'75 I-500

400brian · Post by **400brian** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 7:37 pm

Jon, Brian, or anyone else...can you explain this situation to me, I had never heard this one before:

The first day had been fierce, but the second was worse. The wind was from the south, 30 mph and more, rolling up a blinding snow cloud and stringing drifts across all the east-west jogs in the route. The start was delayed an hour again because nobody could see 100 feet.

The first 50 miles were run half blind. Forty sleds went down a lane together and were not found till after dark. The sun was just a generalization. The racing was desolately personal. Only 68 machines arrived at Alexandria, and 31 of them were past the deadline. That left 37 sleds to run the final leg.

Suddenly, in Alexandria, the race had lost its character. Perhaps there is a certain minimum north latitude for these events. Now there were noisy dilettante snowmobilers all over Lake Darling; airplanes, too. You couldn't tell the racers coming to the finish line from the kids out playing. John Deere people overran Arrowwood Lodge, which itself overran a perfectly nice piece of Minnesota lake country real estate. They gathered out in front of the finish line to tally home each John Deere, prayerful that they might not lose a percentage point in their proportion of surviving machines, since Cormican was out and Polaris was methodically stacking the top places. Out of the mouths of lounges and banquet halls came the bellow of crowds nothing like that pure hardcore community at Winnipeg.

At the drivers' meeting there was positive ugliness. Inequitably, the race committee set a single cutoff time by which a sled must have arrived to qualify for the third day. But it failed to compensate for the 30-minute span between the starting times of the seven waves that had left East Grand Forks. Instead of correcting the mistake, the race director offered the first 37 drivers the choice of permitting all or none of the other 31 to continue the race. He posed it as a blackball choice: unanimous or negative.

Most of the finishers seemed to feel that anybody who had made that day's run deserved to stay in the race. But a few were less softhearted. They didn't seem so nice anymore, nor did the ousted 31, threatening lawsuits against the race officials and sabotage on the last day's race markers?or coming to the pits that night to jeer at those working on their sleds.

First off, what was the deal with the 40 sleds not found until after dark?

Second, why did the race officials decide to put the 31 drivers fate to a vote?

Post by **Norton** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 9:27 pm

Brian,

My 340/S and I were one of the 31 sleds crossing the finish line late at Alex and if I remember right it was 9 min. past the cutoff time. I can't comment on the 40 lost sleds as I do not remember anything about them but I was in the hallway when the voting was going on behind closed doors. You know, I was really bummed out when I heard the outcome but at the same time, I knew what the rules were before the race started! So I did not question WHY.

I will never forget that day on the race route. It was by far the roughest, longest, and most punishing day I have ever spent on a snowmobile or probably ever will. Which in my eyes, makes the accomplishments of Mr. Carlson and Mr. Janson that much more impressive!

Guess I did really didn?t answer your questions but wanted to comment on your post.

keith

Post by **WinnipegStPaul9** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 7:57 am

I guess my memories of that day have been beat to death so I won't bore you again. I don't remember the start of the second day from East Grand Forks but the end of the day was sunny. Most of my pictures posted on this site are from the second day. The picture immediately to the left of this post is from the second day. DA

400brian · Post by **400brian** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 2:29 pm

Here is the 1975 Sports Illustrated story.

SI Story

400brian · Post by **400brian** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 7:24 pm

Talked with Don about this SI story this afternoon. He and the rest of the Amber clan were sitting on a beach in sunny Florida.

I asked: "Don, did it seem like they made up the rules as they went ( sort of like "Calvin ball" ) ?" He replied: "It seemed that they went by the seat of their pants alot, and you can quote me on that!"

I wonder how many people sitting on the beach in Florida were talking snowmobiles? :lol22:

S_Kyle · Post by **S_Kyle** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 7:36 pm

Great story. Brian thanks for posting that link.

Scott

Post by **JRC ETD** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:21 am

My memories are the ground storm in the AM was zero visability, and they started the race in such bad visability that back flight sleds were jumping up and leaving with front flights because the visability was so bad you could not see the #'s. The 40 sleds lost is news to me, they would have been short on fuel by 10AM so I'm not sure on that one. The storm started to lift by mid morning and bright sun and blue sky's made perfect visability. I passed many sleds in the storm including Duhamal and all of the factory Cats. At the first gas stop I counted 4 tracks ahead of me, Basset, Monsroud, Zutz, and Rust, all Polaris. I road the last 150 miles alone to Alexandria as fast as I could. It was very cold and rough, but the bright sun mad reading the ditch easy for me. 75 miles out, my father caught up in his suburban and sat in the bottom of the ditch with his camera and held up 3 fingers for me, later Jr. Pederson caught me and waved me on to faster, this was about 40 miles from getting on lake Darling for the finish. The lake was brutal after the storm with 2-3 ft drifts, I slowed some as the sled was in great shape and the lake was offering a chance for a critical mistake. I was the 1st. Deere to cross the line behind the above mentioned Polaris's. I honestly don't remember the drivers meeting or the vote, I do remember soaking in the tub, taking 3 aspirin and eating as much as I could. I felt good the next morning, the sled was perfect, I had Cormicans comet clutch put on with new trac, ski's, chain, sprockets, wheels, belt, secondary ect. The sled was slower the 3rd day, Cormicans set-up was not as fast. As for the SI articule, I never felt it was written or the story captured properly. JRC

400brian · Post by **400brian** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:43 pm

Thanks Jon!

Don was DQed for a non functioning headlight late in the day, and was not allowed to continue. As I suspected, he tells me he has no recollection of the meeting or the vote, because he was most likely wasn't there. He says he was so PO'ed and disappointed, that he was no doubt getting ready for the trip home.

Don did tell me that the lost group could have been the 10 or so sleds he was riding with that were intentionally mis-directed, and ultimately caused the problems that got him DQ'ed.

Post by **JRC ETD** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 3:08 pm

I really feel for Don and the head light DQ, if I had seen the last day starting line photo with the Polaris head lights out in 1975 I'm sure it would be issue of contention for Don and the rest of us as the win may have been different....but history is just that and Ed Monsroud, Burt Basset drove hard to score well. I will say for the record that it was the hardest race I've ever driven, and the last time the "Winnepeg" was run in 3 days! My friend Roger Ebert also did very well that day on his Scorpion and was offered a ride for the Deere Minneapolis Team and later ETD, Brian also drove well and was asked to join the team due to his 1975 race. Best JRC

Post by **#269liquidater** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 12:16 am

I found the times for the end of the first day in 75. If I look more I probably can locate the 2nd day also.
1. Robert Przekwas - Polaris, 3.02
2. Joel Herring- JD, 3.06
3. Don Omdahl-Polaris, 3.15
4. Burt Bassett-Polaris, 3.17
5. Ed Monsrud-Polaris, 3.18
6. Loyal Skuza-Arctic Cat, 3.22
7. Bill Benedict-Arctic Cat, 3.24
8. Leroy Rust-Polaris, 3.25
9. Larry Bjorklund- JD, 3.25
10. Brian Nelson-JD, 3.26
11. Doug Dehnert- Arctic Cat, 3.26
12. Richard Porter-Arctic Cat, 3.26
13. Rod Cymbaluk-arctic Cat, 3.27
14. Paul Dick-Arctic Cat, 3.29
15. Jim Bernat-polaris, 3.29
16. Jon Carlson-JD, 3.30
17. Yvon Duhamel- Ski Doo, 3.30
18. Roger Jansen, JD, 3.30
19. Larry rugland-Polaris, 3.31
20. Leroy Lindblad- Polaris, 3.31

I will keep looking for the day 2 times. All I remember is when we left the Arowwood the last day I was in the first flight. I put the little 340S wide open and hung on. Rich Porter on a factory cat hung with me for about 30 miles and crashed. I ran flat out until just before we entered the 30 mph zone going into St Paul. I was first into both gas stops and sat for quite a while before Monsrud came by. The skid frame rails didnt take the punishment, there was a lot of snow that year and I was jumping all the driveway crossings, on some of them the skid would catch the bank on the other side. JD almost had that one, we were 20 miles from the finish. That made for a long quite ride home in the van.
Brian Nelson

400brian · Post by **400brian** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 12:56 am

Brian

Here's a shot that Don's crew took on the last day. I believe Jon identified you as the flag jumper! :lol22:

The point of contention is that while Don was DQed the day before for a non-functional headlight, in the photo you will notice that not all the Polaris sleds have lights.

The best part is that this was brought to Don's attention 30 years later by Jon, after Don sent the photo to him.

I still think Don should file a protest! :lol22:

Attachments:

_75_I_500_start.jpg (189.55 KB)

Post by **ICCSF 108** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 1:03 am

This really surprised me,

9. Larry Bjorklund- JD, 3.25, I knew Larry ran a 340/S but I never knew he was that far up after the first day. I see he & Butch came in almost exactly the same time.. Brian or Jon you guy's know what happened to him ( Larry ) after the first day? You guys remember the Bates Leathers Dale & Larry had the Next year with there last name across there butts.. :lol22:

Kenny

Post by **WinnipegStPaul9** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 7:23 am

I don't remember Joel Herring. What was his story? Where from, etc. DA

Post by **#269liquidater** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 10:43 pm

I think Joel Herring was from ND, maybe Grand Forks? I dont know what happened to him & Larry Bjorkland the 2nd day. They were both very good hard riders back then. I ran with both of them at times in the ditches, they were fast.
BN

Post by **WinnipegStPaul9** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 7:33 am

Were they independents? DA