Riding The 2023 Iron Butt Rally As A Team

[outdoorsntn]

Yeah… I’m probably going to get poked in the eye for posting this here…

Riding the Iron Butt Rally as a team has its goods and its bads and comes with significant points penalties should a ‘team failure’ occur.

I’d go to war with this guy any day! We remained focused on the goods!

At each checkpoint … Jeff especially… and others, would ask if we are still talking to each other.

Never questioned our decision to team-up, even as IBR rookies - all worked out as planned.

Only two teams entered the IBR this year. Sorry to see what happened with Steve, Lisa, and Molly. Sentimentally… kinda broke our hearts when reading about their deer strike. (Is this ok to say touching things as this among the World’s Toughest Riders?… It will have to be!)

(Note that teams are different from two-ups). And dam$… two-ups have their own challenges too!

Larry and I finished in the lower part of mid-pack which we are happy with.

Justin Long interviewed a team of three some years ago which inspired us and made us realize it’s doable and we can have fun too!

And believe statics will show Larry Telling is now the oldest IBR rookie finisher. You motivated us Marty!

Truly… such a great experience…

Appreciate being selected and finishing with many others.

The H-D team of Larry and Doug…

 

[Martin Little]

Thanks for sharing, Rebecca and I arrived just after you both at the Washington Bonus early on Leg 3, as we all went about our business of collecting the bonus, we were both impressed by your methodical approach to working together, both very calm, collected and determined. You looked like a team on a mission. Congratulations and well done!

 

[Lisa Cover]

Congratulations! on your finish!! Great job!
I rode 2019 & 2021 as a team w my dad, Martin Cover (Lakota). It was great! Was really looking forward to doing it again in ‘23. Dad’s crash in April caused our change up. I was really excited to spend the 11 days w Molly and Steven. I feel badly Steven lost points for our team dissolving. I’m super proud of him for finishing.
I hope to ride as a team in 2025!!

 

[c10]

Nice work

 

[dmcqueeney]

. . .
Justin Long interviewed a team of three some years ago which inspired us and made us realize it’s doable and we can have fun too!
And believe statics will show Larry Telling is now the oldest IBR rookie finisher. You motivated us Marty!
Truly… such a great experience…

Doug . . . Clearly, you and Larry managed very well the advantages & disadvantages of riding as a team.
Yes, Tim Hayosh, John Carrel, and Timothy Mahoney successfully finished the 2017 IBR, as an all-rookie team of three solo riders.
Other all-rookie finishing teams of solo riders include Gary Johnson & John Shuck (1986), Joseph Mandeville & David Mishalof (1991), Eric Gibson & James Sisk (1991), Lisa Landry & Dean Tanji (2001), and Jennyfer Audet & Jacques Titolo (2009).
And you're right about Larry: he has displaced Marty Cover as the oldest IBR rookie finisher.

I've incorporated the 2023 IBR results into the IBRFacts page, and the updated version is working its way into website publication.
Some new 2023 info in IBRFacts . . .
In 2023, Larry Telling at 74 years old, became the oldest rookie finisher, on a 2022 Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited.
Results:
Finisher, 61st, Larry Telling, Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited ('22), Team Telling-Vance
Finisher, 62nd, Doug Vance, Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited ('17), Team Telling-Vance
. . . Dave

 

[Ignacio]

Good job and story. I rode as a team in 2007 with Doug Chapman and there were pluses and minuses. They didn't have the rules they do now and while I don't think they did it because of Doug and I specifically, one advantage I got was after the first leg Doug decided to bail and I did benefit a bit from us digesting what was 139 bonuses in a paper-only packet that required entering all the bonuses by hand into a Streets and Trips. We divvied it up and combined our research. I went on to finish 19th in that leg individually without penalty.

The new rules kicked in starting 2009 and I rode solo from that point...it's HARDER to ride as a team with those constraints. I got to try other rallies with a riding partner and enjoyed both with Paul Peloquin after we showed up at the first bonus together, decided to ride together, and had a hoot both times in the wilds of Nevada and Oregon.