When it comes to bracket racing, especially in the hotter climates, snowmobiles aren’t typically the first drag racing machine to come to mind. Although, for Jeff Jaquish, they have been his ride of choice for more than twenty-five years. Taking the path less traveled comes with a few more curves, but in the end, it’s made the victory that much sweeter for the inaugural WDRA Summit Motorcycle World Champion presented by SunCoast Performance.

After getting his start behind the wheel of a slow street car, Jaquish was introduced to a mentor-of-sorts who showed him how to combine his family’s winter pastime of riding snowmobiles with his newfound passion for bracket racing. At 19 years old, Jaquish claimed the Bracket Racer of the Year within the snowmobile organization he was part of before competing in the bike classes at local racetracks. Throughout the years, he has won several championships in bike classes and snowmobile series and is the only six-time winner of Woody’s Super Sled Shootout. But according to Jaquish, there was still one lingering dream.

“When WDRA announced the addition of the Motorcycle/Sled class, I knew it was a chance to do what I tried to do ages ago,” explained Jaquish. “Becoming a World Champion’s always been a goal, but it was hard to chase points and commit when life and other things got in the way. We do a lot of racing, and my wife is already the greatest person in the world to deal with all the traveling and events we do, so I didn’t want to add another series at first. That’s when Mike Ledford [of Mid Michigan Motorplex] told me to tell her, ‘There’s only ever one inaugural champion.’ Which then became our running joke all year.”

The joke soon became a reality when he qualified to compete at the WDRA Summit World Championships at Montgomery International Dragway while representing Mid Michigan Motorplex. On the way to making history, Jaquish had to vanquish several other track champions, including Mike Peters from Lancaster Motorplex, Steve Goth from Mid America Dragway, and James Schlanger from Coastal Plains Dragway.

Ironically, the final pairing within the WDRA Motorcycle class came down to two snowmobiles when the Wisconsin native, Jeff Jaquish, staged beside the Canadian Clayton Knicely, representing St. Thomas Dragway. Both competitors were .006 on the tree, but Knicely ran too quickly while Jaquish ran 5.64 off his 5.61 dial for the win.

Jaquish laughs when explaining how it felt after the win, “To be honest, the weekend was fast. They all go by too fast when you’re having fun. You try not to make it a big deal while competing, but everybody knows this is the biggest race ever. When I went through the finish line and the win light came on, I remember putting my hand in the air, but I couldn’t tell you which turn off I used [to get off the track]. I shook hands with Clayton, then he drove away, and I just sat there like I didn’t even know what to do with myself.”

Jaquish’s victory awarded him five thousand dollars cash, a billet WDRA Rod trophy, and free entry into any WDRA member track event next season courtesy of the WDRA Champion Card. Additionally, each WDRA World Champion received a $1,000 gift certificate from Technocraft Trailer Cabinets and a Contingency Connection Championship Package.

After reflecting on the win, many competitors are already thinking of ways to return to that moment or even upstage their performance. However, Jaquish thoughtfully explains how, although winning the World Championship again would be amazing, he would be just as thrilled to see someone else take part in the same experience he did.

“To win the first one ever is something that will never happen again. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to go down there and win it five times in a row because I’m competitive. That being said, it almost feels a little bit selfish because you want people to experience that because it is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. And the way WDRA is one hundred percent about bracket racers, it made the aura at the event special. Of course, there’s significant money to win, but the people are there for reasons other than money.”

The full-time construction worker had numerous companies to thank for their support, including Arctic Cat, STM Powersports, Hypersport, Ingram Motorsports, FP Solutions, Straight Line Performance, Speedworks Performance, DND Racing, and Route 12 Arctic Cat. He also highly praises Mid-Michigan Motorplex and the Michigan Asphalt Snowmobiles Association for turning him into the quality racer he is today.

The people closest to Jaquish who deserve a shoutout include his wife, Jennie, stepson, Aiden Dunn, and his tight-knit group of friends: Aaron and Greg Roscizewski, Justin and Jennifer Stigler, Randy Bernstein, Brad and Kayla Antonioni, and Chris Kinsfather.

The next time you see a snowmobile on a trailer or find one next to you in the staging lanes, you can remember Jaquish’s popular motto, which is proudly displayed on t-shirts and decals: NSNP. No Snow, No Problem.

For more information about the World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) and the Summit Sportsman Drag Racing Series, visit our website at www.racewdra.com.