Daytona Bike Week

by John Stumpner

One of the advantages of our many freedoms is the ability to get together with other people who enjoy the same things we do. Every year, in early March, hundreds of thousands of bikers make their way to Daytona Beach, Florida for Daytona Bike Week. For ten days, bikers from all over the world enjoy motorcycle racing, concerts, parties, street festivals and riding around in the Florida sunshine. That Florida sun can especially feel wonderful to those of us that have been living in the several months of Wisconsin winter weather.

The Daytona Bike Week rally started back in the late 1930’s with the Daytona 200 motorcycle race. To help sell motorcycles, in 1932 the motorcycle dealers in the southern United States organized a 200-mile dirt track motorcycle race. For several years, this race was run on tracks in Savannah, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida. In 1937, the race promoter moved the race to a track near the ocean in Daytona Beach, Florida and called it the Daytona 200. The event became very popular with bikers and turned into a weeklong celebration. Even though the Daytona 200 was not run for several years during World War Two, bikers still showed up to celebrate and called the event Bike Week.

When the races were started back up after the war, the Daytona 200 and Bike Week became so popular that the promoter had to build a new track. This new track became the Daytona International Speedway. Not only do motorcycles race here, but the most popular NASCAR races are held here too. The infield inside the track has a man-made lake called Lake Lloyd where power boat races are held. Even runners use the Daytona Speedway, the Daytona Beach Half Marathon starts and ends here.

Not everyone can make it to Daytona Bike Week. But we still have many opportunities to get together with other bikers, even here in Wisconsin. Many of the ABATE regions put on various programs, fund raisers and Awareness Rallies that even the Junior Patriots can participate in. The second weekend of August every year is our Family Campout at ABATE’s property, ABATE Acres. A really fun activity that occurs every spring is ABATE’s Biker Day at the Capitol (Lobby Day). ABATE members from all over Wisconsin and sometimes some Junior Patriots get together at the state capitol in Madison to ask our lawmakers for their support on motorcycle related issues.

John