1999 Iron Butt

At The Finish - Widder Enterprises - Ojai, California
September 10

(Photos of the Start have been moved to here)

Click on any image below for the full size photo
(These have not been retouched for color correction)

	Joe Denton checks in (it is still dark outside, but his White Hat support team is happier than he is at this point). He made it!
	Warren Harhay checks in with Higbone. The wall map in the inner sanctum had all the bonus locations pinned.
	Mike Kneebone (left) and Bob Higdon (facing, center) doing score placement recording. Note the wall clock ... it is not yet 5:30 a.m.
	Voni Glaves rode from Kansas to welcome Paul. He is impressed. This is exuberance for normally placid Paul.
	Pat Widder was everywhere ... greeting everyone.
	Richard Bernecker was STILL moving too fast for a camera to catch, while Will Lee caught up on emails from the past week.
	Warren posted his special rally towel - number 8 in honor of Ron Major.
	Phylis was finished, but Sasha was still anxiously waiting.
	More than once during check in I heard someone say ... "Oh yeah, I guess I did go there?"
	Morris' famous "tube mobile". The long black plastic hose from the 'landing light' to the seat is an air hose for crotch ventilation. The shorter hose with the catch cup hanging from the seat area is ... um, er, ... just don't follow Morris too closely. :)
	Ira arrives shortly after sun-up, and the side lot is getting crowded.
	It was so nice to have the whole family as a welcoming committee.
	So simple yet so elegant. A grease pencil for the windshield.
	Richard's Rolling Bordello, with the crotchless panties thoroughly aired out.
	It wasn't enough to ride around the country together ... they had to take the bike to breakfast - all of 3 blocks away.
	The writing on the windshield says: MORE SUGAR SASHA
	Carrying the flag. Literally!
	Half that bottle of champagne was poured over several heads ... I just missed it.
	More checkin ... with photos provided and cross checked for each bonus.
	"They also serve who stand and wait." Helen Austin was getting nervous at 7:45 - 15 minutes before the penalty window opened.
	Melody arrives as fresh as the morning sun, and is given a gate time.
	Sidecar Bob arrives and is interviewed for local TV.
	Bryce was presented with a photo panorama welcome and is about to be corked.
	Ardys is relaxed and peaceful. Circling the USA is no big deal, right? Any slightly-more-than-twentysomething can do it if she is determined, right? Yeah, right. Ardys has the 'right stuff'.
	Two if by sea?
	Think of it ... 11 days of nearly continuous time in a helmet. The same helmet. You would be glad to get it off too!
	Tom Austin arrives, and Helen begins to breathe again.
	Rick certainly looks in better condition than his bike. Wonder what the story is with the duct tape.
	Jack Tollett's neck had more knots than the pine tree used to make Howdy Doody. :)
	He's saying, "Umm. Let's see ... Washington, Maine, Florida, Ojai. Yup. I must be here."
	Yes .. they are still married. Just think what a story they'll have for the question "Grandma - where did you go on your honeymoon?"
	Dave McQueeney watched the official clock click to penalty time: 8:00 a.m.
	On the road repairs ... no, more like on the road redesign of a fuel system. Tom Austin's fuel cell pump failed, so he invented a siphon suction bypass by crimping a hose under his seat with pliers. Duct tape to the rescue again!
	The horizontal streaks on this bike showed it didn't slow much for rain. Or mud. Or whatever.
	The now famous "shelf paper ST" lost a little of its camouflage during reentry from orbit.
	11 days 11,000 miles, and a million lies yet to tell.
	The messianic spirit finally caught up to Joe and he relaxed enough to let his hair dow, so to speak.
	Hey! Let's go for a ride.
	Harooold's shirt said "I followed Manny". Manny's shirt said "I followed Harold".
	When GPS just isn't enough ...
	Thanks to Pat Widder for outstanding support!