6 Amazing 1977 World Championship Documents
Thanks to John Dietz at the Eagle River Derby Track, these documents from how the 1977 race was setup and run (plus the payouts) have survived and I’m putting them on line for all to enjoy.
Interesting to note that Steve Thorsen won $5,000. Adjusting for inflation, that is over $23,000 today!
How much fun would it be to go back in time and watch these heat races? With names like Doug Hayes, the Corbett’s of Canada, Larry Coltom, Jacque Villeneuve, Bob Elsner, Jon Berard, Dick Trickle and of course the Midnight Blue Express of Bunke, Hulings & Thorsen!
The actual scoring from the heat races and the first two semi-finals. Bernat wins his heat (269), as does Thorsen, Dick Trickle (#7), and Ski-Doo driver and defending World Champion Ed Schubutzke.
Thorsen and Schubitzke move on to win their semi-finals.
Another semi and the last chance. Not sure how Bernat wound up in the last chance, but he did not finish, and Dick Trickle won. Also note Kawasaki’s Greg Channel (#760) “hit wall”.
Final Results – Thorsen gets $5,000 (over $23,000 today) and Bunke $1,250. Hulings just had Schubitzke to get past and it would have been a Polaris 1-2-3 clean sweep. Reverend Rugland finishes in the money.
