Off to the Races

by John Stumpner

People have been trying to see who is faster for a long time. For centuries, people have been racing with each other, horses, cars, chariots, sausages and yes, even motorcycles. Horse races were used for centuries to show the value of a particular horse. In the early days of automobiles, car manufacturers would point to the victories of their race teams to show how good their cars were. Henry Ford actually was able to get people to give him money to start his automobile company by winning races with his car.

Early motorcycle manufacturers were no different. If you wanted to buy the best and fastest motorcycle, you would look to see who was winning the most races. Part of the success of Harley Davidson is due to their race teams winning at most of the competitions in the early 1900’s. One of Harley Davidson’s race teams was called the “Wrecking Crew,” because they won almost all their races.

Many early motorcycle clubs were formed for the purpose of racing. These clubs would organize races and invite other clubs to see who was faster. Some of these club race events grew into huge motorcycle rallies involving more than just racing and drawing people from all over the world. One such event was started by a club in western South Dakota. The Jack Pine Gypsies club started a race and hill climb event which eventually became the Sturgis motorcycle rally. Every year, in early August, bikers from all over the world come to Sturgis, South Dakota, to enjoy all things involving motorcycles. And yes, the Jack Pine Gypsies still have the races and hill climbs.

Many different types of motorcycle racing exist today. No matter what your interest, if you like races, there is probably a type of motorcycle racing to interest you. Races range from dirt track motocross, which some of you may be participating in right now, to superbike and sidecar races, which use specialized racing bikes.

Some types of motorcycle races show off the rider’s skills. At many motorcycle rallies and events, two of the competitions in the various bike games are the Slow Race and the Plank Race. The faster a motorcycle goes, the more stable it is. In the Slow Race, the competitors see who can best keep their balance and go the slowest. In the Plank Race, the bikers see who can run their motorcycle in a straight line by riding it down a narrow plank laying on the ground.

No matter what type of racing you like, ABATE of Wisconsin (of which you are a part of) wants to make sure it stays around, both legally and safely for you to enjoy. So, whether you are a spectator or a participant, you can always go “off to the races” whenever you want.

John