Doobie Brothers’ Simmons to Ride Cannonball Endurance Run

Cannonball Endurance Run 2014

The founding member of the The Doobie Brothers – motorcycle enthusiast Patrick Simmons – will ride for a great cause this September during one of America’s most epic endurance rides – the Motorcycle Cannonball Endurance Run.

Simmons will take ride the coast-to-coast ride with his wife, Cris Sommer Simmons. The two will pilot their 1934 and 1929 Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Along the way, the Simmons will help raise money for Stand Up to Cancer. This organization was chosen due to their son, Pat Jr., who battled testicular cancer last year, and is now cancer free.

The Cannonball Endurance Run 2014 will take Simmons and the other participants over 4,100 miles from Daytona, Fla., to Takoma, Wash. The route travels through Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Idaho and final Washington.

Cris is a well-known author and member of the National Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Anamosa, Iowa; the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Westerville, Ohio, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame, will raise

Speaking of the ride, Patrick says “Cris and I are excited, and so ready to head out on the 2014 Motorcycle Cannonball Endurance Run. We have been working on our bikes for over a year now.”

Cris is a well-known author and member of the National Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Anamosa, Iowa; the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Westerville, Ohio, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame. She participated in the 2010 Cannonball Run, where she was the only American female out of 45 riders. She completed the over 2,800 miles and finished in 20th place.

This year Patrick Simmons will be riding a 1929 Harley-Davidson JD, nick-named “Norge” because of its similar blue color to Norge refrigerators once popular in the 1950s. As for Cris’ choice, she explains, “My bike “Buddy” is a 1934 Harley-Davidson, named after it’s previous owner, well-known Hollywood stunt man Bud Ekins. Pat bought the bike from Bud many years ago and I stole it from Pat in 1993, vowing to ride it ‘someday’.”

The Cannonball Run began in 2010 as a ride to showcase the restoration and power of antique motorcycles built before 1915. It has since evolved into a cross-country endurance ride held every other year with over 100 participants, which now includes bikes built before 1936.

After the Cannonball Endurance Run, Simmons will return to touring with the Doobie Brothers ahead of their upcoming album release “Southbound” set for Nov. 4.

A full schedule of the Run is listed below, to learn more visit: www.MotorcycleCannonball.com.

2014 Cannonball Endurance Run Stops