Sunday, November 8, 2009

RAAM 2010 I am in!!!!

Wednesday June 9th the 29th RAAM will start at noon from the pier in Oceanside California and once again I will be there. For 2010 I will be with the RAAM racers not the RAW racers. This is a big step up from last years RAW but I hope that last years experience will make the move easier. Many of you are amazed that after last years DNF I would once again submit myself to that kind of punishment. Before you call and schedule me for a C.A.T. scan the catch is that in 2010 I will be part of a crew for a RAAM racers not racing myself.

I first met Paul Carpenter at the Balltown Classic in 2008. He was finishing his preparations for the Race Across the West. He and I had been at some of the same events but we never had been formally introduced. That fall as I was finishing the Ultra Iowa 24 hour race I briefly asked him about his RAW experience. He is the one that convinced me to give it a try. In February of 2009 we drove to Florida together to compete in the "24 Hours of Sebring". We talked about racing quite a bit and he told me his plans to compete in RAAM 2010. I offered to crew if he needed some help. Last week I got an e-mail from him asking if I was still interested.

Paul has been the top "Big Dog" the last three years riding over 20,000 miles each year and already at 19,000 this year. He lives in Batavia Illinois, a suburb of Chicago and works at Northern Illinois University and rides 31 miles each way to work. You can read some of his ride entries at Bigdogs.

As the race gets closer I am sure I will know what the travel details and what my jobs as a crew member will be.

2 comments:

Dallas said...

wow that's awesome ! Congrats Joe. What a special project to be a part of.
I'm sure you'll be a crucial part of the Team. I'll be there one day too...

dallas

Dan Fallon said...

Congrats, Joe ... you and Paul are a great pair. Knowing Paul you'll have little to do because he's really organized, focused and really smart! With your experience and road-savvy .... it's going to be real enterprise.

Don't forget to waive when you fly past me on RAW!!