FJRForum Official 2015 Iron Butt Rally Tracking/Analysis thread

[Twigg]

John you are not speculating. ALL parks are available on each leg, they just carry different point values and can only be counted once for the "50 Parks".

The very low points some carry on, for example, the 1st Leg, is just an indication that the Rally Master doesn't think they should be targets on that Leg.

 

[HotRodZilla]

Howdy all, new guy here. Just stopping by to post a link to some pics from yesterday's Josh Mountain Forkapalooza repair shindig hosted by NMRoadrunner and HotRodZilla.
Cheers ~~ WW

Holy cow, just saw this now after I saw Leehopps post. Those are cool. I like how all the seriously stressful parts are not shown. That's when we were all jumping in to do some thinking. Haha...Nice job, and great meeting you!!

 

[RideToEat]

Here's a time map for Checkpoint 2. This one shows 10 hours from the barn with no penalty, plus 2 more hours for the penalty period.

It's based on Streets & Trips estimate of drivetime to the checkpoint, with all of the speed sliders set to max.

As before, take it with a grain of salt because it presumes the rider will use the fastest route, and it does not account for fuel stops, traffic, weather, construction, bonus bagging, etc.

Links to more maps below (including animated gifs) in 2 formats, one with a fixed zoom and the other that zooms in to the zone.

10 Hour fixed / zoom

9 Hour fixed / zoom

8 Hour fixed / zoom

7 Hour fixed / zoom

6 Hour fixed / zoom

5 Hour fixed / zoom

4 Hour fixed / zoom

3 Hour fixed / zoom

2 Hour fixed / zoom

1 Hour fixed / zoom

0 Hour fixed / zoom

-1 Hour fixed / zoom

Animated fixed / zoom

Enjoy!

 

[Hello Kitty]

Webwalker, thanks for the photos. I'm assuming you were there to help, so thanks for that too. Again, Zilla and NMroadrunner, and others who helped, thank you.

I'm really enjoying all this stragegizing. I was speaking with a doner earlier and he was thinking there was a bit of luck in play here. Was it smarter to get the states in leg 1, so you can focus on parks with big points and not fuss about states so much? Time will tell. I'm simply fascinated.

 

[STL FJR]

There is more in play here than points, there are also qty-states and qty-natParks. Which makes efficiency stats kinda interesting, (+anal+silly) ....so I'm in.

That got me a thinking a bit. I think there might be yet another dimension developing here on Leg #2. What if they gotta get a minimum number of parks in states AND they can visit parks multiple times for points each time they visit?

If so, that means they could throw a park points to be a large amount in Leg #2, a rider having already visited it in Leg #1, but it's worth enough to visit again......with the probable caveat that subsequent visits won't count towards the minimum 50.

Again if so....that's seriously diabolical, guaranteed to cause many a helmet fire, and reward the puzzle master riders out there.

The reason I bring it up is I think I see rider(s) going back to places they visited in the first leg. I'm just sayin'......

I made this post a few days ago, but got no responses. Not sure if no one saw it, or just didn't care (ouch) ...

When I look at the list of National Parks, in order to get 50 in 25 states ( excluding Alaska) you would have to do the following; 1) Hit Yellowstone in all 3 states that it lies in; Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. OR Smoky Mountains in both TN and NC along with Yellowstone OR Death Valley which is in both CA and NV. This is assuming IBR rules allow taking credit for a single park in multiple states. 2) Get Acadia up in Maine, which I assume would be perhaps on the East Coast leg 3) Get Isle Royal in Michigan, which is only accessible by Ferry. This one will take some considerable planning, to catch the ferry on the most efficient schedule during that leg. Yes, this will be very interesting on legs 2 and 3! Smarter folks on here than I can shoot holes in my theory, but me thinks Alaska might have to come into play on Leg 3???

 

[nealopp]

Really stoked to see my man Erik Lipps (cordovarider) in 3rd place!

He's been a top rally fixture on the west coast here for a few years, getting a slot for The Show was a nice surprise!

Really stoked to see my man Erik Lipps (cordovarider) in 3rd place!

He's been a top rally fixture on the west coast here for a few years, getting a slot for The Show was a nice surprise!

 

[russperry]

So what do you all think the game plan is for #130? When I saw that lone rider heading west I thought they were headed for the Flagstaff sites, but he's still heading west with the rest of the field headed due east. With nothing in sight until maybe Death Valley, does he then turn to the northeast through Utah and Colorado again with all of those parks getting maybe extra points, then a banzai dash to Tennessee? It looks like he'll be 1000 miles behind the pack by the time he gets to California and turns around....

seems like that approach could be worth a lot of points but he'll be covering the same states over again (unless he's one of the Texas guys who never hit those states) - possibilities seem endless!

 

[STL FJR]

I made this post a few days ago, but got no responses. Not sure if no one saw it, or just didn't care (ouch) ...

When I look at the list of National Parks, in order to get 50 in 25 states ( excluding Alaska) you would have to do the following; 1) Hit Yellowstone in all 3 states that it lies in; Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. OR Smoky Mountains in both TN and NC along with Yellowstone OR Death Valley which is in both CA and NV. This is assuming IBR rules allow taking credit for a single park in multiple states. 2) Get Acadia up in Maine, which I assume would be perhaps on the East Coast leg 3) Get Isle Royal in Michigan, which is only accessible by Ferry. This one will take some considerable planning, to catch the ferry on the most efficient schedule during that leg. Yes, this will be very interesting on legs 2 and 3! Smarter folks on here than I can shoot holes in my theory, but me thinks Alaska might have to come into play on Leg 3???

I think I answered my own question after researching a little further. Isle Royle is not listed in the Bonus book, becuase you cannot take a motorcycle ( or car ) there. So Iggy, you may be correct, they must be able to get credit for the same parks in multiple states on each leg?

 

[Hello Kitty]

Yeah, pretty sure that was laid out. They said all parks were available in all legs except the ones that were group photos. Then leg specific I'd have to double check, but I believe that was in a daily report from Chris on the IBA website.

This is really exciting!

Hey, also very worthy of everyone pulling for him is Jerome Byrd. He's a fantastic human being and tho I didn't check to see what he's riding in the rally, I've never seen him on anything but a scooter. Awesome guy.

 

[JKent]

There is more in play here than points, there are also qty-states and qty-natParks. Which makes efficiency stats kinda interesting, (+anal+silly) ....so I'm in.

That got me a thinking a bit. I think there might be yet another dimension developing here on Leg #2. What if they gotta get a minimum number of parks in states AND they can visit parks multiple times for points each time they visit?

If so, that means they could throw a park points to be a large amount in Leg #2, a rider having already visited it in Leg #1, but it's worth enough to visit again......with the probable caveat that subsequent visits won't count towards the minimum 50.

Again if so....that's seriously diabolical, guaranteed to cause many a helmet fire, and reward the puzzle master riders out there.

The reason I bring it up is I think I see rider(s) going back to places they visited in the first leg. I'm just sayin'......

There is more in play here than points, there are also qty-states and qty-natParks. Which makes efficiency stats kinda interesting, (+anal+silly) ....so I'm in.

That got me a thinking a bit. I think there might be yet another dimension developing here on Leg #2. What if they gotta get a minimum number of parks in states AND they can visit parks multiple times for points each time they visit?

If so, that means they could throw a park points to be a large amount in Leg #2, a rider having already visited it in Leg #1, but it's worth enough to visit again......with the probable caveat that subsequent visits won't count towards the minimum 50.

Again if so....that's seriously diabolical, guaranteed to cause many a helmet fire, and reward the puzzle master riders out there.

The reason I bring it up is I think I see rider(s) going back to places they visited in the first leg. I'm just sayin'......

From what I could gather at the start meeting. That is at least partly accurate. You can visit a national park and collect the same bonus location in each leg, points value for each leg will be different. So, technically you can visit a N.P. location 3 times over the course of the rally. It will still only count as 1 state and 1 national park. Which means it will add to your points, but it won't add to your 50 in 25 tally.

Purely evil, if true. Eliminates what initially appeared as a tough but straight forward rally. The IBR usually has a twist or two. This may be it? There potentially could be a rider or two with 50 and 25 by end of leg two... which could have someone going all out somewhere to grab a big point bonus? Interesting.

 

[beemerdons]

Howdy all, new guy here. Just stopping by to post a link to some pics from yesterday's Josh Mountain Forkapalooza repair shindig hosted by NMRoadrunner and HotRodZilla.

Cheers ~~ WW

Holy cow, just saw this now after I saw Leehopps post. Those are cool. I like how all the seriously stressful parts are not shown. That's when we were all jumping in to do some thinking. Haha...Nice job, and great meeting you!!

Way Cool, JSNS!

 

[jwhite518]

You guys who helped Josh Mountain are totally awesome. Why would anybody ride anything other than an FJR in the Show, when they have this kind of pit crew?

 

[Gas Guy]

Isle Royale may not be accessible, but Lower Michigan has Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and the Upper Penninsula of Michigan has Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, if those are acceptable. They do both have visitor centers and offer stamps.

 

[RenoJohn]

You guys who helped Josh Mountain are totally awesome.

Forkin' Awesome

Glad to help you out Jerry.

 

[flars]

"Yellowstone in all three states..."

The rallybook only shows one entry for Yellowstone ('take a picture of Old Faithful erupting'), so I would infer from that that you can only count ONE state for Yellowstone. I would say that if you could count it for multiple states, you would have to have multiple entries in the book, each specifying what to take a picture of, and specifying which state the bonus would count for.

 

[Ignacio]

Isle Royale may not be accessible, but Lower Michigan has Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and the Upper Penninsula of Michigan has Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, if those are acceptable. They do both have visitor centers and offer stamps.

I only see Sleeping Bear Dunes in the packet and it has a specific requirement of "From the Dune Climb parking lot, take a picture of the Dunes including your motorcycle" Stamps are not proof in any of the bonuses of this rally.

 

[eflyguy]

"Yellowstone in all three states..."The rallybook only shows one entry for Yellowstone ('take a picture of Old Faithful erupting'), so I would infer from that that you can only count ONE state for Yellowstone. I would say that if you could count it for multiple states, you would have to have multiple entries in the book, each specifying what to take a picture of, and specifying which state the bonus would count for.

I am leaning this way also. I have been thinking quite a bit about this. The rule states: ".. a rider must visit 50 US national parks in 25 states .."

If I am in WY and visit Yellowstone, I've visited one park in one state

If I am in MT and visit Yellowstone, I've visited one park in two states

I have no experience here but I think revisiting the same park in a different state would give you the state but not an "additional" park..

 

[Ignacio]

I have no experience here but I think revisiting the same park in a different state would give you the state but not an "additional" park..

The single bonus available for Yellowstone in the packet is clearly Wyoming and not any other state. It's only going to count for one state regardless of whether the park itself has elements in other states...even if you ride through those parts.

YELL

Yellowstone National Park

US-20/Grand Loop Road

Yellowstone NP, WY

Coordinates: 44.4604 0110.8281

24/7

Notice how in the rallybook there are no bonuses about collecting state bonuses? The bonuses are exclusively the various parks and locations...indicating they only can prove they were in a state by scoring a bonus. I don't think they're turning fuel receipts or other artifacts to prove being in a state.

However, most (if not all) of the people that have gone to Yellowstone (or may go to YS) have also gone to nearby bonuses in Idaho and Montana anyway.

 

[flars]

Again, the rallybook shows an 'address' of 'Yellowstone NP, Wyoming', so I think you can only get one state for visiting Yellowstone, no matter what direction you come to it from. This would be true of any park: one address is given in the book, and that address gives the state you can claim.

Also, there is a picture in the book that shows what they want a picture of, so even if there were ten entries to a park, the sign they want only exists in one location, and that location is stated in the 'address' line in the book.

 

[eflyguy]

Thanks for the clarification! Makes sense..