Perry Mountain to host 15th annual 24-hour challenge
Published 5:52 pm Friday, May 20, 2016
The 15th annual 24-Hour Challenge dirt bike race will be hosted by the Perry Mountain Motorcycle Club on Memorial Day weekend.
As its name implies, the race will last 24 hours from the drop of the green flag at 10 a.m. on May 28 and to the final lap at 10 a.m. on May 29.
“It doesn’t matter where you are [positioned] when it gets dark,” said Brad Belcher, president of Perry Mountain Motorcycle Club. “All that matters is where you’re at the next morning.”
According Belcher, about 62 riders took part in the daylong event.
However, Belcher expects to have about 73 pit stalls and the availability for even riders to take part.
The field will be broken up into several different divisions that include team, duo and ironman.
The teams will be comprised of six riders and arranged into age groupings, while the duos must include a combination of family members, such as, father and son or husband and wife.
The ironman competition takes the 24-hour race to another extreme, as one rider seeks to complete the course without the help of a relief driver.
The course is roughly 11 miles in length and consists of grassy straightaways and winding terrain through the woods.
“The terrain is a mixture of sand and rocks,” Belcher said. “You have to be an overall rider if you’re going to win on this course.”
According to Belcher, as the hours tick away the course undergoes certain changes in conditions and visibility as the daytime shifts into night and then back into day toward the end of the race.
The race will continue through rain, but will suspend the action at the first sign of lightning.
“They’ll pretty much have to come in for fuel after every two laps,” Belcher said. “Although some might be able to stretch it for three laps.”
A total of $7,500 is spread out among the top finishers in the event with $500 going to the winner of the ironman portion of the race weekend.
Entry fees for drivers are $350 for teams, $150 for duos and $75 for ironman participants.
The event is open to the public and tickets are $15 at the gate, which includes entry into the pit area. Children 8 and under will be admitted for free.