BUCKEYE THINDER RUN

KENNEDY STYLE by: Denise Kennedy, TRO

Back at it!

For those of you who have glanced at one or two of my articles in the past, Kennedy Style has been on hiatus. Well here I am back at it. 2020 and the beginning of 2021 have been interesting to say the least at the Kennedy household. Of course in 2020 and into 2021, we were all dealt the Covid hand and regardless of your views, life as we knew it changed drastically. I was fortunate and worked throughout the pandemic. In early April however total hip replacement surgery was in the cards for me. While I was willing, my doctor said I was not able to ride until mid June. And he was right. It actually took a bit longer until my hip and leg felt strong enough to take a spin on the bike. While I may not have been able to ride, surgery didn’t keep me totally down. The end of June brought the return of AMA Vintage Days at MidOhio Sports Car Course. Attendance was absolutely phenomenal. Reserved campsites sold out early. The overflow camping areas were also packed. The swap meet was indeed the largest in North America as vendors who were unable to show their wares in 2020 came out in droves. While bike count for some of the races was down, those that entered put on one hell of a show. August brought us to MotoAmerica at Pittsburgh International Raceway. Either from our camp site on the fence or the awesome view from Wheelie Hill, the boys of MotoAmerica put on a great show. Which brings us to Thunder on the Strip. This year we decided to make a week out of it. Thunder does not technically start until Thursday and many restaurants are closed until Wednesday afternoon. However, this year we took advantage of the beautiful September weather and made the most of it. Time spent with family and friends. Wineries are abundant and the smell of ripening grapes fill the air. And for the first time our ride of choice were our scooters. Yep Yamaha Zuma's; 125 cc's of pure power. Early in the week we took a ride to downtown Ashtabula. A really cool center of town rich in history. Stopped for a cold beverage at Brennan's. Built in 1889 the home of this little pub was originally a brothel. An authentic tin ceiling remains in place and we learned that repairs to the plumbing exposed bottles discarded during Prohibition in the crawl space. Downtown boasts some interesting shops and Briquettes Smoke House was worth the wait til they opened at 3:00 p.m. The weather truly cooperated the entire week/weekend for the first time in a long time. One quick shower during the day didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits. Tons of riders, plenty of bands and a chance to reconnect with friends made in previous years. TRO's Thunder Zone was rocking with what I think was one of the largest bike shows in recent years. Although Summer is winding down I am back at it!

photos courtesy Dan Hare, TRO

• WINNERS DRAWN YEAR-ROUND! • SIMPLE DIGITAL CHECK-IN’S! • OVER 1,000 WINNERS IN 2019

OVER 50 EACH MONTH!

Thunder Roads Ohio(TRO)is proud to present the 2021BUCKEYE THUNDER RUN -a state-wide, summer-long riding challengewith YEAR-ROUND opportunities to WIN byhitting the coolest riding destinations and events across Ohio! This is a riding challenge like no-other and features great prizes every month that you earn simply by getting out to rideand discovering new stops ALL ACROSS OHIO and the MIDWEST!

Checking in at Ride Stops! You check-in at designated RIDE STOPS with your phone and through FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and TWITTER. Simply check in at the location using Facebook and then post a picture of yourself there. You can include your card if convenient. Include #THUNDERRUNin your comments or tag Thunder Roads Ohio in the post. If you’re not on Facebook, you can take a picture of yourself there with your ride card or motorcycle and email it to BuckeyeThunderRun@gmail.com Checking in at TRO Tour Stops! Throughout the year, the TRO ROAD CREW will be hitting rides, rallies, bike shows, and various events throughout the state –and beyond! In some cases the CREW will be attending national rallies and other events throughout the Midwest –including Michigan and Pennsylvania motorcycle events. Anywhere the TRO CREW is at –instantly becomes a RIDE STOP! There is a listing of Tour Stops in the magazine and online each month. You can sign in on the Ride Stop Clipboardor check in with your smart phone. “Make Your Own Ride Stop!” Riders can recommend a RIDE STOP by simply “Checking-In” through their facebook account with the hashtag #THUNDERRUN. Within the post, BTR Riders should say that they are “Making this their Ride Stop” and that we should also. You can also include why –“They have the BEST Bike Night!” or “BEST BURGERS IN OHIO!”Special prizes each month are allocated for these check-in’s and the stop itself can win –if applicable. Selected “MAKE YOUR OWN RIDE STOP’s” have a chance to win up to $5,000 in prizes –and each posting increases their chances to win! In such cases, the person(s) nominating the Stop with their checkin is also eligible for additional prizes as well.

How do you Start?(It's really simple!)

1. Get your Ohio Ride Card! (Online at ThunderRoadsOhio.com, at an Event, or at some Ride Stops!) You can check in without a Card –using Facebook. 2. Like Thunder Roads Ohio on Facebook. 3. Get the list of stops each month from your Thunder Roads Magazine, the website (ThunderRoadsOhio.com), or Facebook. 4. Ride out to these stops and show them your card or check in with the #THUNDERRUNHashtag on social media–Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. 5. And then you win cool prizes, including cold hard CASH!

You can request a Ride Card through our website!

You can now go online and register for your Thunder Run Ride Card through our website –www.ThunderRoadsOhio.com. Simply head to the TRO Online Storeand order your Ride Card. There is a $5 convenience fee for this option –but ALL PROCEEDSare applied to our Warrior Fund, sponsoring charitable motorcycle events and organizations across Ohio. Once you have received your OHIO RIDE CARD, you will not be asked to provide personal information or emails at any location for check-in. You simply enter your ride card number!

PLEASE NOTE -You can stilluse your previous Ride Cards. All Ride Card registrations carry over, however you are welcome to pick up a new shiny one if you’d like. As we mentioned, this is a dynamic event –intended to be tweaked and developed over time. If you have ideas, suggestions, or concerns –please don’t hesitate to let us know. You can email us at BuckeyeThunderRun@gmail.com

For more information, visit us online at www.ThunderRoadsOhio.com