Numb Bum 24

Feb 18 2010 - 2:35pm - Anonymous

by Jarrett King

Friday evening, as I hauled my moto gear out of the house and into the pickup truck, it was hard not to notice the buzz on the TV in the living room. The television station was covering the last few critical miles of the Olympic torch relay for the 2010 winter Olympics. This is a very special year for Canada and playing host to an international event like this on the world stage gives us all a chance to gain some perspective on why Canada is one of the greatest countries in the world. I have to admit to a momentary boost of pride in our country, knowing how many people all over the world were watching.

This is Dan & Bruce, two guys who are 60% of the reason NB24 happens today.

That thought came back to me on Saturday as the AEIRA officials spoke to the racers, crews, family and supporters that showed up for the annual Numb Bum 24 hour Endurance Ice Race. This year’s race was almost cancelled due not to a lack of support, but due to a lack of sponsorship. The AEIRA made a point to mention every sponsor who kicked in help at the last minute to make sure this event continued on. They also asked that everyone give themselves a hand for continuing to show up and race, because this is truly an event for the die hard racers. We were asked to turn to the person next to us and share introductions, because this event was more than a race, it was a reason to come out and share an experience with fellow enthusiasts. Someone mentioned that we should be proud to say we participate in what can only be described as “an extreme Canadian winter motorsport”. How can we not be proud of an event that is one of a kind on a planet with 6 billion people?

The Lemans start is always a crowd favorite.

To say that this race is historic wouldn’t quite do it true justice. The race is more legendary since it started long before the dawn of the internet and digital cameras and back in the day, even a good SLR camera was hard to operate in the dark at -45°C. Here is a very brief history of this event for those who are less familiar:

The idea was spawned by a group of motorcycle enthusiasts from the small northern Alberta town of Fairview. Why not take some bikes out on the lake and see if we can get them to survive 24 hours of straight riding? The idea took shape in the fall of 1983 and the first race took place in February of 1984. Back then, any motorcycle of any size was allowed and there was little in the way of rules. As the event gained popularity, so did the number of riders and the competition between teams. Year after year the event grew until it peaked for a few years in the late ‘80s, early 90’s. The event was moved to various venues including George Lake and Sand Lake near Fairview and also into the more central location of Clairmont Lake near Grande Prairie. The Alberta Endurance Ice Racing Association was eventually formed and for the year 2000, the race was moved to its current location at Sandy Beach (just north of Onoway).

Innovation is the name of the game: notice the trick extended range tank?

So after over a quarter century of racing, what does the NB24 look like today?

-With an entry count of 105 competitors on 33 different teams, the race shows no sign of lacking interest. The field has been growing again steadily with riders coming from as far as Seattle and Chicago to race the event.

-The pro open class is stacked with riders who not only know how to ride fast, but are putting down lap after lap all day and all night long. Some of the better known teams are the Husaberg equipped Team Cornergrass, the legendary J&T Racing (Joe & Todd Lyndall) team on their KTMs, the Yamaha mounted Vicious Cycle team out of Edmonton and Grande Prairie based Team Ice Pirates.

-Its worth mentioning that the group of volunteers who help host this race are some of the most dedicated people in the industry today. Not only did it take weeks to prepare the track, but imagine driving one of the half dozen plow vehicles for the duration of the event?!?

-The modern NB24 has grouped teams into a familiar and fair class system that divides them based on bike size (over or under 400cc) and the amateur and pro classes and similar quad classes. In addition, motocross riders without access to the funds and equipment needed to ride at night can enter the RED EYE class, which runs the duration of the event but shuts down at dusk and restarts at dawn.

-Although tire building technology has advanced to the point where tires aren’t the defining point of a team’s success, there is still a little bit of magic involved when it comes to getting them to survive for an entire 24hrs of riding.

-This race is all about preparation and planning. Imagine what it takes to stay warm, dry, fueled up, fed well and rested, then toss in the chance of a mechanical breakdown or a crashed rider. Even the most amateur teams are building checklists for their team in the weeks leading up to the event.

-Bike technology has advanced to the point where lap times vary only slightly from lap to lap, even at night! Riders are pushing a full race pace the entire time on the track. To win this event, a team cannot cruise to the finish and there is always the chance of a mechanical breakdown.

CGRT has the starts down to a science.

When the horn sounded to start the race, it was a typical Cornergrass holeshot. With an 18km long course plowed into the snow covered lake, teams were quick to distance themselves from each other as the laps ticked by. Unseasonably warm temperatures were a welcome relief from the typical cold, but Mother Nature made sure to make up for it with howling winds throughout the entire event. Riders clicked off the laps and teams jockeyed for positions as pit stops and mechanical breakdowns slowly thinned the field.

Not everyone can afford a toy hauler.

The pits are a lonely place at 3:30 a.m.

A weary rider gets a well needed nap in the warm trailer.

Team Cornergrass, J&T Racing and Vicious Cycle pulled a lead on the field and battled tooth and nail until a mechanical issue forced Cornergrass to bring in their backup bike (a two hour time penalty) squashing their chances at a podium finish. Just behind the lead group, the teams of Leduc Motorsports, W.S.F and Ice Pirates battled for what looked to be the last spot on the podium.

The rest of the Pro Open class was a virtual free for all, with positions changing dramatically during the evening and night portions of the race. The track began to deteriorate very badly just after the riders finished their second rides on the track, with huge ruts, snow cover and braking/acceleration bumps increasing the challenge on the track.

This bike didn't race, but it still looked cool.

The pit was eery quiet at night, except for the odd bike coming through.

A standard pit turns panic when a flat tire is discovered.

Come morning, the wind had picked up but the blazing sun at least helped shed light on what was now a brutally technical track filled with bumps, ruts, berms and even some very bad water holes. The field had spread out across the entire track and teams were scratching for any time advantage that they could muster. In the end, the J&T Racing team from Drayton Valley stood victorious, with Vicious Cycle in second place and Grande Prairie’s Team Ice Pirates in third. Cornergrass was able to claw their way back up to fifth, just edging out the rookie Fairview based team Cycle West and Second Mortgage racing near the end of the race. It’s worth mentioning that during the trophy presentation, the “INNOVATOR AWARD” (introduced in 1993 by Peter Wolsey) was given to rookie quad team Speed & Accuracy. These three guys who had never competed in a race before endured every problem a team could have (12!! flat tires, a dead battery, broken rear bumper, a lost timing plug & subsequent loss of oil, busted ignition key and a VERY bad crash) but at hour 24, they rolled their rubber only tired quad across the line to finish. Now that is what we call Numb Bum spirit!

NB24 Mascot “The Supercool SuperFool”.

This is what the NB24 is all about – friends & dirtbikes.

Thanks to everyone who came out to volunteer and to compete & congratulations to J&T Racing who now hold the record for most NB24 wins. Just one last note, with a recorded finish of 89 laps on an 18km course, J&T rode over 1600kms in 24 hours. Imagine riding a dirt bike from Vancouver, BC to Calgary, AB non stop in one day! Do you have the guts for Numb Bum 2011?