麻豆社区

A Watson Lake snowmobiler is coming home with gold after winning the Silver Star Hillclimb semi-pro 800 improved division at the Silver麻豆社区Ski鈥圧esort in B.C.

Grady McNaughton was almost four seconds faster in the final than the second-place finisher, clocking a time of 36.12 to clinch the win.

鈥淚 felt good,鈥� he said from B.C. yesterday. 鈥淚 felt accomplished. That鈥檚 what I came here to do.鈥�

McNaughton, 27, qualified for the final in fourth place.

In the hill climb, participants race the clock as they navigate flag gates, jumps, corners and rollers.

鈥淚t gets super chewed up,鈥� he said of the course.

In the winning race, McNaughton overshot the jump and bent his rails on the landing, finishing the final 200 yards of the race with the 鈥渢rack racheting like crazy.鈥�

He also competed in two other classes: semi-pro 800 stock and semi-pro 800 modified. In both those races he finished fifth.

A born and bred Yukoner, McNaughton split his time growing up between Watson Lake and Dease Lake.

He was drawn towards 鈥渁nything to do with engines.鈥�

鈥淚t was just of a way of life in the Yukon,鈥� he said.

He did downhill skiing and snowboarding, but switched to snowmobile racing 鈥渁s soon as I was allowed.鈥�

This season, McNaughton has been thankful for the support of Mary Lynn Ellingson, of Redneck Barbie Inc.

鈥淕rady killed it,鈥� Ellingson said. 鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of him.鈥�

Having lived in the Yukon, Ellingson said she 鈥渏ust had to get my hands on him (McNaughton)鈥� after seeing him race the event last year.

鈥淪ledding is in our blood,鈥� she said.

For McNaughton鈥檚 winning race, he said he didn鈥檛 have a race plan. He doesn鈥檛 look at his gauges.

鈥淚 just send it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just kind of built in.鈥�

McKeehan Prysuk, also of the Yukon finished the event with a seventh, 12th and 13th-place finishes.