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August 31, 2002: The Beginning of the End When we showed up at Fred Cummings Honda/Suzuki in Bakersfield, California the clock showed 0445. Despite the early hour, we were not the first to arrive at the final checkpoint of the rally. Crashed out on the concrete behind the dealership was Rider 59, Richard Buber, Buber, riding his trusty 1978 Honda "Oldwing" was the first ButtLite III rider to visit Mexico. Not only did Buber make TeamStrange history when he snapped his photo of the sign at the US-Mexico border in Tijuana, his early arrival did not raise the interest of US Customs. By the time Will Outlaw took out his Polaroid, the situation had changed. Only Will's sunny personality saved him from a threatened full body cavity search. Even Outlaw's plight was preferable to that of Paul Pelland, who somehow managed to lose his bike in one of the vast parking lots on the US side of the border. Fortunately, the checkpoint was well equipped to coddle riders who survived brutal heat and the most challenging routesheet of the rally to date. On arrival, riders were personally greeted by Bob Lundberg of Grimmway Farms, co-sponsor of the checkpoint. Cummings' crack service staff was on hand at 0500 to address any mechanical problems. Food choices ranged from those tasty Grimmway baby carrots to a sit down meal--anything off the menu--at nearby Lorraine's Restaurant. Those who chose the latter were pleasantly surprised to learn their tab had been picked up by Fred Cummings himself, right down to the gratuity. Fred has been in the motorcycle business for many years, and he has been able to attract quality employees, many of whom have been with the company for over ten years. All this translates to a quality organization filled with dedicated, enthusiastic people. We were fortunate to be able to bring the last checkpoint of BLIII to Fred Cummings Honda/Suzuki, and encourage all riders to visit this LD friendly shop while in the area. As the results were tabulated, one thing became clear: a Yamaha would again be in the lead. This, too, is another first. To our knowledge Yamaha has never before held the lead on even one leg of a multi day endurance event, let alone the first three legs. Your third leg leader remains Grady Dunham, who maintains a slim 67 point lead over second place rider Paul Pelland. Pelland moved up two places in the standings thanks to the highest scoring ride on the leg, which included visits to Crater Lake, Oregon (631 points) and Morro Bay, California (1340 points). While both Dunahm and Pelland went to Mexico, only Pelland bagged the Morro Bay bonus (Dunham drove right on by, having forgotten to stop and take a photo of Morro Rock). In addition to his high score, Pelland also ran the most efficient route of the leg, earning 3.36 points for every mile that passed beneath his R11RT. With the gap between first and second essentially de minimus, neither Dunham nor Pelland can survive a misstep and still capture the win in Texas. Further, though just over 3400 points separate Pelland from the next highest scoring rider, a mistake, mechanical difficulties and diminishing motivation can close that gap in a hurry. You will see this material again. Scott Davis took his R1150 G/S from sixth to third place with a run from Maryhill, Washington to the Wizards' Cafe in Hollister, California and more than a few places in between. Scott's efficiency of 3.17 points per mile nearly matched that of Pelland's first place ride. Davis is not only a skilled rider peaking at the right time of the rally, he immediately recognized the opening notes of Spinal Tapp's "Stonehenge" as we cued it up at the monument. These are all good signs for Scott's continuing success. Back into the top five from a brief stay in 12th place is Todd Witte. Witte put together a solid, mistake free run, and ended the leg in 4th place. well rested and ready to go on to the finish. On the road, we spotted some of Todd's old Harley friends, perhaps on their way to Bakersfield to cheer on old "Harley Trash." Apparently Witte's switch to a more modern touring bike has not remained unnoticed, even in the outlaw community. Todd is now in an ideal place to make a bid for first place. The 3800 points between Witte and the lead is not as large as it seems, particularly if the current leaders grow complacent or make mental errors. Overall, reaction to this leg's standings was mixed among the riders. Mike Hutsal was visibly disappointed over his fall from second to eleventh place, caused by a combination of mechanical trouble and mental errors, including running out of fuel. If Mike can get some rest and get his head back into the game, a top ten finish for this well known Canadian rider is not out of the question. Leonard Roy was surprised that he still held onto fifth place, despite his own perceived missteps and missed opportunities. Though Roy missed some bonuses, he too looked fresh and eager for Leg Four. As Will Outlaw examined the leg standings, he muttered an unusual prayer. "Please not top ten...Please not top ten...I just want to relax and get back to Texas." They say that God answers all of our prayers, although sometimes the answer is not the one we want to hear. This certainly proved true for Outlaw, who found himself in 10th place. Will knows himself well, and when he saw the standings, he knew that pride would require a hard run to Texas. Even in the grueling heat of the California desert, riders are managing to have a good time. Fergus Hand, back on the board after being time barred in Idaho, was excited to get out and ride some more. Just by reaching Bakersfield, Fergus had overcome an unexpected obstacle: his Concours was discovered to be over allowed fuel capacity prior to tech inspection, forcing the cell's last minute removal. "Smile," Fergus told me before leaving the final checkpoint, "ButtLites are fun!" So are you, Fergus. With Hand out of contention and Hutsal nearly so, Team Canada's chances rest solely with Rick Sauter, a quiet ST1100 rider from Saskatchewan. While in the van, I took a phone call from Rick's brother, who asked me to tell Rider 28 that the folks at home were rooting for him. Sauter has been all business on the event thus far, putting together good routes and giving up few points at the scoring table. There are bonuses on leg four bigger than the gap from 6th to first. Canadian readers are not without hope at this point. Wes McCann and Bob Wooldridge are still riding together. "It's like we're an old married couple," Wes explained. "I want a separation," joked Bob. They apparently decided to give the relationship one more chance after being told that the county courthouse was closed on Saturday and we could only provide scoring services at the checkpoint. Forming new friendships and seeing new sights are, perhaps, two of the best things the rally has to offer. As the family friendly Ford Windstar hurtles toward Texas, its occupants pour over the standings and debate potential outcomes. Its hard to ignore the momentum possessed by Dunahm and Pelland. At the same time, we know the danger of forgetting riders like Eric Jewell, Bob Lyskowski and Mike Phelps. Too, one can never discount the possibility that a killer ride and the unexpected mental and mechanical lapses of more familiar riders might catapult a dark horse into first place. The only place you can follow these developing stories is right here. See you tomorrow. Printable Version |
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