Fay Taylour, known as ‘Flying Fay’, was an Irish world champion Speedway rider who was often seen on a Douglas in the 1920s.
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Procopio describes the moment of seeing his motorcycle again as “totally amazing.” That same night he went down to the speedway and raced it.
‘Totally amazing’: Vietnam veteran, cancer survivor reunited with stolen motorcycle after 3 years
from https://www.cincinnati.com by Quinlan Bentley
On Friday nights, the Lawrenceburg Motorcycle Speedway comes alive. The smell of exhaust fills the air and bleachers vibrate from the deafening roar of motors revving, as motorcyclists of all ages line up to compete in a high-adrenaline, high-risk race around a smooth dirt track.
These are the nights that James Procopio lives for. The 74-year-old Vietnam War veteran started racing motorcycles in his 20s, but had to give it up after family and life got in the way.
Procopio says he was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2011 and needed surgery to remove his intestines. He returned to the race track about four years ago after receiving his final chemotherapy treatment.
“I came down here one night, said, ‘Man, I sure miss that,’ and from that night on I put a bike together and started racing,” Procopio told The Enquirer, sitting in the back of a pickup truck on a cold, dark November night, the orange glow of a portable heater at his feet, while waiting for his turn to race.
Procopio worked for two years fixing up a red, white and blue 1980 Honda XR 500 to get it in racing form. But he was only able to race the bike once before it was stolen, along with his pickup truck, from his apartment in Mount Healthy.
The truck was recovered not long after it was stolen but the bike was gone.
“Every spare dime went into that bike,” he said.
Working out of his garage on old and vintage motorbikes, Procopio is somewhat of a local legend. He got his first job when he was 13 working on bicycles and motorbikes at Bishop’s Bicycle Shop in Silverton, where he stayed until he was drafted into the Army at age 19.
It was through his part-time mechanic work that Procopio met Ben Groh, who’s since become a good friend and racing partner. In the past three years since Procopio’s bike was stolen, Groh said he had been working to track down the missing bike on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.
“It’s popped up here and there for the past three years,” Groh said. “I’ve seen it come and go and I’ve been close to getting it and it slipped through the cracks.”
Groh’s brother spotted the bike at a local body shop, and he along with Rick Brun, another close friend of Procopio’s and fellow racer, were able to set up an undercover buy with Cincinnati police and retrieve the bike. It was returned to Procopio early last month.
Procopio describes the moment of seeing his motorcycle again as “totally amazing.” That same night he went down to the speedway and raced it.
Those who compete in flat track racing, in which racers drive on a dirt track with only rear brakes and must slide into each turn, describe it as more of a way of life than a sport.
“A lot of people don’t really understand it fully until you try it,” Groh told The Enquirer.
“It’s kind of like surfing: One good wave will call you back the rest of your life,” Brun said.
For Procopio, after surviving two heart attacks, two strokes and cancer, it’s become a source of relief.
“I’m in pain probably 24/7,” he said. “When I’m out there, I don’t feel a thing. Just everything goes away.”
The last race of the season in Lawrenceburg was held Nov. 5.
But Procopio says he’s going to keep racing “as long as I can.”
Billy Lane at Finish Line – Chris Callen Flagman
Sons of Speed – Biketoberfest 2021 by Dmac
2021 has turned out to be the year of the “Covid Hangover!”
Many lives have been permanently changed, but Sons of Speed has not skipped a beat and has returned to the New Smyrna Speedway breathing life into the asphalt, 23 degree banked, ½ mile track.
Originally started in 2017 by Billy Lane of Choppers, inc., the race has been held at both New Smyrna Speedway and at the Pappy Hoel Campground Racetrack, in Sturgis, South Dakota.
by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com
At the 80th Daytona 200 Race – King of the Baggers Goes Oval Racing Next Year, Daytona 200 to Allow Triumph and Ducati.
When one hears the word Daytona, the first thing that comes to mind is the insane racing that goes on there, especially the Daytona 500 event dedicated to cars. But the same name can easily be associated with an equally grueling endurance race for motorcycles.
They call it Daytona 200, and it has been around in some form or another ever since 1937. Next year in March, when the upcoming event is scheduled, people attending will be celebrating the 80th edition of the race. On their end, organizers will do so with new rules and bagger racing as a side dish for the first time ever.
Bagger racing on sanctioned, iconic tracks has not been around for all that long. Or maybe it has, but it only got traction after back in 2020 Harley-Davidsons and Indians went at each other’s throats in a single high-adrenaline race, called King of the Baggers, at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Then, 2021 came with King of the Baggers as a three-race series (eventually won by Harley’s Kyle Wyman), and we also got the Bagger Racing League’s Drag Specialties Battle of the Baggers for the first time.
Next year in Daytona, most of the bikes that were raced this year, and hopefully, even more, will line up on the starting grid once more. It is there where the next season of King of the Baggers kicks off, marking the first time ever when such motorcycles have been raced “on the high banks of a Superspeedway with speeds expected to exceed 160 mph.”
So far, the organizers of the series, MotoAmerica, did not provide any info on how the race will shape up, so we have no idea how many tri-oval laps riders will have to do before being declared winners.
As said, this year’s three-race series winner is Kyle Wyman, who rode a Road Glide to victory, defeating last year’s single-race series winner, Indian Challenger rider Tyler O’Hara. It’s unclear at this point how the roster for the 2022 season will shape up, and the total number of races is kept under wraps as well.
The opening salvo of the King of the Baggers will, of course, not be part of the Daytona 200 main event, but there are things to discuss here as well, the most important of them all being the fact more motorcycles are now allowed in.
This is due to rule changes that “take into consideration several performance-related items that establish benchmarks for balancing a wide variety of middleweight performance machines.”
Based on the 2022 World Supersport Technical rules, the modifications should allow incredible two-wheelers like the Triumph 765, Ducati Panigale V2, and MV Agusta F3 to be fielded in the race, joining the existing Yamaha YZF-R6, Suzuki GSX-R600, and Kawasaki ZX-6R.
Daytona 200 will continue to be an open tire event, meaning each of the teams will be able to choose whatever tire manufacturer they like for the competition.
Back in March this year, the winner of the Daytona 200 was Brandon Paasch, who rode his Suzuki motorcycle to the win in 57 laps, completed in a little over two hours. The fastest lap of the race was actually the last one, and it went to Paasch in 1:49.752. That was enough to put him ahead runner-up Sean Dylan Kelly and his Kawasaki by just 0.30 seconds.
The 2021 Daytona 200 takes place on the weekend of March 10-12. The event is not part of the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, meaning riders from around the world can take part.
At the time of writing, there is no info on the price for tickets or available packages.
16 SEPTEMBER 2021
MotoAmerica, home of AMA Superbike and North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that it will partner with Daytona International Speedway to host one of the world’s most prestigious races – the DAYTONA 200 – during the weekend of March 10-12, 2022, in Daytona Beach, Florida.
The 2022 DAYTONA 200, set for the green flag on Saturday, March 12, will be the 80th running of the event that began on the Daytona Beach shoreline in 1937 before moving to the World Center of Racing in 1961.
The DAYTONA 200 will feature new rules based off the proposed 2022 World Supersport Technical rules, which take into consideration several performance related items that establish benchmarks for balancing a wide variety of middleweight performance machines. These new rules open the door to motorcycles such as the Triumph 765, Ducati Panigale V2, MV Agusta F3 and others to compete alongside the current Yamaha YZF-R6, Suzuki GSX-R600 and Kawasaki ZX-6R. The DAYTONA 200 will also continue to run as an “open tire” event, allowing multiple tire manufacturers to join the competition.
The DAYTONA 200 will not be included as part of the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, leaving the opportunity open for the best riders from around the world to compete for the minimum $175,000 in purse and contingency that will be offered.
In addition to the DAYTONA 200, the MotoAmerica weekend at Daytona International Speedway will be the opening round of the 2022 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Championship, marking the first time Baggers will race on the high banks of a Superspeedway with speeds expected to exceed 160 mph, and also the first round of the Twins Cup Championship.
“The DAYTONA 200 is known worldwide to be one of the most exciting motorcycle races in the world,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey, who won the DAYTONA 200 in 1987. “We are proud to work with Daytona International Speedway, the AMA and FIM North America organizations to continue to enhance the prominence of the DAYTONA 200. With the new DAYTONA 200 rules in place, we are hopeful that this will open the door to more manufacturers and teams joining us in March. It’ll be a great way to start off the 2022 season. And, wow, Baggers on the high banks! What a spectacle that will be. Obviously, this is MotoAmerica’s first trip to Daytona, and it’s my first trip back to the Speedway since 2008. I’m looking forward to what is going to be a really cool weekend.”
“The tradition of the DAYTONA 200 is unprecedented, and we are thrilled to work with such a reputable group in MotoAmerica to continue the tradition,” said Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher. “Racing two-wheel style has been a staple in Daytona for many years, first on the beach before moving to Bill France Sr.’s incredible creation of the 31-degree banking of Daytona International Speedway and Infield Road Course. There’s nothing like the excitement that the DAYTONA 200 provides, including close finishes that have become the norm.”
“The AMA is pleased that the DAYTONA 200 will now be run and managed by our AMA/FIM North America partner MotoAmerica for 2022,” said AMA President and CEO, and FIM North America President, Rob Dingman. “This has been one of our goals since 2015 when we established our partnership with MotoAmerica and facilitated the return of professional road racing sanctioning rights to the AMA.”
Earlier this year, Brandon Paasch, at only 19 years old, used an old, veteran move common to Daytona, to capture the 2021 DAYTONA 200 in breathtaking fashion. After running second for most of the last portion of the race, Paasch, utilizing the draft, reeled in leader Sean Dylan Kelly and calculated a perfect slingshot move at the entrance of the tri-oval as the duo came to the checkered flag, winning by just .031 of a second, and taking home the traditional Rolex Cosmograph Daytona watch.
Nine World Champions, including seven 500cc/MotoGP World Champions – six Americans (Kenny Roberts, Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, Kevin Schwantz and Nicky Hayden) and one Italian (Giacomo Agostini) – have won the Daytona 200.
The winningest riders in the Daytona 200 are former World and AMA Superbike Champion Scott Russell (1992, ’94, ’95, ’97 and ’98) and 1995 AMA Superbike Champion Miguel Duhamel (’91, ’96, ’99, 2003, 2005). The pair have each won five Daytona 200s.
More information on the 2022 DAYTONA 200 will be announced soon, including additional support classes, final rules, entry instructions, broadcast coverage and ticket opportunities.
The iconic Daytona International Speedway will be the site of a host of motorsports events in 2022, beginning with the Rolex 24 in January, the DAYTONA 500 and Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth in February, along with the 81st Annual Bike Week At DAYTONA in March, featuring the Monster Energy AMA Supercross and DAYTONA 200.
Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest speedway news. For information on all events, visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.
ROYAL ENFIELD BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. ROAD RACING FEATURED AT BRAINERD MOTOAMERICA
CJ Lukacs shines as BTR Road Race women take on the Brainerd, Minnesota opening round
Milwaukee, WI (Monday, August 2, 2021) – Royal Enfield’s The Brainerd MotoAmerica round was host to the opening round of the Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. (BTR) Road Race Program where seven women, who have spent months designing, building and training aboard their Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 motorcycles, finally got to chase the checkered flag. The historic exhibition, showcasing the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 and an all-women field of builders/racers, was featured alongside the pro ranks of MotoAmerica, the premiere motorcycle road racing series in North America.
Starting with Thursday’s Dunlop tire test, all the way through to Sunday’s exhibition race, the BTR Road Racing women took part in all of the practice and qualifying sessions. With only two official training dates on their Continental GT 650 race bikes, the ladies were thrilled to gain the added track time on Thursday. Dunlop stepped up with a fresh set of tires for the BTR participants—a welcome surprise that was above and beyond Dunlop’s original commitment to the program. Ohlins was on hand for the BTR women with suspension support, helping the racers make adjustments throughout the practice sessions.
A standout star rose to the top throughout the weekend—BTR Road Race’s CJ Lukacs stormed to a dominant victory on Sunday ahead of Becky Goebel and Trisha Dahl. Lukacs led every lap and was able to take the victory, despite a hard get-off in Saturday’s practice session that sent her tumbling. The former pro motocross racer was a bit sore, but able to get her Royal Enfield sorted out in time for qualifying, and ultimately the final race on Sunday.
“I am overcome with emotion,” said Lukacs. “This first event, being in the pits of MotoAmerica, seeing the fans, the excitement, going through testing and practice, track walks with Melissa Paris and Josh Hayes, has been unreal. Seeing ourselves on tv and our journey and program being talked about his the coolest thing ever. To have this race win means so many amazing and different things to me. I’m super excited for our next round and I couldn’t be more grateful to Royal Enfield for making this a reality.”
“I had a blast today out on the Brainerd track with my newfound family,” said runner-up Becky Goebel. “I’m just so happy to be feeling comfortable on a racetrack and getting into the idea of racing and learning a new motorcycle discipline. For me, this whole program is about having fun and finishing. Today, that was exactly what we did and that’s what’s cool and gratifying about the Build Train Race Program.”
Third-place finisher Trisha Dahl, who edged out Alyssa Bridges for the final podium position, echoed the sentiment. “What a dream come true. This winter when I started this program with Royal Enfield, I would daydream about what race day would look like and this far exceeded my vision. I’m very fortunate to be one of the seven ladies chosen to race this beautiful GT 650. I can’t thank Bree Poland and Melissa Paris enough. They have put so much time and effort into making this program successful. These ladies aren’t just my teammates; they’re family now.”
Together with MotoAmerica, the Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. program is breaking ground with an all-women series featuring machines that the women built themselves, creating a unique and unforgettable platform for the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 motorcycle. Royal Enfield is ecstatic to see the hard work of the participants, the sponsors, and the MotoAmerica crew come together on the track for the opening round of this historic program.
“Having an all-female road race team has been a dream of mine for a long time, and I’m thankful for Royal Enfield and our team in the UK for supporting this effort,” said Breeann Poland, Marketing and Communications Lead – Royal Enfield Americas. “I’m so proud of all our participants, and blown away by the support of all our BTR sponsors. The fans loved the experience and the entire MotoAmerica paddock welcomed in the women as part of the family. We are looking forward to the next two BTR Road Race races with MotoAmerica in Pittsburgh and Barber.”
Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE.
Round 1 Results – Brainerd MotoAmerica
1. CJ Lukacs
2. Becky Goebel
3. Trisha Dahl
4. Alyssa Bridges
5. Michaela Trumbull
6. Kayla Theisler
7. Scarlett Grosselanghorst
The women of Royal Enfield BTR Road Racing will be back in action August 13-15 at Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Wampum, Pennsylvania for the second of three rounds. Find more information on the Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. Road Race Program at https://buildtrainrace.com/.
About Royal Enfield
The oldest motorcycle company in continuous production in the world, Royal Enfield made its first motorcycle in 1901. A division of Eicher Motors Limited, Royal Enfield has created the midsize motorcycle segment in India with its unique and distinctive modern classic motorcycles. With its manufacturing base in Chennai, India, Royal Enfield has been able to grow its production rapidly against a surge in demand for its motorcycles. Royal Enfield is a leading player in the global middleweight motorcycle market.
Royal Enfield North America (RENA) is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is developing a growing network of more than 125 dealers in North America, including the contiguous U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. RENA currently offers the all-new Meteor 350, Himalayan and the 650 Twins (INT 650 and Continental GT 650) motorcycles, along with a range of Genuine Motorcycle Accessories and apparel.
For more information on Royal Enfield North America, visit www.RoyalEnfield.com/us/en/, www.Instagram.com/RoyalEnfield_NA, www.Facebook.com/RoyalEnfieldNorthAmerica.
by Dave Barr from https://www.pahomepage.com
LONG POND, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Not racecars, but motorcycles tackled the Tricky Triangle this weekend.
The annual Pocono Raceway Motorcycle Ride took place Saturday in Monroe County. Riders across the commonwealth came to ride on the track as well as indulge in a surf and turf meal.
The ride started at Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson in Tannersville, then went to the track for a few laps and then back to the motorcycle business.
“Well for are family, it’s giving back to the community and our employees are involved. It’s just a great thing to do, you know? We see a lot of suffering and we hope that what we do helps the community,” Pocono Mountain Harley-Davidson president Jim Schlier said.
Benefits from the event went to Valor, the Pennsylvania State Police’s camp cadet, and the Stroud Area Regional Police Department.
The Xtreme Dragbike Association (XDA) is an east coast motorcycle drag racing series.
This past weekend Maryland International Raceway hosted a record sized crowd at the 21st annual WPGC Bike Fest with over 9,000 fans in attendance! The XDA continues to deliver the largest motorcycle drag racing event in the industry. The event also featured Live music, a Freestyle Motocross show, sound competition, custom bike show, a huge vendor midway, and a hot bikini contest.
The action on the track yielded a stout 810 entries for an exciting weekend of competition. The record spectator turnout enjoyed the variety of activities going down in the pits and the non-stop on-track action. With something for everyone, it’s no surprise this event grows every year.
The 98th Annual Loudon Classic weekend by Mayhew Tools will feature three days of racing with the NorthEast Motorcycle Road Racing NEMRR) series from June 18-20. NEMRR is the premier motorcycle racing organization in the Northeast and is sanctioned by CCS, the largest club racing organization in the US with over 3,000 licensed racers who compete in 6 regional championships. The 2021 Loudon Classic event pays championship points in three CCS regions and as such riders will be attending from all up and down the east coast to compete in 30 separate race classes over the three days. The competition should be fierce!
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
https://www.nhms.com/
Racing will start at 10:20 AM each day and run until about 5PM. The feature races of the weekend will be held on Saturday from 1:30-3:30PM and are presented by Specialty Saw. Over $8500 in purse money is up for grabs in these feature events. First up will be the Seacoast Sport Cycle Lightweight Grand Prix, featuring smaller displacement motorcycles who utilize high corner speed and late braking to generate fast lap times. Next will be the Street and Competition Unlimited Grand Prix class which showcases the fastest motorcycles in the NEMRR paddock, reaching speeds in excess of 150mph down the 1200 foot front straight of New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The highlight of the weekend is the Loudon Classic by Mayhew Tools, which is presented in 2021 by Motorace and NHMS. Expect a field of 30 or more middleweight machines to battle wheel to wheel for 20 laps in a contest of speed, skill and tire management. Expect a host of hungry entrants from all over the East Coast to join an epic battle between past winners Scott Greenwood and Shane Narbonne on their 600cc machines. Other riders to watch over the course of the racing action this weekend will be current Moto America Superstars Ben Gloddy and Teagg Hobbs, home grown Granite State NEMRR riders who have both been winners at the highest level of road racing in the United States this season.
Spectators are welcome to observe free of charge from either the Concord Grandstands or the Turn 6 viewing area, and pit passes that provide full access to the paddock, winners circle and all inside viewing areas are available at the gate for $15/day or $25/weekend.
A video link that highlights some of the classic riders can be found here:
Laconia Motorcycle Week® Welcoming Press Conference Thursday, June 10, 2021 at North East Motor Sports Museum at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, 922 NH Route 106, Loudon, NH 03397.
The 98th Anniversary of Laconia Motorcycle Week® begins Saturday, June 12th, 2021 and the Laconia Motorcycle Week® Association invites all media personnel to help us kick-off this year’s Rally at the Welcoming Press Conference hosted by North East Motor Sports Museum at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Thursday, June 10th from 11:00AM to Noon.
Cynthia Makris, President of the Laconia Motorcycle Week® Association, will moderate. Scheduled to appear are:
Media inquiries and to RSVP, please Contact Jennifer Anderson – 603-387-6628 or info@laconiamcweek.com.
Daily Rally Press Conferences for Laconia Motorcycle Week® will occur at the Naswa Resort (1086 Weirs Boulevard) from Monday June 14th through Friday June 18th at 9AM.
by Tom Rysinski from https://pvtimes.com
Pahrump Valley Speedway is for sale. Again. But don’t expect any imminent news on that front.
“The 12 years that I’ve had it, the racetrack has been for sale for eight of those years,” owner Chad Broadhead said. “It’s just that real estate is getting up there, and I’m trying to figure out what to do for my retirement. I’m getting up there in age, my health isn’t that good, so I put it up and hopefully in the next couple of years someone will come up and buy it.”
Broadhead’s pride in the racetrack is not diminished, but he does not have the resources to make the most of the place.
“It’s been good for me,” he said. “I’ve done the best I could with what money we’ve had to put into it. I’m hoping some investor will buy it and bring concerts in here, bring in motorcycles, bring in monster trucks. I also hope someone can finish the idea of putting a drive-in movie theater for weeks off of racing.”
Broadhead noted that the track is dark most of the year, and making the improvements needed to bring in more events could make the place far more lucrative.
“There are 365 days a year, we’re open 21, and people think we’re making millions, and we’re not,” he said. “I love this racetrack to death. This racetrack means a lot to me. I’m hoping we can find someone to come in and finish developing it and make it what it can be.”
Broadhead said he has no desire to lease the track, and selling it would allow him, eventually, to retire. He also wants to sell it now so his wife would not have to deal with that after he’s gone.
But he would stick around for at least a little while after any sale.
“I would have to for the first year until they get the hang of it,” he said. “It’s not something you can just walk in, take over and think you can run it.”
Broadhead has been in Pahrump for more than 20 years and is proud of the fact the speedway is among the oldest operating businesses in town.
“I don’t want to see the place close down,” he said. “The way property’s selling right now, some investor might come in, buy it and just sit on it for 10 years.”
As long as that buyer keeps the cars during those 10 years, Broadhead would be fine with that.
As he put it: “I want to get rid of it, I want to sell it, but to the right person.”
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