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This is Part II in the series on the History of the Minneapolis Bike Racing Club. (Part I)

In 1977, Chuck landed a new sponsor, Hoky Carpet Sweepers - the first real sponsor for the club.  The sponsorship would help bring Dudley Hayton over from England and add another good rider, Jim Huff from Detroit to the Red Zinger Team.
 

By this time, the Kvale Brothers had left MBRC to ride for the Skunk River Cyclists in Iowa sponsored by Kretchmer Wheat Germ and Michaels Cyclery.  Later that year they would set a new National Coast to Coast cycling record. Bob Williams had also departed and formed a new club, “The Star of the North”, sponsored by local bike distributor Bauer Cycle.  Warren Keyser, after having some spectacular rides at Super Week, also left MBRC and joined forces with the Stetina Brothers on the more national level Cool Gear/Exxon Team.  Paul Slarks retired from racing and got married.
 

Despite these changes, 1977 was to be one of the best years in the history of the club.  At the State Championships, Jim and Scott were 1st and 4th in the road race and 1st and 3rd in the Time Trial.  On the track, Jim was 1st in the 4000 meter pursuit with Scott 3rd.  Jim also took a 1st in the points race and 2nd in the kilo.
 
Then came the 3rd edition of the Red Zinger Bicycle Classic.  With Dudley Hayton’s strong 6th place overall, Jim in 10th place overall, and Scott in 16th, the MBRC/Hoky Team finished in 2nd place behind the Mexican National Team and in front of all three U.S. National Squads.  Jim Huff who was vertically challenged by the Colorado mountains managed to get 3rd place in the Denver Criterium adding to the teams hefty winnings.
 
At the Nationals in Seattle, Washington, Jim and Scott finished 16th and 23rd.  The junior race ended in a two-up sprint for first between Greg Lemond and Jeff Bradley.  Because of their good rides at Nationals and the Red Zinger, Jim and Scott were put on the National “B” Team in the fall of 1977.  This gave them a chance to try some racing out of the U.S.
 

Jim was sent ot the 12 day, 1,000 mile Tour of Guatemala and Scott to the 7 day, 416 mile Tour of Costa Rica.  Scott finished in 11th place and Jim in 16th place, scoring a stage win in the time trial over eventual Pan Am Games Road Race winner Bernardo Colex.  The winner of the Tour of Guatemala, Jose Patrocinio Jimenez eventually rode the Tour de France, placing in the top 10.
 
After the 1977 season, Jim and Scott left the MBRC to join Warren Keyser and the Stetina brothers on the Cool Gear/Exxon Team.  With Scott and Jim gone and Chuck Strauchs departure to the West Coast, the MBRC would disappear for a few years.
 
During 1978, Jim and Scott had continued success with Cool Gear/Exxon.  Due to his good ride in Guatemala, Jim got to ride in the 1978 Tour of Baja, finishing best American in 27th place.
 
Scott narrowly missed a second State Road Title, but won numerous other races.  Both Jim and Scott competed in another Red Zinger, this time teamed with the Stetina brothers.  Scott dropped out on the Morgul Bismarch stage and Jim was about to do the same when he saw Scott in the feed zone.  He knew they needed three team members to finish in the team competition, so he suffered on to the finish.  This later paid off when he finished 3rd in the Denver Criterium stage to earn his first podium finish as well as 15th in the overall.
 
At the end of 1978, Flanders’ grandfather, who helped them start Flanders Bros. Cycle, passed away leaving them with full responsibility for the shop.  They both decided to race only on the local and regional level in the coming years. 
 
This changed a little in December of 1978 when Jim was invited to the Olympic Training Center in February of 1979.  The decision was made by Jim to give it one more year.  Thanks to Scott holding down the fort, Jim was able to ride in the Pan Am Trials, narrowly missing a win in Allentown, PA, the 1979 Tour of Guadalajara, and another Tour of Guatemala. 
 

He also had an opportunity to ride with the Avocet team in the Red Zinger Classic.  This team included Kent Bostick, Harvey Nitz, Steve Pyle, and Greg Lemond, who was still a junior riding in his first Red Zinger.  This was to be the last year for the Red Zinger, the following season it became known as the Coors Classic.