Doobie Bros Pat Simmons Tackles the 2016 Cannonball Run

Patrick Simmons, founding member of The Doobie Brothers and his wife Cris Sommer Simmons are serious motoenthusiasts. So much so that they will ride coast to coast in the 2016 Motorcycle Cannonball Endurance Run.

The duo will journey more than 3,300 miles while raising money for for Stand Up To Cancer, in honor of their son, Pat Jr., who battled testicular cancer and now is cancer free. Cris Sommer Simmons 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.

“We are so stoked to be riding on The Motorcycle Cannonball again! And glad that we’re back on the earlier machines this time. This is the only event of its kind where the participants are riding 100+ year-old bikes together all the way across the country. It’s always an incredible route through the backroads of America. We encourage people to follow us online and to come out and see the spectacle of these historic, two-wheeled vehicles, and the intrepid people who ride them, as they pass near your town. It may be the last chance you’ll ever have to see this many early motorcycles from this era on the road at the same time. We also are happy, once again, to be using this opportunity to raise funds for our friends at Stand Up To Cancer. Please join us in supporting this worthy charity, and the wonderful work they are doing to find a cure for this illness," adds Patrick.

Patrick previously participated in the 2014 Cannonball Run, and Cris in 2010 and 2014. The duo will be partnering with artist Scott Jacobs and his wife Sharon on their 1915 Harleys, calling their group "The Honeymooners." Scott Jacobs is a widely celebrated artist that has arrived into mainstream American fine art culture from his roots as Harley-Davidson's first officially licensed motorcycle artist.

Patrick Simmons has spent the summer on tour with The Doobie Brothers. The band is currently co-headlining the San Francisco Fest 2016 Tour with Journey and special guest Dave Mason. After Patrick's participation in the Cannonball Endurance Run, The Doobie Brothers will continue to tour throughout the fall. Full list of dates are here.