Furnace Creek 508 - 1997 Results

The Furnace Creek 508 is a non-stop 508 mile bicycle race from Valencia to Twenty Nine Palms via Mojave, Ridgecrest, Panamint Valley, Towne Pass, Death Valley, Baker, Kelso, and Amboy. The race course includes 35,000 feet of total elevation gain and temperatures in the 50's at night and 90's during the day.

The event also serves as a qualifying event for the Race Across AMerica (RAAM) cycling event. This is how it works:
Step 1--Within each Division, find the time of the first rider who is not already RAAM Qualified.
Step 2--For a Single Bike Division, compute 25% of the time from Step 1. For a Tandem Bike Division, compute 30% of the time from Step 1.
Step 3--Add the time from Step 2 to the time from Step 1.
Step 4--If a rider finishes before the time in Step 3, the rider is RAAM Qualified.

The 22nd Furnace Creek 508 was held October 4-6, 1997 with results below. Course records are recapped by Division in a table at the bottom of this page.

The purpose of the Furnace Creek 508, according to Race Director Chris Kostman, is "To challenge yourself in the world's toughest single stage open bicycle race. To experience an unparalleled spiritual odyssey."

The Race is named after Furnace Creek in Death Valley which is about at the midpoint of the Race route, and is right down the road from Badwater, the center of the known universe!!

Special thanks to race sponsors Ranch House Inn of Valencia, Best Western Gardens Motel of Twenty Nine Palms, Hugh Murphy Productions, Cycle Design, Kucharik Bicycle Clothing, Custom Special Tees, and adventureCORPS.

	Name	Age	City	Time	Comments
1	Seana Hoopoe Hogan	38	San Jose, CA	30:03:30	Four time finisher
2	Bernadette Hawaiian Owl Franks-Ongoy	38	HI	41:43:56	RAAM Qualifier
	Sheherezade Albatross Adams	24	Oakland, CA	DNF	Gave it her all / Time limit
	Marie Hornet Handrahan	45	Mesa, AZ	DNF	Lost her sting / Ability to eat

	Name	Age	City	Time	Comments
1	Justin Panda Peschka	22	Chandler, AZ	28:42:02	Cat One USCFer
2	Andrew Blowfish Bohannon	32	Sunnyvale, CA	32:40:30
3	Harold Toad Trease	42	Jemez Springs, NM	32:46:46
4	Dwight Shark Bishop	42	Butte, MT	33:20:46
5	Peter Penguin Pop	48	Malibu, CA	34:14:21
6	Charlie Lizard Liskey	41	Somis, CA	36:11:00	RAAM Qualifier
7	Paul Elephant Evans	45	Asheville, NC	36:49:05	RAAM Qualifier
8	Thomas Mountain Pigmy-Possum Maslen	35	Menlo Park, CA	36:56:22	RAAM Qualifier
9	Lubomir Heron Hristov	38	Tustin, CA	38:28:24	RAAM Qualifier
10	Drew Otter Olewnick	37	Brooklyn, NY	44:26:00	RAAM Qualifier
11	Tim Kinkajou Kinkeade	32	Moscow, ID	44:49:47
12	Zoran Meerkat Musicki	43	Upton, NY	45:00:45	RAAM Qualifier
13	Terry Tree Slug Zmrhal	26	Redmond, WA	45:13:48	RAAM Qualifier
	Rick Amoeba Anderson	44	Woodside, CA	DNF	Stomach
	Dana Brittle Star Bradshaw	34	Tahoe City, CA	DNF	Flu
	Dan Horse Dibb	40	Long Beach, CA	DNF	Lost a shoe
	Clayton Grasshopper Gardinier	45	Sandy, UT	DNF	Stomach
	Gary Kudu Kliewer	43	Ft. Morgan, CO	DNF	Tired
	Charlie Mandril Miller	36	San Francisco, CA	DNF	Back
	Aaron Raccoon Rumple	35	St. Louis, MO	DNF	Stomach
	Scott Sawfish Scheff	23	Sherman Oaks, CA	DNF	Knee problems
	Charles Springbuck Schroyer	45	Morgan Hill, CA	DNF	Knee problems
	Brian Stork Sidwell	29	Santa Cruz, CA	DNF	Could not deliver
	Perry Swan Smith	47	Costa Mesa, CA	DNF	Beamed up
	Scott Snake Smith	35	St. George, UT	DNF

	Name	Age	City	Time	Comments
1	Reed Flamingo Finfrock	51	Springville, CA	34:52:34	Four time finisher
2	Del Spider Scharffenberg	52	Portland, OR	42:15:26	97 Death Valley Cup Finisher
3	Gale Dodo Dominy	58	Phoenix, AZ	47:18:50
	Charles Gecko Giles	57	Tucson, AZ	DNF	Dehydration
	Ron Sparrow Shepston	50	Silverado, CA	DNF	Dehydration
	Burt Wildebeest Ward	57	La Habra, CA	DNF	Stomach

	Name	Age	City	Time	Comments
1	Caribou:Mike Moseley Bob Smith	43 45	Bakersfield, CA Bakersfield, CA	36:45:25	RAAM Qualifiers
	Hyenasaurus: Rick Heiss Tom Davies	40 53	Bakersfield, CA Paradise, CA	DNF

	Name	City	Time	Comments
1	Team Klondike: Ken Wiener Gary Oisha Victor Gonzalez Brian Glueck	Pasadena, CA	24:59:30	1st men's and 2nd overall
2	Team Barracuda: Jim Blauer Jeff Davis Doug Kipperman Mick McLeod	Coronado, CA	26:36:42	2nd men's
3	Team Whippet: Jerry Wildermuth Ron Byrum Santiago Ramos Kevin Kester	Whittier, CA	28:42:57	3rd men's
	Team Bison: Mike Wracher Greg Giltner Kerry Ryan Mike Marotta	Bakersfield, CA	DNF	Accident

	Name	City	Time	Comments
1	Team Hammerhead: Joe Petersen Ron Jones Pam Traynor Kris Woolse	Bakersfield, CA	24:13:38	1st mixed and overall New mixed team record
2	Team Quail: Roehl Caragao Frank Lobre Vickie Rigby Susan Schima	Bakersfield, CA	25:53:24	2nd mixed
3	Team Camel: Maureen Bowman Terry Hutt Bob Lugo Virginia Lugo	Redlands, CA	33:41:32	3rd mixed

Division	Name	Year	Time
Men's Open	Rainer Klaus	1996	28:09:34
Women's Open	Seana Hogan	1995	28:46:34
Men's 50+	Tom Winstrom	1991	31:07:22
Men's 60+	Charles Hanson	1990	46:31:00
Men's Tandem	Heiss/Moseley	1995	31:14:05
Mixed Tandem	Staiger/Patten	1996	32:28:12
Men's Team	Action Sports	1995	21:47:12
Men's Team 50+	Bicycling Magazine	1995	23:07:58
Women's Team	TS Technical Bat	1995	27:31:10
Women's Tandem Team	Team Tarantula	1996	28:00:05
Women's Team 50+	Team Twin Team Pony	1995	35:59:48
Mixed Team	Team Hammerhead	1997	24:13:38