DRIVERS CLUB TRIO SHATTERS WORLD RECORD IN MILWAUKEE 

 

MAKING THEIR FIRST APPEARANCE AT THE  CLIMBING FOR A CURE STAIR CLIMB IN MILWAUKEE SINCE THE RANDERSON DEBACLE OF 2003 THE DRIVERS CLUB JV SQUAD SHATTERED THE WORLD RECORD BY ALMOST SEVEN MINUTES.

THE ANNUAL EVENT IS HELD AT THE US BANK BUILDING IN MILWAUKEE AS A CHARITY TO TO RAISE MONEY FOR CYSTIC FIBROSIS.  THE EVENT COMPRISES A RACE UP 45 FLOORS AND FEATURES A FIREFIGHTER ONLY FULL GEAR DIVISION.  IN ADDITION TO BREAKING THE TEAM WORLD RECORD REV RUMME BROKE THE INDIVIDUAL WORLD RECORD LEADING THE TEAM TO THE THE MOST LOPSIDED VICTORY IN MODERN ERA OF COMPETITIVE STAIRCLIMBING.

THE DRIVERS CLUB LAST APPEARED AT THIS EVENT IN 2003 AS THE KENOSHA FIRE DEPARTMENT.   A STRING OF BAD STRATEGY AND A POOR PERFORMANCE LED TO THE ONLY LAST PLACE FINISH IN THE HISTORY OF EITHER THE DRIVERS CLUB OR THE KENOSHA FIRE DEPARTMENT STAIRCLIMBING TEAMS.  IN A RISKY MANEUVER PHIL JACOBS SIGNED UP A STATION ONE ONLY TEAM COMPRISED OF HIMSELF AND FIRST TIME CLIMBERS CHRIS HANNES AND RYAN ANDERSON.  MEANWHILE THE SECOND TEAM OF CARL CARLSON, MATT MARTIN AND BRIAN RUMMELHART SEEMED POISED TO TAKE THE TITLE.  AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT RUMME HAD TO WORK OVERTIME LEAVING CARLSON AND MARTIN RACING SOLO, FINISHING THIRD AND EIGHTH PLACE IN THE FULL GEAR DIVISION.  THIS LEFT ONLY THE STATION ONE TEAM AND THEY WERE RELYING ON INEXPERIENCE TO TAKE HOME THE CROWN.   HANNES FINISHED SECOND AND HOMEY WAS TWELFTH LEAVING THEM IN THE EARLY LEAD MERELY WAITING FOR RANDERSON TO FINISH IN THE MIDDLE PACK TO SEW UP THE CHAMPIONSHIP.  AS THE OTHER COMPETITORS FINISHED HOPE TUNED TO WORRY AS RANDERSON HAD YET TO FINISH.  THEN FINALLY AFTER 23 MINUTES HE AMBLED UP THE FINAL THE FINAL FLIGHT TO IN DFL, LEAVING THE KFD'S ONLY TEAM DFL.  IF THEY WOULD HAVE HAD ANY OTHER COMBINATION OTHER THAN THE LINE UP THEY USED THEY WOULD HAVE WON.  UNFORTUNATELY THEY LOST LOST TO AN UNDERWHELMING MOUNT PLEASANT SQUAD.

2006 WAS TO BE A DIFFERENT YEAR.  COMING AFTER ONLY FOUR DAYS AFTER  THEIR SHOCKING SECOND PLACE FINISH AT THE SEARS TOWER THE DRIVERS CLUB WERE SO CONFIDENT THEY DECIDED TO LEAVE THEIR BEST THREE CLIMBERS HOME AND FIELD THE JV TEAM OF CHRIS HANNES, CARL CARLSON AND BRIAN RUMMELHART.  THIS WAS TO BE A MORE COMPETITIVE RACE WITH THREE TEAMS BREAKING THE TEAM WORLD RECORD AND THREE COMPETITORS BREAKING THE INDIVIDUAL WORLD RECORD. 

UPON THEIR ARRIVAL THEY WERE GREETED BY THE MOUNT PLEASANT SQUAD FLASHING WHAT THEY REFERRED TO AS THE MOUNT PLEASANT PLAQUE.  THIS WAS THE TRAVELING TROPHY, AND INDEED THE ONLY NAMES ON IT WERE MOUNT PLEASANT TEAMS.  NEXT THEY MET THE SAUK CITY SQUAD BRAGGING OF A MEMBER WHO JUST RAN THE BOSTON MARATHON AND ANOTHER WHO HAD COMPLETED THE WISCONSIN IRONMAN THREE TIMES.

THE FIRST FINISHER WAS BEN RUYLE FROM SAUK CITY IN 8:39.8 BREAKING THE WORLD RECORD TIME OF 9:24.3 SET IN 2003 BY JASON BOISSANNAULT OF MOUNT PLEASANT.  HIS CELEBRATION LASTED ONLY A MINUTE AS RUMME CROSSED THE FINISH LINE IN 8:38.6 BREAKING THE NEW WORLD RECORD.  NEXT WAS HANNES FINISHING IN 8:55.6 ALSO UNDER THE FORMER RECORD.  THEN CARL CARLSON FINISHED IN 9:34.1 JUST OVER THE FORMER RECORD.  WHILE THE DC WAITED FOR THE OTHER TEAMS TO FINISH IT BECAME CLEAR THAT NO TEAM COULD DEFEAT THEM TODAY.  THEIR TEAM TIME OF 27:08.2 BETTERED THE FORMER WORLD RECORD BY ALMOST SIX MINUTES.  THEIR PERFORMANCE WAS SO DOMINATING  THEY MANAGED TO TAKE THIRD PLACE IN THE OVERALL  TEAM EVENT COMPETING AGAINST TEAMS NOT WEARING FULL FIREFIGHTING GEAR.

CARL CARLSON FELT NOTHING BUT EMPATHY FOR THE OTHER TEAMS, "ITS HARD FOR THESE GUYS TO COMPETE AGAINST A DYNASTY LIKE THE DRIVERS CLUB.  WE HAD TO LEAVE OUR BEST CLIMBERS HOME IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE THE RACE CLOSE.  OBVIOUSLY THIS ALSO FAILED.  NEXT YEAR WE WILL AGAIN TRY TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD BY DOING THE RELAY EVENT AND THE FULL GEAR EVENT.  EVEN THOUGH WE WILL HAVE TO START AT THE FRONT AND EACH SPRINT FIFTEEN FLOORS AND RUSH BACK DOWN TO DON OUR GEAR AT THE BACK OF THE LINE WITH ALMOST NO REST AND DO THE FULL GEAR RACE.  I STILL DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN BE BEAT.  IF THE DISPARITY IN TIMES IS STILL INSURMOUNTABLE FOR THE ALSO RANS WE WILL HAVE TO GIVE SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO PUTTING JOSH ON THE TEAM OR CONVINCING RANDERSON TO COME OUT OF RETIREMENT.  ITS UNFORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE TO RESORT TO THESE TACTICS TO GET A COMPETITIVE RACE BUT WE ARE JUST THAT GOOD.  WE ARE THE FITTEST DEPARTMENT IN THE STATE CASE CLOSED"