This is 20 year old (at the time) Keith Bylin. It was taken Jan. 19th, 1976, near
Lake Osakis during the Winnipeg - St. Paul.
"Number 42
Liquidator started the
I-500 in St. Paul with about 175 miles, it's second engine
and several engine and chassis updates. As even with today's race
sleds, the Liquidator was a very high maintenance. Notice in the picture
just under the bottom of the front bumper from the far left side to the
center, is a strip of gray tape. Clutch and belt heating was a problem so
a kit was produced by Deere that ducted fresh air to the drive
clutch. This worked great unless one was in deep snow
conditions, as the duct would
fill with snow and cause the drive belt to slip. Since we are on the subject of gray tape and heat, also notice the vertical strips of gray tape on the radiator. Deere instructed us to remove the thermostat and control the engine temperature by blocking sections of the radiator. Tabs were left on the tape as "tear offs" if engine temp started to rise. This by the way worked quite well. A rubber strap, just if front of the headlight and down both sides, was used as an additional hood hold down. Sponsor's name painted on the hood and on the yellow strip on each side. A Union Carbide decal was placed on the sides too. They were the official oil supplier for the race (mix in those days). On the back bumper were at least two drive belts were taped in case the one under the hood was not enough. Last but
not least notice the one piece John Deere "wet look" suit and the two sets of goggles on the helmet. Two sets of eye protection was required as part of the race rules those days, as after a crash many drivers would lose or break one set and end up with severe frostbite. Number 42 crossed the finish line outside of Winnipeg in the middle of the pack. Out of 385 sled that started the "1976" I-500, 60 sleds total finished with 12 John Deere Liquidator's, Liquifire's and one 340/S in that group." - Keith
fill with snow and cause the drive belt to slip. Since we are on the subject of gray tape and heat, also notice the vertical strips of gray tape on the radiator. Deere instructed us to remove the thermostat and control the engine temperature by blocking sections of the radiator. Tabs were left on the tape as "tear offs" if engine temp started to rise. This by the way worked quite well. A rubber strap, just if front of the headlight and down both sides, was used as an additional hood hold down. Sponsor's name painted on the hood and on the yellow strip on each side. A Union Carbide decal was placed on the sides too. They were the official oil supplier for the race (mix in those days). On the back bumper were at least two drive belts were taped in case the one under the hood was not enough. Last but
not least notice the one piece John Deere "wet look" suit and the two sets of goggles on the helmet. Two sets of eye protection was required as part of the race rules those days, as after a crash many drivers would lose or break one set and end up with severe frostbite. Number 42 crossed the finish line outside of Winnipeg in the middle of the pack. Out of 385 sled that started the "1976" I-500, 60 sleds total finished with 12 John Deere Liquidator's, Liquifire's and one 340/S in that group." - Keith
Two more images of another of
Keith's sleds, a 340/S.
Racing