The Dirt Works Grudge Match rears its head again in 2008 with the return of "mate against mate" racing at the 2008 BMC Working Week Series.

The 2006 Working Week Series saw a Grudge Match develop between Dirt Works’ brand manager Pat Howard and his boss, Richard “Poncho” Powell. As Poncho reports:

Both Pat and I had begun riding solo in the 8 hour series 2 years ago. While Pat had finished several rounds and done quite well I had DNF’d through crashes and overexertion.

Being two very proud males, Pat would take great pleasure in taunting me and I’d react with “I’ll get you next time” retorts. Finally it got to the point where it was time to throw down the gauntlet and offer a real challenge.

The Idea:

Since we clearly are not pro riders and any class category would separate us, I needed a new format. We agreed on the Grudge Match. The concept is that two riders or two teams with an equal sum of advantages and disadvantages do battle against each other irrespective of their placing within the official categories.

So for example, Pat had youth and consistency but was lazy at training and diet, I had better tech skills, more commitment to training and diet and a bitter disdain for Pat’s cavalier waste of his potential.

Ultimately the driving motivation was the shame and/or prowess of each victory/defeat.

In 2007, Dirt Works and Bright Orange Events offered entrants of the KHS Working Week Series the chance to publicly declare their Grudge Match. Grudge Matches could be between any solo rider or team . The overall winners of each Grudge Match were declared at the final event of the series. 

2007 KHS Working Week Series - Grudge Match Results, Reports and Photos Here

The Original Grudge Match Here

2008 WWS Grudge Match Entries Here

The Grudge Match Blog Here