2003 Furnace Creek 508 Webcast

1 + 1 = Fun

There's fast, and then there's FAST. Two-man Team Mountain Goat blazed the course in a record pace of 25 hours, 38 minutes. Dan McGehee knew that he was in for a stint in "hell," and prepared for the race by reading "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis. He was the 1998 solo winner at the 508, but his teammate, Matthew Innes, was new to the course.

The father/son duo of Team Auk ride together every single day from their home in Tigard, Oregon. They prepped by training in the high desert of Eastern Oregon, and knew their riding strengths and weaknesses well enough to predict their Furnace Creek 508 finishing time within 4 minutes. Would they do the race again? "Yes!" replied an eager Randy Radcliffe. "But I'd do it a lot differently," he remarked.

Team Diamondback's
Wayne Highsmith

Team Mountain Goat's Matthew Innes

Jack Wagoner and Bob Brudvik used the knowledge gleaned in the 2003 RAAM to pedal successfully to a finish here today. Sporting unique camouflage jerseys, the "Bush Plankton" team followed up on their early race promise to cruise the downhills at top speed, crossing the finish line in 31 hours, 11 minutes.

Team Diamondback's Dwayne Highsmith felt so great as he crested the demanding Sheep Hole Summit, he exclaimed, "I could go around again!" No comment was immediately available from his teammate Tim Jones.

Tom Miller's Red Racers team placed a solid third place in 28:29. While Miller is a 508 veteran, his teammate, Mike Sturgill, was a rookie who answered Miller's "I need a teammate" post to the internet just a few weeks before the race.

The Sailfish held true to their totem. A picture of efficiency at every rider exchange, their crew seemed to be having as much fun as the riders. Rider Craig Morganson of Las Vegas has been riding a road bike for just 15 months prior to the FC508. Their pre-race goal of 32 hours was obliterated with a finish in 29 hours, 44 minutes.

Silver Foxes are both sly and fast. John Clare and Dan Crain held true to form and had a great race., posting a 60+ record of 29:53 that was faster than the new 50+ record.

TwoCan absolutely can! 32 hours and 17 minutes after leaving Valencia, Tim Skipper and John Williams crossed the line in Twenty Nine Palms, setting the 50+ record.

The husband/wife pair of Joe and Tina Petersen absolutely rocked on the course. Joe's "dialed-in" time trial setup worked in his favor, and fans lining the course could hear the roar of his rear disc wheel as he passed. Tina climbed out of the saddle with authority, prodded on by her crew that included one of her favorite sisters. Their efforts resulted in a course record of 29 hours, 4 minutes.

The Queen Bees of Bakersfield, Marvis Friesen and Vickie Rigby, did a little rocking of their own with a commanding 34 hour, 25 minute finish, yet another of the eight records set at this year's race.

Washingtonians David Fischer and Diane Ross of Team Chinook mixed style and raw physical talent in their successful completion of 32 hours, 22 minutes. This was Fischer's fifth consecutive team 508 finish, but Ross' first effort.

And wrapping up the two-person team category was the effervescent duo of the British Bulldogs, Pete Dowhan and Warren James. Never once faltering, their smiles demonstrated their satisfaction at the Best Western Gardens Inn & Suites finish line, passing through in 34 hours, 56 minutes.

This exciting category is much more than just the sum of two riders working together. The synergy that the riders create is immeasurable, impressive, and inspirational.

Team Pegasus' Joe Petersen

Team Sailfish's Craig Morganson