1999 Iron Butt

At The Start - Widder Enterprises - Ojai, California
August 29-30

Click on any image for the full size photo
(These have not been retouched for color correction)
 
Widder Enterprises ... calm before the storm
Pseudo-anonymous Bob Higdon attempting to "blend in" with the crowd ... 
Note - hat has "Born" replaced with "Used" (To Be Wild)
Mike Kneebone in the interview room ... 
"Are you SURE you want to do this?" 
"Are you INSANE?" 
"Yes? Ok, you're ready."
Airyn Darling, ButtTech Inspector at work
Pat Widder and Mike at the WidderCam in the waiting area
Are you serious enough about the Butt to have IB shaved into your hair?
And then highlight it in the unofficial Butt colors of BLACK AND BLUE AND BLOOD ?
MeanMan TechMaster Warchild being precise about the odo check for the two /5 riders
The lucky ones got Airyn on odo
Ed Otto's ButtBears 
He says the raggedy one has 200,000 miles of saddletime
Would you be brave enough to let them tear your bike apart to install a fuel cell the day before the Butt? Ok, so that *is* Paul Glaves doing the work, but still ...
Ardys takes a quiet moment.
Dedication to BMW, and the "Slash 5"
Proving he is not a vampire, Kneebone steps into the sun and approves the official T-shirt
The fuel cell team took a rest while an interview is conducted and filmed.
I suppose there's no point in being tense if you're prepared, but these "about to torture themselves" competitors were definitely laid back.
Morning of the big day ... front of Widder Enterprises, the crowd gathers
The WidderCam takes a high position
View from the WidderCam perch. Everybody (including Pat) thought the start would be in front. Kneebone had other ideas ...
First they began to line up along the side ...
Then they filled the street in front ...
But Mike made them ALL line up in back
Phil once did 113,000 miles in six months, so 11,000 miles in 11 days is no problemo, si?
Yes ... it's true. Did you spend your honeymoon "two up"?
At last! Get the number flag - and they're off!
And the WidderCam caught it all.