Yamaha Close at Soo I-500 Snowmobile Race:
Yamaha was in the power position heading into the Soo International 500 snowmobile race in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. on Saturday, February 5. For the first time ever, a Yamaha snowmobile earned the pole for the brutal 500-mile long event when Joel Diamond of J&M Racing drove his RX-1 to a sizzling 93.63-mph qualifying lap.
Diamond and co-driver Gordie Postula were strong in the early part of the race, then the Mike Gentz Racing/Meyers Enterprises Yamaha driven by Mike Gentz and Brady Dyrdahl moved into the lead for 54 circuits of the one-mile ice course. Still another Yamaha, the Todd Krikke/Chad Gueco Pierce Racing machine, led the most laps overall, and looked strong until Gueco began to fade from physical exhaustion late in the race.
Meanwhile the Gentz/Dyrdahl machine continued to click off fast laps; running with failed radio communications, Gentz was unaware that as the checkered flag loomed, he was running in second place – just 29 seconds behind the eventual winner. Krikke and Gueco eventually finished a fine third.
Congratulations to all the Yamaha teams for a great effort!
Yamaha was in the power position heading into the Soo International 500 snowmobile race in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. on Saturday, February 5. For the first time ever, a Yamaha snowmobile earned the pole for the brutal 500-mile long event when Joel Diamond of J&M Racing drove his RX-1 to a sizzling 93.63-mph qualifying lap.
Diamond and co-driver Gordie Postula were strong in the early part of the race, then the Mike Gentz Racing/Meyers Enterprises Yamaha driven by Mike Gentz and Brady Dyrdahl moved into the lead for 54 circuits of the one-mile ice course. Still another Yamaha, the Todd Krikke/Chad Gueco Pierce Racing machine, led the most laps overall, and looked strong until Gueco began to fade from physical exhaustion late in the race.
Meanwhile the Gentz/Dyrdahl machine continued to click off fast laps; running with failed radio communications, Gentz was unaware that as the checkered flag loomed, he was running in second place – just 29 seconds behind the eventual winner. Krikke and Gueco eventually finished a fine third.
Congratulations to all the Yamaha teams for a great effort!
98srx6
New member
Gentz Racing is sponsored by my local dealership. It sounds like all the teams are really starting to get those rx1's running well in the 500 and other endurance races.
journeyman
Active member
Who won and on what machine? Just curious. I was sledding in the UP and just got home.
I was there for the whole race . . .
A stinkin' Polaris won again.
Gabe Bunke won on a Pro-5 (same team as Corey Davidson) sled wearing #16.
However rumor has it that Gabe's backup driver was suffering from cramps, so Corey who had dropped out earlier on the #3 took over driving the #16. I don't know his helmet well enough to say for sure, but the sled sure looked better getting through the corners than it did earlier in the race. It was a very well set up sled with a great driver on it for the last 60+ laps.
The Yamahas really faded at the end. I don't think it was driver exhaustion or conserving fuel. I think the carbides and slides were gone. They just couldn't get around the corners the last 100 laps. The #16 could go fast around the corners anywhere he wanted.
On a side note Joel Diamond on the #2 was by far the best sled in the race, but he had what I believe was a broken suspension for the last 400 laps. I believe that Gordie Postula ran most of the race for him after the suspension (or whatever it was) broke. That sled was very very impressive, although I think Joel should have moved up the track in the corners earlier in the race. Staying low out of turn 2 (the treacherous one) there developed a serious combination of major bumps that likely caused the breakage. Best sounding sled was also the #2. Does anybody know, or can they find out which exhaust system they had on that sled?
A stinkin' Polaris won again.
Gabe Bunke won on a Pro-5 (same team as Corey Davidson) sled wearing #16.
However rumor has it that Gabe's backup driver was suffering from cramps, so Corey who had dropped out earlier on the #3 took over driving the #16. I don't know his helmet well enough to say for sure, but the sled sure looked better getting through the corners than it did earlier in the race. It was a very well set up sled with a great driver on it for the last 60+ laps.
The Yamahas really faded at the end. I don't think it was driver exhaustion or conserving fuel. I think the carbides and slides were gone. They just couldn't get around the corners the last 100 laps. The #16 could go fast around the corners anywhere he wanted.
On a side note Joel Diamond on the #2 was by far the best sled in the race, but he had what I believe was a broken suspension for the last 400 laps. I believe that Gordie Postula ran most of the race for him after the suspension (or whatever it was) broke. That sled was very very impressive, although I think Joel should have moved up the track in the corners earlier in the race. Staying low out of turn 2 (the treacherous one) there developed a serious combination of major bumps that likely caused the breakage. Best sounding sled was also the #2. Does anybody know, or can they find out which exhaust system they had on that sled?
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