FJRForum Official 2023 Iron Butt Rally Tracking/Analysis Thread

[TripperMike]

Well I just got back home (Mpls area) from attending the finish and the banquet.
I was lucky enough to score a ticket for the banquet. I must say, the IBA peeps, sure know how to put on a first class affair.
Huge congratulations to James Owen for what he has accomplished. Truly an amazing rider.

 

[eddiememphis]

NTYK- 20818

Yellowknife statue. Big points but none of the top finishers did it.

 

[Goodman4]

Seems like the points for the bingo were not worth a large amount for the effort required. Kind of fun though? I also was curious on the rule execution for when people found a valid location of the restaurant that expanded into another state than was listed. I speak from experience because KY is not listed as a Freddy's state, but we had one come into Hopkinsville a couple years ago. It's a real Freddy's and not a knock-off. If I was a rider I would have not risked trying to get it to count.

 

[Boondoggle]

NTYK- 20818

Yellowknife statue. Big points but none of the top finishers did it.

Ben Ernst said somewhere (FB maybe?) that he saw it and it looked epic so he did it. I don’t know him and can’t speak for him but I got the sense that a 1st place finish didn’t factor in to the equation as much as the question “when will I ever get the chance to do this ride again?”

 

[Niehart]

"Steve Giffin went from 3rd in the standings after leg #2, to DNF? Anyone hear what caused the DNF? IBR was posting mechanical issues for folks, but no mention yet about this Yamaha rider?"

"I was wondering the same thing."

"That's a good question. If I'm reading the mileage data correctly, he ended Leg 2 with the same total mileage as he finished the entire Rally with. So he either didn't ride at all in the 3rd leg, or something else happened?"

Does anyone know what happened with Steve!

 

[keithq]

After looking over the bonus leg document, I am amazed at all the research that went into this one. Good lord, who knew there was such a thing as a camel dairy?!

 

[Bounce]

After looking over the bonus leg document, I am amazed at all the research that went into this one. Good lord, who knew there was such a thing as a camel dairy?!

Even the RMs of the 24 hour rallies put in a lot of work to do similar things. Rallying is a blast for that alone.

 

[BkerChuck]

Even the RMs of the 24 hour rallies put in a lot of work to do similar things. Rallying is a blast for that alone.

I rode in a few of those shorter, 32 hour events, like the Mason Dixon 20-20 and the Void rallies. The rally masters in those events were constantly on the lookout for future bonus locations keeping spreadsheets of GPS coordinates and pictures for use at some point and sharing them with each other.

 

[tschutter]

I looked (briefly) at the 3rd leg bonus's, then the BINGO bonus's, mind boggling! I don't know how you'd take that list(s) and generate a route. Too many options, too many variables.

 

[Boondoggle]

One of the bonuses for the 2015 VOID was “bring back a picture and GPS coordinates of something that would make a good rally bonus”

Every rally book I’ve ever seen has been a work of art. Sometimes the locations tell a story, or clue you in to some historical fact, or just make you grin and wonder why the hell somebody built THAT there.

I‘m really grateful for each and every one of them

@keithq heres a link to the 2016 NiitWit, if you’re interested

edit: tschutter I’ve done a few, but there are much better-qualified people to tell you how. I’m amazed at how some people are able to see the solution. You get files with the locations that you can drop into basecamp or google maps. I tend to find an initial plan or two then look for something better, but I’m just a hack

edit again: I should have lost points for MDEI, Todd invited me out to the backyard to take my picture, haha

 

[Bluesjammer]

I looked (briefly) at the 3rd leg bonus's, then the BINGO bonus's, mind boggling! I don't know how you'd take that list(s) and generate a route. Too many options, too many variables.

I agree with you, it blows my mind how the riders do that.

 

[Bounce]

I looked (briefly) at the 3rd leg bonus's, then the BINGO bonus's, mind boggling! I don't know how you'd take that list(s) and generate a route. Too many options, too many variables.

The "drinking from a fire hose" syndrome is very real and people can drown. That's why no one gets in "cold" to the IBR. Some experience in smaller rallies is typically expected.

 

[BkerChuck]

I looked (briefly) at the 3rd leg bonus's, then the BINGO bonus's, mind boggling! I don't know how you'd take that list(s) and generate a route. Too many options, too many variables.

The Void Rally, when it was run, was often referred to as a spider type rally. You chose one of 3 starting cities but all 3 finished in the same location. Starting cities when I participated were always somewhere in eastern PA. somewhere in north central GA, and somewhere in western TN so those folks were starting in the next time zone. Finish during my time was always in Fredericksburg, VA. Most years ALL starters went from the same bonus list of up to 150 locations but each starting city the locations offered different point values. Add to that list the wildcards which were sort of like the BINGO card in this IBR.

You were only scored against riders from the same start location. I believe my best finish was a 6th place among the PA group. Highlight for me was Jim Owen telling me I had a solid route! Not solid to his level but solid for me.

 

[tschutter]

Highlight for me was Jim Owen telling me I had a solid route! Not solid to his level but solid for me.

That would be quite the high point for sure. Great compliment.

 

[Ignacio]

Highlight for me was Jim Owen telling me I had a solid route! Not solid to his level but solid for me.

I had a similar experience once. It was an Earls rally in 2015. One that he won, I saw him during the rally, thought I had a better route, and would have....if I hadn't have splatted two sheep and got an expensive helicopter ride to a trauma center.

The coolest thing in the world was him visiting me in the hospital after the rally and going through the packet I still had and saying, "You'd have beat me by about 8000 points! I didn't see that bonus combo."

 

[Panman]

I had a similar experience once. It was an Earls rally in 2015. One that he won, I saw him during the rally, thought I had a better route, and would have....if I hadn't have splatted two sheep and got an expensive helicopter ride to a trauma center.

The coolest thing in the world was him visiting me in the hospital after the rally and going through the packet I still had and saying, "You'd have beat me by about 8000 points! I didn't see that bonus combo."

Those ribs still hurt?

 

[Ignacio]

Those ribs still hurt?

T6 will never be right again and my right half still feels full of scar tissue, but I'm alive and happy.

 

[DavidEBSmith]

I had a similar experience once. It was an Earls rally in 2015. One that he won, I saw him during the rally, thought I had a better route, and would have....if I hadn't have splatted two sheep and got an expensive helicopter ride to a trauma center.

The coolest thing in the world was him visiting me in the hospital after the rally and going through the packet I still had and saying, "You'd have beat me by about 8000 points! I didn't see that bonus combo."

I'm still touched by the nearly book-length essay Mr. Owen wrote about Eddie James and Butt Lite IX (oh and incidentally how he won the rally):

https://www.teamstrange.com/2018/butt_lite/RedemptionBLIX.pdf

 

[Bounce]

Anyone remember when Eddie got caught cheating at a Waltz Across Texas Rally? That year, historical plaques of a certain type were bonuses, Eddie got caught walking around Fredricksburg, TX and taking "required" photos and logging plaques in town the night before the start. 0 miles for X points is infinite efficiency.

 

[Auburn]

Ben Ernst said somewhere (FB maybe?) that he saw it and it looked epic so he did it. I don’t know him and can’t speak for him but I got the sense that a 1st place finish didn’t factor in to the equation as much as the question “when will I ever get the chance to do this ride again?”

I was talking with Ben at the finish, and he said he lives in Texas and wanted to ride somewhere epic and not in the heat. It was worth a lot of points too.