The 54th International 500 Snowmobile Race checkered flag dropped for Joey Burch of Tommie Bauer Racing Team #19, who crossed the finish line only .0001 of a second before the second place finisher.
“I knew my dad was keeping an eye on us,” said Burch.
It was described as the closest finish in history.
Professional snowmobile racer, Joe Burch II, age 44, of Rosebush, Mich., suffered a heart attack on lap 247 of the 38th I-500 Snowmobile Race on Feb. 4, 2006.
Several caution flags were dropped during the first half of this year's race due to snowfall. With 20 laps to go, Burch was in fourth with D.L. Racing leading the way. The 490th lap looked the same for Burch.
“I just knew I had to go for it when going through all the bumps,” he said, tearfully.
But D.L Racing held the lead in that last lap.
“It was one of the most exciting finishes in I-500 history,” said I-500 Snowmobile Race announcer Matt Prieur. “It was very competitive from start to finish. They were baking in the whole race like it was the last five laps.”
The official 54th International 500 Snowmobile Race results will be posted here.