Lingering Questions on Hoka Hey

The word from Will Barclay, the putative winner of the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge, is that he has already had his $500,000 prize wired to his bank account, so it would appear that some folks’ expectation that no payout would ever be made was unfounded. Still, as one comment on Examiner in regard to this said, “This completely exonerates the organizers of all improprieties associated with the race. NOT!”


Hoka Hey riders before the race (Photo: David Stephens)

Nobody has done a better job than Cyril Huze of stating the questions that Big Jim Durham/Redcloud ought to answer. I doubt we’ll ever see answers to those questions, however. But here’s the latest.

Quick Throttle ran an interview with Barclay and it’s an interesting read. The story was picked up by U.S. Rider News and in a comment on that story, Frank Kelly, or at least someone who claimed to be Kelly, disputed the “photo finish” decision that ruled him out of the money. Kelly and Barclay had been in a heat for the finish and agreed to cross the finish line together and split the prize. Durham announced, however, that there could only be one winner, and that winner was Barclay because Kelly had been disqualified.

Now, I say, “at least someone who claimed to be Kelly” because there’s no way be sure here whether someone else simply posted this comment and claimed to be Kelly. With that understanding, here’s “Kelly’s” comment:

I have a bit of heartburn with alot of people saying I was disqualified or that I disqualified myself, no such thing happened. My name is on offical checkpoint sheet. The reason I was told by Jim “Red Cloud” Durham that Will was the winner and we couldn’t split the pot is that the Hoka Hey Organizers said that there could only be one winner and in their “photo finish” Will’s tire was a couple of inches ahead of mine. I haven’t seen the picture yet. I was told from Jim “Red Cloud” Durham that if Will didn’t pass his polygraph then I was next in line to have to take it. I am not sure where this info is coming from but someone is getting lied too.

So in keeping with the tone set by Cyril Huze in his questions, I think it’s also fair to insist that Durham release the photo, as well as the particulars of how this image was captured. Are we talking about serious photo-finish equipment such as they use at racetracks? Or is the photo simply one shot by someone sort of close to the finish line, sort of almost perfectly in line with the finish line?

Maybe they did have that sort of precision equipment in place and in operation. But it is exactly these sorts of unknowns that will continue to cast a shadow over the Hoka Hey until solid answers are provided. And double-checked. Because if one thing is certain it is that Jim Durham is, at best, careless with his words. He accused me and other reporters of error when we reported that he claimed the FBI would administer polygraph tests to potential winners. “That’s another thing they screwed up,” he said. Well, I know I was quoting his words exactly when I wrote that he said that, because I heard him on the radio interview he did with KBBI radio in Homer, AK. And there are other, similar instances.

So, congratulations to Will Barclay, and kudos to all competitors who finished. But is everything about the Hoka Hey settled now? NOT!

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5 Responses to “Lingering Questions on Hoka Hey”

  1. Todd8080 Says:

    Don’t hold your breath waiting for Durham’s high-tech finish line photo. The organizers of Hoka Hey haven’t been forthcoming with evidence of anything since the race was conceived.

    No official count as to the number of participants, no list of finishers, absolutely no accounting of monies received, no prize money in escrow until after the race and so far zero dollars to charity.

    No Hoka Hey officials were even at the finish line when the race was won.

    It’s been one lie after another with organizers not only contradicting their own statements but also those of the other organizers.

    And now, under the auspices of Durham, John White is planning another Hoka Hey for next year, as if the first one wasn’t a big enough embarrassment to motorcycling.

    Am I the only person who knows it’s illegal to race on public roads? Here are the two pertinent paragraphs from Florida’s statute on racing:

    316.191 Racing on highways

    (1) No person shall drive any vehicle in any race, speed competition or contest, drag race or acceleration contest, test of physical endurance, exhibition of speed or acceleration, or for the purpose of making a speed record, and no person shall in any manner participate in any such race, competition, contest, test, or exhibition.

    (3) “Racing” is defined as the use of one or more vehicles in an attempt to outgain, outdistance, or prevent another vehicle from passing, to arrive at a given destination ahead of another vehicle or vehicles, or to test the physical stamina or endurance of drivers over long-distance driving routes.

    http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0316/SEC191.HTM&Title=->2001->Ch0316->Section%20191#0316.191

  2. James King Says:

    I was a racer in the HHC, my name is James King and my coin is #220.

    Let me say this up front, I have been a BIG supporter of the HHC and I have nothing but respect for the other HHC Riders.

    However, recently my view for the HHC have changed. I now have serious doubts about the so called winner Will Barclay. His stories are inconstant and down right unbelievable. He also admitted in the Quick Throttle interview that he received outside help during the race.

    In addition, I believe that Frank Kelly does have a valid claim and I do not believe the BS story going around that he missed a check point. If he missed a check point, why did he wait around in Fairbanks with WB? Where is the picture of the finish? WB said they finished together. Why is Will Barclay changing his story now?

    I hate to say this… but something is really is wrong here.

  3. Carla Says:

    Yes, there are still MANY unresolved questions concerning HHC2010 (including Frank Kelly claiming he never disqualified himself, nor was disqualified by Durham, despite Durhams claims otherwise). This article asked if “serious photo-finish equipment such as they use at racetracks” was set up at the finish line. Given that the GPS trackers that were promised to be on each bike were not provided, i seriously doubt such photo-finish equipment was set up ready to trigger as riders crossed the finish. There weren’t even organizers there.

    Additional KEY questions, to prove the legitimacy of the event are still unanswered and ignored. Where was the money prior to the escrow account being set up AFTER then end of the Challenge? Law requires prize money of an event like this to be secured, with public disclosure, prior to the announcement if the event and registration of entrants. This was never provided, despite NUMEROUS requests for such proof.

    Not to mention, the description of this event, on its own website and blogs and at the rider meeting in KW, fits every state’s description of what an illegal road race would be. Yet both Durham’s claimed in public interviews that officials in every state they traveled had been contacted and agreed the Hoka Hey was a “challenge” and not a “race” and were supportive.

    I have received replies from the Highway Patrols of both Florida (start of race) and South Dakota (home state of the Durhams, and one of the key checkpoints). Both highway patrols said they had never been contacted and were not aware of the Hoka Hey, would not have condoned it, and that any motorist passing through their state would be expected to abide by all motorist laws. just another of many contradictions.

  4. Dave Says:

    One can not expect a truthfull answer to any questions asked of John White. I know him quite well and although I like him, he has a great aversion to being truthfull. You can not expect anything but Richard Nixon type rhetoric fdrom him and I expect the same from the people from APE and Crzy Horse that he used or is using to further the Koka Hey races. Crazy Horse LLC was never a going concern and without much resource use from APE and a lot of wasted $ that John could not afford to lose is not and I am sure will never be even after changing the name to Hoka Hey M/C Company.

  5. Dave Says:

    One can start with John Asking his friend Randy to invest in the purchasing of the engine parts from PAS. Did he advise Randy of the true nature of the purchase? Did he advised Pat Hughs of the use of resources from APE? Wellllll?

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