Flat Track and Ice Racing

by Eric Schuelke

I’d like to thank ABATE of Wisconsin for teaming up with me for the 2020 Hooligan Flat Track Racing Season. It has always been a dream of mine to partner with ABATE, and the organization has always been near and dear to my heart. I have been a member for 7 years, pretty much ever since I got on two wheels, and some of you have probably seen me around at some of the events. ABATE carries the core values that make riding 2 wheels something very special to us all, and I’m very excited to wear the ABATE logo with pride and hope to help spread the word of this great organization.

So, Flat Track Racing huh? Well honestly, I personally have very humble beginnings when it comes to racing on 2 wheels. I started this grand endeavor of motorcycle racing with very little knowledge of what flat track racing really was. The whole thing started down on Bradford Beach in Milwaukee, organically, as most things in life do. I was

watching the always exciting hooligans race in the sand during the Harley 115th Anniversary. Listening to those V-Twin engines hitting the rev limiter down the straights and slap around in the cushioned sand, I knew right then, I needed to be out there rubbing handlebars with those crazy personalities. So that fall and following winter I hunted up my very own sporty bike and spent those cold nights building a Harley Hooligan track bike in my garage. As I stripped down what can only be described as a very beautiful Sportster, I often thought to myself, ‘man, you’re crazy, who does this?’, but with the passion for motorcycles, and a strong will to want to go really fast, I found myself becoming more and more dedicated as time went on. That summer I hauled my newly minted hooligan bike and gear all around this great state chasing those checkered flags, eating dust, listening, learning, and turning wrenches trying to perfect my machine, and my craft. It was humbling, and that’s a gross understatement. You see, I go out onto that starting grid every weekend for the thrill of competition but that’s not all, it’s the culture of this historic sport that hits home. I learned something over that summer, it’s that the culture within flat track racing is something truly special. It holds virtuous qualities, like helping your fellow racer, teaching each other, and elevating one another to grow. Race days are not only exhilarating, but they are also filled with people that live motorcycles both on and off the track. It’s in the blood. The smell of race fuel, the banging of wrenches against the chain case, and the very distinct tin clicking sound of steel shoes walking on the gravel in the pits are things that stick in my mind. From the moment I roll my hooligan bike out onto gravel pit road, to well after they shut the lights off, my heart is racing!

For those of you curious about this wonderful sport, I’d like to extend an invitation to come out this season check the high-octane action firsthand. I’ll be hanging out in the pits and it would make my day to shake hands and talk racing with you. Again, a big thank you to ABATE for this wonderful opportunity. I look forward to next season and seeing you all out there on that magical dirt circle somewhere in the Wisconsin countryside.

You can follow my racing and racing blog on Facebook or Instagram @SidewaysShakes and keep an eye out for the upcoming 2020 Ice Racing schedule.

Sincerely,

Your Hooligan Racer #9x

Eric Schuelke

AKA ‘Sideways Shakes’

“Go Fast. Turn Left”