By Steph Anderson, Photos: Lynette Ross
Zach Herfindahl won the I-500 for the fourth consecutive time and is tied for most wins. After the race Zach said “Yes, five wins is the record and now we are tied! It feels so good to get to this point and have some what of a weight off your shoulders. Of coarse we want to set a new record, but this is pretty awesome. Also, I am the first person to win 3 and now 4 time in a row. So proud of this team and all our supporters.” Aaron Christianson came in second place 42 seconds behind Zach, and third place went to Dan Revering.
The Pro Factory Women’s Class also had a historic weekend. For the first time a winner’s cup was given to the Pro Women. There is information back to 2012 for winning Pro Women, but so far not prior to that, COR Powersports is working to get all past Pro Women added to the cup. First ever to receive the cup was Lydia Sobek. Lydia says “Racing the Goodridge Grygla I-500 is not just a win, it’s an achievement.” Second place in the Pro Factory women was Gabby Hallstrom, and third place went to Frankie Omang.
Other first place finishes for the COR Powersports race was Boe Bunke in Semi Pro Classes, Jon Arneson in Pro Vet 35+, Oliver Olson in Sports Classes, Adam Brandt in Trail, Adam Brandt in Vet 30+, Jon Arneson in Masters 40+, Jon Arneson in Masters 50+, Aaden Olson in Expert 600 Limited, Bennett Iverson in Jr 10 -13, Reese Novacek in Jr Girls 10 – 13, Elliot Clark in Jr 14 – 17, Katie Clark in Jr Girls 14 – 17, and Kyle Kozel in Classic.
Also racing with the COR Powersports series was the KC ProWest racing the Mini I-500. It was great to have the future of the sport getting to participate in the autograph session along with the riders in the COR Powersports series.
Behind The Scenes At The I-500
The I-500 is known for being one of the most grueling snowmobile races on the planet. 500 miles in two days across rivers, ditches, and terrain. After the first day of racing sleds to into impound. There is a one hour work period, where two people can work on a sled and then the sled goes into impound again until the next morning when racing begins.
Sleds are not allowed to be touched outside of the work period. Dan Revering is currently in third place after the first day. We asked him about the work session. He said that “Team Rev Racing’s one hour mechanic session consists of a couple main things to address. The biggest thing is making sure the sled can go another 250 miles with no issues.”
First, we look over the entire machine for any critical damage, loose or missing bolts, any other parts to be replaced.
If nothing major, then regular maintenance items. Check/tighten chain case tension, check track tension, check critical bolts to make sure they are tight, check brake pads, check springs on pipe & can, clean clutches, and change spring/weights if needed, make any suspension changes.”
