ETD...30 years ago

[400brian]

I smell a NY Times best seller!

[greenblood]

I have a friend that owns a printing company in St. Paul. They just brought an on demand color printer on line for low volume bound documents. That would help keep NRE low... At least till it hits best seller lists everywhere!

How many pages? Or would this be an on going series (like Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events (for you guys with kids)).

Perhaps in the flavor of technical service manuals it could be a tabbed series that fits into a commemorative John Deere 3 ring binder.

Sign me up to help on the book. I'll do what I can (I can reed, rite, and do rifmatik


:blink: ).

Dave.

[400brian]

Grant

Unless you are looking to do Jon's biography, you'll have to talk to everyone involved with ETD.




Paul and I were talking to Brian Nelson about this. Brian says that at every race, each participant sees the events from their unique perspective. Thus each tells their version very differently.

For example: In Jon's story about the last days run in the '76 I-500, he mentions that the night before, it turned cold, making the snow hard and fast, Dator weather!
Brian told us that the temp drop wasn't that big a factor, he said that when you get that far north, the snow is always hard because it is wind blown.

Jon told us that the radios in the helmets contributed to the success. Brian told us not for him. Brian said the problem was that while Motorola had promised that the frequencies given to ETD were theirs alone, when he turned his radio on the first day, he had race officials and air spotter chatter full time.

However, he said that did help him a bit. Brian told us he was ditch running at around 85 mph, he was expecting to catch some Polaris riders, but to his great concern, he was never getting them in sight. Eventually, he heard some chatter from the air spotter that they had busted some racers road running. As the numbers were read off, Brian says that a light came on. He said I keyed the mike and asked my crew to confirm those numbers, and sure enough, it was the Polaris guys he was chasing! Brian said, "No wonder I wasn't catching them, while I was running 85 in the ditch, they were running 95 down the road." But now he could relax, as they were going to be DQed at the end of the day, he could now concentrate on running his race. After that, he told us, he turned the radio off.

I'm not telling this to say Jon is wrong and Brian is right, or vice versa, I am pointing out the difference in perspective. Each saw the events from their unique perspective.

What an interesting task putting this story all together would be, but editing it down to a fast interesting read could be daunting. And everyone knows that there is no way you can put a group of guys this age together without there being hijinx, so they're going to expect some sizzle

[grantnelson00]

Hi Brian,

You nailed it right on the head. I haven't responded back to this as I was just putting everything together in my mind and trying to consider all the interviews and when I could do this. I have a book of my own stuff but that was pretty easy as it was just columns I'd written in the past. I've talked to my wife about something like this before and she's behind me so that means everything. Just gotta make sure I have the time to do a good job. It would be great to talk to all those guys, though. Some of the people who I would want to interview are close by so that would help. Still thinking.......

[JRC ETD]

A typical ETD started at 6:15 AM with "jumpies", jumping 100 times on one leg at a time...cardio at the side of your bed.....most still joke about it, some still do it it! Breakfast at 7:00, at team squad meeting at 8:30, all topics from strategy, to Horicon communications, to last race recap, to current weeks schedule, up coming race, and anything Al was concerned or cranked about. Usually productive, sometimes 2-way, effective in managing and leading a successfull race team! Drivers in weight room by 9:30, heat in room was 90 degrees, free weights, some machines, and a Liquidator! Our start was a timed 8 series of excercises with the sled, vaulting the seat, lifting reps on the front and rear, leaning the sled and holding it...speed was essential, all of us competed at this station, in 1977 we used Brians practice Liquidator in the weight room!! Showers and lunch by 12:00, working in the shop untill 2:00, practice riding from 2:00 to 4:30, shop to 6:30 and then supper....evening shop was personal choice that all usually participated. Tuesday or Wednesday was "out" night, some evenings were used for personal time and preparation for the next race. Drivers had 2 ETD duffle bags for races, one for personal clothes, one for race gear. Race gear preparation was important as each driver had personal choices in protective gear, face masks, googles, socks, kidneys belts, gloves, ect......multiday races demanded planning with extra gear for different weather and conditions, taping was personal as well, and depended on conditions, drivers had their own tape and routine with their prefered set-up. Thursday afternoon was loading for the race, sleds, parts, fuel, and tools. Friday AM was departure, Check in to the race was delayed as long as possible to decrease the time in impound......next race day, strategy, and final words. JRC

[dator]

A typical ETD started at 6:15 AM with "jumpies", jumping 100 times on one leg at a time...cardio at the side of your bed.....most still joke about it, some still do it it! Breakfast at 7:00, at team squad meeting at 8:30, all topics from strategy, to Horicon communications, to last race recap, to current weeks schedule, up coming race, and anything Al was concerned or cranked about. Usually productive, sometimes 2-way, effective in managing and leading a successfull race team! Drivers in weight room by 9:30, heat in room was 90 degrees, free weights, some machines, and a Liquidator! Our start was a timed 8 series of excercises with the sled, vaulting the seat, lifting reps on the front and rear, leaning the sled and holding it...speed was essential, all of us competed at this station, in 1977 we used Brians practice Liquidator in the weight room!! Showers and lunch by 12:00, working in the shop untill 2:00, practice riding from 2:00 to 4:30, shop to 6:30 and then supper....evening shop was personal choice that all usually participated. Tuesday or Wednesday was "out" night, some evenings were used for personal time and preparation for the next race. Drivers had 2 ETD duffle bags for races, one for personal clothes, one for race gear. Race gear preparation was important as each driver had personal choices in protective gear, face masks, googles, socks, kidneys belts, gloves, ect......multiday races demanded planning with extra gear for different weather and conditions, taping was personal as well, and depended on conditions, drivers had their own tape and routine with their prefered set-up. Thursday afternoon was loading for the race, sleds, parts, fuel, and tools. Friday AM was departure, Check in to the race was delayed as long as possible to decrease the time in impound......next race day, strategy, and final words.  JRC

"Great post Jon" brings back alot of good memories.Looking back at it all we were
a bunch of lucky guys living a dream. Thanks Jon,and keep the dream alive.

[JRC ETD]

Yes we were Bob !

[Hfounder]

OK you guys......just keep this going. This is what the Hall of Fame "preserving the history of the sport" is all about. Even the great tales that are way out here. That makes for good reading. Plus, later in life your grand kids will finally realize you were a nutty risk taker and a good guy after all not an old fuddy dutty. Love this thread ! ! !

I think this could be a best seller in the Sled World Gift Shop here too.

Loren
SNOWMOBILE HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM
St. Germain, WI
loren@snowmobilehalloffame.com


See you guys at the Classic Sled Roundup May 27th ! ! (details on web site at: www.snowmobilehalloffame.com )