NHRA News: Finish line in sight for wary riders (1/3/2004)

Finish line in sight for wary riders

By Rob Geiger, NHRA.com
1/3/2004

A prevailing headwind made cycling Saturday's penultimate leg of Gator Hell Week a true test of fortitude for NHRA stars Whit Bazemore and Mike Dunn. Both men continue to nurse mild injuries as the nearly 800-mile jaunt draws to a close. Bazemore's left knee has been giving him problems while Dunn's right ankle has clipped his wings considerably.

Fortunately, all that's left for the group is a relatively light closing day of 65 miles, which will put them at a little more than 770 miles over eight days. So far they have racked up an amazing 714 miles with seven straight "centuries," cycling jargon for 100-mile rides, far more than either rider has ever traversed on consecutive days.

The Gator Hell Week pack rode through Florida's famed alligator alley Saturday, covering some of the most desolate countryside in the state. Sticking to historic back roads, they started towards Sebring before riding past Lake Istokpoga. After a light lunch at Lake Placid, the route took them down Old Number 8 to Venus. An even older road, Detjens Dairy Road, then took them almost all the way to their destination, the city of Moore Haven.

A tired but optimistic Bazemore filed this report for NHRA.com readers.

Baze and Dunn's Hell Week: Day 7
Bazemore: We're D-O-A – dead on arrival. That nice, friendly headwind we had for most of the day just made it of so pleasant for everybody. We're fried. But we made it. We're here and we only have one day to go. There's only 65 miles left and at this point I feel like I could do that with one leg.

Dunn's nursing a bad ankle and I've got a bum knee. We're like a couple of broken-down old folks. Dunn's starting to look like his father the way he's limping around.

Dunn and Bazemore have cycled 714 miles so far.

I started really good and rode very hard. My knee didn't seem to be a problem at all. I was just about at a race pace. I got out front by myself and felt like I was getting in some really good training. But after we stopped for lunch, from that point on it was just brutal. I think the last 20 miles were probably some of the toughest of the entire ride. Days 2 and 3 going up Sugarloaf Mountain were pretty tough but the end of today's ride was equally harsh.

I think we're definitely going to finish this deal so those people who voted against us on the NHRA.com poll will have to eat their words.

Mike and I were talking coming in today and I said, 'Well, I think we're gonna make it all the way,' but he was quick to remind me of 1981 when he was at the World Finals and had this massive explosion right at the finish line. The whole motor came out. Here he thought the season was ending on a high note and it all blew up in his face. It kind of reminded us that you can still do a lot of damage right at the end.

Riding in a line helps preserve energy so the rider in front is constantly rotated back. Here, Bazemore is third in line with Dunn following closely in fourth.

Apparently, what's customary for the final day is for everyone to stay in a group and ride in as a pack. You have to remember that there are several people of varying degrees of ability so some people like to go strong from start to finish, some are happy to go slow and just finish each leg, while others have their own training regiment that they're working on. Everyone's different.

I can tell you that taking it slow tomorrow will not raise any objections from me and Mike.

One of the neatest things about this trip is the people we've met. This is a great group and it's been a lot of fun. Even though we're all riding our own pace, we've become a pretty tight-knit group. We're together in the morning, at lunch, and at night and we all have stories to tell. We've all developed a real healthy respect for one another.

I think I'll be buying a lot of extra tickets this year because everyone wants to come out and see what driving a Funny Car is all about. I keep telling them that it's real boring and the cars are super slow (laughing). Seriously, it'll be fun to have everyone visit us and the nice thing about the NHRA is that we go all over so we'll get to see them all. Plus, we'll have some new riding buddies everywhere we go.

On left, Mike and Nancy Myers of Baxter Springs, Kan., lead the group on their tandem bike as they did on most days. Center, Bazemore and Dunn ride side-by-side. On right, Bazemore looks happy to be reaching a stopping point for the day.

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