Thunder Valley Rally revs up

The 16th annual Thunder Valley Rally is set to rev up Friday and Saturday, Sept. 16 and 17, with headlining acts Molly Hatchet and Foghat — two instantly recognizable bands with substantial followings in the biker community.

Molly Hatchet has boasted headlining spots at New Mexico’s Fire and Ice Rally and South Dakota’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Their identification with motorcycle culture is not a surprise. Just take a look at a line from the band’s 1979 hit, “Flirtin’ With Disaster”: “Speeding down the fast lane, honey, we’re playin’ from town to town. The boys and I been burning it up can’t seem to slow it down.”

Likewise, Foghat — known primarily for the 1975 hit, “Slow Ride” — is a regular at motorcycle events, including Oklahoma’s Hawg Lakes Motorcycle Rally and Southern California’s Lost Highway Motorcycle Show. Famously, at the Run to the Cascades biker rally in 2012, the band’s performance was shut down due to an altercation between the Mongols Motorcycle Club and the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.

Karen Vernetti, chairwoman of the Thunder Valley Rally Committee and owner of D&K Service Cycle and ATV, said that she and her fellow committee members worked for over a year to make this year’s event — the second run solely by the volunteer committee, lacking a paid promoter — even more successful than the 2015 Thunder Valley Rally. That event was a clear record-breaker when it came to attendance and entertainment.

According to Vernetti, the myth that a big event requires a paid promoter just isn’t true. “It was awesome last year, because it was our first as a committee and we booked George Thorogood and Candlebox — and it wasn’t that hard, honestly …. We know the biker community, and this year we’re just hoping to make Thunder Valley Rally bigger and better.”

Vernetti said that the event is not yet profitable, but she said that the loss gap is reduced each year. Within two years, she wants to break even or boast a profit. The idea, she said, is that Thunder Valley Rally is an investment: Subsidized by the city of Cottonwood for a time, eventually the event becomes self-sustaining and boosts tourism throughout the year.

“The whole idea is not to just bring people here for one weekend,” Vernetti said. “But it takes a long time for something like this to get a grounding …. We’re not paid promoters that are putting this on. It takes a lot of time and personal sweat. The idea now is to bring in money from larger sponsors — that’s when it begins to pay for itself.”

The intangible benefit of Thunder Valley Rally, Vernetti added, is an increase in community engagement throughout the entire Verde Valley. “This is totally a community event, for the community, by community members.”

Vernetti said that she has received emails from people in neighboring states, expressing their intentions to attend. Traditionally, Thunder Valley rally has drawn mainly from within the state, and Vernetti views the participation of people from far away as a positive sign. Due to its increased national profile and top-rank performers, the event is beginning to draw a wider audience’s attention.