2021 IBR – Day -1
Pressure Builds
It is time that we introduce you to our riders. They have been waiting (sweating) for 18 months since hearing they were in the 2021 event. I have listed them here by rider number for the rally. The first two riders are Wendy Crockett and Jim Owen, the winners of the last two events.
|
Rider # |
Name |
Pillion |
Year |
Make |
Model |
|
1 |
Wendy Crockett |
|
2005 |
Yamaha |
FJR1300 |
|
2 |
James Owen |
|
2018 |
BMW |
R1200RT |
|
3 |
Al Greenwood |
|
1989 |
Honda |
GL1500 |
|
4 |
Michael Boge |
|
2019 |
KTM |
300 XCW-TPI |
|
5 |
Art Garvin |
|
2009 |
Honda |
GL1800 |
|
6 |
Bob Lilley |
|
2016 |
BMW |
R1200GSA |
|
7 |
Ken Meese |
|
2009 |
BMW |
K1300GT |
|
8 |
Kirsten Talken Spaulding |
|
2015 |
BMW |
R1200RT |
|
9 |
Dan Roth |
|
2011 |
BMW |
R1200GSA |
|
10 |
Andy Mackey |
|
2013 |
BMW |
R1200GSA |
|
11 |
Cliff Wall |
|
2010 |
Honda |
GL1800 |
|
12 |
Eric Bray |
|
2015 |
BMW |
R1200GSA |
|
13 |
John Coons |
|
2007 |
BMW |
R1200RT |
|
14 |
Mike Heitkamp |
|
2015 |
BMW |
R1200GSA |
|
15 |
Matt Wise |
|
2015 |
BMW |
R1200GSA |
|
17 |
Mike Riley |
|
2012 |
Kawasaki |
Concours 14 |
|
18 |
Chris Purney |
|
2007 |
Yamaha |
FJR1300 |
|
19 |
Marc Beaulac |
|
2019 |
Honda |
GL1800 |
|
20 |
Bob Bowman |
|
2012 |
Honda |
ST1300 |
|
21 |
Eric Edelman |
|
2018 |
BMW |
K1600GA |
|
22 |
Kurt Worden |
|
2017 |
Kawasaki |
VersysX 300 |
|
23 |
Danny Dossman |
|
1995 |
Honda |
ST1100 |
|
24 |
Lyle Monroe |
|
2014 |
Honda |
GL1800 |
|
25 |
Chris Comly |
|
2006 |
HD |
Sportster |
|
28 |
Bucky Dent |
|
2015 |
Yamaha |
FJR1300 |
|
29 |
Peter Green |
Dannette Sifford |
2012 |
Honda |
GL1800 |
|
30 |
Ken Aman |
|
2016 |
Yamaha |
FJR1300 |
|
32 |
Andy Hall |
|
2013 |
Honda |
GL1800 |
|
34 |
Scott Madson |
|
2018 |
BMW |
R1200GSA |
|
35 |
Justin Long |
|
2018 |
Honda |
GL1800 |
|
36 |
Jim Burriss |
|
2013 |
Victory |
Cross Cntry Tour |
|
37 |
Eric Buskell |
|
2009 |
HD |
Fat Bob |
|
38 |
Marty Cover |
|
2016 |
BMW |
R1200GSA |
|
39 |
Jerald Anderson |
|
2012 |
Suzuki |
V-Strom |
|
40 |
Paul Partin |
|
2008 |
Honda |
GL1800 |
|
41 |
Steve Gallant |
|
2012 |
Honda |
ST1300 |
|
42 |
Paul Meyer |
|
2016 |
Kawasaki |
Concours 14 |
|
43 |
Mike Best |
|
2018 |
Honda |
GL1800 |
|
44 |
Kenneth Andrews |
|
2020 |
HD |
Road Glide |
|
45 |
Lew Ballard |
|
2020 |
HD |
Ultra Limited |
|
46 |
Jon Kerr |
|
2018 |
Honda |
GL1800 |
|
48 |
Angelo Patacca |
|
2015 |
BMW |
R1200GSA |
|
49 |
Steve Snell |
|
2018 |
Honda |
GL1800 |
|
50 |
James Epley |
|
2016 |
Triumph |
Trophy SE |
|
51 |
Bruce Edwards |
|
2017 |
BMW |
R1200RT |
|
52 |
Lisa Rufo |
|
2016 |
BMW |
R1200GSA |
|
53 |
Bill Norris |
|
1997 |
Kawasaki |
Vulcan 500LTD |
|
54 |
Tom Spearman |
|
2020 |
BMW |
R1250RT |
|
55 |
Stephen Vook |
Tamara Vook |
2018 |
BMW |
K1600GTL |
|
56 |
Tom Southwood |
|
2020 |
HD |
Road King |
|
57 |
Daniel Wallander |
|
2007 |
Honda |
ST1300 |
|
58 |
George Levar |
|
2017 |
BMW |
R1200GSA |
|
59 |
Marc Bialt |
|
2021 |
BMW |
F850GS |
|
61 |
Russell Neal |
Cathy Neal |
2006 |
Honda |
GL1800 |
|
62 |
Ben Ernst |
|
2020 |
BMW |
R1250GSA |
|
63 |
David Uhl |
|
2021 |
HD |
Road Glide Limited |
|
64 |
Marcus Reynolds |
|
2020 |
HD |
Road King |
|
65 |
Dan Simmonds |
|
2014 |
Yamaha |
Super Tenere |
|
66 |
Todd Lipps |
|
2018 |
HD |
Road King Police |
|
68 |
Andy Regnier |
|
2015 |
Yamaha |
Super Tenere |
|
69 |
Doug Jacobs |
Liz Jacobs |
2011 |
BMW |
R1200GS |
|
70 |
Lionel Ramos |
|
2019 |
HD |
Road Glide CVO |
|
71 |
Jim Saul |
|
2012 |
Yamaha |
Super Tenere |
|
72 |
Mike Hall |
|
2018 |
BMW |
R1200RT |
|
73 |
Jim Hampshire |
|
2021 |
HD |
Panamerica |
|
74 |
Steve Giffin |
|
2005 |
Yamaha |
FJR1300 |
|
75 |
Gerry Arel |
|
2013 |
Yamaha |
FJR1300 |
|
76 |
Lance Corley |
|
2018 |
HD |
Road Glide |
|
77 |
Ryan Rahjes |
|
2016 |
Honda |
GL1800 |
|
78 |
Gary Huff |
|
2020 |
BMW |
R1250RT |
|
79 |
James Jackson |
Bobbie Jackson |
2013 |
Honda |
GL1800 |
|
80 |
James Handley |
Karen Handley |
2014 |
BMW |
K1600GTLE |
|
81 |
Chris Hopper |
|
2020 |
HD |
Road Glide |
|
82 |
Dan Duvall |
|
2020 |
Yamaha |
FJR1300 |
|
83 |
Mike Brooke |
|
2008 |
Suzuki |
Hayabusa |
Of course the favorites are two-time champion Jim Owen and 2019 winner Wendy Crockett. They are sentimental favorites not only because they are winners, good looking, and have well sorted out processes but because they’re both so damn likeable. Aside from Jim and Wendy, there are a lot of people who could put in a strong showing. This includes very experienced riders like Bob Lilley, Eric Bray, Steve Gallant, Mike Heitkamp, Paul Meyer, Ken Meese, and KTS (sidebar: KTS is Kirsten Talken Spaulding, now you KNOW you’re a fan favorite when you have an official nickname). All the riders down to and including Lisa Rufo have at least completed a single IBR at minimum. Any one of them might put in a great and exciting ride. If were going with the “nice guy/gal” theory it is hands down Jim Burriss, the most affable person anyone has ever met.
We have a good field of rookies this year. I can say this because not a single one was late for the Rookie riders meeting; I think that might make them as a group exceptional right off the bat. Every two years there is always a rookie or two on their first IBR Rally that come out of nowhere and make a play for a top 10 finish and no one can tell you before the rally start who that may be. I do not want to mention any of the names that have been tossed around by the old timers (jinx!) but there are a bunch of rookies that seem to be really “with it”. That brings us finally to one of my favorite categories, the people with unfinished business. They have been in a rally before but did not finish for one reason or another, maybe it was mechanical failure, not enough points, or maybe a rally ending incident. In this category are Stephen and Tamara Vook, Marc Bialt, and Tom Spearman. It is a BIG DEAL to be a finisher of the Iron Butt Rally, it is a testament to be one who finishes in the top 10 and we look for those underdogs who are reaching for just a little bit more or who are coming back to vanquish their demons. That’s the stuff that “Iron Butts” are made out of.
We reported yesterday that Michael Boge was getting some help from another rider in the field who lives locally, Jon Kerr. Here is a picture of the two working together to make this unique bike come together. Michael was all smiles today as he rushed around to complete his check-in prior to the rider meetings. Under the No Good Deed Goes Unpunished category Jon Kerr blew up his computer this morning and had to replace it. Upon completing that task he found his battery was dead on his motorcycle. Lisa is just hoping Jon does not have a pacemaker.
A….N….D Here is Michael Boge missing the riders meeting…
You can see that Al Greenwood made the starting grid. Al had bike troubles before leaving the garage but in true Iron Butt fashion he got his motorcycle repaired. He finished check in and even asked to, and was allowed to attend the rookie meeting (things have changed since 1985 when Al last finished). Al plans on using old school maps for the rally and it will be interesting to see how he fares against some of the spaceship crowd.
There have been two rider meetings today and the banquet makes three. The rookie meeting is really to give some perspective and get them in the right frame of mind while the general rider meeting hits the mechanics of the rally.
We sent out a flash report yesterday telling you of the changes to the start of the rally. You can see that the street has indeed been blocked off with enough room to make a line of bikes on either side of the blocked off street. Perfect for the traditional rally start.
The clock has started by the time you are reading this. Rider packs with flags and the first set of bonuses have been handed out and riders are just suffering through those last instructions before they charge back to their computers and start planning a route.