DuneFest 2012 at Winchester Bay, OR
View from the top of Banshee Hill of the Sand Vendor Area at DuneFest
2012
By Jon Crowley, UTVGuide.net
This was my third year attending DuneFest
and it went off better than ever. More vendors and it was well
organized. Plus the weather was incredible for four out of five days!
DuneFest is held in the
Winchester Bay
Dunes which are part of the
Oregon Dunes
National Recreation Area. DuneFest is organized by the
Reedsport/Winchester Bay Chamber of Commerce and the Sand
Camping/Staging facilities which are on National Forest Lands is
authorized by a special use permit from the Siuslaw National Forest. The
entire dunes at Winchester Bay are set aside for DuneFest from Wednesday
to Sunday. To get into the dunes and the DuneFest event, you need
an arm band.
I stayed at the Winchester Bay Inn and staged my trailer by the Muzzys
booth in Sand Camping Area "C". This worked well for me because I
locked my UTVs up in the enclosed trailer at night and drove my truck
over the the motel. The Winchester Bay Inn is right near Salmon Harbor.
It is convenient, reasonably priced and clean.
I brought up out Arctic Cat Wildcat and also picked up a brand new John
Deere Gator RSX850i at the dealer in Roseburg on the way in. It was nice
to have two UTVs with me since I was there for five days. It is a
long way to travel, and it would be a bummer to have an issue with one
of the units early in the trip. Thankfully, that worry was
unwarranted as both demo units performed without a hitch. I ended
up trading back and forth between vehicles several times a day and that
made each trip into the dunes different.
The Wildcat is a pure sport machine and the RSX850i is sport-utility.
What this means is the Wildcat is built with long-travel suspension,
higher horsepower and not much cargo area. The RSX850i has standard
travel, a 2-inch receiver and a dump bed capable of doing work.
The Wildcat is bread for moving through the chopped up dunes, but can't
haul a load of firewood to save its' life. So don't try and put these
two vehicles in a head to head comparison because they weren't built to
compete with each other.
John Deere Gator RSX850i
We picked up a new RSX850i on the way to DuneFest
and put it to the test in Winchester Bay. The Sport model features
sport seats, alloy wheels with Maxxis tires, PreRunner
bumper, cargo box rails, sport steering wheel and FOX 2.0 Performance
Series shocks. This was the first trip with our new demo unit and it
performed flawlessly!
For a stock sport-utility UTV, the RSX850i is a solid performer and a great
move for John Deere's first venture into the less utilitarian world. This isn't
a pure-sport UTV, it isn't fair to compare it straight up against models in that
class, but it does very well when compared to the Commander, Rhino, Teryx and
Prowler.
The power from the Piaggio v-twin felt good. Not as powerful as a Commander
1000, but definitely more grunt than a Teryx. I believe there is a lot of
potential left untapped with intake (single 36mm throttle body has got to be
restrictive) and exhaust work. The suspension is unique, and for a 56.5" wide,
non-long travel UTV I was real impressed.
Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000
Our Arctic Cat Wildcat was big fun at DuneFest.
Paddle tires from Fullerton Sand Sports, new dual exhaust installed
at DuneFest by Muzzys, Pro Armor doors and graphics and Rigid
Industries SR LED light added some personality and punch to this
sport UTV!
The Wildcat really shined in the Winchester Bay
Dunes. I rode most of the time with two people in the car, and
as the week progressed the dunes got more chopped up. We could
bomb through terrain that other UTVs would not be able to handle at
half the speed. The only issue I say in the suspension is trying to
set the car up for two people with optimal g-out and whoops control.
If you add more compression to handle the g-outs in the rear, it
tends to buck more in the whoops. This is really only an issue when
riding hard in the dunes with two people, but that is what I like to
do. I would also like to see how a set of
Fox
Racing Shox Position Sensitive Shocks perform in the rear. Maybe FOX will
even offer a 2.5" setup in the near future!
Muzzys Big Bore Arctic Cat Wildcat
I got a chance to take the Muzzys Wildcat for a
ride. It features dual exhaust, Stage II big bore power,
Muzzys wet-clutch delete, Factory UTV skids, Fullerton Sand Sports
sand tires and much more. Love the extra power and the wet-clutch
delete!
Moore Brothers in the Dunes
We caught up with the Moore Brothers (Caleb and
Colton) on the Poker Run on Saturday morning. They were riding
in a Polaris RZR XP and were having big fun ripping up the dunes!
In the Dunes
Drag Racing
The 350 HP RZR XP that K&T Performance brought was insane!
Last Man Standing UTV Race
Sand Vendor Area
Arctic Cat and Yamaha had their factory demo semis
at DuneFest. Portland Polaris was giving demo rides as well.
Muzzys was out in the sand area as well. Selling performance
products and installing exhaust systems.
Moore Brothers ATV Freestyle
Caleb and Colton Moore put on several ATV Freestyle
events at DuneFest 2012. These guys have mad skills and the
crowd loved the action.
Coverage is brought to you by:
DuneFest 2012 - August 1-5, 2012
Ovation Award winner of "The Best Sporting Event in Oregon". This
five-day event is filled with exciting fun activities including adult
and kid activities, Moto Cross Racing, Sand Drags, Poker Run, Treasure
Hunt, Show N’ Shine, Drive-In Movie Night, Charity Auction, Freestyle
Shows, evening entertainment featuring Rock The Dunes Friday and
Saturday nights. Vendor Row offers ATV’s, clothing, crafts, ATV
accessories, and food booths.
DuneFest offers A Kid’s Safe ATV Riding Area, Exciting Activities for
all skill and age ranges, Non Ethanol Gasoline, premium fuel 92 octane,
available in Salmon Harbor at the fuel dock, and a free shuttle bus
service from Winchester Bay.
With the help of hundreds of volunteers, DuneFest is the premiere ATV
sand event in the country. DuneFest is a family-friendly atmosphere and
boasts the slogan: "THE MOST FUN A FAMILY CAN HAVE IN THE SAND"
Facilities under Special Use Permit with the Siuslaw National Forest &
Douglas County Parks.
DuneFest 2012 Schedule of Events:
TUESDAY, July 31
2:00pm - Camp Check-in and
Pre-registration booth opens at
Fisherman’s Memorial on Salmon
Harbor Drive
WEDNESDAY, August 1st
8:00 am - Camp Check-in and
registration all day.
8:00 am - Welcome to DuneFest
Pancake Breakfast at Hospitality
tent Main Stage Area sponsored
by Yamaha Motor Corporation USA.
Presented by The Military Order
Of The Purple Heart.
9:00 am - Vendor Area opens.
9:00 am - Youth Safety classes
open Main Stage
9:00 am - DuneFest 2012 FAMILY
FUN IN THE SUN ACTIVITY AREA
OPENS sign up at the Albany MX
TRACK AREA.
10:00 am - Event Registration
Booth (Poker Run, Treasure Hunt,
Tire Toss, etc. opens Main Stage
(DECIBEL CHECK REQUIRED testing
available).
2:00 pm - Mini Warriors
Quadcross Grand Prix MX track
area.
2:00 pm - 40 - 70CC Open Skill.
2:20 pm - 80 - 110CC
Amateur/Expert.
3:00 pm -250 4Stroke
Amateur/Expert – 400CC
Amateur/Expert.
3:30 pm - 450CC Amateur/Expert.
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm UTV/ATV
SideXSide Tug O’ War main stage
area
5:00 pm - Monster Truck Rides –
Moto Cross Track
THURSDAY, August 2nd
8:00 am - Camp Check-in and
registration all day.
8:00 am - DuneFest Pancake
Breakfast at Hospitality Tent
Main Stage Area sponsored by
Arctic Cat, presented by The
Military Order Of The Purple
Heart.
9:00 am - Vendor Area open.
9:00 am - Youth Safety classes
open Main Stage
9:00 am - DuneFest 2012 FAMILY
FUN IN THE SUN ACTIVITY AREA
OPENS sign up AT at the Albany
MX TRACK AREA.
10:00 am - Event Registration
Booth (Poker Run, Treasure Hunt,
Tire Toss, etc. opens Main Stage
(DECIBEL CHECK REQUIRED testing
available).
10:00 am - Side X Side Barrel
Racing
12:00 pm - Barrel Racing Men and
Women classes MX track
2:00 pm - Barrel Racing Kids up
to 12 years old MX track
3:30 pm - Kid's Best Poker Hand
Fun Run MX track.
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Show & Shine
Registration at Main Stage Area
Presented by ModQuad
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm Show & Shine
at Main Stage Area Presented by
ModQuad
5:00 pm - Monster Truck Rides –
Albany MX Track
9:00 pm - Movie Night – Drive-In
Movie at Main Stage Area
Presented by MotoUSA
MotoUSA Video Highlight Footage
Feature Presentation - Wild Hogs
(Refreshments available)THURSDAY DRAGS
Oregon Offroad Racing
Association Sand Drag Racing
Sponsored by ModQuad Racing
DRAG STRIP - Be sure to REGISTER
for all Sand Drag Races on
Thursday, Friday and Saturday at
Race Track.
9:00 am - 5:00 pm Drag Strip
Opens Test & Tune.
FRIDAY, August 3rd
8:00 am - Camp Check-in and
registration all day.
8:00 am - DuneFest Pancake
Breakfast at Hospitality Tent
Main Stage Area sponsored by
Polaris, presented by The
Military Order Of The Purple
Heart.
9:00 am - Midnight. Free Shuttle
bus service begins.
9:00 am - Vendor Area open.
Noon - Pre-Registration booth
closes at Fisherman’s Memorial.
9:00 am - DuneFest 2011 FAMILY
FUN IN THE SUN ACTIVITY AREA
OPENS sign up at the Albany MX
TRACK AREA.
Team & Ironman Grand Prix MX
track
10:00 am - 11:30am - Team &
Ironman Classes 400cc and up
ages 12 and older.
Noon - Team Women 200cc - 400cc
ages 10 and older.
1:00 pm - Team Kid's 90cc and
up, ages 8 to 14.
10:00 am - Event Registration
Booth (Poker Run, Treasure Hunt,
Tire Toss, etc. opens Main Stage
(DECIBEL CHECK REQUIRED testing
available).
10:30 am - 1:00 pm Treasure Hunt
Presented by ModQuad (DECIBLE
CHECK REQUIRED).
1:00 pm - Turn in Treasure Token
and Collect Treasure at the Main
Stage.
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Youth Safety
classes open Main Stage.
3:00 pm - Side X Side Last Man
Standing MX track.
4:00 pm - Tire Toss sponsored by
MotoGear at Main Stage Area Men,
Women, & Kid Brutus win a set of
paddle tires.
4:00 pm - ATV Last Man Standing
450cc Quads and bigger MX track.
5:00 pm - Monster Truck Rides –
Moto Cross Track
5:30 pm - 6:00 pm - Quad
Freestyle Show by X Games Gold
Medalist, Caleb & Colton Moore
at Main Stage Area.
6:00 pm - ATV Charity Auction at
The Main Stage Area sponsored by
the Vendors and Sponsors of
DuneFest 2012.
8:30 pm- DuneStar Racing night
ride. Join us for an all-ages,
family-friendly group night ride
through the Oregon Dunes, We
will stage under the Lower
Umpqua light house Friday Aug
3rd at 8:30 pm, event to begin
at 9:00 pm (Decibel check, and
registration required)
ROCK THE DUNES
At the Main Stage Area live
performances (bring your own
chair).
Music & Dancing
7:15 pm – 8:00 pm TBD
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm TBD
10:00 - Midnight – TBD
FRIDAY DRAGS
Oregon Offroad Racing
Association Sand Drag Racing
Sponsored by ModQuad Racing
DRAG STRIP
9:00 am - 1:00 pm - Sportsman
Time runs and elimination.
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm - Kids Time
runs & elimination.
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm - Side X Side
Race.
2:30 pm - 4:00 pm - PRO BIKES $
350 to win, $ 150 for second see
track for details
4:00 pm - Cars, Jeeps, Buggies,
& Dragsters times and
elimination
SATURDAY, August 4th
8:00 am - Camp Check-in and
registration all day.
8:00 am - DuneFest Pancake
Breakfast at Hospitality Tent
Main Stage Area sponsored by,
presented by The Military Order
Of The Purple Heart
9:00 am - Midnight Free Shuttle
bus service begins.
9:00 am - Vendor Area open.
9:00 am - DUNEFEST 2012 FAMILY
FUN IN THE SUN ACTIVITY AREA
OPENS sign up at the Albany MX
TRACK AREA.
9:30 am - Winchester Bay
QuadCross Races.
9:40 am - 70 -125CC Amateur or
Expert.
10:00 am - 200 - 400cc 4 stroke
Amateur or Expert.
10:30 am - Shifter Expert
Women’s Only.
Noon - Pro Race.
12:30 pm - 450CC Beginner.
1:00 pm - Ages 30 years and
older Amateur or Expert.
3:00 pm - Pro Race.
3:15 pm - Dirt Bike, classes
TBD.
3:30 pm - Side X Side Classes.
10:00 am - 10:30 am Poker Run
Registration Main Stage Area
10:00 am - 11:00 am - Can Food
Drive Main Stage Area sponsored
by ModQuad.
10:30 am - 1:30 pm Poker Run
(DECIBEL CHECK REQUIRED)
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm Poker Run
Hands turned in at the Main
Stage. Winning hands announced
at 2:15 don't be late.
5:00 - pm Monster Truck Rides –
Moto Cross Track
5:00 - pm – 6:00 pm - Albany MX
Area Presentation of Trophies
and Prizes to Race Winners Main
Stage.
6:00 - pm – 7:00 pm - Oregon
Offroad Racing Association Sand
Drag's Presentation of Trophies
and Prizes to Race Winners Main
Stage.
7:00 pm - 7:30 pm - Quad
Freestyle Show by X Games Gold
Medalist, Caleb & Colton Moore
at Main Stage Area.
ROCK THE DUNES
v At the Main Stage Area live
performances (bring your own
chair).
Music & Dancing
7:30 pm - 9:45 pm
10:00 pm - Midnight
SATURDAY DRAGS
Oregon Offroad Racing
Association Sand Drag Racing
Sponsored by ModQuad Racing
9:00 am - 10:30 am Thumper Wars
10:30 am - 12:30 pm Banshee Bash
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm PRO Side X
Side Race. $ 350 to win, $ 150
for second see track for details
2:00pm - KING OF THE DUNES RACE.
The first and second place
winners of all classes,
throughout the week are eligible
to race. NO ENTRY FEE
Please Note: All Times are
approximate: It is the racers
responsibility to be at the
track at the right time.
SUNDAY, August 5th
Open Play Day.
9:00am - Noon - Vendor Area
open.
Free Air Station located at the
Pre-Registration Booth location
Provided by United Rentals and
Mast Bros. Towing
Keep The Oregon Dunes Clean by
leaving your area pristine
Please leave garbage at the
dumpsters Drive Safely!
Links:
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