Vintage SnoPro returns this Friday night, under the lights in Sauk Centre Minnesota. This is a fantastic facility, a great race track and your chance to see some of the very best guys in vintage racing battle it out! It’s just off interstate 94 on Sauk Centre – don’t miss it!

On Saturday, the ORA continues racing in Sauk Centre, there is the big PVR race in Mole Lake, as well as the famous ROLA annual one-lunger 100 race in Detroit Lakes Minnesota. There’s no excuse not to get out there on a sled and watch some racing no matter where you live!

Weather reports for next weekends "Live On Skis" are excellent for the International Falls location! Doc Jim posted some pictures from around the trails on the Bull Sessions.

Just to get you in the SnoPro mood, here’s some awesome photos from back in the day, sent in by Jason Gardner and Justin Sorenson. THANK YOU!

When you love your GPX, you have to take pictures!

Team Army Z’s ready for battle.

The pits, Eagle River. Note Darrell Courtright
in the 76 outfit, and the Kawi Shark!

You just can’t find enough pictures of
t
he revolutionary Skiroule IFS machines!

Profession Stan Hayes pulls one of his Merc’s off the truck.

If you really love your GPX, you go and
win a class at Eagle River with it!

More Eagle River pits Jerry Bunke has a
conversation with Larry Coltom.

Dan KIrts’ Manta SnoPro racer.

Boss Cat II. Need I say more?

Ironwood, Dec. 1974. A familiar

Omdahl sled in the forefront.

Jim Bernat’s 74 650cc machine on the "rack" for some work.

Even though it was over thirty years ago, I remember the December, 1977 Dayco Holiday Spectacular snowmobile race in Alexandria Minnesota like it was yesterday.

I was not even a teenager. I was on the infield most of the day, helping out the race organizers in any way I could. I remember watching a Ski-Doo come out of turn two, and run wide open on the outside edge of the backstretch and disappear right into the woods in turn three.

Moments later, another track worker and a good friend of my family emerged from those woods and threw up.

Wanting to see what had happened, I ran as fast as I could to turn three. An adult stopped me by grabbing my jacket. I don’t remember who it was; but I clearly remember what he said. “You stay down here – got it! You do NOT go up to the top of the track! Do you understand?!” I nodded my head yes and stayed put. He took off and scaled the ice to get to the top of turn three.

As more people headed over and the ambulance began to move, curiosity got the best of me. I ran to the top – and I will never forget what I saw.

Sammy’s sled was sitting there like it was supposed to be there. No dents, no scratches, nothing. People were huddled around Sammy, and there was blood everywhere. People were trying to kick snow over the blood, and one fellow found Sammy’s watch. I knew he was dead.

What I never understood was why the races kept going – a man had just died, and yet they continued to race. It would be many years before I found out that afterwards, the had held a meeting and the drivers decided to continue on, largely because they felt that Sammy would have wanted it that way.

The races continued, and the drives all fought through the rain and sleet. T.J. Patrick won that day, as did Jeff Knell, Jerry Bunke and Doug Hayes, who had a terrific day – winning the coveted Hetteen Cup.

On Sunday, I watched another sled come out of turn two, on almost exactly the same line as Sammy Sessions the day before. Only this time it was an Arctic Cat, with 1976 Hetteen Cup winner Larry Coltom on board.

Larry left the track in almost the exact same spot as Sammy. When I got over the hill this time, I was sick with the thought that Larry Coltom was dead. I saw his sled right away. Unlike Sammy’s, it was pretty badly damaged when it tangled with a tree. But there was no Larry to be found anywhere.

Frantic track workers thought perhaps he was stuck in under snow, or brush. They called his name and searched frantically. But they would never find him there.

Larry had been fortunate enough to miss every obstacle as he went over the edge, and went behind some brush and hay bails. He stood up right away and realized he was fine. Walking through the woods and around the paddock area, he made his way back to the truck. He took off his helmet, and decided right then and there that he had retired from snowmobile racing.

Troy and Susie Lange found these slightly water damaged photos in their home and sent them too me this morning. Seeing Larry’s sled and remembering that I had seen it just moments before that picture was taken brought back a flood of memories of that day.

You can see more of the Dayco race that day with this DVD from the store.

Thanks Troy and Susie for sharing!