W
hen the St. Cloud, Minnesota start-up company Jet Dynamics introduced their first snowmobile to the burgeoning market in 1969, it’s safe to say they were breaking new ground. The unusual Hornet model featured a distinctive green hue with a face only a mother could love. What the vehicle lacked in style, it made up for through ingenuity. Even during the boom days of the sport, manufacturers were struggling with the ups and downs of its seasonality. The Hornet was an attempt to overcome this obstacle with a vehicle that could be driven year-round - thanks to such features as a wheel kit, high and low speed transmission and outboard mounted shocks that worked with both the track and the rear wheels. Still, the crew at Jet Dynamics knew if they really wanted to capitalize on the fast-growing market, they would need a more traditional vehicle, and in 1970 they unveiled the Stinger. Knowing horsepower and speed was ruling the day, the Stinger was marketed as a performance snowmobile and featured up to four different factory installed engines. The sled was also available without an engine “for custom installations by racers and hobbyists.” Like many sleds of the era, the Jet Dynamics Stinger introduced a host of new technologies, most of which were geared toward increased performance and improved reliability. The Stinger boasted of a chaincase where gearing changes could be made instantly; an “ingenious self-adjusting brake;” an ideally balanced chassis; and a Goodyear drive track with polyurethane drive sprockets.
40 Midwest Rider 2021
