Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
IRBY — Start your engines!
The 52nd annual Stumpjumpers Desert 100 race takes over the sage-steppe area north of State Highway 28 on Sunday, April 7.
Several thousand dirt bike racers are expected to compete in 50-mile, 100-mile and relay races.
The major event of race weekend — April 4-7 — takes place Sunday.
Following an 8:30 a.m. riders meeting, racers will make there way to the start line, which will span more than a half-mile.
Once on the line, dirt bike racers will be awaiting the firing of a cannon to signal the start of the grueling event across sage-step, along basalt cliffs and across rural roads and streams. At least two heats are planned, with each start line a mile away from the hole shot and the first jump near the spectator area.
With the boom of the canon, fans will be able to note the start of the race as a pink plume of smoke rises from the start line. Within minutes, a haboob a half-mile wide will sweep across the race site, with dust kicked up by racers trying to be the first through the hole shot.
Racers will hit the 50-mile course — some for one lap, others for two. The attrition rate is high — last year 921 racers entered the 100-mile main event; only 472 finished.
Two Davenport racers were among the field last year, Codi Willams and Curtis Tanner. Both finished the race in less than five hours.
The best time posted last year was Jaden Dahners of Enumclaw, who won the 250cc class and the overall title in 3:17:31.211. His average speed over the race course was 30.4 mph.
Katie Mock was the women’s champion last year; she finished 98th overall with a time of 4:37:50.743.
The Desert 100 is the largest single motorcycle race in the Pacific Northwest each year.
Roger Harnack is the owner/publisher of Free Press Publishing. Having grown up Benton City, Roger is an award-winning journalist, photographer, editor and publisher. He's one of only two editorial/commentary writers from Washington state to ever receive the international Golden Quill. Roger is dedicated to the preservation of local media, and the voice it retains for Eastern Washington.
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