FLASHBACK: Duhamel Shares The Secrets of I-500 Victory
October 13, 2011
In 1972, Ski-Doo factory racer Yvon Duhamel won the Winnipeg-to-St. Paul cross-country I-500 aboard a Blizzard and became the first driver from that factory – and the first non-Polaris or Arctic Cat racer — to win the high-profile event.
The following summer, he told his story to Snow Goer for its Racing Annual issue. Seeing that this coming winter will mark the 40th anniversary of this historic victory, we decided to share the story with you. Enjoy.
How I won the Winnipeg To St. Paul International 500
By Yvon Duhamel
From The 1973 Snow Goer Racing Annual
My name is Yvon Duhamel and I get paid by Bombardier to win races.
We were very happy to win the International “500” from Winnipeg to St. Paul this year, since it is the first year Ski-Doo decided to make a real effort to go after this big title, one of the very few big races we have never won before. I was also happy to win because I was the first Canadian ever to win this race; I hope I won’t be the last, since next year we expect to come back with our same Blizzards and do as well or better.
Many people ask us if there is a special way to prepare for the “500.” Only if you want to win. I entered the 1972 “500” to win, like all the other races I enter. To win this race, I started on the project about two months before the race, fitting in testing, building my “Winnipeg” machine and planning for the race with my regular racing schedule. As a member of the three-man Ski-Doo “Can-Am Racing Team,” I run a lot of races and it’s a little difficult to prepare completely for each one.
Brian Dick Wins Weather-Shortened USCC Red Lake I-500
January 23, 2011
Today, Mother Nature won the battle at the historic USCC Red Lake I-500, but the war this year was won by Brian Dick, the Arctic Cat engineer who won the title for his employer.
Wicked winds and falling snow caused multiple delays of the planned third and final day of the I-500 – it was scheduled to go off at 10 a.m. and was moved back to 10:30, 11 and then 11:30 a.m. Finally, as 11:30 came and passed, USCC officials gathered the racers and told them that the third day would be cancelled, making the results through the first two days the final results.
This is only the eight year in the long history of the event that it failed to fun the full three days, according to Don Jorstad on WTRF radio. Today’s horrific weather conditions include visibility at less than 100 feet and markers lining the race course have been blowing down, the radio station reported.
Take nothing away from the winner, however. Dick raced hard the first two days, posting the fast time each day, for a combined 4 hour, 57 minute, 5 seconds over the more than 300 miles. That placed him 4 minutes and 34 seconds ahead of second place Ryan Simons of Alberta going into this final day. These and all results in this story are unofficial, pending the technical inspection of the sleds, as per usual
Simons won’t get his shot to run Dick down, and neither will fellow snocross-crossover racer Zach Pattyn of Michigan. Both are on Arctic Cats as is fourth place Cory Davis from Alaska, giving Team Green the top four spots, with drivers from four different parts of North America.
Ross Erdman of Rochester, Minnesota, finished fifth, with Aaron Christiansen, Corey Davison, Justin Tate and Eric Gausen – all on Polaris sleds – finishing sixth through ninth. The final spot in the top 10 was claimed by Jesse Thelen on a Cat.
A total of 36 racers took the green flag in the Pro 600 class on Friday with temperatures double digits below zero. Four racers didn’t make it through the day, including Chad Dyrdahl. The other notable happening on the first day was the problems experienced by DJ Ekre, who started near the top but had mechanical problems and was the last Pro 600 racer to complete the 148 mile course.
There were still 27 pro racers in the field after day two, but the weather prevented the start of day 3.
Ryan Greening was a dominating force in Semi-Pro 600, running away from the pack in the first day, with a time more than 6 minutes faster than his nearest competitor. His domination continued on day two, again posting the fast time and holding a lead of more than 13 minutes heading into what was planned to be the third day. The Brainerd, Minnesota, racer gets the win on his Arctic Cat, with Ken Christiansen second and Mike Hedlund third, both aboard Polaris sleds.
Jolene Bute claimed the Women’s class, while Arctic Cat Snowmobile Product Manager Joey Hallstrom claimed the new and much-anticipated Vintage class ahead of lacing legend Brian Nelson.
Dan Ebert wins USCC Red Lake I-500
January 17, 2010
Dan Ebert powered across the finish line to win the USCC Red Lake I-500 today in Thief River Falls, Minn.
Arctic Cat racer Dan Ebert won the Pro 600 class in the 2010 United States Cross-Country (USCC) Red Lake I-500 today. He covered the 505-mile course in 8 hours, 11 minutes, 35 seconds. Gabe Bunke (8:13:42) finished second on a Polaris 600 Rush and Ryan Huston (8:16:22) finished third, also on an Arctic Cat.