4th Annual MORE Powder Puff Race for a Cure

Although billed as a race, the word “event” would be much more appropriate.

Saturday, October 10, 2009 marked the Mojave Off-Road Racing Enthusiast’s (MORE) 4^th Annual Powder Puff Race for a Cure. This, without question, is the largest, if not the only all womens off-road race in the World.   Teams with interesting names such as Save the Boobs, Dust Bunnies, Team Motorboat, Strap-On Tools, Save Second Base and Dirty Little Princess gathered Saturday morning on a modified Barstow “B” Course, under clear skies, moderate temperature and light winds.

Here are the numbers according to MORE Officials:

Entries: 183

Participants: 500+

Course Length: 27 Mile Loop, Grand Prix Format

Most Laps Completed: 6

Fast Lap: 32:25 (Lori Robinson, Top Finisher, TT#26)

Spectators: ±10,000

Hot Dogs served: ±1400

Furthest Distance to Race: Amanda Fonner, Linda Kelley-Dodd #549; Bristol, CT

Winners: Everyone

Proceeds from the event once again will be donated directly to Cedars-Sinai Women’s Cancer Research Institute, a program started in 2002 specifically to reduce the risk of cancer in women through research, education, early detection and prevention.  Nearly 200,000 women and 2,000 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and about 40,000 women and 400 men will die from this silent killer.  Last year, over $115,000 were donated as a result of this function.  The final tally for this year is yet to be released.

Literally hundreds of pits were set up around the Course, not only for their own racers but for anyone in need.  “Just pull into any pit-they’ll help you” was frequently heard on race radios throughout the day.

The Women of Lucas, a consortium from the LOORRS Short Course Series was out in full force with five entries, an ambulance, their safety rig with firefighting and medical equipment on board and four additional “rollover rigs” stationed throughout the course. According to Sherry Vanillo, Administrative Director of LOORS, their team of nearly 75 volunteers raised a total of $18,000 in donations and entry fees for this event.

Team Motorboaters, with three entries, (Rhiannon Freiley asked that I thank Cameron Steele for letting them “borrow” the seats out of his TT #16), estimated nearly 300 people in their pit.  They raised $5000 in total, which included donations from Kris Kritter Hernandez’ BBQ at the PCI Pit Friday.  Although I didn’t witness it, word is that Rhiannon brought down the house Friday night with her karaoke rendition of I Will Survive. Also, when Amanda McCallum, co-dog in #83 was asked how her borrowed race suit fit and felt, she replied, “It was so comfy I peed in it on lap 2.”

Oldest and Youngest Racer, Clare Ross and Keala Chicas (photo: Dirtmob.com)

The Dirt Mob, racing two 30 year old buggies, claimed to have had the oldest and youngest drivers in the race; Clare Ross and Keala Chicas in car #1309.  Sharing the driving with them was Mrs. Joe Hauler, Kath Derosiers.  Tracy Cohee drove solo in #1307, the old Uff Dah car, stopping only once for a passenger change.

Team PCI looked like they had a tough race.  TT #7 fared well but the prerunner, “Jet Blue”, rolled and lost a lot of fiberglass.  Weatherman’s four seater was on the trailer with a front corner torn off.  Hopefully they’ll get everything back together before the Baja 1000.

CHECKERS OFF-ROAD had three pits set up, one every nine miles. “Checkers’ field of eight entries finished well with one win, two 2^nd and two 3^rd place finishes”, according to Chris Wilson, Captain of Checker Pit 2.  He went on to mention that all pit fees from this race will be donated to the Cure, an estimated $1500.

The big sponsor again this year was Royal Purple Synthetic Oil, a name well known to racers for their premium performance synthetic lubricants, filters and additives.  Royal Purple generously donated $40,000 and plans to field a team next year.

Saturday night, after the Awards Presentation, MORE hosted a pit party with food and great live music by The Pendejos (look it up), an exceptional classic rock band.

MORE, as usual, did a first-class job of organizing and running this event; certainly no small feat.  At the last minute, it was determined that, with the large turnout, a longer course would prove safer for the racers.  Believe it or not, on Thursday, two days before Race Day, MORE President Jim Clements and his staff were able to obtain approval from the BLM, lay out the additional miles and change the course markers, extending the Course from its original 22 miles to the actual 27.   Revised maps and a new GPS file were promptly uploaded to their Website on Friday morning.  Great job guys!

Here is a quick rundown on the results.  Complete information is available at moreracing.com (PDF)

Class 1

26   Lori Robinson

132 Jennifer Clemison

5     Shirley Jergensen

Class 1400

1433 Adina Byma

1435 Nina Shaw

1421 Lauren Shepperd

Class 5

501   Michelle Bruckmann

5011 Ann Anderson

549   Emme Hall

Class 7

700 Laura Chamlee

704 Stacey Robburts

Class 8

838   Marie Westwood

868   Shelby Thompson

8115 Rebel Roglin

Class 3

314 Christine Daughtery

Class 10

1021 Kathy Kirkmeyer

1011 Cheri Davenport

1098 Garfield Davies

Class 12

1255 Tracy Fuller

1275 Lisa Callaway

1207 Gaby Godde

Class 1350 V8

1357 Pamela Hall

1395 Kari Richey

1301 Denay George

Class ½ 1600

1627 Day Gang

1699 Julie Meehan

1691 Britany Westhoff

Class 300

300  Marie Miller

302  Linda Allen

4112 Kathy Keyes

Class 1300 4 Cyl

1310 Kelly Suitor

1366 Kim Powell

1344 Tara Dakides

Trophy Lite

6061 Wesley Bostwick

6025 Patrice Murry

6024 Fawn Finchum

Class 5/16

599 Christie Harper

570 Akiko Hayata

511 Candi Gilliam

Class 7S

729  Tabitha Rose

7120 Erin Wahl

740   Donna Passanta

Class 9

988 Kathleen Lang

930 Tori Poole

977 Kandace Kirkmeyer

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