Motordrome - Board Track Motorcycle Racing in the US

[@schallep11]

Very cool video. My great grandfather is Arthur Mitchel (9:37) I'm just now discovering his history and impact on the sport. Thanks for sharing this video.

[@fostbitten5721]

Wow that is awesome!!

[@stevematz7354]

Board Track racing had such a brief existence in the overall picture of Motorcycle Racing. Many of your BT Racers were killed or had career ending injuries. These men were daredevils; riding essentially 1000cc Bicycles with no brakes on high banked board tracks with minimal head and body protection. After the N.J. Carnage which also killed spectators, The Tracks all across America were torn down and BT Racing just faded away. One racer who escaped Death and serious injury in his career and went on to live 100+ years was Jim Davis. He is honored at the Racers Wall at the Daytona International Speedway. I consider myself somewhat knowledgable on DT Racing History; but many names that were listed in the Video, I hadn't heard of before. I'm glad there are people who do remember them and their Racing Days on the BT's & DT's of America. They entertained 1000's of spectators doing something that could end their life every time out. BTW: Interesting bit of trivia; the racer shown in the Video name Ray Weisshar who had the little Pigglet on his Gastank is credited for giving Harley Davidson the term "Harley Hog" Ray use to bring his little pet Pig to the Races as both a Mascot and Good Luck Charm.... I doubt that little Pig knew he was responsible for that often said phrase over the decades.....Excellent Video, Thanks for Uploading it !

[@douglasalankingsbury7970]

+steve matz Great commentary Steve. Thank you for the historical trivia regarding Ray Weisshar...when I saw the video..I immediately wondered if the term "Hog" had anything to do with the piglet in the video...thanks for the verification and thanks again for the additional information....great job.

[@stevematz7354]

I remember those well at our State Fair. The bike out front where the Carnival Barker was usually was an older HD or Indian on a conveyer type Belt with one of the Wall Riders sitting sidesaddle yet keeping the bike balanced on the belt. The bike they used in the Drome was usually an old HD 2 stroke Hummer or Scat. Probably because of the small diameter of the Drome/ Barrel , a 2 stroke would wind up faster. If you've ever watched the Elvis Presley Movie " Roustabout" - 1964 there is one of these Dromes at a Carnival that Elvis ends up at. He even rides in it at one point, although I'm sure it was a Stunt Rider. Fairs and Carnivals now days just don't seem to have some of the neat things we got to see back in the day. Probably because Lawyers and Insurance Companies got involved. Glad I was one of the Lucky ones to see the Old Drome Riders.

[@davidbarnhart5101]

steve matz z

[@christopherschafer7675]

Jim Davis was a life long friend of my grandfather, they grew up together on the west side of Columbus. In the second picture of Ray Weishaar the lady behind Ray is Mrs. Jim Davis and the lady to the right is Jim's mom. (This picture is cropped.) Jim said that he had a baby pig, named Billy, that same season. He said when the Harley Davidson team showed up people would call out "Here come the hogs!" I don't know if it was the same pig or if they both had one. I recorded a lot of my conversations with Jim about 30 years ago and still have them. By the way, Upper Arlington, Ohio, next to Columbus also had a board track around 1910. Jim's first race, a few years later, was at the fairgrounds track in Lancaster Ohio.

[@peterdavidaddison4378]

... Yeah, great info but I doubt that they began with 1000cc powered motors. Maybe 60, 80, 100 or 120cc engines. 😎

[@ApriliaRacer14]

Obsessed as a child with this great era of motorcycles. Dreamed everynight about being a racer back then.

[@anguskangus8222]

grandpa rode and sold bikes. dad was a motorcycle cop. got my first motorcycle in 1969.love this stuff.

[@KG-yc6cl]

Great video. Thanks for sharing and documenting that era. It's so easy to dismiss those bikes, but they were state of the art and arguably required as much creativity and engineering acumen as modern day MotoGP bikes. Of course it goes without saying that those pilots were courageous beyond reason and every bit as skillful as modern riders.

[@andrewdulay3604]

Excellent work on this video. Well done. Good tunes too! Sidecars on a board track. Incredible.

[@timpruitt2417]

A few years ago i tried to search for Board Track racing info on the web and was very disappointed. I am so glad there is more out there now.

[@PeterChatteris]

Incredible music.. Incredible movie.. Congratulations!

[@darryl.c7972]

Met Jim Davis back in the mid 90's at the Del Mar race track in San Diego. He was 102 then, oldest living board track racer!

[@glengerdes2447]

Your correct. I was there also. One year We had about fifty dirt track racers there. Good times.

[@funhog100]

absolutely fantastic! I won't sleep tonight. an old racer...... Thanks!! A Lot!

[@ringogringo814]

love the Harley and the Davidsons mini-series. this video goes great with it. one needs to be made on Glenn Curtiss and his motorcycle career!

[@Hezbollah-mj1ek]

I wish one day they bring back board track racing .And bring back these beautiful machines :)

[@zxr92]

You can add Salt Lake City to the list. In 1910, Jack Prince built a motordrome at Wandamere Park. First "official" race was July 4, 1910 and the newspaper estimated the crowd at between 8,000-10,000.

[@MikeSmith-ve2qu]

These guys had huge balls

[@tc19948]

Thank you so much for posting this great video. It is such a great privilege to see these heroic guys, properly identified. More strength to you, Sir.

[@javisobepi]

Great job on putting this awesome video of motorcycle history

[@davewalker3561]

Well done interspersing photos with videos and a great soundtrack. Kudos to you.

[@mrj246]

Great Video!!! i cant sit still watching... cant wait for summer

[@MrJohnnyDistortion]

Very nicely done.

[@paulcarpenter237]

These guys were true HEROS ! Crazy as cut snakes but by-jeez......100+ mph with NO brakes, and very little safety gear.... it makes these GP riders of today look like a bunch of wimps !

[@mikmacarthur]

You said it sir.

[@terminalvelocity1412]

Seen the Isle of Man race? Try 200mph on country roads in an old English villiage. Heroes are still around, if you look hard enough. :0)

[@antlerking69]

Crazy as cut snakes 😂

[@robertdomergue2082]

Super vidéo, avec de la super musique !!!

[@slavetospeed]

I´ll put this vibes in my head for our next Race. Many thanx!!!! Murderdrome Cycles

[@mrjericho5701]

Live footage of Indian racer with tape all over arm was Shrimp Burns at Sheepshead Bay NY Board Track,......the Motordromes 1/4 to/1/3 mile tracks were ever more crazy than the big boardtracks 1-2 mile tracks,...cool song

[@richburns7491]

at 3:27 albert shrimp burns with wrapped hands with wood chips from early crash wins at 102 mph on INDIAN

[@mr.roaddogwade7107]

Great tribute to the legends. 👌🏼

[@JohnnyStarWars]

Awesome video and great piece of music

[@luckyuhaul]

Great vid , very well done. I gave the pause button quite a work-out! Worth watching over & over! Thanks for posting this, 5 star all the way.

[@robertghorne8607]

Excellent video

[@douglasmcdermott2830]

Soundtrack is exceptional

[@spymaine89]

GREAT, presentation, thanks.

[@ismailzorlu7249]

Thank u very much deluxeride.. :)

[@danwolf307]

Awesome video Even the soundtrack! Those guys had some serious sack, putting a dirtbike down on gravel hurts enough.

[@peglegnoid6139]

Very good vid and tunes, thanks

[@steveturpin4242]

Fantastic soundtrack...thanks.

[@tc19948]

Boardtrack racing bikes had no brakes for precisely the same reason as speedway or flattrack bikes do not: It is all about RELATIVE speed. The last thing you need if you are drafting a guy into a 130 mph turn is him suddenly slamming brakes on. Artie Bell lost the use of his arm due to a crash caused by a rider panic braking in the middle of a very fast roadracing corner. Riders had a cutout button to slow down in those days, they were not suicidal.

[@seabreezn]

Hot footage & belly warming tunes , best footage & homage I've seen to Boardtrack racing>>>Wicked

[@nagramos]

Great video! Fantastic! Thanks!

[@Fritztoons]

Thank you!! Very well made!!

[@eleazhar]

excellent video!! i really enjoyed it!

[@luizgiao652]

Thank you!

[@Gregasaki]

Awesome music!

[@ravikumark5031]

old is gold

[@markmccarty1176]

Racing around a board track with a motorcycle that has a total loss oil system. Amazing

[@mikep4823]

We need a movie about this. When i saw all these Harley riders on these tracks going by what the documentary of Harley they had banned board racing. Just a good movie based on true events would be so cool. Ron Howard should get on this. I am sure it would do good.

[@jean-lucvabis2529]

super vidéo merci la musique aussi est top !!!

[@irishpat64]

Thank God!!! For once.....The Music compliments a Magnificent video!!!

[@karlschweizer2554]

they were all great guys god bless them they risked it all and had fun 2

[@bry3500]

Great vid - thanks

[@Pparker99]

Brilliant. You rarely see these early racing legends, and the music is GREAT. Where can I download this first song. I can't find the live version. Just bought the studio version on iTunes, but this live version is much better. Thanks for posting.

[@TheMDJ2000]

Yep - someone has to make a movie about this.

[@TheRocketsciencee]

discovery channel, Harley and the Davidson!

[@mikmacarthur]

Please look up The flying Millyard, the guy "Millyard" built it himself, amazing engineer, it's a 5 litre v twin made from part of a radial aero engine, and yes you read correctly 5 fuckin litres, what a fukeen throb comes of it.

[@Charlie-tk6bu]

Found this as I was looking for info about races with motorcycles on board races But with ordinary cyclists behind the motorcycle. It was a tv-program about the Anzani motor and Airplanes. It was not a very good program as there really was no info why there was a cyclist peddling behind. Really impressive build though, the board tracks.

[@haida7298]

Thanks ! Nice vid !

[@fast915]

If time travel ever happens, it'll straight to a board track race with a six pack of 1920's coca cola in hand.

[@brendamagee6411]

Researcher and historian writing about early motorcycle races. Is this your vid? Please, can you tell me where this video is from, would like to contact owner for more info, Thank you,

[@l.a.raustadt518]

Wouldn't it be cool if Excelsior Henderson (for sale ,again) came back and we would have them, Indian and HD back on a dirt track again? The big 3 banging bars on AMA DT races!

[@volcarak43]

the good old days

[@csabicsabi9989]

Great! 4:30 2 old Hungary biker! Zoltan Sulkowsky & Gyula Bartha! World tour 1928-1936 Harley Davidson sidecar! 68 country! Over 100.000 miles!

[@mikmacarthur]

When men were men with the heart of Bruce beating in their chests. Bring back the old board track!

[@juliolausell4399]

+mikmacarthur It's just around the corner. Board track racer is the future of motorcycle styling. The chopper is dead!!!! Then just maybe motorcycles will be raced again on a huge oval track just like nascar today. That would be freaking awesome.

[@thomaswilsonsr.9206]

+julio lausell Imagine if the tracks are even made of boards. It would be crazy expensive, but this is a very important era for the United States.

[@juliolausell4399]

Gage Justice Today video games and gadgets are taking over, the world needs to change. It needs something like the return of motorcycles like in the 90's and 2000's, maybe the board-track racer can do such that. Kids wanting bicycles that have motors and that look like board-track racing bikes. A new era that the U.S. can be proud of, just like back in the day of the Motordrome.

[@thomaswilsonsr.9206]

julio lausell True that. We should start exploring as a country. How fast can we get on a homemade motor? A homemade motorbike. People do not have a feel or a want or an ambition to be amazing. It takes a real man to race machines like board trackers. It takes an even bigger one to see how fast he can go, just to see. And the days when people wore motorcycle goggles.

[@juliolausell4399]

If I could I would start a racing division called the N.M.R.L. Nation Motorcycle Racing League, where motorcycles race like NASCAR in a oval. The bikes would have a displacement limit of 500cc V-twin OHV and a weight limit 500lb. not under 490lb. rider and bike. Speeds could be reaching 200mph. Bikes would also have to use spoke wheels. No fairings. Naked bikes for ease of changing tires....... Just a little day dream of mine. I think things will change, Its up to us and the U.S. to lead the way.

[@crasherror]

Amazing video. If you don't mind me asking. Where did you get you research? I want to learn more about board track racing.

[@Ecosse57]

when is ron howard gonna do a feature film of these men?

[@ismailzorlu7249]

can ı learn music name?

[@KRAMPUS1933]

Racing in knitwear. My kinda heroes.

[@danburns3097]

Who is the band/musician in the first half of the video?

[@deluxeride]

Hugo Race & True Spirit preforming "Girl called Sunset" recorded Live in Zaklad Karny (maximum security prison), Wolow, Poland, October 20, 2009

[@alexbourgeois7863]

I need a sim rig for this. NOW! 😂

[@cabbage681]

wish i had a time machine

[@Dave16103]

Who is the band in the first song?

[@edgaracuna6957]

Respeto...

[@StormLaker]

Some real horror stories of wrecks on those old board tracks, yikes.

[@desterradosinperdon]

padrisimo

[@Heavywall70]

Sorry to the guys that think Indians never had Harley motors but it’s true, in the 90’s when they tried to fire up the name that Indian company used S&S motors (aftermarket Harley motor) The Kings Mountain attempt developed a proprietary motor but that company failed too. These “Indians” of today are just rebadged Victory bikes by Polaris Harley endured, and if they hadn’t the Indians you know today would not exist so show some respect

[@sergegendron3178]

super belle racines

[@briansteffmagnussen9078]

Forget Hells Angels. These old guys here was it was right stuff

[@fostbitten5721]

People would flip out if you had the land and the money to build a board track now.

[@freedomwoodgasandoffgridin8925]

great video!! really sucky music, had to turn sound off

[@tomandbenny]

The Harley and Davidson series would have been better if there was a remote resemblance of truth in it! George Hendee might as well as been Snidley Whiplash!

[@needs2know1]

I wish Indian would have stayed in business

[@jbussa]

www.indianmotorcycle.com/en-us

[@FITDREW5476]

The Grandson of Indian Motorcycle founder is now the entrepreneur at the head of Local Motors; builder of the Rally Fighter....and many other interesting online open source projects which you can participate in!! ref: www.LocalMotors.com And a new Indian Motorcycle Company is in business. They were using Harley engines, but now make their own.

[@dennymcfastlane3159]

DREW PALMER INDIAN NEVER EVER USED A DAVIDSON MOTOR!!! HARLEY DAVIDSON'S MADE OF TIN--RIDE EM' OUT...AND PUSH EM' BACK IN!!!

[@mikmacarthur]

As far as I know they are, not only that, they make bespoke bikes for those who can afford it, I would have an Indian over any other cycle, they ARE the Rolls Royce of motorcycles hands down!

[@mikmacarthur]

+Denny Mcfastlane Agreed, putting a Harley motor in an Indian is tantamount to sacrilege.

[@tonynecas4825]

Guy Ritchie.. sir.. Movie idea? hint hint.

[@rayjensen4480]

You have every board track in the U. S. here….EXCEPT one of the MOST IMPORTANT ones: SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS…..the HOME of INDIAN motorcycles, the company that BEGAN BOARD TRACK RACING and had one of the original tracks. What's with that? You also don't show any of the Springfield Board track champions. You show the bikes…..but nothing about the home of America's FIRST motorcycle or board track.

[@luckyuhaul]

We were saving that one for you ,Ray.

[@FITDREW5476]

So, RAY, Do you have a video? Do you have photos you can put into a video (doing zooms & pans on the photos so it appears moving) which you can then upload to KZbin, so we can all enjoy it....instead of BITCHING.

[@rayjensen4480]

Wow. Bitching? I was merely asking a question. And...the video doesn't show any of the Springfield board tracks, where board track racing originated nor does it show any of the very first board track Indian racers. Don't know who YOU are, but after your comments...remove me from wherever this is posted . If you can't take constructive critisism...you shouldn't be public.

[@luckyuhaul]

Ray Jensen Relax Ray, your CAPS indicate yelling. The man posted a great video and soundtrack. I'm sure if he had the footage it would have been included. Films such as these are a rarity, I'd sure like to see some more, also.