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| 61st Annual GVMC Piston Run
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Date:
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Sunday, June 20, 2010
8:30:00 AM
Chipmunk Creek/Foley Lake Area
Wally Klammer Chris Carey
604)594-5918 (604)534-0609
wklammer@dccnet.com
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| Click here to view Event Poster |
History of the Piston Run
Piston Run
In 1948, Trev Deeley seized his Harley 45 racing the National at Daytona Beach. The damaged piston and rod were mounted on a shield to form the perpetual Piston Run trophy. There is, on the clubhouse wall, a small Piston Run trophy, engraved “1942”. This suggests the event has an even longer history, but in any case, the perpetual trophy dates consecutively from 1949.
The event was originally an enduro, where riders had to average given speeds to arrive at checkpoints by a certain time. There were no dirt bikes before the 1960’s, and riders often took the saddlebags and lights off their daily transportation (few riders were rich enough to afford a car), rode the event, then washed the bike and bolted the lights and bags back on for the ride home. The course was traditionally challenging, with riders on 400 to 600 pound bikes charging into mudholes, logs and streambeds. Many riders of heavier bikes took a passenger along to help push.
By the early 1980’s, timekeeping had fallen out of favour, so the format was changed to a hare scrambles race. It was one of the original five events when the PNWMA started the Off-Road Series in 1984. In 1985, the first of the souvenir beer mugs was given out to finishers. This started a new tradition of collecting beer mugs, which continues today.
Current Information On The Piston Run
61st Annual Piston Run Hare Scrambles presented by GVMC
Mark this date June 20th, 2010 on your calendar for a great offroad adventure.
PNWMA Off Road Series Race
Fun New Trails and Old Favourites
Spectator Friendly
New 25 Unit Campsite near start area ($12.00 fee)
Food Concession
Improved Parking
Start Area: Chipmunk Creek/Foley Creek Area.
Directions: Take the Vedder Road exit (#119) off Hwy 1 at Chilliwack. Drive south thru Sardis and turn left at the steel bridge towards Chilliwack Lake. After 25km, you will pass the Ford Mountain Correction Center. Turn left immediately after crossing the bridge towards Chipmunk Creek/Foley Lake. Follow the arrows to the staging area, about 6km from the blacktop.
Signup Opens: 7:30am
Race Starts: 11:00am
Entry Fee: $40.00
PN Licence required which is available at signup for a $30.00 fee which gives you a yearly membership in the PNWMA.
Transponders are required for the Race which are available for a $10.00 deposit which will be refunded upon return of the transponder.
Sound test 96db limit and spark arrestors.
Souvenir Mugs:
First 100 signups get Souvenir Beer Mugs sponsored by Daytona Motorsports.
**To view pictures of this event please check it out in the Past Events section of this website or the Photo Gallery.
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Event Comments:
61st Annual Piston Run
PISTON RUN 2010
Build it and they will come.
They built a challenging race course at Chipmunk Creek, and yes, by golly, 115 dirt bikers did come. It was the 61st running of this annual event, widely known for its technical yet rideable course. This year, it was a 37 km loop of gnarly trails, a section of wide open gravel road, and all the mud, roots and rocks you’d care to beat your motorcycle against in a frantic few hours. Making it particularly memorable were the numerous bridges, and sections of narrow sidehill where one footpeg was scraping the bank while the other hung over a minimum 100 meter slide into the unknown.
It rained all week, and rain is traditionally on the menu for race day, but there was only an occasional light misting. The trails were plenty wet though, and the unfortunate three riders who broke their front fenders looked like they’d been swimming in quicksand. Only the whites of their eyes showed through a wall of mud, and then they grinned and teeth flashed through the spa treatment. There were a number of flat tires as riders gambled on less tire pressure for better traction, and ended up pinching a tube on sharp rocks at high speed. One racer who discovered his rear tire was turning on the rim (his single rimlock wasn’t cranked quite tight enough), borrowed some rope and finished the event with shredded strands knotted around his spokes and between the knobs of his tire.
The Masters Class is where you find the fastest and most well conditioned athletes. Bobby Prochnau of Savona, who won the event in 2007, returned to record a convincing first place victory, finishing 20 minutes ahead of second place Geoff Nelson after 3 ½ hours. Jarrett May, who won the Overall as an Expert in 2008 (starting on a line behind the Masters, then beating them all), took third. For complete results, check out www.pnwma.com
Thanks once again to Daytona Motorsports and Yamaha Canada for the two-colour souvenir mugs (given to the first 100 who signed up), to the many businesses who donated materials, and to the many cheerful volunteers who made it a safe and fun event.
Who knows, they may even do it again next year!
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