Ebert wins I-500 championship

Dan Ebert of Lakeshore came away from the three-day Seven Clans Casino Red Lake I-500 with a championship in warm temperatures Sunday at Thief River Falls.

Other area snowmobilers who were scheduled to compete were Ryan Greening, CJ and Sam Vandeputte, all of Brainerd; Jeremy Tulenchik of Pequot Lakes; and Ryan Houston of Hackensack, who was a third-place finisher.

Ebert liked the warmth while conceding it was difficult to see the bumps in the light conditions.

"It was certainly warmer than last year for the I-500 when the conditions were brutally cold, which made snow dust an issue," Ebert said. "Today was a struggle with fast light conditions and seeing the bumps. But overall, it was ideal for racing."

Setup of the machine was key on a day with warm conditions and Ebert was happy with his sled's performance.

"You do your best to prepare for the race," he said. "You make sure your setup is right. In the warm weather, belt life is an issue, but fortunately there wasn't any track trouble today."