Frank Wesley Buddy Stubbs, Motorcycle Cannonball entrant No. 42, is the well-known and long-time owner of two Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealerships in central Arizona. Buddy, as everyone knows him, also has a background as a successful motorcycle racer and as a Hollywood stuntman. Buddy’s motorcycle museum, part of his Harley dealership operation, has a large collection of classic motorcycles, including the one he will be riding in the Motorcycle Cannonball.

“I've been the Harley-Davidson dealer in Phoenix, AZ for 44 years,” Buddy tells us, “and also have a dealership at Anthem, north of Phoenix.”

Jon Szalay is one of those guys who seems to have been born just a few decades too late. His business as an antiques restorer keeps him firmly focused on the past. And when it comes to motorcycles, most of the projects he works on are bikes from the era before 1915.

So when he heard about the Motorcycle Cannonball ride, he had to be part of it.

“This is a pretty amazing thing that Lonnie (Isam Jr) is doing,” he says. “Pre-1916 guys are pretty rare birds, and to spend two weeks crossing the country with 67 of them is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Maybe we can spend our time talking about how screwed up we all are.”

The Motorcycle Cannonball’s pack of vintage riders is about to hit the black tops across these United States and we’d like to invite you to come out and cheers us on as we pass through your area!

Usually on display in museums, private collections, or in Harley-Davidson dealerships, packs of antique motorcycles will leave their prestigious perches and hit the road, being put to the test during this grueling coast-to-coast event as their riders navigate the back roads and byways of our great nation. Many may not complete the ride and the building drama of this endurance event will be played out for the entire world to see.

We have a host of special events and some opportunities for the public to join in on the fun of this historic adventure. Check out these important dates and plan to come see these relics of a bygone era and root for your favorite rider or motorcycle. Following along the paths of their forefathers, each of the riders and their machines will be pushed to the very limit as the procession rolls from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to Santa Monica, California, during the two-week odyssey.

The Motorcycle Cannonball would like to invite you to come out and join us in your area when you can. This is your chance to see these rare machines in action and in your own hometown.

Hope to see you in your area this September.

For Bill Campbell, this year’s Motorcycle Cannonball ride offers the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong goal.

“I’ve always wanted to take a motorcycle from coast to coast,” says Campbell. “In high school, they asked us to write about the job we wanted to do, and I wrote, ‘Ride across the country on a motorcycle.’

Unfortunately, that dream had to be put on hold as Campbell got out of school and started to earn a living as a construction worker. Since then, the closest he’s come to achieving his dream came when he hauled his motorcycle to South Dakota for Sturgis Bike Week.