Show Revs Up To Continue Yearly
Inaugural Yooper Motorcycle Event Shows Promise at St. Ignace
By Karen Gould

With clothes splattered with caked dirt and feet submerged in mud, cousins (from left) Wyatt Litzner, 11, of Wolverine, Ryan Litzner, 11, and Austin Marshall, 9, both of St. Ignace, stand in the middle of the mud run track for the National Anthem Sunday, May 25. The three boys, along with other young all-terrain vehicle riders, also enjoyed the opportunity to ride in the track of mud. Their efforts help to mix the dirt and water, improving track conditions for afternoon timed-truck racers. The mud run was part of weekend activities in conjunction with the Yooper Motorcyle Show at St. Ignace.

The Yooper Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet, the all-terrian vehicle (ATV) fun run, and the timed truck mud races will become annual events, say organizers for the Memorial Day weekend events in St. Ignace.

The combined events were held for the first time May 24 and 25, drawing about 1,100 adults who paid to attend Saturday and Sunday activities at Little Bear East Arena. Children were admitted free.

The weekend was planned by the St. Ignace Special Events Committee.

Friends Jack and Donna Ehrmantrant (from left) of Cheboygan and Jan and Reggie Ostwald of Levering rode their Harley Davidson Ultra Classic motorcycles across the Mackinac Bridge early Saturday morning, May 24, to attend the Yooper Motorcycle Show at St. Ignace.

"The vendors did well," said Eileen Evers, administrative assistant at the St. Ignace Chamber of Commerce. "Everyone was happy. It's only going to grow."

The Chamber managed the Sunday mud run and will hold two more of the races this year, July 5 and September 6.

Lynne Piippo director of the St. Ignace Visitors Bureau, which managed the motorcycle show and swap meet, agreed the inaugural event was successful. Now, she said, committee members will review the weekend and tweak things where needed to improve the activities and begin to make plans for next year.

Harley Davidson motorcycle owners Donna and Jack Ehrmantrant of Cheboygan and Jan and Reggie Ostwald of Levering visited the Motorcycle Show when the doors opened Saturday. The two couples agreed they would return, although they had hoped to find more than the 12 vendors and five registered motorcycles.

Had they known sooner about the registration, said Mr. Ostwald, they would have entered their Harley Davidson Ultra Classic motorcycles to be considered for a prize.

They suggested that better advertising and partnering with local hotels to offer discount rates would be a big draw for fellow bikers. The $2 gate price, they agreed, was very reasonable.

"I think they can grow this into something really great," said Mr. Ostwald. "We'll be back next year because it's going to grow. It has to."

"The first year," said Mrs. Piippo, "is always the hardest. St. Ignace has needed an event on Memorial Day weekend to open our summer season. In keeping with the tradition of St. Ignace hosting motor vehicle shows, it was a natural. And we got blessed with good weather, which is critical to a motorcycle show."

Advertising, she said, included sending invitations to motorcycle enthusiasts on a mailing list the committee had purchased, motorcycle shops in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, print advertisements in area newspapers, and a radio campaign. A representative also was sent to several motorcycle events in the state.

The promotional campaign, she said, also will be reviewed by the committee.

Rick Baldwin of Menominee won the Budweiser Great American Lager Award for best of show for his motorcycle, Captain America.

"We were very pleased with how things came out," said Mrs. Piippo speaking for the committee.

An ATV fun run was held Saturday that drew about 25 entries. Two 60 mile trail loops were offered to owners of the four-wheel machines. The option to drive one or both of the loops was an option. The trails included stops in area towns of St. Ignace, Moran, Trout Lake, Rexton Brevort, Engadine, and Naubinway.

Playing cards were drawn at the end of the event and prizes were awarded to the highest poker hands. Taking first place was Bob Horn of Mackinac Island, who won $250, coming in second place was Barb DuFresne of St. Ignace, who earned a $50 Holiday gas card, third place was Colleen St. Louis of St. Ignace, won dinner for two at the Rock Bottom in Moran, and in fourth place was Mary Marlatt of St. Ignace, who won a night's stay for two at the Econo Lodge.

The timed mud run for trucks was held Sunday. Drawing the biggest crowd yet, said Mrs. Evers, this was the third time the event was held in St. Ignace. About 500 adults paid to attend.

Drivers participating in the 79 timed runs on the track came from the towns of St. Ignace, Onaway, Charlevoix, Gulliver, Sault Ste. Marie, Levering, Cedarville, Drafter, Pickford, Cooks, Brimley, Rogers City, Gulliver, Topinabee, Hessel, Hulbert, and Kincheloe.

Children ran the track in the morning on ATVs. Their efforts helped mix the mud and water and improve tract conditions for the truck races that followed.

One of the first racers, Will Fitzpatrick of Boyne Falls, lost a wheel as he made the loop before hitting the straightaway, and Lee Kanitz of Hessel rolled his truck also in the loop section of the track. Neither driver was hurt, although work was needed on their vehicles. Mr. Fitzpatrick was able to get the tire back on his truck and placed second in Class Seven Modified race held later in the afternoon.

Mud Run Results

Matt Barber of Cheboygan won first place in the Class One Open. Rick Bonnell of Kincheloe took second place and Jim West of St. Ignace took third place.

Shannon Bonnell of Kincheloe took first place in the Second Class Women's Open. Tracy Holland of Cheboygan took second and Kristin Earl of Sault Ste. Marie took third.

Bill Rambsy of Cheboygan took first place in the Class Three Street Stock Race. Mikey Madden took second and Fred Minor of Cooks took third.

Stock trucks with tires up to 34 inches high raced in the Class Four race.

Jon Huyck of Pickford took first place. Bill Ramsby of Cheboygan took second and Dan Tomasi of Sault Ste. Marie took third.

Vehicles with tires up to 37 inches high raced in the Class Five run.

Jon Huyck of Pickford took first place, followed by Dan Tomasi of Sault Ste. Marie and Rick Bonnell of Kincheloe.

The Sixth Class Women's Stock Race followed, with Shannon Bonnell of Kincheloe taking first place. Kristin Earl of Sault Ste. Marie took second and Kelly Huyck of St. Ignace took third.

The Class Seven Modified race included vehicles with tire modifications, raised suspension systems, and other alterations.

Matt Barber of Cheboygan took first place. Will Fitzpatrick of Boyne Falls took second and Jim West of St. Ignace took third.

The Class Eight race included stock trucks with tires up to 44 inches in height.

Rick Bonnell of Kincheloe took first place. Dan Tomasi of Sault Ste. Marie took second and Jon Huyck of Pickford took third.