Park Rapids=Bob Enns

[JRC ETD]

The Heartland Grand Prix in Park Rapids Mn. was without a doubt the most difficult and technical race on the ICCSF schedule, a one day race, always seemed that it was well below zero every year. The course was a combination of super high speed logging roads, and 70% woods racing. Many verticle drops on both the roads and woods with back switches.....road speeds were over 100mph and the woods almost impossible to pass because of being narrow and twisting. The roads were deadly with dead end right hand change up's, cresting the tops of them and landing 100' on the backside with a immediate dead end.....again 80-100MPH. The race had the largest single day payout.....with contingency money close to $9,000. for the winner, and always had 175 plus entry's. The race was usually in Febuary and the sun higher in the winter sky then creating a very difficult strobe effect as it shot light through the trees and then the speed of the sled amplified the strobe effect makinig it difficult for depth perception. The race demanded a driver to be able to traverse the seat from side to side very quickly and about a 100 times a mile it seemed, to go quickly....much like a gymnist working both sides of a horizontal horse. Bob Enns and I were paired together as room mates from the first days of Deere racing and have been lifelong friends since 1971....there were specialty's in drivers skill sets and Bob's was the woods, so was Stan's Hayes, Gerald Karpick, Doug Denhert, and Brian Nelson.....ditches, lakes, long haul races not withstanding.....these were the guys that had to be beat in the woods and they were very, very, smooth and fast. Trying to follow Bob in the woods would be like trying to catch a snake on a rocky shoreline, he was so quick you would catch him and a minute later he would slip through the tree's and all you could find was snowdust....no visual on where he was. Hitting tree's, landing in the branchs of trees, and demolishment of 70% of the field was not uncommon. Bob won the Heartland Grand Prix in 1976 on a Liquidator, on his birthday, capturing the largest 1 day purse in ICCSF history, beating the best in the world on the most technical course we raced. Bob and his brother's own one of the most successful Deere dealerships in NA and will attend the HOF....I hope he will tell his wonderful story on that special day 30 years ago in Febuary!...Best JRC ETD

[WinnipegStPaul9]

Cant' speak for 76 and later but earlier, 73,74,75 races were held in January prior to I-500. We used the Heartland race as a "tuneup" to the I-500. 75 race was snowed out worst blizzard in recent history at that time. Cost of a bunch of money to make the trip from Indiana and not race but had a great time in a great town. Three of my team members,including myself, were volunteer firefighters and while eating breakfast at a downtown restaurant we were invited to help the Park Rapids Fire Department with a house fire. Turned out to be a chimney fire so not much damage. Don

[JRC ETD]

Correct Don was in Jan. prior to 76, remember the blizzard, great story about the fire.....31 years ago!

[JRC ETD]

Hold on.... got hurt bad in Heartland in 77 proir to the I-500...dates moving on me....sorry.....pretty sure though in 76 after the 500!