Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Fran Crene, Michael Kneebone and Dave McQueeney go C)ver laat minute details before the start of the Iron Butt Rally. (From left to right) Kneebone, Crane and winner Barry Norman at the end of Iron Butt '87. Crane finished second and Kneebone third. a little nap. According to Paul Jr., "Sleeping in our own beds was a mistake, my dad and I didn't get up for eight hours." In the midst of fierce competition, the Persingers' lengthy rest SlOp had a big price tag; Paul shihed from first 1O sevemh place and Paul Jr. slipped inlO eighth. Roben Gerberich riding a Honda Goldwing should get the lOugh luck award - he managed 1O get speeding tickets in WashignlOn, Oregon and California. Robert, who was just cruising (i.e. not speeding) most of the rally, was almost in shock by the time he reached the Santa Ana checkpoim. At the Yermo, California inspection station, Kneebone pulled up 1O find fellow competitor Richard Frost tryin~ 1O buy a casino chip from vacauoners returning home from' Vegas. Frost, thinkin& that this was a scavenger hum, had Just purchased the chip for $10. Kneebone said, "I 10ld Richard that the object was to ride 1O Las Vegas - the chip was merely proof. I poimed him toward Vegas and told him to have a nice little 300 mile ride." Fran Crane came alive on this leg; she was the only rider who made all the bonuses riding nearly 2100 miles . in 37 hours. Crane arid Kujawa were the only competilOrs to risk making the three-hour round trip north to Bellingham. Behind schedule in Las Vegas, Fran knew that she was in trouble and needed help. A phone call 1O friends Paul and Vera MeKay in Las Vegas produced food., eye drops and guidance 1O a casino. The MeKay's caITedan airline pilot friend of theirs and he drew a detailed map of San Diego with directions 1O the hard to find airport. Ffan managed to pull into the Sama Ana checkpoim and prompdy collapsed at the from door. Rookie Richard Frost found her laying on the ground, asleep and shivering. Frost, who had been carrying a sleeping bag the whole rally, covered Fran. Richard said, "I dragged that bag halfway around the United States. I'm glad it finally proved usefuU" Kujawa wasn't as lucky. Needing sleep, he wasn't able to ride down for the 51 poimer in San Diego. ~van Bell opened Irv Seaver's BMW on Labor Day to host riders at the halfway poim of the rally. Also on hand was ·Iron Butt enthusiast Paige Ortiz to greet riders and assist them. This year Paige presented competitors with a special Iron Butt banner for the finish. Standings at the halfway poim of the rally found Crane in first with 1767 points, Copas second with 1765 points, Norman third with 174-8 poims, Kneebone fourth with 1725 poims, and Kujawa fifth with 1716 poims. One of the "features" of the Iron Butt is' a mandatory seven-hour layover in California. This rest period had always been during the daytime - not exactly the best time to sJeep. George Egloff told complaining riders, "The Iron Butt is supposed to be tough. We want you to get some rest, but everything is backwards. Only the toughest people will manage this type of total reversal." Leaving Santa Ana, riders were handed the next bonus listing consisting of a parking receipt from Los Angeles Imernational Airport - 50 points, a piece of petrified wood from Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona - 50 points, a special card .from Van Horn, Texas, near the Mexico border - 101 points, the Muskogee Turnpike in Oklahoma - 50 points, and the Kansas Turnpike in Kansas - 50 points. E~loff got 1O everyone on this leg, nders would have to leave the checkpoint riding west, tum around ride northeast to the Petrified Forest, turn south towards MexIco, turn northeast riding through Dallas past the checkpoint to pick up the Kansas and Oklahoma receipts then tum around and ride 300 miles back to Arlington, Texas. Back at Montgomeryville, Egloff' was having a great time tracking riders' routes as they rigzagged north, south and rode around in circles. Heat' combined with countless hours of non-slOp riding caused Bill Pharness' Honda Goldwing driveshaft 1O give up near EI Paso, Texas. Leaders, thinking they were several hours ahead of other riders, were surprised to pass' rookie Harold Brooks near Abilene, Texas. It seems Harold took a short cut over the Mogollon Mountains in New Mexico - saving nearly 200 miles. Harold was one of the last riders at the Petrified Forest, yet the first into Van Hom. . Although several riders attempted to pick up the Kansas and Oklahoma Turnpike receipts, only two contestants managed to stay awake the entire 42 hours. Near Oklahoma City, Copas decided that he needed some sleep - Norman, already dog tired, knew that this was his only chance to gain the lead and left Ross to go bonus hunting. Unbelievably, Norman and Kujawa were able to . ride non-stop, booking over 2300 milesl . At the Harley Center in Arlington, Texas, two-time Jron Butt Rally rider Nick "Mr. Harley" Nichols got riders checked in. His wife Gwen thoughtfully prepared special rider "care packages" for each competitor. The class act award has to go to the Blue Knights. When Frost, a police officer from New Jersey, pulled up, an entire crew of local enforcement people took over, cleaning his Venture and making sure he got everything he needed (except for sleep, of cours.e!). Richard said the emotional boost was worth a million bucks. Fellow riders that he had never met came out to show their suppo.rt! When Norman and Kujawa pulled into the Arlington checkpoint they looked disoriented and beat. Meanwhile, Egloff was back at Montgomeryville staring at a map in disbelief. When he laid out this portion of the rally he never expected riders to actually be' able to make all these bonuses. Obviously, E~off had no idea of the determinauon of riders that wanted to win. Again, the standings shifted, moving Norman into first, Kujawa to second, Crane back to third, Copas to fourth andr Kneebone to fifth. Norman, who was running on pure adrenaline, was so hyped up that he refused to rest. His riding partner, Copas, forced ·him to lay down in back of the shop during the. short two-hour layover. Other cOmpetitors were sure that Norman would need sleep and nOl be able 1O pick up all tbe bonsues on the next leg. As riders left the Harley Center they received the next bonus listing; 150 points for the Lake Ponrchar. train Causeway in Louisiana. 51 points for a parking receipt from New Orleans International Airport, and 50 points from the Town and Country Restaurant in Henderson, Tennessee, about 40 miles past the checkpoint at Joe's Cycle Shop in Bolivar, Tennessee. Riders had 25 hours to make i200 miles! Dave McQueeney, who thinks the rally is a great way to see different parts of the country, stopped to help second place Frank KUjawa fix his broken Beemer. Frank's Kloo developed severe electrical problems just outside of Dallas. Had it not been for McQueeney's mechanical expertise, Kujawa would have been out of the rally. McQueeney rides the Iron Butt year-in and year-out to relax oil.his vacation! While passing a truck about 40 miles north of -New Orleans, Nor. man barely managed to miss a 12xJ2x4 'inch piece of construction lumber in the fast lane. Copas .wasn't as lucky. Barry looked in his rear view mIrror and watched in horror as Copas' bike bounced in the air. Luckily, Copas managed t<;> keep' control of his Kloo. Unfortunately, both of his mag wheels where shattered, putting him out of the running. Barry stopped to help Ross get his bike to the next exit. Copas later said, "Even though Barry was in first place and needed to be in Bolivar ASAP, there was none of this 'I gotta go crap.' He stayed with me until I was set." At Joe's Cycle Shop in Bolivar, Tennessee, Fran Crane riding the only bike without a full fairing, had to bandage her severely calloused and bleeding hands. Although Fran lifts weights almost every day, hanging onto the Beemer's bars fighting the wind for 8000 miles was the equivalent of 160 hours worth of chinups! Why doesn't she ride a fullfaired bike? Besides weighing all of a hundred pounds which limits the size motorcycle she can control, Fran' said, "I can always dress warmer on . a cold day, but when it's hot, engine heat kills me." Norman managed to pull in on time, but everyone knew that this last leg was taking a toll. Fellow competi tors started sounding like a broken record;' certainly, there was no way he could possibly make all the bonuses on the last part of the rally. Meanwhile, back in Montgomeryville, Egloff, promoter Bob Jones and rally organizer Jennifer Simmons were having a meeting discussing crossing off possible bonuses. Egloff, remembering a similar incident in the '85 J:

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