Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126553
of'" op) Only the Iwdy ehowed up. N8U8IIy net e fInIeI.- pin _ the goeI 1Ii rip came out Including this Vemeha d1egulaed ee e Herley.lAbove lettl Winning poker hende In e dOllble upoeure. (Above right) A group checks In et Kelbeker Roed. ycle News Barstow to Vegas. otorcycle Road Ride 8c Poker un By Mark Kariya BARSTOW, GA.LAS VEGAS, NV, NOV. 28 Those who participated in the third annual Cycle News Barstow to Vegas Motorcycle Road Ride and Poker Run aren't likely to forget it for quite a while. Not by a long shot. Riders, support crews and , ~ent workers alike fa.ced raID, cold, chilling breezes, cold, snow and more cold from the 8 a.m. start at Alvord Road east of Barstow until well past the finish, where prize drawings lastea nearly to dark at the Blue Diamond Union 76 Truck Stop south of Las Vegas. Those who received B-to- V II I finisher pins earned them. Though the untimely, and unusual, storm forced c10su re of the Cajon Pass the night before the run, keeping many would-be SoCal entrants from making it, some 880 entries were recorded (the largest number to date in this event). Through their entries and donations, $2643 was raised for the Phantom Duck of the Desert Legal Fund and the AMA Legislative Support Fund. Thus, $1321.50 will go to each fund. Additional donations to the Duck came to $283.38, $20 of which came with mail entries and the rest donated by people at sign up. They weren't the only ones to benefit, though. With $300 in cash to the poker hand winners and boxfuls of shirts, jackets and other goodies to be awarded in the post-run drawings, participants were primed to make this Thanksgiving Weekend more than just fun. In the poker card portion of the program, Jim Newby quickly made his way through the crowd when his name was called, signifying his king high straight £lush held as high hand. Mter collecting his $150 first prize he just as quickly strode back to his bike for a trip home to Lost Hills, CA. Two riders held queen high st,raight flushes, forcing them into a suddendeath sort of "draw-off." Las Vegan Jerry Wake drew a nine from the box which was enough to beat Joel Billota of Auburn, CA who fished out a six. Wake made the short ride home $100 richer with Billota pocketing $50. In addition, Wake walked off with a tire and gift certificate from Motorcycle Tire Center of Las Vegas thanks to a winning ticket in the sweepstakes drawing. The first' riders to leave the start did so in a slight drizzle which was bearable. The ride from the start to the first check at Kelbaker Road in Baker, CA, wasn't bad. The stint from there to the second check at Pop's Oasis in Jean, NV was decidedly worse, especially if you weren't prepared for cold, wet weather riding, as some riders encoun- (Continued to page 11) 7