Thanks to all the racers and volunteers that wouldn't let 10-12 inches of rain in 6 hours get in our way! Harlin Price has posted a re-cap of the event at Cycling News.
Full results are posted there and on this website.

Plans are already being made for the 2009 race on June 20th. We will hold the race on the 3rd Saturday of June from here on out so you can plan accordingly. Chip Timing from Gault will be on tap in 2009 as well as a few other twists. Registration will open no later than January of 2009. More information as it develops.

This article ran in the Manistee News:

By MATT WENZEL
Sports Editor

WELLSTON Holding a first-place trophy that consisted of a block of
wood with a hand axe jammed in the top Jeff Schalk was in an unfamiliar
place but exactly where he wants to be.

Schalk a professional bicycle racer sponsored by Volkswagen took first
place overall in the Lumberjack 100 on Saturday a grueling 100 mile
race at Big M in a little over seven hours and seven minutes.
Im living the pro racer nomad lifestyle Schalk said Its all about
traveling to places youve never been.
That path carried him to Big M where he won the race in his first
appearance. Schalks reward for taking first was the rather unique
trophy $500 and a few beers during the awards ceremony at the Norman
Township hall which was packed with about 200 of the racers.
The Lumberjack 100 is one leg of the eight event National Ultra
Endurance race series which has races across the United States. Schalk
who is originally from San Francisco but moved to Washington DC and
now lives in Virginia has won the first three races of the series.
Ive been having a good year he said.
With a field of almost 250 riders the Lumberjack 100 which is in its
fourth year had its best turnout to date. While there were some
nationally recognized riders in the field which featured participants
from across the nation the event is still fairly low key.
Its still a very grass roots campaign said race organizer Rick
Plite but its the fun nature of the awards party that makes it a
laid back event.
That atmosphere was evident on Saturday night as Plite handed out
trophies and also tossed a number of prizes across the room. Although
the awards ceremony was easy going the race is anything but.
Competitors have to pedal through four laps on the 25 mile course at
Big M which offers little relief.
One of the things thats so tough about our course and why some of the
pros say its tougher than Colorado or West Virginia we dont have the
elevation or the rocks or the nastiness they have but on the Big M
course theres no recovery Plite said. You always have to pedal. You
cant coast on some fire road downhill for 10 minutes and rest. Its
constant steering and pedaling. Its a brutal race.
While Schalk came out on top overall Cheryl Sornson

another VW sponsored racer won the womens race with a tie of 8.45.10 while
Hugh Melling won the mens masters division age 50 and older in 9.34.58.
Out of the 244 racers who started only about 58 percent finished the
event which was made more difficult by the storms that came through the
area on Thursday night.
We had three sections about 300 yards long with about 15 inches of
water Plite said.

We couldnt get around it so we just left it.
That caused a fair amount of difficulty for the entire field.
The first lap it wasnt so bad Schalk said. But every subsequent
lap the holes just got deeper and deeper. I actually endoed fell over
the front of his bike at one point because the hole was so deep. But I
survived and won so it was a good day.