A horde of antique motorcycles roared into Mountain Home Friday afternoon to complete the fourth leg of the Secrets of the Ozarks Cross Country Chase.The race, which is open to motorcycles manufactured between 1930 and 1960, began Tuesday in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and is taking riders on a five-day, 1,340-mile road trip through the Ozark Mountains before concluding back in Missouri Saturday afternoon.
Stage 1 took riders from Cape Girardeau to Branson, while the second leg of the race took competitors from Branson to Hot Springs. The riders traveled from the Spa City to Muskogee, Oklahoma, on Thursday and then completed Friday’s run in Mountain Home. Saturday’s final leg will take riders from the Twin Lakes Area back to Cape Girardeau.
John Classen, the course manager for the Secrets of Ozarks race, talks about what goes into laying out race.
Listen:
The Ramada Inn served as the final checkpoint for riders Friday afternoon. Competitors were assigned rooms for the night at either Ramada or at the Super 8 about a mile down the road.
The Cross Country Chase tests not only a rider’s speed, but also their endurance, navigation skills, familiarity with the local area and knowledge of motorcycle history.
Riders complete an average of 250 miles a day during the race, navigating the course on their own. No support crews are allowed, so riders must pack everything they might need to the race — tools, parts, luggage — on their motorcycles.
Each of the race’s five stages are timed, with competitors being rewarded for managing their time throughout the day and maintaining certain speeds. Competitors also complete quizzes each stage covering aspects of the route they just completed and American motorcycling history, with their test scores counting towards a rider’s final score.
Chase officials provide competitors with a navigation map each morning giving turn-by-turn directions based on mileage for that day’s section. It is up to the riders to make it to the next checkpoint without going off course or getting lost.
Terry Richardson of Pratt, Kansas, was the first rider to complete Friday’s stage, arriving at the Ramada Inn about 2:15. He talks about using the race’s maps.
Listen:
Once Richardson arrived, a handul of other riders trickled into the hotel in his wake, with the majority of the riders arriving around 4 p.m.
Richardson, who is driving a 1946 Harley Davidson “Knucklehead” with the number 101 in the race, talks about driving over from Oklahoma.
Listen:
The race has three classes, based on each motorcycle’s age and characteristics. There are cash prizes for all class winners plus an overall winner and a cash prize for the top quiz score. Commemorative banners for class and overall winners are also awarded.
Information like point standings and results from each day’s stage can be found the Cross Country Chase’s website, themotorcyclechase.com.
A nine-stage Chase event is scheduled for September that will take riders from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, to Key West, Florida.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI