International 500

The International 500 Snowmobile Race, commonly known in Michigan as "The I-500", takes place annually in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, which is also known as The Soo. It is known across the country, and is also known to be the largest, longest single day snowmobile race in the world.

The idea for the I-500 came about in 1968. Several businessmen were discussing the Indianapolis 500, and the question rose of whether or not a snowmobile could run for 500 miles. The idea became a plan for a race patterned off the Indy 500 for snowmobiles.

A section of land was acquired from the city of Sault Ste. Marie on which to build the track. The site was originally an ammunitions dump for Fort Brady during World War II. It posed a problem for the newly created I-500 Committee, because three concrete ammunitions bunkers were still on the property. The help of the National Guard was enlisted, and two of the bunkers were destroyed (the third remains to this day). In less than six months, a crew composed entirely of volunteers had completed the mile-long track.

On February 8, 1969, the first I-500 was held with forty-seven qualifying drivers. At the time, there was no standard of rules for snowmobile races of this type, so the I-500 Committee adapted the rules of the Indy 500. Volunteers counted the laps, as they would do for the next twenty-eight years. Each rider was required to have at least three backup drivers, and they had to change places every fifty laps or less. The total prize money allotted for all places was $10,000. After thirteen hours and forty-two minutes of racing, Dan Planck won the first I-500 on a Ski-Doo. By the time Planck crossed the finish line, only twenty-six snowmobiles were still running. By the following year, news of the race had spread, and professional drivers began attending the I-500. It has since become one of the most important snowmobile racing events for manufacturers to showcase their machine's performance and durability.

In the modern I-500, the race takes approximately eight hours to complete. The original time trial attempt limit (two per driver) has been abandoned. An entrant may attempt to qualify in the time trial as many times as he chooses. Since 1999 the laps have been counted by an electronic timing system. A wire is run under the racing surface at the start finish line and each of the snowmobiles has a transponder that triggers the wire's receiver and the racer's lap is counted. Drivers can now complete the race alone, although most teams choose to have two or more drivers (max of three). John Whicht is the only driver to have reached and won, riding all 500 miles on his own, a feat he accomplished four times.

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