SAULT STE. MARIE — The 57th running of the I-500 snowmobile endurance race wrapped up this evening in Sault Ste. Marie.
Mickey’s Factory Racing, No. 57, featuring drivers Troy Dewald, Zach Dewald and James Hicks, earned pole position. The green flag dropped at 10 a.m. in bitter cold conditions to start the 500-mile race, with race officials announcing a wind chill of 34 degrees below zero.
Speeds topped 110 mph at times on the final straightaway.
Thirty-five teams started the race. Team No. 54 Hetteen Heritage Racing Polaris, from Minnesota, won by just over five seconds under a yellow caution flag, according to race officials.
“We just checked off laps and just kept on chugging away,” Paul Brown of No. 54 Hetteen Heritage Racing said. “And then at the end we kept on putting Evan on. Evan was our stud today. He put on the most laps and then I had a little bit of freedom at the end. I was fresh. We had fresh brakes. And we just drove her to the front and got it done.”
The No. 28 and No. 18 Nelson Racing Polaris teams took second and third, respectively.
Official race results will be posted on the I-500 website and Facebook page.