14
JANUARY 2013
VILAS COUNTY NEWS-REVIEW/THE THREE LAKES NEWS
50TH ANNIVERSARY DERBY
50 years of Derby history A year-by-year look at the Eagle River World Championship ___________ BY GARY RIDDERBUSCH AND
ANTHONY DREW
___________
The AMSOIL World Championship Snowmobile Derby in Eagle River has a colorful history, ranging from the race’s beginning on Dollar Lake in 1964 to the renowned event that will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year. From the champions and queens to the changes in snowmobiles and the development of the track and race by the Eagle River Lions Club and Decker family, the Eagle River Derby continues to be the “Indianapolis 500 of snowmobile racing.” The following is a year-byyear look at the Derby. 1964 — The Eagle River Lions Club held an event billed as “The World’s First Snowmobile Derby” on Dollar Lake headquartered at Chanticleer Inn. Miss Wisconsin Barbara Bonville and Vilas County Queen Ruth Stewart of Lac du Flambeau were in attendance along with thousands of spectators as nearly 100 registered snowmobilers took the track. The winner of the main event was Stan Hayes of Crandon riding a Polaris. 1965 — The Eagle River Snowmobile Derby soared into prominence across the Midwest in its second year, as Eagle River, Three Lakes and Rhinelander all hosted a portion of a 35-mile cross-country marathon snowmobile race which finished at Chanticleer Inn. Events in all three communities kicked off the Derby celebration. George Gensler won the Argosy Magazine Trophy title race in front of a crowd that topped 5,000. Wisconsin Gov. Warren Knowles attended the event along with Miss Vilas County Lauralee Alward. 1966 — The Lions Club established a new 4.2-mile course on the grounds of Pleasure Island north of Eagle River in the Derby’s third year. Rudy Spiess served as course chairman. Steve Ave of Hurley won the title race and also took second place in the 42-mile marathon race spanning
three communities. Ave’s starting rope detached before the start of the title race, but he was able to get his sled started in the five minutes given to him by officials. There were approximately 10,000 attendees and nearly 200 drivers. The Derby Queen was Sue Merril of St. Germain. 1967 — Eagle River was in the national spotlight during the fourth running of the Snowmobile Derby. Peter Jennings of ABC covered the event and also raced, while camera crews from Life and Newsweek, along with 20 newspapers and 16 television stations, documented the races. Nearly 20,000 spectators attended the redesigned 4.2-mile course over the weekend. Duane Frandsen of Pembine won the championship and $3,000 in cash rewards were presented to drivers. Among celebrity attendees were Derby Queen Carole Fricke, Miss Wisconsin Candy Hinz and Wisconsin Gov. Jack Olson. 1968 — The weekend crowd topped 20,000 for the fifth Snowmobile Derby. Steve Ave of Duluth, Minn., won the championship title after taking first place in the final 16-lap race on Pleasure Island’s quarter-mile oval. There was $5,000 in cash prizes for Derby racers. The Lions Club added three sharp dips to the speed obstacle course, along with a 30-foot Monza Wall with a cloverleaf turn. Green Bay Packers players Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke and Fuzzy Thurston were in attendance. Eagle River Derby Queen Suzanne Mietus reigned over the festivities, while Alice in Dairyland Kristin Williams also was in attendance. 1969 — A frantic snow removal project took place the week prior to the fifth running of the Lions Club’s Eagle River Snowmobile Derby after the North Woods was deluged by a record-breaking snowfall. An estimated 35,000 attendees gathered at Pleasure Island to watch 500 drivers compete for the top prize. Roger Janssen of Crookston, Minn., won the title, Russ Davis of Sayner won first in the Class B stock
The winner of the second Eagle River Derby in 1965 was George Gensler of Three Lakes
Snowmobile race fans were able to get a close view of the action from the snow-covered banks
race and Kent Pitlik of Eagle River won the Class D event. Major improvements were made at the track, including the construction of a 10-mile speed obstacle course, cyclone fences, terracing, course contouring, a new building with an underground communication system installed and a new press mobile unit. Two Ontario reporters made a 600-mile snowmobile trip to attend the Derby. Reigning over the races was Derby Queen Cindy Chart. 1970 — Subzero temperatures broke just in time for the sixth annual Snowmobile Derby, which featured approximately 35,000 attendees the Sunday of the title race. Yvonne Duhamel of Valcourt, Quebec, won the championship on a Ski-Doo, with Duane Eck of Driggs, Idaho, coming in second on a SkiDoo and Jim Bernat of Roseau, Minn., finishing third on a Polaris. Derby Queen Donna Lapp of Phelps reigned over the festivities, which included a torchlight parade through Eagle River with 2,500 luminarias and 125 snowmobile drivers. Celebrities throughout the weekend included Peter Jennings of ABC, Miss Wisconsin Cindi Anne Morgan, and Packers players Bart Starr, Lionel Aldridge, Ken Bowman, Jim Weatherwax and Doug Hart. 1971 — A severe snowstorm of near blizzard proportions shocked the North Woods during the week leading up to the Derby, as snowremoval crews struggled to deal with the aftermath in preparation of the races. The maximum field of 500 drivers competed for cash prizes totaling $20,000, the largest amount to date. Mike Trapp of Woodruff won the title race, with his cousin Wayne Trapp finishing second and Yvonne Duhamel of Valcourt, Quebec, taking third. Celebrity attendees included Miss Wisconsin Linda Johnson and Green Bay Packer Doug Hart. 1972 — A runaway snowmobile with a stuck throttle crashed through the cyclone fence on the north turn, killing 6-year-old Kris Peterson of Minneapolis, Minn., at the ninth running of the Derby. A memorial fund was set up in Peterson’s name the same day and saw an immediate outpouring of donations. The Hodag race became exclusively Rhinelanderbased after growing in popularity. Racers from Japan, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Austria and Canada made appearances at the Derby. Mike Trapp of Woodruff won his second straight title riding a Yamaha, with Gaston Ferland of Ville Varnier, Quebec, finishing second on a Ski-Doo and Ed Schubitzke of Duluth, Minn., taking third on a Ski-Doo. Derby Queen was Susan Satran of Eagle River. Celebrity attendees included Miss Wisconsin Patricia Ann Jacobs, Doug Hart and Jim Carter of the Packers, and race car driver Bobby Unser. 1973 — Thawing weather forced the cancellation of Wednesday and Thursday qualifiers in the 10th anniversary of the Eagle Riv-
of the Eagle River Derby Track in 1968, watching two Ski-Doo racers on the oval.
Snowmobile racing in Eagle River got its start on Dollar Lake in 1964, and by 1966 the Eagle Riv-
er Snowmobile Derby. A caravan of trucks carried 100 loads of sawdust to the track in an effort to prevent further thawing and salvage the onethird mile oval at Pleasure Island. The effort proved worthwhile, as estimates concluded there were more than 50,000 people in town over the weekend for the event, with more than 37,000 present the final day. Bob Eastman of Roseau, Minn., won the title race in his seventh attempt, riding a Polaris. Mike Trapp of Woodruff took second on a Ski-Doo and Jim Adema of Belmont, Mich., took third on a Sno Jet. Miss America Terry Anne Meeuwsen of De Pere was at the Derby, along with Queen Jill Ritzer of Eagle River. The Massey-Ferguson Red Nites snowmobile team demonstrated jumps and maneuvers. A new facility for the handicapped was constructed alongside the racetrack. 1974 — Despite drizzling rain and worries over a potential fuel shortage in Vilas County, more than 20,000 spectators witnessed Gilles Villeneuve of Bethierville, Quebec, win the World’s Championship Snowmobile Derby title race on an Alouette sled streamlined for racing. Taking second was Stan Hayes of Crandon on a
er Lions Club took over the race and moved it to Pleasure Island. —NEWS-REVIEW PHOTOS
Polaris, while third went to Jim Bernat of Roseau, Minn. There were nearly $30,000 in cash prizes for racers. The oval track was rebuilt and enlarged to one-half mile for the 11th running of the Derby. Meanwhile, new food and concession stands were installed at the track, along with mobile home viewing areas and an improved sound
system. Celebrity attendees included Miss Wisconsin Judy Hieke and Derby Queen Melinda McIntosh, a senior at Eagle River High School. 1975 — A record crowd of nearly 40,000 people attended the World Championship Snowmobile Derby for Sunday’s main event, according To HISTORY, Pg. 15
The winner of the 1969 Derby was Roger Janssen of Crookston, Minn., who was congratulated by a queen.
A 35-mile cross-country race between Rhinelander, Three Lakes and Eagle River was
added to the Derby in 1965, with the finish in downtown Eagle River.
This was an aerial view of the 1968 Eagle River Derby, with hundreds of cars parked north of the
track. An estimated 20,000 people attended the fifth annual event.