I 500 Coverage

[JoeRainville]

Joe rainville doesn't get frost bit he bites frost. Good work to all who competed on vintage sleds after I read this I called my friend and said next year we won't miss seeing the action and to see if it is something we should do ourselves his dad raced i500 on liquifires and liquidators back in the glory day so we always wanted to ourselves.

MN,

LOL, I like your description, but I did get a touch of frostbite on my face due to breaking my goggles and tearing out the breath deflector in my helmet.

As Todd said, you and your friend have an amazing resource in your friends Dad. Start now if you are serious about running next year, Get your sled going, find a support crew and get into shape. This is a "suspension and durability race" so I would focus on that. I posted a story about rebuilding my 80 Liquifire for the race in the restoration section for reference, and I am going to add a "lessons learned" post to that thread. If you complete, it will be something you will always think and talk about, its that big of an event.

Most of all don't be afraid to ask questions. Jerry on here has the best finish to date, taking 6th place last year. I hope we see more Deere's in the top 10 in 2015...

-Joe Rainville
#621 Liquifire

[mn.deereguy]

Thanks for the encouragement I talked with my friend and he is in for next year we have some good race candidates already 80lfs so now just tear down and put back together do you have your suspension figured out Joe and do you have rules and regs I could get a hold of for next year?

[JDT]

Joe is so correct about planinng and preperation.

You can't just decide a month before the race that you are going to enter.

Both you and your ride need to be ready.

What you will face is a race that is going to challange you physically and mentally.

Your body needs to be in shape. Your mind needs to be fine tuned to allow you to make split second decisions.

Imagine running your sled at WOT on a wild section of road ditch that has some great drifties and a few launch worthy approaches.
Now think about doing that for 160 miles only stopping a few minutes to take on fuel.

That machine under your rear has to be up for the event also.
You need to completely go over it with that fine tooth comb and check every fastener, every weld, every bushing and bearing.

One broken bolt or loose nut will leave you sitting along the course. But you won't be alone.
Other's will breakdown on the course. Some may even crash and burn.

This is not an easy race. If fact it is the toughest event out there. Just finishing is an major accomplishment, let alone placing.

In the almost 50 years that this event has been going many have stepped forward. Some years only 30% of those that took the green flag saw the checkered flag.

Many senerios can cause you to not finish but you are in control of most all of them if you plan and prepare accordingly.

Talk and listen to anyone that has attempted the I-500. Ask questions. Think things through. Evaluate all your preperation ideas.

And when you cross the finsh line you will have joined a very elite group of man and machine that have overcome all the challenges that Cross Conutry racing offers.

[BU1]

do you have rules and regs I could get a hold of for next year?

www.usxcracing.com