Vol. 2, No. 23
Thursday, June 25, 2020
Motorcycle Cannonball to tear through Arkadelphia this Fall with Mayor in tow
Motorcycle Cannonball is a world famous trek through the country. This year, it’s passing through Arkadelphia with the help of Mayor Scott Byrd. By Pete Tubbs Interim Editor in Chief
While there are a lot of things that come through Arkadelphia, some events are definitely more niche than others. In Sept. one of the most hardcore sporting events in the world is pulling right up to Slim & Shorty’s. Dr. Scott Byrd started riding motorcycles when he was in college. “I got into the antique stuff probably twenty years ago.” Turns out, twenty years ago was a great time for him to start reveling in the craft because the first Motorcycle Cannonball was looming right around the corner. Lonnie Isam Jr. came up with the idea of getting a few of his friends together to ride across the country in 2010. Since then, Motorcycle Cannonball has become legendary in the sports world. The tradition takes its namesake from Cannonball Baker who was a regular participant in coast-to-coast land speed record competitions. It occurs every two years. The first year, only about sixty people took on the epic journey. “Those were the pioneers of the Cannonball,” Dr. Byrd said. “They’ve had it every even numbered year after that.” While Dr. Byrd didn’t take part in the first two events, he began his participation in 2014. He rode a 1931 Harley. “In 2016 I rode a 1916 Harley,” Byrd explained. “In 2018 I drove a support truck and in 2020 I’m riding my 16 again.” While Byrd has been involved with the tradition almost since its inception, it hasn’t been an easy task getting it to come through Arkadelphia. “The guy that is the owner and promoter of it is a real good friend of mine,” he said, “it came through Hot Springs in 2010, and I’ve been trying to get him to bring it back through Arkansas again.” “I rode across Europe with him last Summer, and about two or three months before he called me and asked ‘Can your town handle an overnight stop?’” Byrd explained that overnight stops “are a really big deal.” Anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 people will be there. 300 to 400 of
these people will actually be participating in the ride while the rest will be spectators. The Cannonball has been called the “most challenging, most difficult motorcycle endurance run in the world,” according to Byrd. “It usually takes about sixteen or seventeen days.” This year, the group will start at Sault St. Marie in Michigan and will end up in South Padre Island. “It’s gonna be between 3,000 to 4,000 miles this year.” The qualifications for the bike and the route taken differ every year. “You can have any style or make of bike,” Byrd said, “it just has to do with the year.” 2010 saw bikes from 1915 and earlier participate while this year is from 1929 and earlier. In 2016, to stay with a centinneal theme, each bike had to be from 1916 and previous. It may sound strange that such an old piece of machinery be required to participate in such an arduous task, and that’s something that Byrd and co. recognize. “The antique motorcycle world is a small world,” he said, “and you get to know the people within those circles really well. You call a buddy and say ‘hey I need a generator or transmission case or whatever.’ The antique world is small on its own and the older you get with the bikes, the smaller that world gets,” he said. Just how small is that circle? Only about three hundred people have participated in the ten years since the inception of the Motorcycle Cannonball. “Within the Cannonball family, you know that this guy’s an Indian guy and this guy’s a Harley guy,” Byrd explains. “You learn who to call for different parts and if you can’t find it you make it.” In terms of how the run actually works, the group leaves their overnight stay at about 7:30 a.m., and they leave by classes. Class one contains the slower bikes, class two contains either single or multiple cylinder and single and multiple speed transmission, and class three contains either multiple cylinder or multiple speed. “Those are the big fast
boys,” Byrd said, “those class three’s.” Before the staggered starts, each rider gets a route sheet which shows exactly where they’re supposed to travel. “We cannot use GPS’s,” said Byrd.”There’s a specific route we’re supposed to take and it literally directs us across the country one turn at a time. If we leave from a parking lot it’ll tell us ‘turn right outta the parking lot, stop at the stop sign, turn left, go to the red light turn right...” One person has the designation of “road master” who details these routes in incredibly specific minutiae. They’ll run the course once, in a car, then run through it again, then they’ll write everything out within a hundredth of a mile. This is before they ride the next day’s route again the day before the riders leave for the next driving tenure. The route is essentially ridden three times before the riders roll through it. “We’ll be lucky if we end up two miles from that,” Byrd laughed. “We just have to watch for landmarks.” As mentioned earlier, bikes aren’t the only vehicles travelling these routes. Support trucks are also essential to the journey. There are two different
support groups. There is the official Cannonball support team which is usually a truck and a van, both pulling a trailer. The official support van will stay behind the last rider. If that rider doesn’t keep the exact pace for the day or if they break down, their bike gets loaded up and the rider stays on the support truck for the rest of the day. Each rider usually has their own support crew as well. That crew takes a different route and waits for the riders when they reach their next destination. At each destination there is a sponsored dinner. For instance, at Arkadelphia’s stop, the bike’s will be parked at Slim & Shorty’s and the riders will be fed at the fire station. “The bikes have to be displayed until a certain time,” Byrd said, “ it’s usually until six-o’clock.” At the strike of the clock, the bikes will take off and head to the overnight destination, which will be at the hotels in Caddo Valley come Sept. “Then you gotta work on the bike to get it ready for the next day,” Byrd said. “Usually there is a minimum of two hours for general maintenance every night, and that’s if nothing breaks. If something breaks during
the day, you may be up all night.” The journey is certainly a sight to behold, and the best way for citizens to get their fill of motorized glory is to sight the riders on their stops. “Seeing the bikes on display here is cool because all the riders gotta do is eat and relax. When they get to the hotels, some people will be changing tires, some will be changing oil, and some of them will be pulling motors out and doing complete rebuilds in the parking lot.” While Byrd acknowledges that there are many good biker films such as “Easy Rider,” one work of media has the most in common with the Cannonball Run. “You talk about doing MacGuyver stuff,” he said,” that’s what this is. It’s the ultimate MacGuyver test for motorcycles. You wouldn’t believe the way these things come in.” Dr. Byrd has some personal experience when it comes to this statement. “In ‘14 I finished many days with duct tape and bailing wire,” Byrd laughed. According to Byrd, it’s an exciting sentiment that the run is coming through our state. While renowned in the motorcycle world, it’s important to Arkadelphia as well. “It is a huge deal to get
Photo courtesy of Hemmings
it here,” he said. “There are a lot of city’s that bid for overnight stops. They’ll roll out the red carpet and say ‘please come to our town.’” It’s not an overnight deal. In fact, it takes quite some time to make steps toward bringing the Motorcycle Cannonball to any town. “I’ve been trying to get [the promoter] to come through here,” Byrd said. “He finally said ‘we want to come through your town.’” The route is planned almost a year in advance. “Whenevet this Cannonball is over, everybody will be chomping at the bit to get their bikes ready for the 22 Cannonball,” he said. “It’s always a big secret.” One thing prospective riders always have their eye on is the year of the required bike. “We’re riding in September,” Byrd said, “[the year of the bike] is usually announced around January. That’s when they’ll start saying ‘here are the qualifications of the bike.’” Just finding a bike that’s near, or over, one hundred years old may seem like quite a feat. That’s not even taking into account how much work has to be done after one is located. “A lot of guys will build brand-new bikes,” Dr. Byrd said. “I can’t build another bike.”
Investigation continues into June 9 shooting in Delight By John Schirmer Nashville Leader
There are still no charges filed and the investigation continues into the shooting at Delight the night of June 9. Three of the people involved - Dionne Coulter, 32, of Prescott; and Debbie VanCamp, 47, and Jeff VanCamp, 51, both of Antoine - were scheduled to make their first court appearances Monday but Pike County Circuit Clerk Sabrina Williams reported that Coulter’s court date has been moved to July 20 while the VanCamps’ date has been pushed back to July 13. Coulter is expected to charged with felony second-degree battery while
the VanCamps’ charges are expected to be felony breaking or entering and terroristic threatening and misdemeanor charges of third-degree battery and obstructing governmental operations. Coulter, 32, of Prescott, who is black, was arrested the night of June 9 for allegedly shooting Dillon VanCamp, 27, who is white, of Antoine, in the lower leg during an incident in the parking lot of the Delight E-Z Mart. VanCamp was transported from the scene with a non-life threatening injury. Coulter was arrested without incident and placed in a patrol car on the scene, which quickly grew to a large crowd with numerous
law agencies converging at the convenience store. The shooting also touched off a week of racial tension in the area and resulted in a peaceful protest being staged at Delight the following Saturday. Prosecuting Attorney Bryan Chesshir said last week the incident apparently began earlier that day in Antoine between Coulter and Dillon VanCamp and Brian VanCamp, 22, also of Antoine. Coulter was reportedly visiting a friend in Antoine and had gone to Delight to fuel up when the three men crossed paths again. During the chaotic scene at the store following the shooting, Debbie VanCamp
and Jeff VanCamp allegedly entered the back seat of the patrol unit where Coulter was being held and assaulted him. Chesshir also said last week charges are also pending against Dillon and Brian VanCamp for their involvement in the incident. Debbie and Jeff VanCamp are also scheduled for a first appearance Monday on the felony charges of breaking or entering and terroristic threatening and misdemeanor charges of third-degree battery and obstructing governmental operations. The couple was also released from the county jail sometime last week.