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/128220
NiteRider/Perry Mountain 24-Hour Challenge Reynolds Pasture For the Long Haul The winning team: Proline KTM/KTM SW'1 riders collect their winnings for topping the NiteRider/Perry Mountain 24-Hour Challenge in Alabama. Team Proline KTM/KTM SE # I digs in for the duration and the win STORY AND PHOTOS BY JEFFREY KETCHUM MAPLESVILLE, AL, MAY 31-JQNE 1 he late Millard Reynolds would have been proud. The second annual NiteRider/Perry Mountain 24Hour Challenge was billed as an event that would challenge your endurance, your riding and mechanical skills, and your ability to work as a team, and this was just the type of event that Mr. Reynolds began riding more than 50 years ago, traveling to distant races and returning with both tales and his share of trophies. He gave his time, his land and his guidance to help form the Perry Mountain Motorcycle Club_ And this race. Last year, they organized the inaugural Perry Mountain 24-Hour Challenge, which drew 27 teams from nine states to compete for $5000 in cash. The event was so successful that immediate plans were made to hold the event again. The course consisted of 10 miles of woods trails, fields, fire roads and creek beds. Teams were allowed a maximum of six riders and were divided into Expert and Sportsman classes. There was also an lronman class for riders who chose to ride the event solo. Thirty-nine teams and 21 lronmen began at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday and would compete until 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. Enticing the riders was a total purse of $7750, which included $250 from NiteRider for the overall T 58 JUNE 25, 2003' cue • e leader at 10:00 p.m. Saturday (halfway) and $250 from Village Cycle Center to the overall Sportsman team. After each team decided on a starting rider, they lined up 30 feet from the bikes and at the drop of the flag sprinted to a LeMans start. The race was off to a roaring start as Team Canton Racing took the holeshot in the Expert division, followed by Team Dirt Tech and the Village Cycle Center A Team. A minute later, the Sportsman division took off, with the Power Sports team getting the holes hot. With all the teams now under way, this left only the Ironman class still on the line. At the green flag, defending champion Mike Phillips wasted no time putting his Honda XR400 out front, ahead of Wes Wyatt and Gary Barr. The promoters used the porch of their clubhouse as a covered scoring area, and it was Team Dirt Tech (Glenn Hollingshead, David Crain, Brad Belcher, Johnny Borders, Landon Carter and Frank Davis) that checked through first, followed by Knight Line Products (Nathan Knight, Nolan Knight, Rodney Judson, Matt Joachim and Kyle Henderson). Team Dirt Bike Supply (Brian Duke, Richard Barrett, Travis Green, Lee Nichols, Ryan Patridge and Darren Atchison) led the Sportsman division on lap one, and Phillips emerged from the woods still leading the lronmen. Team Dirt Tech continued to push the pace out front, and by the fifth lap Team Proline KTM/KTM SE #1 (Allen Gravitt, Andrew Kendrick, Michael Grizzle, Mitch McRee, Rod Stuckey and Jason Chancey) had secured second place. Ironman Phillips had steadily charged through the pack of team riders and by lap seven physically took over the overall lead, despite starting two minutes behind the Experts. Three teams battled for control of the Sportsman division, with Smith Power Sports, Adams Motorsports and Team KORE Sportscycles all jockeying for position. The teams were required to change riders in a NASCAR-style pit area set up adjacent to the track. A speed limit of 5 mph was strictly enforced in Pit Row to ensure safety. Team Proline KTM/KTM SE #1 established themselves as the team to beat as the aftemoon wore on. Knight Line Products held on to second, followed by Village Cycle Center A Team (Zach Ivey, Ben Weathers, Clint Robinson, Clay Boreing, Wyles Griffith and Carsten Cagle). Dirt Tech and Team Hedgehog battled for fourth. Likewise, by midafternoon Team KORE Sportcycles (Robert Snyder, Paul McColl, Kevin Parker, Dwight Stuphin, Frank Koenig and Mike Duke) had clawed their way into the Sportsman lead. Phillips' speed and stamina in Ironman continued to impress everyone. Before dusk, teams started mounting powerful headlights on their bikes in preparation for the night riding. As darkness fell, the race took on a completely different dimension. Many of the riders used both the Baja Designs lighting systems and the helmet-mounted NiteRider. Seeing the lights dance through the woods was a somewhat strange and eerie sight. As the teams switched to fresh riders, others were sleeping in vans, tents and chairs. The pit crews were preparing Clay Soering and his Village Cycle Center A Team finished third overall. n e vv s