel customers include Bosch, Visteon, TI Automotive, Inergy Automotive Systems, Eaton Corporation, Detroit Testing Services Group and Delphi.

A global company, Gage is recognized as a pioneer in the field of sustainable manufacturing and solvent-remanufacturing techniques. Over the past 19 years, Gage's closed-loop recycling systems have been used by General Motors, Ford and Chrysler to safely recycle more than 77-million gallons of waste material. Other automotive customers include Fiat, Honda, Jaguar, Peugeot, Volkswagen, Volvo and Nissan.

Headquartered in Ferndale, Mich., Gage has facilities in Germany, the Netherlands, Brazil and Mexico. The company also manufactures paint-related products and cleaners for a wide variety of industrial uses, as well as calibration and test fuels for use in the auto industry. Visit http://www.gageproducts.com/ for more information.

Further details about the 2006 SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge may be found at http://www.sae.org/.