It was a tough, gruelling five-day race covering 1,750 kilometers. Each team was composed of three skidoos and a sleigh. The cost to enter was $5,400 except for the Mistissini and Waswanipi team which got a deduction of $1,000 each compliments of The Nation.
When the snow settled at the end of the race the Raid des Braves was won by the Val d’Or #9 Sinto racing team.
Three Cree teams placed among the top five. Despite injuries,
Mistissini went on to be 2nd place, the best showing of all the Cree teams entered.
The Mistissini team led by Norman Coonishish had problems at the end when they had to tie one skidoo to another because a piston blew out one kilometre before the finish line in Jonquiere. If the piston had been okay, they would have won first place.
Some days earlier in the race a Chisasibi team blew a piston also but managed to keep going. Team Chisasibi took 4th place and Waswanipi tied with a team from Lebel-sur-Quevillon for 5th place. The Barraute (Natagan River) Team took third place.
This year saw two Chisasibi teams, Team Chisasibi and the Skyhawks, battling each other throughout the race going neck-to-neck.
But the finish line welcomed only one team to the top five when Team Chisasibi kept the fourth-place position it held for most of the race.
Day Two saw a member of the team from Jonquiere puncture a lung and suffer broken ribs.
The race this year had 10 stages. They were: 1) Amos to Val d’Or (taxi to Barraute) 2) Barraute to Matagami 3) Matagami to Lebel-sur-Quevillon 4) Lebel-sur-Quevillon-Waswanipi 5) Waswanipi-Chapais 6) Chapais-Mistissini 7) Mistissini-Chibougamau 8) Chibougamau-St Felicien 9) St Felicien-St Prime 10) St Prime-Jonquiere Thanks to Mike Prince and Marc-Andre Beaudoin for the photos and their help.
