The Winnipeg / St. Paul 500

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The first woman to ever cross the finish line, in the World`s First and most Famous Snowmobile Race,
The Winnipeg/St.Paul International 500.



First Female Finisher

What ever possesses a woman to enter a rough and tumble snowmobile race?

Ask Della Monteuil of Euclid, MN,. about it.

She completed the Winnipeg to St. Paul Snowmobile Race and thus became the first woman ever to complete the exhausting journey in which broken bones, chipped teeth and sore bodies were the rule rather than the exception.

Then 22 year old Della, the sister of Dale Cormican, the who won the past two years until finishing fourth in 1970, can tell you about it.

She took the challenge at the urging of, then Viking Snowmobile dealer Ray Christian of Fertile and perhaps with a little friendly encouragement from her brother.

About the only problem she had was 14 miles out of Walker, MN. when she broke a ski and thought about quitting. A passing driver said "keep going, only 14 more miles to Walker." so she motered on
and eventually finished 54 of the 61 drivers to make it to St. Paul.

She did not know to much about the mechanics of snowmobiles. She only carried a spark plug wrench for tools, and spark plugs for supplies, but the overpowering challenge of being the first woman to complete the race more than made up for the lack of repair equipment.

Her time from Winnipeg to St. Paul was 19 hrs 42 min. 26 sec.

She raced the following 2 years, but never won the race.



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