Team Cramp 2007 Ride / Chili Cookoff

10 Years Of Over Doing It!!!

TENTH ANNUAL TEAM CRAMP
REUNION RIDE & CHILI COOK-OFF
OCTOBER 13, 2007

THE TEAM CRAMP CREW - BEN COFFMAN, JERRY DIETSCH, MIKE HANCE, RANDY HEIDEMAN, ED HIXON, BILL NEWKIRK, DARREN PORTER, RANDY PORTER, GREG SCHAEFER, BRAD WHITWORTH, AND MIKE WILLIAMS - would like to thank everyone for making the Team Cramp Tenth Annual Reunion Ride and Chili Cookoff a truly great experience! Special thanks go to Mark Watson for organizing the golf outing; Terry McNally for donating the Chili Trophy and Medallions; Ed Hixon, Mark Watson, Shannon Thompson, Bill Stietenroth, and Jeff Bintliff for serving as chili judges; Leslie Holland for serving as this year's Secret Fashion Judge; Kirk Spencer and the Dallas Death Row Moto Squad for the Team Cramp Reunion Cake; Ed Hixon and Greg Schaefer for stocking and attending the Team Cramp Bar; Jill Tinkham for her delicious JilloShots and barback assistance; all who made generous monetary donations for the party, track prep, TC bar, supplies and food; all our family and friends who helped set up and clean up; and everyone for all the great food and good company!

Early Friday morning, Team Cramp Golf Pros Mark Watson and Jack Huggins led two teams, including Mike Hance, Loretta Spence (along with her personal caddy, Shannon Thompson), Bill Newkirk, Ed Hixon, Bill Hance, and John Morrison, in the Tenth Annual Watson-Huggins Golf Classic. Reports of golf scores being much exaggerated, we understand nonetheless that a good time was had by all!

By late Friday afternoon, the Team Cramp crew & friends were out celebrating the great weather and prepping for the weekend festivities. The pre-reunion reception and party was hosted by the Spring Branch Chapter of Team Cramp in the Boisjolie Party Tent & Tiki Lounge. Entertainment was provided by the comedy team of Bill Hance and Jack Huggins. Later in the evening, Brad "The BRadical" Whitworth, taking advantage of the low humidity and clear skies, led a stargazing expedition in the meadow, sighting "stars, lots of stars."

Despite the revelry and merrymaking that took place Friday evening and into the early hours of Saturday morning, Rob Brandon was out on the track at sunrise to reclaim his First on the Track title for 2007! (Last year's winner, Buddy Byrnes, redeemed himself by cooking & serving a delicious breakfast Saturday morning. Although not making an appearance on the track until late in the day, Byrnes-fully regaled in The Li'l Prick's gear-made his trek onto the track in honor of Chris Hance who was unable to attend this year.)

The Team Cramp Crew was fortunate once again to enjoy the privilege and pleasure of riding with some of the greatest motocross riders in Texas! We were honored with the first time appearances of Billy Click, Craig Knight, Jeff Kring, David McClaskey, Rocky Miller, Tony Mosley, and Mike Shelby! Doughboy's Death Row Moto Squad of Kirk Spencer, Pete Rowen, Steve Mulholland, Greg Mulholland, Kirk Dillon, Mark Rakestraw, and Ron King, hit the trails with Paul Burnett, Buddy Byrnes, Tom Aylett, David Lux, Randy Heideman, Roger Boisjolie, Rob Brandon, Shannon "ShanMan" Thompson, Tibby and Batesy Horvath, and "others." Despite the dust, the crew enjoyed some riding, but most of all enjoyed the experience! Everyone enjoyed the awesome display of vintage motorcycles, along with the vintage riders and their vintage stories!
We had 16 entries in the cook-off this year, including several first timers! Our superb panel of Judges diligently deliberated and ultimately named the winners: in the Chili Category, Jill Tinkham and Bill Newkirk returned to the podium taking the First Place Trophy once again. Team Cramp's own, Jerry Dietsch, took 2nd place, and first-timer, Mike Shelby, took 3rd. In the Beans Category, 1st place went to Lonnie "Señor Pollo" Hardamon. Uncle Fritz Wieghot placed 2nd, with 3rd place going to Dan Smith. As usual, the Mystery Category caused the judges a bit of confusion, but after much tasting and opining, the judges polished off both entries and declared a tie between Leslie Holland for her decadent raspberry chocolate cake and Dru Phelps for her tasty Taco Soup.

At the 2007 Team Cramp Tres Chic Fall Fashion Show, the crowds were spellbound by the Fall Collections of Team Cramp's top fashion designers. After carefully critiquing the runway action, Secret Fashion Judge, the stylish Leslie Holland, made her selections for the podium. Craig Knight took first place with his King of Rock & Roll Evening-in-Vegas sequined jumpsuit, complete with Elvis signature sunglasses and fully functional microphone! In a close second was the Byrnes Design Dream Team of Buddy and Collin Byrnes showing their Prêt-a-Porter Palm Springs Afternoon-at-the-Club duo of dumpster-divin' designs. Honorable mention goes to Megan McDonough for her Princess Leia Organa Solo of Alderaan Gown from her Star Wars Couture Design Line. Another honorable mention goes to a late entry by coyly coquettish Billy Click showing his Belle-of-the-Ball satin cerulean gown with plunging neckline and matching motocross boots.

As for the 2007 First Man Down Award, we saw another stellar performance by ShanMan Thompson, and his Wingman, Dave-O Clack! In a tag team effort, they attempted to empty the Six Shooter at the end of the night, resulting in a crippling standoff between the two contenders. A tie was declared and the First Man Down Clean-up Committee hauled ShanMan and Dave-O off to the pits.

And finally, after ten long years, Bill Newkirk, holder of many Team Cramp titles, was recognized for his long standing ability to ward off all attempts by Mike Williams, Team Cramp's Official Barkeep, to take Sweet Willie down. There was a tense moment Friday night when Bill momentarily stumbled as he left the Boisjolie Tiki Lounge. After some precise measurements by the Team Cramp First Man Down Committee of Ed Hixon and Jerry Dietsch, and a careful viewing of the Instant Replay Cam, it was determined that the 3-Second Rule would apply in this instance as Newkirk's knees touched the ground simultaneously for less than 3 seconds. Once again, Ben Coffman would like to reiterate... "Sweet Willie's not going down… he's a professional."

After graciously accepting his award, Newkirk, in his role as Team Cramp Official Spokesman, addressed the crowd and eloquently expressed the pleasures of the enduring friendships enjoyed by the Team Cramp Crew over the past ten years of the Reunion and eighteen years of Team Cramp! As always, in a few well chosen words, Sweet Willie enumerated the outstanding events of the past year-most notably the first Texas-hosted AMA MX National in 19 years at Freestone, Texas-and then officially declared the Team Cramp Bar open for business! A much welcome respite after the dust on the track and trails, the Team Cramp Bar was under the care and guidance of Apprentice Barkeeps Ed Hixon and Greg Schaefer, offering an extensive and diverse buffet of Six Shooters, surprise spritzers, and cigars!

Maintaining the integrity of the Team Cramp Motto, "if it's worth doing… it's worth overdoing," Kevin Powers, Chairman of Team Cramp's Combustion Committee, lit the bonfire with what was undeniably the best bonfire detonation in TC history!

Like a moth to a flame, so to speak, Pyromaniac Paul Burnett pirouetted through the flames on his pit bike, as Firefighters Mark Watson and Liz Ledgerwood led the water brigade to stanch the overzealous blaze from taking out bystanders and nearby forests.

The Saturday evening celebration soon mellowed into a pleasurable experience among family and friends in the Team Cramp tradition of camaraderie, frivolity, and merriment!

The Tenth Annual Reunion drew to a close Sunday as Crampers rose early to enjoy a community breakfast buffet served up with Mike Shelby Private Reserve Bloody Marys … and to hit the trails for one last ride… until next time!