Cannonball Vintage Motorcycles Endurance Run Update. Rules And Ranking.

1CannonballToday September 12, is Rest Day in Junction City, Kansas for all riders and supporting crew members of the 3rd Cannonball Coast to Coast Endurance Run. Since they left Daytona Beach on September 5, those who completed the first 7 stages have ridden 1585 miles on their pre-1937 antique motorcycles. Still 2353 miles to go (3938 total miles-1585 ridden miles) before arriving in Tacoma, Washington.

cannonball1After the jump you will find the ranking after 7 riding days. But let me remind you how each participant is ranked. Each rider is given 1 point of each mile. As of today many of them have a perfect score and it may be the case at the end of the endurance run. So, in this case, riders are ranked depending of their motorcycle class. There are 3 classes: Class I for bikes from 500cc to 700cc, Class II for bikes from 701cc to 1,000cc and Class III for bikes over 1,000cc. Because it’s more difficult to ride coast to coast on a Class ! motorcycle than on a Class II and Class III antique motorcycle, the rider of Class I with a perfect score ranks higher than the rider of Class II or III with also a perfect score . If 2 riders of the same Class have a perfect score, the rider of the oldest year motorcycle will rank first. And if 2 riders of the same Class have a perfect score, ride a machine of the same production year, the oldest rider will rank above. Tie Breaks are ranked in the following order: class, motorcycle age, rider age.

Cannonball2In the ranking, you also see participants who rode all miles of each stage, but who have penalties deducted from their score. It can be for several reasons. For example 1- accomplishing all the miles, but finishing a stage outside the 45 minutes grace period to arrive at destination (points are deducted on the basis of the number of extra miles the rider would have ridden if he (or she) would have arrived on time. 2- asking a co-rider to replace you for a full or part of the stage (penalty is 100 points for each new rider beyond the first. 3- having a supporting crew assisting you with parts and labor during the stage, etc. You see the penalty points in the right column.

DottieCapeGirardeauErwin “Cannon Ball” Baker legacy is on the mind of all participants, and all are ready to do what it takes (repairing by themselves on the side of the road with the few tools they may carry or not, after stage arrival working all night on an hotel parking lot to rebuild an engine, etc) to be able to roll their vintage motorcycles through the finish line In Tacoma on September 21st.

I want to mention the charity work done by Dottie Mattern ( Number 43, 1936 Indian Scout) all along the 16-stage event. Dottie is a colon cancer survivor and is raising funds for both the Antique Motorcycle Foundation, Inc. and the Colon Cancer Alliance, Inc.

She is posting daily updates about the Cannonball on the Antique Motorcycle Club of America as well as her own Dottie’s website where you can donate (tax deductible for Federal Income Tax purpose.)

Below is the official standings as of September 12, 2014. (to see the penalty points of some riders, go HERE)

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7 Responses to “Cannonball Vintage Motorcycles Endurance Run Update. Rules And Ranking.”


  1. 1 Frank Pence Sep 12th, 2014 at 8:58 am

    Hurting feels good…when you arrive.

  2. 2 Drake Sep 12th, 2014 at 9:00 am

    Let’s admire all these riders. Standings don’t matter, but notice that an Indian Scout is leading.

  3. 3 Shifter@aol.com Sep 12th, 2014 at 9:01 am

    It would be good to see also some younger riders on these antique machines.

  4. 4 ColoradoKid Sep 12th, 2014 at 9:40 am

    What I’m loving about this ‘ event ‘ lately is the diversity of bikes being entered as well as the riders . From , Young to Old(er) – coming from all over the World – both men and women : American Bikes – to Euro – to UK .. and now even a few retro customs and choppers based on classic bikes .

    As for my personal favorite ? Go Shinya ! ( as well as Paul d’O )

    .. and errr .. Drake … thats a classic Scout in the lead .. which has about zero in common with the new one .. just sayin is all 😉

  5. 5 MAGNET MAN Sep 13th, 2014 at 7:33 am

    We are still rooting for Dottie Mattern
    Good seeing you in Daytona
    Godspeed Dottie!

  6. 6 Ed Youngblood Sep 13th, 2014 at 8:23 am

    Cyril, thanks so much for mentioning Dottie Mattern’s charitable fund-raising campaign. Everything she raises will be divided equally between the Colon Cancer Alliance and the Antique Motorcycle Foundation. I hope all of your readers will get behind her.

  7. 7 Blackmax Sep 15th, 2014 at 3:40 pm

    Thank you for the updates !!!
    The spirit of the motorcycle, still lives !!
    Stay safe out there & good luck

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Cyril Huze