Jim Adema

Jim Adema is snowmobile racing star of the first half of the 1970s. He was inducted in the Snowmobile Hall of Fame in 1988. An independent oval race driver, Jim Adema claimed a record setting number of won races from 1970 to 1975, all of them while racing on one of his modified Sno*Jets, all ThunderJets models.

Collaborating with Sno*Jet's Advanced Research Team in 1970, Jim tested and advised on how to improve the new ThunderJet racer, at that time unstable and not competitive. His effort helped the team made design a 1972 oval track racing sled.

Capable of winning in all classes, thanks to major improvements in traction and handling. He personally won the Kawartha Cup in 1972 and is remembered for sweeping all classes sometimes by lapping up to the second racer. His company, Belmont Engineering introduced many features to the sport in the fast-changing technology known by manufacturers in these booming years.

Lack of snow and the Opec oil crisis affected the entire industry Adema switched to Yamaha and was beginning another chapter of his career when an accident in swirling snow dust at the season opener on December 14, 1975, ended his life while racing in the motorsport he helped develop.

References

• Dancz, Richard. "Memorial for Jim Adema", Ludington Daily News, Ludington, December 24, 1975. Retrieved on 15 March 2015.