Date: April 16, 2005 Saturday
Place: Bill Armstrong Stadium
Event: 2005 Men's Little 500 Race
Distance: 200-laps
Climate: Sunny, clear, beautiful. Mid-70s and slight NW breeze.
Time: 2:00pm
Winner: Dodds House (2:09.51)
ATO starting position: 4th (Same as in 2004)
ATO finishing position: 5th (2:10.26)
Pit Position: First pit in front of start/finish line. (Same as in 2004)
Jersey Color: Blue (Same as in 2004)
Team: Hans Arnesen, Dave Mann, Jeremy Hess, Brian Laiderman, AJ Luther (alternate), Michael Paulin (alternate)
Mechanics: Michael Kehrberg (cycling pro & ATO trainer) and Michael Glasgow (mountain bike expert & expert mechanic).
Coach: Norm Houze
This is it. And what a beautiful day for racing. What could go wrong? Well, besides expecting to win, all riders can expect difficulty
in doing so. Hans Arnesen and Brian Laidermanstayed overnight for a quiet night of sleep at Norm & Cricket's residence.
Breakfast was at 9:00pm with everyone ready to discuss pre-race strategies at the meal table except Brian. As usual, he took a
little longer getting ready. Soon the guys were off to a warm-up ride and a huge boisterous sendoff at the ATO house. That got
the team pumped. The riders and mechanics arrived at the track to set up the ATO pit box, the same pit as in last year's race.
The only snag was an incompatible windtrainer for the warmup bikes. That was soon corrected and the mechanics checked out
the bikes for tire inflation, wheel balance, seat heights, and overall setup. The mechanics discussed race scenarios regarding
yellow flags, penalties, and getting a bike to a crashed rider on the track. The mechanics have to know instinctively which line to
take in the infield to get to the accident scene. Now, after a 30-minute warmup on the track and spectators filling the stands, the
teams were ready to go.
It was at this time I was in for a surprise. While standing in the pits waiting for the pre-race festivities to start, Chappy Blackwell
walked over and introduced himself. He has been the official Little 500 Flagman for the past 10-years or so. He does not call the
race. He just puts the flags out at the start/finish line. Chappy began his conversation by asking me how the team was doing. I
responded saying that the ATO team was excited and ready to go. He said, "no, I mean, how has your team been since last
year?.......How did they handle having their victory taken away last year?" I stated, "Oh, it was tough and they knew it was a
mistaken decision, but what else can you do? They accepted it the best they could." Then Chappy looked me in the eyes with a
solemn face and said, "I've had to live with that bad call for the past year!" Whoa! I couldn't believe he said that. It was like he
was carrying this huge burden of guilt for the whole entire year and just needed to come over and spill the beans. In retrospect,
he and myself had the best viewpoint down on the track for the final sprint out of the 4th Turn in the 2004 Little 500. We both
didn't observe any impeding or contact in the 4th turn to justify a 5-second penalty. Unfortunately, the flagman doesn't call the
race. Anyway, as I tried to focus on the current race, this genuine and sincere dialogue with the flagman about last year's
outcome was a bit startling and redeeming at the same time. The truth eeks out sooner or later I guess.....it never fails.
Broadcasters, journalists, and photographers were all over Hans during the pre-race festivities. He is definitely the rider to watch
in this race. He has dominated this track for the past two years and knows his team can win this year. Hans finally mounted his
bike to start the race. An air of confidence surrounds this guy like no other. He's ready to go and the other ATO riders are excited
to get this thing going. The following is a racap of each set according to my best recollection:
Hans (2-laps, 1-2)
2:17, 90 (Lap 1-2 was yellow)
Hans was in the 4th position on the inside of the second row. The green flag was out to start the race. As usual, the adrenaline
and testosterone was pumping in high gear and the pace was torrid crossing the starting line. Suddenly in the distance of Turn 1,
I could see a rider go down. It was Hans!! I couldn't believe what I was seeing. This is only the first lap in the first turn. The race
had gone only 10-pedal strokes! How could this happen so early? All I could see after that instant was bikes and bodies flying
everywhere in a cloud of dust and cinders. More than half the field was being swallowed up by this trashpile of crumpled bicycles.
What was just a fraction of a second seemed like a couple of hours out on the track. I knew that Hans was buried deep at the
bottom of that huge pileup. What a sickening feeling especially with the thought of serious injury. I felt this same feeling when
ATO rider Jeremy Hess crashed on Lap 151 last year and when my daughter Daphne Houze crashed in a huge pileup in the
women's race in 1999. But this is a race and you learn to process your emotions later. Right now, we had to react
instantaneously. I made immediate eye contact across the track with Michael Kehrberg, the mechanic. Kirby was on it! I've never
seen him run so fast. He knew exactly what line to take from the infield to the first turn in getting a second bike to Hans. We
couldn't see where Hans was from the pits. We could only assume the worst......that maybe we would just bury our dead out there
on the track. The yellow flag was out with the pack broken up except for about 4-5 teams in the lead. All of a sudden, a blue
shirted rider was seen on the backstretch. It was Hans! Somehow he untangled his bike from the mass of mesh and mush and
resurrected himself in a hurry. Whew, at least Hans was not dead and we're not out of this yet, but geez, ATO is already over
1/2-lap down on the first lap.
Now my concern was to get Kirby back into the pits with the other good bike. Hans came around through the frontstretch and
looked like he had gone to war. His entire left side was black with cinders and red with blood. He was furiously pointing to his bike,
indicating big-time mechanical troubles. Damn, those bikes were tweaked and running so smooth before the race. Michael
Glasgow did a great job building those bikes. Unfortuantely the hot bike only went a quarter lap. OK, Kirby didn't make it back to
the pits yet, so Hans had to go around the track again on the yellow with severely bent handlebars and a back wheel wobbling and
rubbing the frame. Hans came around still under the yellow and did a feeble 2-bike exchange to rookie Dave Mann. Hans looked
terrible. His left hand was bleeding from deep cuts. He had roadrash on his left leg, thigh, arm and hand. The bike was toast.
The mechanics rushed the bike to the infield to do major surgery and replace parts. Hans crossed the track to seek medical aid in
the infield. And Dave reached the backstretch on his first lap when the green flag restarted the race. In just the first 3-laps, this
was the race from hell.
Dave (5-laps, 3-7)
48 37 33 35 35 (Lap 3 was yellow)
OK, we know what the leading teams were thinking. It's what I would do with over half of the competition effectively out of the race.
It turned into a hammerfest out there! How do you chase a pack of top riders going 28-29mph in the early stages of the race?
Well, you don't. Dave just had to go out there and pedal just as fast to avoid falling further behind. We knew under these chasing
conditions our riders could only do 2-3 sprint laps, maybe four in the early going. We're gonna blow our brains out trying to catch
up. But we can't let the pack lap us. That's the "kiss of death". There were no other options but to do a serious time trial out
there and grab a fast wheel if it comes by. Our race is right now or never. As Dave was making mush out of his legs by turning
some really fast laps, Kirby and Glasgow were feverishly replacing wheels and other parts on Hans' broken bike. We were gonna
need that bike in a hurry. After his 4th lap, we motioned for Dave to come in for a 1-bike exchange to Jeremy. The Fijis, Dodds,
and PPs were really squeezing us now. They were putting the gun to our heads and the noose around our necks with a
20-second lead.
Jeremy (6-laps, 8-13)
38 34 36 37 38 44 (Lap 13 was yellow.....Cutters/TMT crash)
The 1-bike exchange from Dave was smooth and quick. Jeremy took no time in getting up to speed. He was out there on his own.
I was really worried that a bike exchange would result in ATO getting reeled into the front pack and getting lapped. But Jeremy
didn't let that happen and peeled off two quick laps and moved ahead by a few seconds as some of the lead pack riders were
coming in for bike exchanges. In addition, the pack had so few lead riders, it would slow down from time to time. Fortunately,
Jeremy got a chance to rest with another yellow flag on Lap 13. While this was going on, Kirby dashed into medical tent and pulled
Hans out to get him to the pits. We needed to get him back on the bike regardless whether he was dead or not. Hans ran across
the track and grabbed his bike for a 2-bike exchange with Jeremy. The roar of the crowd was incredible. A dead man has come
back to life! Here was a guy totally wasted by a horrific crash on the first lap and is bandaged up and ready to chase on the 14th
lap. It's Braveheart all over again.
Hans (7-laps, 14-20)
33 31 34 35 36 36 38
This was a job for superman. Hans' first two laps were unbelievable. He looked like a supercharged wrapped up mummy flying
past everyone out there. His speed made everyone look like they were standing still. Chase, chase, chase.....with no wheel to get
on. Hans just kept pressing on. I turned to Dave. He wasn't ready. His legs weren't recovered yet. Next up had to be Brian and
his first laps ever on the Little 500 track needed to be warp speed. He has the kind of top-end speed for 3-laps to get us back in
this thing. At least we're not in immediate danger of getting lapped with Hans out there. I'm confident that Brian will make this a
smooth bike exchange. He is the best bike exchanger out on the track. The lead pack was punishing Hans, but he kept gaining
some ground.
Brian (3-laps, 21-23)
34 33 37
Brian got on the bike and up to speed pretty quick. He blistered some very quick laps. And the pack started to muddle around, so
Brian gained some valuable distance during his 3-laps. As what usually happens, the pack collectively forgets about teams that
are behind and mostly focuses on the riders on the lead lap. If behind and on the same lap, the key is to sneak up on those guys.
And that was our plan. The pack by Lap 23 was really not working together. Come on guys, we can get back in this thing. That's
the only thing I could repeat over and over in the pits.
Dave (3-laps, 24-26)
36 34 36
Dave took a very smooth 1-bike exchange from Brian and his objective was clear. Just ride as many hot laps as possible. ATO
was back down to a 20-second deficit because the leaders were turning the screws. And we were losing time on bike exchanges.
How long can we hold this? We're trying desperately not to get lapped. Any more screwups and we'll be dead in the water. Every
lap is a burnout right now. Dave brought the bike into Jeremy.
Jeremy (3-laps, 27-29)
39 36 35
Jeremy got off to a slow start. Fortunately the pack was also going slow and in the next 3-laps, Jeremy closed the gap by
3-seconds. OK, maybe the pack is really getting bored with this relentless hammerfest up front. But without a wheel to follow, the
ATO riders had a lot of air to push against. It's hard when you're all by yourself. Jeremy did suck a wheel for a short time on his
second lap. He did a 2-bike exchange to strongman Hans Arnesen. It is now or never.
Hans (15-laps, 30-44)
35 34 36 36 36 34 34 35 33 35 36 35 37 37 35
Hans was gonna try something different this time out. Holding off on doing a few blazing sprint laps, Hans just put his head down
and whipped off one lap after another at a steady strong pace......picking up a wheel every once and awhile for a short recovery.
He closed the gap to just 10-seconds off the lead pack by not coming in for any bike exchanges. At mid-set, Hans ripped off a
34-35-33. Those are awesome numbers in the middle of a 15-lap set. By this time, Fijis dropped a chain to fall 1/2 lap behind,
Cutters were 1-lap down due to a crash. TMT was totally out of it. But Briscoe, PPs, and Dodds were doing all the damage out
there. Hans finished an awesome 15-lap set with a 2-bike exchange to Brian.
Brian (4-laps, 45-48)
34 33 35 35
The exchange to Brian was again flawless, but despite some four sizzling laps, ATO fell back by almost 20-seconds again mostly
from the bike exchanges. Those exchanges cost the team about 5-6 seconds every time they come in, even if they are flawless
exchanges. Chasing is really killing their legs and Brian, Jeremy, and Dave only have high speed for 3-4 laps maximum. This
really hurts. Next up was Dave. We really needed to lean on him now.
Dave (3-laps, 49-51)
37 32 35
Wow, Dave peeled off some more hot ones. But maybe he needed to do what Hans did.....more laps at a slightly slower pace. He
blew out his legs closing the gap, but lost some of what he gained on the bike exchange. We've only pedaled 50-laps and have
already completed our minimum quota of 10-bike exhanges for the race. I remember the race back in 1981 when the ATO team
only did 10-11 bike exchanges for the entire race. Geez!!
Jeremy (4-laps, 52-55)
36 35 36 36
The lead pack started to breakup and slow down. Meanwhile Jeremy came in and starting putting 4-hot laps together to close the
gap to 10-seconds. This was a really BIG set for Jeremy......maybe his most heroic effort ever on the Little 500 track. The timing
was fortuitous and Jeremy continued to put it down during this temporary lull in the race. I didn't think we could go another round
of sprints after this so I was glad for this slowdown of the race. We neeeded this lull in the pace desperately. Now was the time.
The lead pack got bored with itself and Jeremy started to close in. He knew he couldn't let up especially with the back of the pack
just a straightaway ahead. Next up was Hans and we were all hoping this lull in the pace would continue. Jeremy made a smooth
2-bike exchange to Hans. Hans accelerated out of the pits and had it written all over his face what he was gonna do.
Hans (22-laps, 56-77)
35 34 34 33 38 37 37 41 35 37 40 36 37 38 36 35 38 34 36 35 35 33
With his head down and the lead pack ahead by 10-12 seconds, Hans went into hyperdrive and finally caught the back of the pack
on Lap 58, his third lap of the set. After just one lap in the pack, he bolted out in front leading the race as he flew by the
grandstands. With a smile and a thumbs up, the crowd roared their approval. They had just witnessed the impossible. After
58-gut wrenching laps, ATO was finally in the lead. RELIEF!! Now ATO can start budgeting their energy and enjoy this race. At
this point, only 7-teams were on the lead lap, so it was time to just sit in and recover. Hans stayed out there for an additional
18-laps. Compared to all his previous laps, it looked like he wasn't even riding that hard. We started to feel guilty as the lead
pack slowed to 40 and 41-seconds at one point. Many of those other riders were wasted in trying to blow the doors off ATO and
other teams. After 22-laps, Hans brought the bike in for someone else to have fun for a change.
Jeremy (21-laps, 78-98)
38 34 37 39 38 40 35 36 39 40 37 34 39 38 39 37 36 38 41 35 35
We changed the order to give Dave a rest and put Jeremy to work. Jeremy did a 2-bike exchange and did exactly what we
needed......lots of laps. His goal was to do 20-laps and he stayed in good position in the lead pack for most of that time. Finally,
this race seemed to be easy going and was well within our grasp. No one was trying a breakaway because they tried to do it
through most of the first 50-laps. The way this race was going was in our favor. We wanted a pack race down to the last 5-laps
because we have the fastest and strongest sprinter on our team.
Dave (19-laps, 99-117)
39 35 34 38 40 37 37 38 36 41 40 37 36 37 38 34 37 33 34
It was time for Dave to have some fun and do a big set. He positioned himself wisely in the lead pack and his set was full of slow
and fast laps. These were the first laps he'd pedaled that weren't sprints, so he was lovin' it. He blistered two fast burnout laps at
the end of his set and did a perfect 1-bike exchange to Brian.
Brian (14-laps, 118-131)
40 37 37 37 35 37 38 37 36 36 41 51 33 34 (yellow on Laps 128-129)
Brian was a rider in the 2004 qualifications but not in the race. So this is his first real set in the lead pack. He whipped off 14-laps
staying in good position. A yellow flag on Lap 128 allowed some recovery, but doing a burnout on the second lap after a yellow
doesn't look like much since everyone puts the hammer down after a yellow flag. No problem. Hans was up next and he can make
up anything.
Hans (27-laps, 132-157)
38 32 38 32 38 36 39 36 38 36 34 50 52 37 37 36 38 34 38 37 37 37 40 39 40 39 33
OK, if all goes well, this will probably be the next to the last set for Hans. We want him to go somewhere between Lap 150-160 and
no more. As he peeled off one lap after another, it was important to think ahead about the rotation and anticipating the pace of
the last 20-laps. I turned to Chris Bence standing behind the ATO pit. Chris knows the race and knows these guys since he has
been the benchmark of the ATO team from 2002-2004. I can count on his opinion. We quickly discussed the rotation order and
predicting how many laps each rider can do in their upcoming sets. We only wanted them each to go out one more time. Paul
Arnesen, Hans' dad also joined in the discussion so that we could come up with the best scenario to attack. ATO had been on the
chase in the early part of the race and because of that incredible expenditure of energy, we had to take that into serious
consideration. On Lap 155, I motioned for Hans to come in soon. On his 27th lap which was Lap 157, Hans exploded past the
lead pack for a sweet burnout to Jeremy.
Jeremy (12-laps, 158-169)
43 51 47 46 48 46 49 40 32 36 37 38 (yellow on Laps 158-164)
Jeremy got on the bike a little slow which caused him to fall behind the lead pack by a few seconds. He was chasing and was ever
so close to making up the distance on the backstretch when suddenly there was a big crash in Turn 3. Jeremy narrowly missed
going down, but had to negotiate and nearly stop his bike going around all the carnage. The yellow flag was slow to come out and
the lead pack kicked it in high gear just before the yellow blinked on. The distance created in this fiasco was huge. I didn't see
Jeremy in the 3rd Turn for the longest time and thought he went down in the crash. But he emerged and was easily 10-seconds
off the front when all the riders slowed under the yellow flag. In the course of 7-laps under the yellow flag, the distance became
even greater since it was difficult to know how fast the lead pack was going under the yellow. In fact, they warned Dodds and Fijis
to slow down up front, but that didn't help us. Here we go again.....in the chase mode. And there will only be 35-laps left to try and
catch back to the pack. When the green flag finally came out, the lead pack got a jump on everyone else including Jeremy and
ATO fell back even further. Jeremy's next lap was a 32-second blazer. But that burst the booster and his next 3-laps slowed
considerably. We signaled for him to come in for a 1-bike exchange to Brian.
Brian (6-laps, 170-175)
50 49 32 36 36 38 (yellow on Laps 170-171)
Jeremy gave it all he had with a quick and smooth handoff to Brian. Just as Brian was accelerating out of the pits, there was a
crash in the front straightaway just ahead of the start/finish line. Damn, if that crash could have happened just 3-seconds earlier,
Jeremy could have stayed out there to recover and maintain the gap. But the gap got bigger with Jeremy's bike exchange. Then
what followed was the lethal stab to the heart. The yellow flag came out immediately as Brian was accelerating out of the pits.
This brought attention to him as everyone else was slowing down and he was in the act of moving out of the pits. One lap later, a
creeping penalty was assessed against Brian and the ATO team. What? That's the first creeping violation on any team I've ever
coached. Brian wasn't creeping. He was with four other riders in a small pack. But they also were assessed a penalty as well.
Well, why don't they assess a creeping violation for everyone. What is a rider to do, let the others go ahead of him? No
way.....because these officials aren't sharp enough to know any difference. This penalty was totally uncalled for. It was also the
"kiss of death!" There's not enough race left to serve this penalty and catch up. And it will take forever to find out which official
called the penalty and where. Just like last year, we had to eat this one. These mistaken calls are starting to make me puke. With
the green flag waving, the lead pack again got the jump on everyone else as usual. Brian burned a 32-second lap and that blew
his booster also. His speed fizzled after that and he came in for a 1-bike exchange to Dave.
Dave (4-laps, 176-179)
31 34 36 38
Poor Dave. He's only had one smooth comfortable set out there without blowing his brains out. He had no choice but to scream
around the track for as many laps as possible. Just like the others, he peeled off an incredible 31-second lap which blew a fuse
and emptied his tank. Fijis were doing 2-3 breakaway sprint laps and everyone was trying to keep up with them. There was no
other solution for ATO than to just put Hans in there andd see what he could do being 18-seconds down. During Dave's set, I
quickly ran over to the infield to ask the pit judge if we could exchange a bike in the penalty box since we had to serve our
5-second penalty soon. He didn't have a clue. He later mentioned that we were unable to do that. I don't think that is in the rules,
but sometimes these guys make up rules as they go along. Since Hans was going out soon, it would be better for him to just wait
in the penalty box for the bike exchange since it was next to our pit. An alternate plan would be for Dave to exchange the bike and
have Hans run with the bike to the penalty box next to our pit. That might have saved a few seconds but as it turned out, it didn't
make any difference. Dave rode his last lap ever and did a 2-bike exchange to Hans.
Hans (20-laps, 180-200)
34 35 39 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 36 35 36 35 36 37 38 37 40 35
Instead of expecting to win right now, we needed to expect a miracle. It was time to just sit back and watch the fastest rider to ever
circle the Little 500 track. He has certainly put on a show this afternoon. Before serving the penalty, it might have been possible
for Hans to reel in the leaders. We even briefly thought about not serving the penalty. In retrospect, we should have just flipped
off the Chief Steward and chased the leaders. But on Lap 182, Hans skidded into the penalty box and served the ATO 5-second
penalty. With 17-laps to go, ATO was down by at least 20-seconds. Hans stayed out there because no one in the pits could have
turned consistent 35-36 second laps. Hans briefly closed the gap to about 12-seconds, but couldn't hold on with the other riders
in full sprints around the track. The Fijis continued their breakaway until Dodds house caught them on Lap 194-195. Then Craig
Luekens went in for Dodds and that was all she wrote. Although Luekens never outsprinted Hans Arnesen in the past 2-years,
Craig was the fastest rider in the final sprint to the start/finish line. Congratulations to the Dodds House team. They rode a
flawless race with no crashes, penalties, or other screwups. ATO on the other hand worked harder today than anyone. It was
easier to get 1st place today than it was to get 5th place the way we did it. Any other team would have fallen behind by 3-4 laps.
Hans later spent 6-hours in the hospital emergency room scrubbing cinders out of his body. That might have been the greatest
challenge of the day. He was totally exhausted. What he gave the crowd today was a show no one will ever forget.
Total Laps Per Rider
Hans 2+7+15+22+27+20 = 93-laps (started & finished)
Dave 4+3+3+19+4 = 33-laps
Jeremy 6+3+4+21+12 = 46-laps
Brian 3+4+14+6 = 27-laps
Total Bike Exchanges: 19 (three more than in 2004)
Total Penalites: 1 (5-seconds for creeping on yellow)
Crashes: 1 (Turn 1, Lap 1)
Norm Houze
1980-1989, 1999-2005 ATO Bike Team Coach
Place: Bill Armstrong Stadium
Event: 2005 Men's Little 500 Race
Distance: 200-laps
Climate: Sunny, clear, beautiful. Mid-70s and slight NW breeze.
Time: 2:00pm
Winner: Dodds House (2:09.51)
ATO starting position: 4th (Same as in 2004)
ATO finishing position: 5th (2:10.26)
Pit Position: First pit in front of start/finish line. (Same as in 2004)
Jersey Color: Blue (Same as in 2004)
Team: Hans Arnesen, Dave Mann, Jeremy Hess, Brian Laiderman, AJ Luther (alternate), Michael Paulin (alternate)
Mechanics: Michael Kehrberg (cycling pro & ATO trainer) and Michael Glasgow (mountain bike expert & expert mechanic).
Coach: Norm Houze
This is it. And what a beautiful day for racing. What could go wrong? Well, besides expecting to win, all riders can expect difficulty
in doing so. Hans Arnesen and Brian Laidermanstayed overnight for a quiet night of sleep at Norm & Cricket's residence.
Breakfast was at 9:00pm with everyone ready to discuss pre-race strategies at the meal table except Brian. As usual, he took a
little longer getting ready. Soon the guys were off to a warm-up ride and a huge boisterous sendoff at the ATO house. That got
the team pumped. The riders and mechanics arrived at the track to set up the ATO pit box, the same pit as in last year's race.
The only snag was an incompatible windtrainer for the warmup bikes. That was soon corrected and the mechanics checked out
the bikes for tire inflation, wheel balance, seat heights, and overall setup. The mechanics discussed race scenarios regarding
yellow flags, penalties, and getting a bike to a crashed rider on the track. The mechanics have to know instinctively which line to
take in the infield to get to the accident scene. Now, after a 30-minute warmup on the track and spectators filling the stands, the
teams were ready to go.
It was at this time I was in for a surprise. While standing in the pits waiting for the pre-race festivities to start, Chappy Blackwell
walked over and introduced himself. He has been the official Little 500 Flagman for the past 10-years or so. He does not call the
race. He just puts the flags out at the start/finish line. Chappy began his conversation by asking me how the team was doing. I
responded saying that the ATO team was excited and ready to go. He said, "no, I mean, how has your team been since last
year?.......How did they handle having their victory taken away last year?" I stated, "Oh, it was tough and they knew it was a
mistaken decision, but what else can you do? They accepted it the best they could." Then Chappy looked me in the eyes with a
solemn face and said, "I've had to live with that bad call for the past year!" Whoa! I couldn't believe he said that. It was like he
was carrying this huge burden of guilt for the whole entire year and just needed to come over and spill the beans. In retrospect,
he and myself had the best viewpoint down on the track for the final sprint out of the 4th Turn in the 2004 Little 500. We both
didn't observe any impeding or contact in the 4th turn to justify a 5-second penalty. Unfortunately, the flagman doesn't call the
race. Anyway, as I tried to focus on the current race, this genuine and sincere dialogue with the flagman about last year's
outcome was a bit startling and redeeming at the same time. The truth eeks out sooner or later I guess.....it never fails.
Broadcasters, journalists, and photographers were all over Hans during the pre-race festivities. He is definitely the rider to watch
in this race. He has dominated this track for the past two years and knows his team can win this year. Hans finally mounted his
bike to start the race. An air of confidence surrounds this guy like no other. He's ready to go and the other ATO riders are excited
to get this thing going. The following is a racap of each set according to my best recollection:
Hans (2-laps, 1-2)
2:17, 90 (Lap 1-2 was yellow)
Hans was in the 4th position on the inside of the second row. The green flag was out to start the race. As usual, the adrenaline
and testosterone was pumping in high gear and the pace was torrid crossing the starting line. Suddenly in the distance of Turn 1,
I could see a rider go down. It was Hans!! I couldn't believe what I was seeing. This is only the first lap in the first turn. The race
had gone only 10-pedal strokes! How could this happen so early? All I could see after that instant was bikes and bodies flying
everywhere in a cloud of dust and cinders. More than half the field was being swallowed up by this trashpile of crumpled bicycles.
What was just a fraction of a second seemed like a couple of hours out on the track. I knew that Hans was buried deep at the
bottom of that huge pileup. What a sickening feeling especially with the thought of serious injury. I felt this same feeling when
ATO rider Jeremy Hess crashed on Lap 151 last year and when my daughter Daphne Houze crashed in a huge pileup in the
women's race in 1999. But this is a race and you learn to process your emotions later. Right now, we had to react
instantaneously. I made immediate eye contact across the track with Michael Kehrberg, the mechanic. Kirby was on it! I've never
seen him run so fast. He knew exactly what line to take from the infield to the first turn in getting a second bike to Hans. We
couldn't see where Hans was from the pits. We could only assume the worst......that maybe we would just bury our dead out there
on the track. The yellow flag was out with the pack broken up except for about 4-5 teams in the lead. All of a sudden, a blue
shirted rider was seen on the backstretch. It was Hans! Somehow he untangled his bike from the mass of mesh and mush and
resurrected himself in a hurry. Whew, at least Hans was not dead and we're not out of this yet, but geez, ATO is already over
1/2-lap down on the first lap.
Now my concern was to get Kirby back into the pits with the other good bike. Hans came around through the frontstretch and
looked like he had gone to war. His entire left side was black with cinders and red with blood. He was furiously pointing to his bike,
indicating big-time mechanical troubles. Damn, those bikes were tweaked and running so smooth before the race. Michael
Glasgow did a great job building those bikes. Unfortuantely the hot bike only went a quarter lap. OK, Kirby didn't make it back to
the pits yet, so Hans had to go around the track again on the yellow with severely bent handlebars and a back wheel wobbling and
rubbing the frame. Hans came around still under the yellow and did a feeble 2-bike exchange to rookie Dave Mann. Hans looked
terrible. His left hand was bleeding from deep cuts. He had roadrash on his left leg, thigh, arm and hand. The bike was toast.
The mechanics rushed the bike to the infield to do major surgery and replace parts. Hans crossed the track to seek medical aid in
the infield. And Dave reached the backstretch on his first lap when the green flag restarted the race. In just the first 3-laps, this
was the race from hell.
Dave (5-laps, 3-7)
48 37 33 35 35 (Lap 3 was yellow)
OK, we know what the leading teams were thinking. It's what I would do with over half of the competition effectively out of the race.
It turned into a hammerfest out there! How do you chase a pack of top riders going 28-29mph in the early stages of the race?
Well, you don't. Dave just had to go out there and pedal just as fast to avoid falling further behind. We knew under these chasing
conditions our riders could only do 2-3 sprint laps, maybe four in the early going. We're gonna blow our brains out trying to catch
up. But we can't let the pack lap us. That's the "kiss of death". There were no other options but to do a serious time trial out
there and grab a fast wheel if it comes by. Our race is right now or never. As Dave was making mush out of his legs by turning
some really fast laps, Kirby and Glasgow were feverishly replacing wheels and other parts on Hans' broken bike. We were gonna
need that bike in a hurry. After his 4th lap, we motioned for Dave to come in for a 1-bike exchange to Jeremy. The Fijis, Dodds,
and PPs were really squeezing us now. They were putting the gun to our heads and the noose around our necks with a
20-second lead.
Jeremy (6-laps, 8-13)
38 34 36 37 38 44 (Lap 13 was yellow.....Cutters/TMT crash)
The 1-bike exchange from Dave was smooth and quick. Jeremy took no time in getting up to speed. He was out there on his own.
I was really worried that a bike exchange would result in ATO getting reeled into the front pack and getting lapped. But Jeremy
didn't let that happen and peeled off two quick laps and moved ahead by a few seconds as some of the lead pack riders were
coming in for bike exchanges. In addition, the pack had so few lead riders, it would slow down from time to time. Fortunately,
Jeremy got a chance to rest with another yellow flag on Lap 13. While this was going on, Kirby dashed into medical tent and pulled
Hans out to get him to the pits. We needed to get him back on the bike regardless whether he was dead or not. Hans ran across
the track and grabbed his bike for a 2-bike exchange with Jeremy. The roar of the crowd was incredible. A dead man has come
back to life! Here was a guy totally wasted by a horrific crash on the first lap and is bandaged up and ready to chase on the 14th
lap. It's Braveheart all over again.
Hans (7-laps, 14-20)
33 31 34 35 36 36 38
This was a job for superman. Hans' first two laps were unbelievable. He looked like a supercharged wrapped up mummy flying
past everyone out there. His speed made everyone look like they were standing still. Chase, chase, chase.....with no wheel to get
on. Hans just kept pressing on. I turned to Dave. He wasn't ready. His legs weren't recovered yet. Next up had to be Brian and
his first laps ever on the Little 500 track needed to be warp speed. He has the kind of top-end speed for 3-laps to get us back in
this thing. At least we're not in immediate danger of getting lapped with Hans out there. I'm confident that Brian will make this a
smooth bike exchange. He is the best bike exchanger out on the track. The lead pack was punishing Hans, but he kept gaining
some ground.
Brian (3-laps, 21-23)
34 33 37
Brian got on the bike and up to speed pretty quick. He blistered some very quick laps. And the pack started to muddle around, so
Brian gained some valuable distance during his 3-laps. As what usually happens, the pack collectively forgets about teams that
are behind and mostly focuses on the riders on the lead lap. If behind and on the same lap, the key is to sneak up on those guys.
And that was our plan. The pack by Lap 23 was really not working together. Come on guys, we can get back in this thing. That's
the only thing I could repeat over and over in the pits.
Dave (3-laps, 24-26)
36 34 36
Dave took a very smooth 1-bike exchange from Brian and his objective was clear. Just ride as many hot laps as possible. ATO
was back down to a 20-second deficit because the leaders were turning the screws. And we were losing time on bike exchanges.
How long can we hold this? We're trying desperately not to get lapped. Any more screwups and we'll be dead in the water. Every
lap is a burnout right now. Dave brought the bike into Jeremy.
Jeremy (3-laps, 27-29)
39 36 35
Jeremy got off to a slow start. Fortunately the pack was also going slow and in the next 3-laps, Jeremy closed the gap by
3-seconds. OK, maybe the pack is really getting bored with this relentless hammerfest up front. But without a wheel to follow, the
ATO riders had a lot of air to push against. It's hard when you're all by yourself. Jeremy did suck a wheel for a short time on his
second lap. He did a 2-bike exchange to strongman Hans Arnesen. It is now or never.
Hans (15-laps, 30-44)
35 34 36 36 36 34 34 35 33 35 36 35 37 37 35
Hans was gonna try something different this time out. Holding off on doing a few blazing sprint laps, Hans just put his head down
and whipped off one lap after another at a steady strong pace......picking up a wheel every once and awhile for a short recovery.
He closed the gap to just 10-seconds off the lead pack by not coming in for any bike exchanges. At mid-set, Hans ripped off a
34-35-33. Those are awesome numbers in the middle of a 15-lap set. By this time, Fijis dropped a chain to fall 1/2 lap behind,
Cutters were 1-lap down due to a crash. TMT was totally out of it. But Briscoe, PPs, and Dodds were doing all the damage out
there. Hans finished an awesome 15-lap set with a 2-bike exchange to Brian.
Brian (4-laps, 45-48)
34 33 35 35
The exchange to Brian was again flawless, but despite some four sizzling laps, ATO fell back by almost 20-seconds again mostly
from the bike exchanges. Those exchanges cost the team about 5-6 seconds every time they come in, even if they are flawless
exchanges. Chasing is really killing their legs and Brian, Jeremy, and Dave only have high speed for 3-4 laps maximum. This
really hurts. Next up was Dave. We really needed to lean on him now.
Dave (3-laps, 49-51)
37 32 35
Wow, Dave peeled off some more hot ones. But maybe he needed to do what Hans did.....more laps at a slightly slower pace. He
blew out his legs closing the gap, but lost some of what he gained on the bike exchange. We've only pedaled 50-laps and have
already completed our minimum quota of 10-bike exhanges for the race. I remember the race back in 1981 when the ATO team
only did 10-11 bike exchanges for the entire race. Geez!!
Jeremy (4-laps, 52-55)
36 35 36 36
The lead pack started to breakup and slow down. Meanwhile Jeremy came in and starting putting 4-hot laps together to close the
gap to 10-seconds. This was a really BIG set for Jeremy......maybe his most heroic effort ever on the Little 500 track. The timing
was fortuitous and Jeremy continued to put it down during this temporary lull in the race. I didn't think we could go another round
of sprints after this so I was glad for this slowdown of the race. We neeeded this lull in the pace desperately. Now was the time.
The lead pack got bored with itself and Jeremy started to close in. He knew he couldn't let up especially with the back of the pack
just a straightaway ahead. Next up was Hans and we were all hoping this lull in the pace would continue. Jeremy made a smooth
2-bike exchange to Hans. Hans accelerated out of the pits and had it written all over his face what he was gonna do.
Hans (22-laps, 56-77)
35 34 34 33 38 37 37 41 35 37 40 36 37 38 36 35 38 34 36 35 35 33
With his head down and the lead pack ahead by 10-12 seconds, Hans went into hyperdrive and finally caught the back of the pack
on Lap 58, his third lap of the set. After just one lap in the pack, he bolted out in front leading the race as he flew by the
grandstands. With a smile and a thumbs up, the crowd roared their approval. They had just witnessed the impossible. After
58-gut wrenching laps, ATO was finally in the lead. RELIEF!! Now ATO can start budgeting their energy and enjoy this race. At
this point, only 7-teams were on the lead lap, so it was time to just sit in and recover. Hans stayed out there for an additional
18-laps. Compared to all his previous laps, it looked like he wasn't even riding that hard. We started to feel guilty as the lead
pack slowed to 40 and 41-seconds at one point. Many of those other riders were wasted in trying to blow the doors off ATO and
other teams. After 22-laps, Hans brought the bike in for someone else to have fun for a change.
Jeremy (21-laps, 78-98)
38 34 37 39 38 40 35 36 39 40 37 34 39 38 39 37 36 38 41 35 35
We changed the order to give Dave a rest and put Jeremy to work. Jeremy did a 2-bike exchange and did exactly what we
needed......lots of laps. His goal was to do 20-laps and he stayed in good position in the lead pack for most of that time. Finally,
this race seemed to be easy going and was well within our grasp. No one was trying a breakaway because they tried to do it
through most of the first 50-laps. The way this race was going was in our favor. We wanted a pack race down to the last 5-laps
because we have the fastest and strongest sprinter on our team.
Dave (19-laps, 99-117)
39 35 34 38 40 37 37 38 36 41 40 37 36 37 38 34 37 33 34
It was time for Dave to have some fun and do a big set. He positioned himself wisely in the lead pack and his set was full of slow
and fast laps. These were the first laps he'd pedaled that weren't sprints, so he was lovin' it. He blistered two fast burnout laps at
the end of his set and did a perfect 1-bike exchange to Brian.
Brian (14-laps, 118-131)
40 37 37 37 35 37 38 37 36 36 41 51 33 34 (yellow on Laps 128-129)
Brian was a rider in the 2004 qualifications but not in the race. So this is his first real set in the lead pack. He whipped off 14-laps
staying in good position. A yellow flag on Lap 128 allowed some recovery, but doing a burnout on the second lap after a yellow
doesn't look like much since everyone puts the hammer down after a yellow flag. No problem. Hans was up next and he can make
up anything.
Hans (27-laps, 132-157)
38 32 38 32 38 36 39 36 38 36 34 50 52 37 37 36 38 34 38 37 37 37 40 39 40 39 33
OK, if all goes well, this will probably be the next to the last set for Hans. We want him to go somewhere between Lap 150-160 and
no more. As he peeled off one lap after another, it was important to think ahead about the rotation and anticipating the pace of
the last 20-laps. I turned to Chris Bence standing behind the ATO pit. Chris knows the race and knows these guys since he has
been the benchmark of the ATO team from 2002-2004. I can count on his opinion. We quickly discussed the rotation order and
predicting how many laps each rider can do in their upcoming sets. We only wanted them each to go out one more time. Paul
Arnesen, Hans' dad also joined in the discussion so that we could come up with the best scenario to attack. ATO had been on the
chase in the early part of the race and because of that incredible expenditure of energy, we had to take that into serious
consideration. On Lap 155, I motioned for Hans to come in soon. On his 27th lap which was Lap 157, Hans exploded past the
lead pack for a sweet burnout to Jeremy.
Jeremy (12-laps, 158-169)
43 51 47 46 48 46 49 40 32 36 37 38 (yellow on Laps 158-164)
Jeremy got on the bike a little slow which caused him to fall behind the lead pack by a few seconds. He was chasing and was ever
so close to making up the distance on the backstretch when suddenly there was a big crash in Turn 3. Jeremy narrowly missed
going down, but had to negotiate and nearly stop his bike going around all the carnage. The yellow flag was slow to come out and
the lead pack kicked it in high gear just before the yellow blinked on. The distance created in this fiasco was huge. I didn't see
Jeremy in the 3rd Turn for the longest time and thought he went down in the crash. But he emerged and was easily 10-seconds
off the front when all the riders slowed under the yellow flag. In the course of 7-laps under the yellow flag, the distance became
even greater since it was difficult to know how fast the lead pack was going under the yellow. In fact, they warned Dodds and Fijis
to slow down up front, but that didn't help us. Here we go again.....in the chase mode. And there will only be 35-laps left to try and
catch back to the pack. When the green flag finally came out, the lead pack got a jump on everyone else including Jeremy and
ATO fell back even further. Jeremy's next lap was a 32-second blazer. But that burst the booster and his next 3-laps slowed
considerably. We signaled for him to come in for a 1-bike exchange to Brian.
Brian (6-laps, 170-175)
50 49 32 36 36 38 (yellow on Laps 170-171)
Jeremy gave it all he had with a quick and smooth handoff to Brian. Just as Brian was accelerating out of the pits, there was a
crash in the front straightaway just ahead of the start/finish line. Damn, if that crash could have happened just 3-seconds earlier,
Jeremy could have stayed out there to recover and maintain the gap. But the gap got bigger with Jeremy's bike exchange. Then
what followed was the lethal stab to the heart. The yellow flag came out immediately as Brian was accelerating out of the pits.
This brought attention to him as everyone else was slowing down and he was in the act of moving out of the pits. One lap later, a
creeping penalty was assessed against Brian and the ATO team. What? That's the first creeping violation on any team I've ever
coached. Brian wasn't creeping. He was with four other riders in a small pack. But they also were assessed a penalty as well.
Well, why don't they assess a creeping violation for everyone. What is a rider to do, let the others go ahead of him? No
way.....because these officials aren't sharp enough to know any difference. This penalty was totally uncalled for. It was also the
"kiss of death!" There's not enough race left to serve this penalty and catch up. And it will take forever to find out which official
called the penalty and where. Just like last year, we had to eat this one. These mistaken calls are starting to make me puke. With
the green flag waving, the lead pack again got the jump on everyone else as usual. Brian burned a 32-second lap and that blew
his booster also. His speed fizzled after that and he came in for a 1-bike exchange to Dave.
Dave (4-laps, 176-179)
31 34 36 38
Poor Dave. He's only had one smooth comfortable set out there without blowing his brains out. He had no choice but to scream
around the track for as many laps as possible. Just like the others, he peeled off an incredible 31-second lap which blew a fuse
and emptied his tank. Fijis were doing 2-3 breakaway sprint laps and everyone was trying to keep up with them. There was no
other solution for ATO than to just put Hans in there andd see what he could do being 18-seconds down. During Dave's set, I
quickly ran over to the infield to ask the pit judge if we could exchange a bike in the penalty box since we had to serve our
5-second penalty soon. He didn't have a clue. He later mentioned that we were unable to do that. I don't think that is in the rules,
but sometimes these guys make up rules as they go along. Since Hans was going out soon, it would be better for him to just wait
in the penalty box for the bike exchange since it was next to our pit. An alternate plan would be for Dave to exchange the bike and
have Hans run with the bike to the penalty box next to our pit. That might have saved a few seconds but as it turned out, it didn't
make any difference. Dave rode his last lap ever and did a 2-bike exchange to Hans.
Hans (20-laps, 180-200)
34 35 39 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 36 35 36 35 36 37 38 37 40 35
Instead of expecting to win right now, we needed to expect a miracle. It was time to just sit back and watch the fastest rider to ever
circle the Little 500 track. He has certainly put on a show this afternoon. Before serving the penalty, it might have been possible
for Hans to reel in the leaders. We even briefly thought about not serving the penalty. In retrospect, we should have just flipped
off the Chief Steward and chased the leaders. But on Lap 182, Hans skidded into the penalty box and served the ATO 5-second
penalty. With 17-laps to go, ATO was down by at least 20-seconds. Hans stayed out there because no one in the pits could have
turned consistent 35-36 second laps. Hans briefly closed the gap to about 12-seconds, but couldn't hold on with the other riders
in full sprints around the track. The Fijis continued their breakaway until Dodds house caught them on Lap 194-195. Then Craig
Luekens went in for Dodds and that was all she wrote. Although Luekens never outsprinted Hans Arnesen in the past 2-years,
Craig was the fastest rider in the final sprint to the start/finish line. Congratulations to the Dodds House team. They rode a
flawless race with no crashes, penalties, or other screwups. ATO on the other hand worked harder today than anyone. It was
easier to get 1st place today than it was to get 5th place the way we did it. Any other team would have fallen behind by 3-4 laps.
Hans later spent 6-hours in the hospital emergency room scrubbing cinders out of his body. That might have been the greatest
challenge of the day. He was totally exhausted. What he gave the crowd today was a show no one will ever forget.
Total Laps Per Rider
Hans 2+7+15+22+27+20 = 93-laps (started & finished)
Dave 4+3+3+19+4 = 33-laps
Jeremy 6+3+4+21+12 = 46-laps
Brian 3+4+14+6 = 27-laps
Total Bike Exchanges: 19 (three more than in 2004)
Total Penalites: 1 (5-seconds for creeping on yellow)
Crashes: 1 (Turn 1, Lap 1)
Norm Houze
1980-1989, 1999-2005 ATO Bike Team Coach
Little 500 2005
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