What did you guys learn from the I-500 leg this year?

[sledpuller88]

I have many learnings of my own, some from Stan Hayes, and some from Eric Christensen (my semi pro idol)

1) double check all fasteners, and then double check all fasteners, oh and then double check all fasteners.
2) the race isn't won in the first 20 miles, but if you blow up, or have to stop 2 or 3 times in the first 20 miles, you have a tough road ahead to win.
3) mount a 6" fixed blade hunting knife somewhere on the machine to dig belt cords out of the driven. Fortunately I had zero belt problems in 173 miles.
4) at road crossings - if you see a bunch of people and cars, especially with cameras - SLOW DOWN
5) make sure you ride at least 75 miles on the sled before the race. We blew up the rear skid on the second test ride out, 35 miles (3 days before the race.....yikes).
6) electrical problems will kill you before you even start the race - double check all connections, zip tie everything down.
7) bring duct tape - doesn't stick well in the cold, but if you wrap enough of it around it will hold anything
8: think like McGyver as you prep for the race......if you were stranded in the pickers somewhere, what tools would you need. Everything on a Liquifire is 1/2", 9/16", 5/8", 11/16", phillips, or straight. Everything.
9) Jet rich, so you can finish the race. I was worried about fuel range, but turns out we were okay. Ran 160 mains in the PJ carbs. -12F during the race.
10) Be prepared for the cold - add bar warmers, tape your face, layer effectively.
11) have a damn good fuel guy, and one that doubles as a 3rd leg booster - Tom gave me the 7 miles to go hand sign, and what a boost that was.....I could see the end.
12) Never give up - hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. Just when you think you are down and out, a new door opens. We were 10 seconds from being out of the race at the 2nd fuel stop, and it fired.
13) To win the race you need to finish the race......reliability, reliability, reliability, and not driving over your head.
14) Respect all your fellow racers, no matter what health of their equipment. Especially prior I500 guys, and Joe Rainville of course.

Brian Hitt
#347

[Danzig]

cameras must mean a pretty extreme launch ?

[JDT]

I have lots of ideas and comments about prep for such a race as was held last weekend.
While I have never actually raced a sled, I have seen many races of all types. And worked on a few race sleds.
I was at a check point in Detroit Lakes MN during the 1969 I-500.
But the first race I ever saw was in 1968 in Bemidji MN.

It is not just the sled that needs preperation. Your mind and body are just as important.
Running a vintage machine at speed over that many miles in a short time will hurt you.
Add to that the temperature in northern MN which has chossen not to participate in global warming.

Upper body strength will be put to the test. If you are not ready your arms will be jello after 100 miles.
Your shoulders with hurt and your legs will be numb. You need to have the correct clothing and saftey gear.

But lets talk sled prep.

Completely take the sled down to the first part that arrived on the line the day it was built.
Every single little piece needs to be cleaned and than checked for any signs of stress, cracks, twisting ect.
If you have a weak link you will find it on a CC race course often before you reach the finish line.

Any failure in any component of any system on your ride could end the event for you. Or worse... cause injury to you, another driver or a spectator.
CC racing is just what it says. Cross Country.
No groomed trials, no warming shacks, no bathroom stops and no rest areas.
It is trees and rocks and fences and whoop-t-doos and ruts and turns. And not just left ones. It is ice and gravel and powder and drifts hard as concrete, cattails and slush.
It is stop signs, avoiding broken down competitors, uncontrolled road crossings, deep snow, no snow, poor visibilty and things that jump out in front of you from nowhere.

If you have your suspenion in top condition and your engine ready for the hardest day of running it will ever see and your mind clear you are on the right track.
You need good depth preception and be able to read the course in any light condition.

Any plastic parts on your sled that are 30 plus years old can and will break in the cold and pounding they must endure.
Weakened bolts will snap. Springs will fracture. Shocks will break. Idlers will explode. Sprokets will shed their teeth. Take no part for granted.

Any metal parts that are crysalined or fatigued will break. Hoses will leak. Clamps will fail. Bearings will self distruct. Pins will fall out. Chains will snap.
Reassembly will take a lot of time. Examine every fastener with a kean eye.
Replace anything that is in question. Expect to spend hundreds of dollars on parts you may have never replaced on any other sled you fixed in the past.

Is it all worth it? Absolutly! It may be the only opportunity in your life to participate in this arena.
The pride, the dream, the honor and the respect.

[Danzig]

gulp....

[JDT]

Seriously Paul.
I saw guys literaly fall off their sleds at the fuel stops. Guys gloves frozen to the handlebars, Goggles frozen to their faces.
Pit men had to lift a drivers leg over the seat as he had no mussle control left.
And some of these guys were young and on modern sleds.
It is a brutal ordeal.

I saw guys get stuck in the ruts at stop signs. One guy lost a ski 50 feet past the starting line on the second day.
One modern driver went for a swim at the 8th street bridge in TRF while running the river Saturday.
At some points on the course you are three miles from the nearest road.
A driver got run into at the fuel stop when another driver lost control while "walking" his sled in.
A pro driver was DQ'd for running a stop sign. Lots of penilty times awarded for driving infactions.
Even though it is wide open spaces you are watched all the time. Spotters all over. A plane is in the air over the course.
Sherrifs and troppers and officals looking for any cheaters and poor sportsmanship.

Remember it is a race against the clock not other drivers. You may not pass another driver on the course and you can still win.
You may pass six sleds and still not place in the money. But just finishing is the real victory.
The attrition is extreamly high and not just with the vintage drivers.
It was that way back in the 60's and it has not changed.

[jd_decalguy]

X2, X3, and X4 to what todd said. he hit the nail right on the head! these are what you need to do to run this race.

it simply can not be put in any better words!

jddecalguy

[Hemi guy]

..

[Hemi guy]

Thanks for all of the good advice! it looks like its going to be alot of fun just getting there.....

Dusty

[Danzig]

I tell you what, I am nervous as a cat crappin' razor blades

[jdsledhead]

my comments , i hope if this thing is to be run again next year by the uscc i hope they publish the rules soon .that will give everyone a base line for legal parts interchanges ie dual carbs on sportfires etc .

just me wade

It would be safe to assume that the rules will not change much if at all for next season. The current rules are posted on the USCC website.

[Hemi guy]

every time i read this, i see something i have missed. i think i will have to print some of this off.......

so, what would be the big disadvantage of running a fan cooled sled? and i'm unsure how you guys made it to the fuel stops, i think i only get 11 mpg out of my liquifire riding semi-hard. were you all skinny on gas at fuel stops?

what was the hardest terrain obstical you ran across? and the guy taking a swim, how did that happen?

Thanks
Dusty

[lwb140]

i think the performance of the 440 fanners wouldnt equal the liquids however the fanners are lighter weight and less stuff to worry about coolant leaks etc. my thoughts wade

[Ruppster1]

Didn't that Yamaha SS 440 fan lead that race for awhile ?----Maybe even broke down while leading. I think the reliability issue and the driver will play a more important role than most would think. I think a sportfire could be competitive--but most likely if your trying to win , I guess a 78 CC might help you out a little more. I have begun the search for a sled to try and make a run at this next season--Trying to find 1 soon as I am anxious to tear it apart and start the rebuilding process.

[JDT]

There were fan cooled, free air and liquid cooled sleds out there.

As the temp was very cold the FA guys could have had a weight/HP advantage but most of the FA sleds I can think of at the moment are not on the list of well built durable machines that can be pushed as hard as would be required to make a serious run at the trophy unless the driver was a featherweight.

Did any of TX's finish? The TXL's were very popular rides last weekend. So were the CC Eltigres but I suspect they were chosen because of the additional rear travel and the fact that many of the older guys suffer from some stage of dunlap disease. Like me.

There was a Gemini out there which really suprised me. And that SS440 which is not known to be a rocket or bullet proof. Were there any early Indy's?

Sleds that were actually built for CC racing back in the day would be real contenders but who would risk a serious collector sled to the harsh enviroment on that course? Like Bullwhips, Kohler powered Cat CC's or a 340-S.

I think a Sportfire would be a good choice as long as you ran a heavier track to handle the load added by studs.

[lwb140]

simply making this post to see my inaugeral signature !! wade