Northern Power Sports

Race Snow Machine

by Mike Soucie & Gene Bloom

This 2008 Yamaha Apex RTX was built to compete in the Alcan 200. A snow machine race from Haines, Alaska, to Haines Junction, Alaska. It is a race that has contestants from both Canada and the United States. The racers leave Haines and race to Haines Junction and back. All racers leave in timed intervals and race on the public highway.  The road is shut down to all public traffic during the race.  All racers enter Haines Junction before they are released for the return trip back to Haines.

Exhaust Turbo

Inner Cooler & New Intake

These snow machines are slammed to the ground and engineered to take the 130 mph speeds for 200 miles. Some times it isn't so much the top speed but whether your sled can hold together to finish. The conditions can be -40 degrees or +30, the wind can be calm or gusting 50 mph, and the road conditions can be icy or bare asphalt.

This sled was built by one of Northern Power Sports Parts Department Specialist, Mike Soucie. The 2008 Yamaha Apex RTX was purchased from Northern Power Sports in January by Gene Bloom for use in this specific race. They have installed many different performance parts.

Northern Power Sports is proud to have racers involved in this race. There has been many winners in many different classes that have race out of the Northern Power Sports paddock. Northern Power Sports General Manager Craig Hill is the two-time defending overall and open class champion, racing his 2002 Yamaha SRX700. His brother Colby Hill the Parts Manager here at Northern Power Sports has won the race several times as well. These sleds are built from the ground up and have many aftermarket parts.

Check out some cool footage on the Apex RTX:

Road Test #1