mattspiece – JDsleds.com

Written by Jon Carlson, reposted in his memory.

As told to a young man named Timmy
Posted on the Vintagesleds.com Forums, November 2006 by ETD member Jon “JRC ETD” Carlson
Edited and formatted by Matt Spiece, JDsleds.com

Note: This story was written using roughly 30 year-old memories, therefore details may inaccurate or embellished, as with any tale.

Introduction:

Timmy, Once upon a time, before global warming, and stud bans there was a great race that was important to many men. Now Timmy, this was so long ago that the sno-queen didn’t even have breast implants, gas was 40 cents per gallon, and the Minnesota State Patrol had real Hemi motors in their Plymouth interceptors! Now Timmy, this race was very important to the men, and even the men that raced in circles for 15 minutes came to to see if they could do it for 12 hours! Can you imagine that Timmy? They couldn’t walk the course before they raced it. The men were strong and believed they had done everything they could to prepare for the great battle, and they were so wise that they even put tape on their faces! Now Timmy, the men had to have courage and be wise because besides going 560 miles at 30 below zero, the men knew they could hit farm implements in the ditches, trees in the woods, on coming traffic on county roads, crash, get frost bitten, directed down the wrong road by a official, gas poured all over them at a fuel stop, get protested for doing to well by the Fraternal Order of Minnesota Manufacturers, Timmy are you listening to me? Yes Timmy, it was OK to have chest hair then! Alright, I will tell you about the first flight out of Assiniboia Downs and the radios and the helicopters, and more about the men that go in circles tomorrow. No Timmy, Mommy can’t finish the story, and don’t ask her about the sno-queen! To be continued.

Part 1: The Winnipeg to St. Paul International 500 & Deere’s start in 1972

Timmy, put down that blasted sno-cross video game, and I will tell you about how it was back in the day! Yes, I know you like the way Mr. Nelson tells the story, but this story is a little different. Ready? It’s a long story! OK, let’s start. The beginning of the International 500, or Winnipeg to St. Paul race was actually a return of the dog sled route between the two cities, and it was believed that racing the route again on snow machines would prove to the public that the new machines were reliable and people would buy them. It was also the start of the St. Paul snow festival celebrating the winter season. A strong man named Mr. Howe won the first race on a Polaris and he became the race director for many years. Yes Timmy, he liked his Polaris A LOT! Now Timmy, the race grew quickly, and inside the companies that made snowmobiles, the men that sold them told the men that designed them that this race is important, and the men that designed them agreed. Together they went to the office with the big desk and said: “We must always win this race!” The men with the big desk asked the men that count beans every day if this was true, and believe it or not, Timmy, they said yes! So the men called a meeting with the men that went in circles and the men that test drove, and the man with the big desk said to all the men, “We must win this race to sell sleds on Monday and delight our shareholders”. So, game on for snowmobile factory cross country racing. Timmy, this happened in the land of the frozen cat, the sky of the north star, the home of the yellow and black, and even at the company that made the first steel plow at about the same time. Oops, now Timmy, when I say men, I want you to think of women also, that way your mom will understand that you learned diversity. The men with the big desk’s at that time were Mr. Ness at Arctic, Mr. Dolan at Polaris, and Mr Hewitt at Deere. Some of men that went in circles and test drove were legends like Cormican, Jansen, Richard, Coltom, Thompson, Lofton, and Porter, at Arctic. Hayes, Burnet, Eastman, Liinblad, Basset, and Monsrud at Polaris. Guess what Timmy, the only Deere to challenge the fraternal order of Minnesota manufactures early on was was Jr. Pederson’s lone entry from Hatton, ND in 1972. OK Timmy, we are about to get to the good part about how these races were won and how the men did it and all, the advantages they created to beat each other. It’s a long story and may take many days. What do you mean Mom said sno-queens were a dime a dozen? That is simply not true, there were only 10 races on the circuit and Boone’s Farm was over $1.50, and she knows that! No Timmy, you can’t text message Mr. Nelson with a question. To be continued.

Part 2: 1973

Timmy, today we are going to tell the stories about the biggest years of the I-500. The great races preceding 1973 set the table for the Winnipeg battles going forward. Dale Cormican’s 2 wins on the Panther were great wins for Arctic, and the long tunnel on the Panther and Dale’s excellent sled preparation would be studied by the future winners in the mid 70s, as would the victories by Polaris and Duhamel’s Ski-Doo! There has always been talk about these great wins having been done by having 2-3 sleds with the same serial number, or 2 look alike drivers leap frogging down the course. Timmy, your dad knows these men, and the men received the check and the trophy for the win and have had them since they crossed the finish line. Everything else is just interesting storytelling that hasn’t been proven in over 30 years. Now, that doesn’t mean stretching the rule book to create an advantage wasn’t well practiced! The 1973 race started the battle for Deere’s first factory run at the Winnipeg, and Timmy, it was like taking a high school team to the Superbowl. However, the long term strategy to win was already in place, and the drivers were chosen from dealerships from all over the US and Canada to create market awareness locally for the driver, the dealer, and the company. Some of the first factory driver names for Deere were Enns, Zimmerman, Pedersen, Como, Orvis, Mansue, and others. Each driver had a practice sled and a race sled with marking’s from their home town. The sleds were modified model 500s with pipes coming out of the right side of the hood, with single carb 400 cc CCW motors. The fuel was up front, engine was mid-mount, bogie wheels all around, shock absorbers, Bostrom seat, and a rear trunk for parts and tools.

Timmy, they pulled up to the line in their respective fights, and the memory of looking over at Stan Haye’s 73 Starfire is still vivid. Long chassis, fuel on the rear, reinforced ski’s and skid plates, wheels on the front of the skid frame, 400 cc Fuji up front with pipes, deep foam seat. To the left was the Dale Cormican prepared EXT. Prepared and set up perfectly, handle bars widened and moved forward to pull the racer to the center neutral fulcrum balance point of the sled, fuel in a custom built tank laid out under the seat, all Caterpillar hardware with back up electronic quick change coils and ignition. Ski-doo ran TNT models that were well prepared, but not to the level of Cat and Polaris. Deere drivers were suited with extra pockets for tools and parts as well as their trunk space on the sleds, and at least 15 pounds of repair parts on board! The race started at the Assiniboia downs race track on a spill way next to the track. The morning dawned very cold with the wind moving the ground snow over west to east. The first fight would leave 30 minutes after sunrise to run to Crookston. As the drivers fired their sleds it was apparent it was going to be a the a long day for Deere. The shocks and their Bostrom seats were frozen solid, and combined with the rough ride, of the boogies, Crookston would seem like a race to another country. The race started and the sleek Starfires with their long wheel base quickly set a smooth but very fast pace over the frozen prairie, the chassis allowing the driver to skim over the tops of the rough ground at speed, realizing that there is a perfect high speed that once obtained, actually gave a smoother ride in rough terrain. The Cat’s, even with their perfect preparation, were out classed, as was the rest of the field by the superior Starfire. Stan Hayes won the race, which was shortened by fog in Alexandria, with a domination and perfect signature Stan Hayes run. Stan would later engineer key products for Deere in a long career at Horicon. Deere’s first effort was a learning experience, and the small team fell out one by one to various failures. John Orvis did the best for Deere, but it was apparent to those with keen awareness that Deere had key people filling legal tablets with notes and drawings for the next battle, because the war had really just begun. The Polaris victory was indeed impressive, and the Starfire would be the template for future design because of the 1973 domination of the 500. Timmy, did you get all that? OK, tomorrow we are going to Mr. Cormican’s shop in Crookston! Yes Timmy, uncle Roger’s seat on his Panther is cool. To be continued.

Part 3: 1974

Timmy, The 1974 I-500 was a much different race for many reasons. Tim, I have to tell you, if you sneak that I-Pod into the deer stand one more time I’m going to blow a main seal! Back to 1974. The race was inverted, started in St. Paul, and ran north to Winnipeg, with the starting line on lake Phalin in St. Paul. The rules for race sleds really changed with the cc limit going from 400 cc to 300 cc. The sleds had to be stock production models and would be inspected against stock specifications at the end of the race. The sleds could no longer have tuned pipes and had to meet noise DBA minimums at check in for the pre-race inspection. This really caught the big three manufactures by surprise as all of their performance engineering was done at 250 cc and 340 cc for the men that went in circles, and 300 cc was not their focus. A few of the very best prepared independent racers from 1973 on Starfires and EXT’s found a new home inside Deere race engineering. During the off season, the sleds were reviewed, as were the many notes and 8mm movies taken of the lead sleds at speed. Humiliation builds champions if the commitment is true, and Deere was committed to winning the 500. Another huge change was also occurring within the industry: the fast sales growth was slowing dramatically, and inventory was starting to be carried over at dealers. Deere rightfully predicted that manufacturer consolidation would come from 200 down to 6 by 1977! Market share in a declining industry would be a real battle. It was time to claim stake within the industry and the I-500 was always front page news. Deere’s 295/S was conceived as a hot rod from the start. Lee Hardesty, a accomplished engine specialist was brought in to the race effort from the Waterloo tractor engine program at Deere, and set up direct liaison with new engine partner, Kioritz in Japan. His counterpart in Japan was the lead aircraft engine designer for Mitsubishi during the war. Deere’s plan was an exclusive line of performance engines spanning three years. Lee insisted free air engines would not make consistent power, so fan cooling and water cooling were the focus. The 295/S was offered with three suspension options: slide with cleated track, bogie slide with a rubber track, and bogies with rubber track. Aluminum skis and a 2 gallon fuel tank were standard equipment. It featured dual Mikunis, CDI, piston porting, and a single tuned pipe. Ed Kruel, John Orvis and Bill Borth from Horicon engineering grass dragged the prototypes all summer, and clutched the light weight sled very well. Deere felt that giving independent Deere racers top level support was key in their goal of winning the 500, and this program was launched in the fall. The Deere factory drivers were the same from 1973, but in 1974 the 295/S gave them a huge advantage. It had well over a 10 mph faster straight line speed on the competition! The race morning dawned warm, 30 degrees at the start, overcast, rain/mist. The sno-queen was a brunette, and the bogie-slide was hot as the route had a lot of road running up to Alex. El Tigres and TX’s were already over jetted and over heating, in their flights waiting to start. The Deere sleds still had tool box and seat set up from 73, along with hand warmers, blue printed red dot engines, front mount fuel tanks, and electric goggles. With the exception of one, which had a low windshield, stock seat, CDI back-up, perforated engine shroud, no handle bar or goggle heat, and carried 1 belt and 2 plugs. The flag dropped and the 295/S’s were so fast that officials and fuel stop personnel were not in place as the Deere sleds made it to the stop. Drivers actually had to wait for fuel stop people to set up to get fuel. Road speeds on the asphalt were over 80 mph with the bogie slide suspension devouring the road miles. Carlson, Orvis, and Tom Otte from Northfield, MN were setting a blistering pace with their 295/S’s. Marv Odde on a Cat was very steady and smooth, but lacked the road speed of the Deeres. Carlson’s lead evaporated as his carbides gave up and was on leaf springs 30 miles from Alex. The rest pressed on with Odde’s cat gaining ground as the race moved to the the northern prairie ditches and woods. Odde would go on to win with Otte and Orvis cracking the top spots at the finish in Winnipeg. Although this was a consistent improvement for Deere, the desire to win was even greater. At the finish, astute observers would note Carlson’s 295/S in the back of a black pick-up, heading down the highway towards Crookston with what appeared to be a two time I-500 winner driving with a Eagle River World Champion riding shot gun. To be continued tomorrow, with the conception of the 340/s.

Part 4: 1975

Now Tim, in the area between Crookston, Thief River Falls, and Roseau, on the edge of the Red River valley, live most of the great legends of snowmobiling. These men have given snowmobiling it’s incredible racing machines over the years. Deere’s goal changed at the finish line of the 1974 race. It was not only to win the 500, but also dominate all of cross country racing, so they decided to deploy a very different strategy going forward. Inside Deere & Co. were many gifted people, but the racer’s approaches to solutions were often not aligned with the voice of customer needs. The decision to employ the combined efforts of the factory and the race effort in separate locations was conceived to fast track the 340/S, and the launch of the offspring of the 340/S, the Liquifire and Cyclone. Dale Cormican had just finished healing from his Boss Cat explosion, and Roger Jansen was also mending after crashing hard the year before. Deere put a challenge to them: Get the engine up front, and give us the best handling prototype cross country sled, before the end of April. They would work in conjunction with the factory, and test together at Jr Pederson’s Deere dealership in Hatton, ND. Dale’s fabrication skills and hot rod prowess are stories of legend. The 295/S motor was moved up front on a Cormican designed bulk head. Dale’s and Roger’s race experience was displayed all over the sled at every detail point: KH brakes, low jack-shaft, quick fill dual head fuel cell, driver potion forward (REV!), and a skid frame suspension with wheel kit. Henry Dreyfuss Associates from New York, who were and still are industrial designers today, added the sleek hood the shark gills for heat dispersal. The factory team also changed. Now based out of Crookston, the team would consist of Cormican, Jansen, Enns, Knutson, and Carlson. However the independent support program was still the biggest in Racing history. Racers riding Deere had machine updates weekly, contingency money, and the best at-race parts support possible! The 340/S was prototyped, refined, and delivered to racers in a record 9 months. Dales reputation as a task master and champion was employed day one at the race shop, and if you were going to race under his leadership, you would be tough, smart, and well prepared. The team went to Brandt’s Lodge, Alaska in early November to shake out the 340/s, where they spent two weeks at 30 degrees below, and rode over 2500 test miles. Jansen and Carlson drew first blood with the “S” grabbing 2 short course 25 mile wins at local races. Preparation for the 500 was a systematic construction of five hand built sleds. “Red Dot” Kiortiz 340 CC /RS engines were dyno tested by Lee Hardesty and the top horsepower engines were then blue printed and run on a Cormican aircraft propeller dyno, that cycled the engine up and down for 8 hours before installation, perfecting the engine ring seat. Speed wrench access holes in the pan allowed for complete track replacement in 9 minutes. Handle bars were moved even further forward. 10,000 RPM electric motor bearings were installed on all of the drive train components. Skid frame alignment was done and reinforcements were added. Clutches were blue printed, skid plates added, wiring minimized, with dual CDI quick change added. The factory markings were applied, along with flat black non-glare hood treatment with yellow boarders. Unloading these five sleds at the tech inspection in Winnipeg is a story in itself as the Deere independents and the factory team had an overwhelming majority in the largest number of I-500 entries ever.

As dawn broke for 1975 I-500, the 30 degrees below zero temperate became the first test for drivers. Deere factory drivers were putting face tape on, right side ear plugs, and kidney belts. The day before, the unloading of the sleds from the semi-trailer was choreographed to start the strategic mental side of the race. The reception stream to view the sleds was continuous as they were in staging for tech inspection. The best drivers in the world were entered in what was predicted to be the toughest conditions ever for the 320 plus race entries. Mathematics’s were employed to identify the top 20 contenders for the win, and their race number and flight position was taped to the inside of each team member’s sled windshield. In the quiet of the race trailer, final team instructions were given, to the effect of: “We have prepared well, and are here to win. Save the equipment today, as day 2 is over 200 miles, and it will decide the top 5 at the finish. Place all 5 sleds in the top 15 today. Do not get passed and do not get off the sled for any reason. Pee your leathers if you have to, but don’t get off the sled. Remember, every second will count this year.” Gone were the tools and parts. Drivers put two $100.00 bills inside their leather suit pockets, put on their helmets, and went to start. The plow jokes were gone, as the factory Deere entries and independent drivers were real threats to take the victory away from the Minnesota establishment. The strong wind made for marginal visibility at the start, and as the first fuel stop received the lead sleds, fast times were being laid down by Cormican, Carlson, Jansen, Brian Nelson, and Harrington on Deere. Polaris drivers Basset, Monsrud, Zutz, and Prezekwas were on TXs. The Arctic 340Z in cross country trim were having reliability and speed issues from the start and would never be a factor during the 3 day run. Carlson pulled into the first fueling station and was drenched in fuel by the Polaris-jacketed fuel personnel. Cormican was leading the race, and crashed 15 miles from the Grand Forks finish. The sled destroyed and unable to continue, but the rest of the top Deeres had excellent placement at the day 1 finish. Day 2 was over 200 miles to Alexandria. A strong storm at 25 degrees below 0 delayed the start of the race for an hour, and the sleds had to be driven to the line in the storm. Some key sleds from rear flights jumped into lead flights as they left in low visibility. Monsrud, Basset, and Carlson came out of the storm to set the pace for the start of the toughest day in Winnipeg history. Deere spotters would witness the 3-way battle all the way to Alex. Basset crashed, tore off one ski, but would make it to the finish, where he received 18 stitches in his lip. As they neared Alex, Carlson’s sled seemed to lose top end to the Polaris machines. At the finish, Polaris was in 1st with Carlson in 4th and Jansen coming on strong. Nelson cracked the top group, but both Enns and Knutson were lost to failures. Day 3 team orders to Carlson and Jansen were to pull out all stops for the win. Jansen geared up in repair that night and set a blistering pace to lead day 3, until he was directed off course and lost over ten minutes. He got back on course by flagging down a support helicopter to lead him back! Carlson speed issues continued as top end speed was relinquished to Polaris. Ray Monsrud’s Polaris won in a well fought battle. Basset was second on his TX, Carlson took 3rd, one second ahead of Jansen’s 4th place finish. The race went down as the toughest in Winnipeg history, in both conditions and competition. More Enduro Team Deere tomorrow. Oh yea, Timmy went back to college. To be continued!

Part 5: 1975 Continued
The finish of the 1975 I-500 spawned the start of the most dominating cross country effort in snowmobile history, Enduro Team Deere. The efforts of Knutson’s 340/S mod oval racer and the water cooled Deere prototypes at the Heartland Grand Prix were just small examples of the strategy that was unfolding behind the scenes at Deere. A day-long meeting at a home in Moline, IL., created the blue print for the next 3 years. Don Schuberg from Deere set out to talk personally with all the individual cross country race directors, with the intention of organizing a points-based race circuit similar to NASCAR, with a season ending race with the ten best cross country drivers. He was successful, and the International Cross Country Snowmobile Federation (ICCSF) was conceived, sharing the same rules, points, and organization structure. Lee Hardesty’s water cooled engine program was ready and the Liquifire and Cyclone were unveiled along with Carlson’s and Jansen’s 340/S racers to dealers at the Playboy Club in Lake Geneva. The final meeting topic was about the race team. After a lot of discussion about who, how, and and how much to invest, it was decided that there was really only one factor separating the driver, the machine, and the money spent on any given day of racing: physical strength and mental conditioning! It was to be the core and culture of Enduro Team Deere, and Deere would do it by hiring a team of independents to compete against the best in the world. Al Anderson, an Army Ranger, was to be race director. A routine of diet, work outs, practice riding, and machine preparation was put together, and Breezy Point, MN was chosen as the race team’s new home. The drivers on ETD year one were Carlson, Nelson, Enns, Ansieuw, Reimer and Knutson. Carlson and Enns were remaining as the original hires from the first factory team. Drivers earned $1500 per month, and could keep 50% of their winnings. The rest of the winnings were placed into a pool to build team unity. Meals were eaten together. Anderson’s Ranger training immediately had a effect on the team, as the racers formed strategic individual game plans with every detail thought through. You would have to beat Deere, as the Deere drivers would not beat themselves with errors. The driver’s Bell 120 helmets were fitted with radio receivers in both ears and a microphone in the face mast. The semi-truck was parked and replaced with Suburbans with trailers for much greater speed and mobility at the race tracks. The independent program was an even a greater focus with weekly bulletins, Green Streak news letters, contingency money, and the best parts support in the business. Anderson would also be the liaison with the John Deere Horicon factory as the season started. The 1976 team budget exceeded $200,000 and was designed to dominate the new racing circuit. Tomorrow, the Liquidator. To be continued!

Part 6: 1976
The 340/S was a sleek and graceful lady more than willing to reward you if handled properly. Her younger sister, the Liquidator, was a 100 MPH high maintenance bitch that would give you the ride of your life, and break your heart without warning. An intoxicating addiction, even with the briefest handful of her throttle, the kind of sled legends are built around, and Championships. The engine was conceived by Lee Hardesty and was only ever used in the Liquidator. The sled was built to withstand high speed crashes (you could stand on the hood), rocks, trees, junk in the ditches, and be able to run down bare asphalt for 35 miles. It was 500 pounds of purpose built, long haul, high speed endurance race sled set to carry a wicked fast reputation. The competition stood in awe as nothing like this sled had ever been built. Many were critical of it’s weight, not knowing the potential of the engine. That all changed when ETD drew first blood on the ice ovals at Brandt’s Lodge, Alaska during the month of November as Ansuew and Reimer’s Liquidators beat SRXs, Snow Twisters, and Z’s, racing them into the corners and bump checking them out of the way for the win. The enduro driver and circle driver factory rosters changed, and with the exception of the I-500, the factory fielded a cross-country team and an oval team. The TX Starfire and Cross Country Cat were the weapons of Polaris and Arctic in the 1976 model year race season, both free air! The Liquidator’s tremendous potential was also it’s ugly side, as the mono block 340 cc piston and ring combination was erratic, resulting in unpredictable scoring! Carlson’s season was marred by over 20 engine failures prior to January. Deere dominated the races up to the I-500, Polaris struggling with speed, and the Cat down with speed and handling. The Polaris worked well in deep snow or heavy snow, and the Deere excelled in very rough, frozen, and fast technical riding. ETD’s conditioning program strategically won races as Deere drivers could save their sleds for the first 70% of the race, and with their conditioning, turn the wick up and race for the win in the final 30%. The 1976 race was inverted again, starting in St.Paul, MN. It was warm and the snow was wet and heavy. The free air sleds were running hot at the line. Nelson, Reimer, Carlson, Otte and Enns started out strong with lead times close to the Polaris’s of Prezeckwas, Zutz, Omdahl, Useldinger and Basset. Carlson’s late flight draw put him on a rough course, passing 80 sleds before losing the engine after fueling. Enns and Reimer suffered similar failures. At Walker, Anderson’s math skills determined a huge timing error by the officials on Nelson’s elapsed total time. He forced himself into a closed officials meeting, while being threatened with disqualification if he entered. Anderson spent 2 hours showing Herb Howe’s time team the correct math by auditing the official time cards! Anderson ran 20 stop watches at every race on the 20 best drivers. He was so precise that in later races, officials would check his times against theirs for conformation. The warm conditions up to the final leg of the race into Winnipeg favored Polaris. The lead flight for the final day was a majority Polaris and Nelson’s Deere. The weather changed overnight with a strong cold front freezing the wet snow, making the ditches rock hard heading to Winnipeg. The sky was low and gray. Nelson had to make up over 20 minutes for the win over the gaggle of Polaris sleds. It was agreed that Anderson would radio Nelson every 15 minutes as to his progress on eating away at the time difference, while watching the progress of the factory Polaris’s, Carlson and the other drivers would get up course and let Anderson know of course changes, fuel stops and road crossings by 2 way radio. Nelson jumped the Liquidator out front from the drop of the flag and went to work right away on Omdahl, drawing him out of the chisel plowing and back into the ditches at “over the bars” speed. Omdahl crashed the Starfire and snapped Nelson his leg, ending his racing career. The finest racing exhibition that had occurred in cross county racing to that date, occurred that morning as Nelson’s driving at high speed ate away at the Polaris time margin. Nelson knew 10 miles from the finish that he had the win if he maintained the pace. Driving errors were not even a consideration as the conditioning precision kicked in. Nelson won, and was immediately protested in inspection by a very angry group of Polaris managers. The Liquidator was torn down and the autopsy from the Polaris protest was performed. Things got quiet when Deere VP Robert Carlson entered the inspection tent and laid down $5000.00, $500 per item protested on all the Polaris sleds in the top ten! Brian Nelson, along his long time mechanic, Hubert Fixson, and Enduro Team Deere, had won the I-500 in a long quest for the elusive victory. The training, strategy, and commitment since 1972 had paid off, with so many contributing to Deere to help with the win, over the preceding years. The celebration is a story in itself. The sno-queen an awesome blond! To be continued.

Part 7: 1977
The Deere domination of the ICCSF with the Liquidator raised the the level of the cross-country war within Arctic and Polaris. Deere’s sweep of all the races except for The Balsam Lake Classic set the competition on the defense. The ICCSF purses were getting larger than other forms of racing, as evidenced by Bob Enn’s win at Park Rapids, taking home contingency of over $10,000 for a day’s work on the seat of his Liquidator. The 1977 season started out with a Polaris counter attack with the new TXL, unquestionably one of their finest performance machines in their history. It featured a broad power band, light weight, Lindblad clutching, and was a wonderful and potent hot rod to race with. The Cross County Cat got a wet motor, and Brian Nelson as a driver! Ski-doo rejoined the fray with the RV, and Scorpion jumped aboard with the Bull Whip. The Liquidators were sent to Jenny Craig over the summer for weight reduction and new engine refinements, but not a new build. Deere would race the same machines as they did 1976! Polaris brought on great talent in the Simonson brothers. Bowman and Safranski joined Nelson at Cat, as Ebert and Otte came to Enduro Team Deere, as well as a great technical talent in Terry Norgard and Jerome Kretzman providing the highest refinement ever in race sled construction. Hayes and Karpick joined with Mercury, and then Ski-doo. The first race of the season was a continuation of the prior year: Enns, Carlson and Ebert swept the podium at the Peace Garden Classic in the hills north of Minot on their Liquidators. Polaris was shaking out teething issues with the TXL. It would be Carlson and Ebert’s last race on the Liquidator. ETD’s Hough dominated the first day on a stock Liquifire, setting the stage for future development.

Roger Ebert suffered a fatal crash testing the TXL a week later. Roger’s death had a profound effect on all at Deere, and in a quiet and emotional meeting, the members of ETD agreed to continue on, while having the option of leaving with full contacts. They agreed to launch the Roger Ebert Trophy for outstanding sportsmanship in the ICCSF, an award that will be reinstated this year at Glenwood. The 1977 season showed the potential of the TXL, as Deere and Polaris battled all season long, with Arctic and the rest of the manufactures occasionally breaking into the top 5. The Liquifire in race trim became Carlson and Hough’s choice. Down on power, but exceptional in handling, it lead the Regina to Minot 250 and scored a 14th with Carlson at the controls, in the Siminson Polaris TXL victory in a shorted I-500 race. The next Deere race sled was being conceived was the Cross Country Liquifire for 1978. Tomorrow, former ETD teammates sweep the podium of the 1978 I-500. To be continued.

Part 8: 1978

1978 was the pinnacle of the evolution of cross country racing. The purses were large and the drivers very competitive. The new HP restrictions were in place, and the ICCSF was growing stronger. Ski-Doo brought on Hayes, Karpick, and Anderson with a very threatening design in the RV. The TXL was a weekly threat with Simmonson, Ussledinger, Basset, and many other accomplished Polaris racers. Nelson had a new magic external long travel rear shock on the sleek XC Cat. Deere supported the ETD drivers independently, with the new Cross County Liquifire getting a Yokohama track and radiator/bulkhead exchanger cooling combination, a Liquidator type seat, and all refinements from the ’77 campaign. All of the sleds were very equal in speed, but varied in handling. The XC Cat was able to absorb a lot of rough ground. The TXL was well clutched and balanced, and the RV was quick in the woods. The Deere was able to take extreme punishment with good speed and reliability. Driver skills were also improved. The 1978 I-500 would draw a large field of entry’s, but in final analysis, only 30 drivers would position themselves with the capability, preparation, and mental discipline to race 560 miles and compete for the win. The race went from Winnipeg to Thief River, then on to Bemidji, into Alexandria, and finish in St.Paul. It was side-by-side racing for 12 hours. Carlson privately told his friends that this was the last 500 for him, as severe frostbite to the corneas of his eyes had previously caused a two week loss of vision and the loss of the tips of his fingers. The start was clear, allowing high ditch speeds. As the race neared the boarder, a record number of drivers completed the first leg into the home of Cat. The Polaris machines of Simonson and Usedinger were fast, and so were the former teammates of Nelson on the Cat and the Deere drivers of Riemer, Carlson, Otte, and Dave Hough. Hayes was fast and smooth on the RV. Jay Sperry lurked close to the leaders on a Kawasaki. The run to Bemidji into the woods maintained positions with the potential race leaders. Guest driver, Viking Bob Lurtsama got a good slap in the face while racing in the bar to hard that night by one of the leader’s wives. The next day, the pace of the race jumped into high gear as drivers turned the wick up, and started to make time on each other. Dave Hough was leading, setting a unprecedented pace before breaking both spindles and driving into Alex on the pan of the Deere. Many of the contending lead Polaris machines were disqualified for road running, effectively eliminating any chance of a Polaris victory. Nelson, Reimer, Hayes, Carlson, and Sperry lead for the final sprint into St. Paul, a paint-trading battle, as the former ETD teammates worked on each other for the win. The night before, Bob Carlson quietly acknowledged Reimer’s and Carlson’s opportunity, knowing that a second Deere win was at hand if the two drivers could beat the former two I-500 winners, Nelson and Hayes. It was time to strap in and go to work. Reimer immediately took Nelson on and the pair traded the lead back and forth toward the finish. Reimer was leading and crashed hard, hitting his head and getting knocked out. He came around, and got back on the sled. He then caught Nelson again, but hit a frozen beaver den and smashed his pan into the steering rods. Hayes and Carlson had a strong race going on just behind them, when Hayes lost a CDI and had to change it. Carlson started to run down Nelson, but due to engine issues, was down 10 MPH with 40 miles to go. Sperry raced smart and moved up behind Nelson as the miles wore down. As the sleds came to the finish line on Lake Phalin, it was Nelson, Sperry, Reimer, Carlson and Hayes. An official wearing another brand’s jacket waved Carlson around an island one mile from from the finish, and at speed, Carlson water skipped his #58 Deere over 100ft of open water! The cold water caused further damage to the hot engine and Carlson limped the machine to the finish. Nelson won, Sperry was 2nd, Reimer 3rd, Carlson 4th, and Hayes 5th. The former teammates had given it all they had, and had raced to the most competitive finish ever in the 500. Polaris protested the Deere sleds, causing tech to start cutting into tracks, ignitions, crankcases, exhausts and many other potentially modified parts, effectively destroying the sleds.

The war was over for this racer, but the memories remain of those great racing battles of the I-500 during the 1970s. I would like to acknowledge all the great friends and competitors during this time, and apologize for any embellishment in this story. I would also like to give thanks for the special memories of my close friend, Roger Ebert, and his family……..The end.

By Jon Carlson

Author: mattspiece

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