Check out the bike shows at the BOOT HILL SALOON, Daytona Bikeweek 2018 at the Boot Hill Saloon. RIDE-IN bike show on March 13th, Worlds Sexiest Bagger Show March 14th. Great prizes, food & drink. Vendors galore on both sides of the road but the BOOT HILL SALOON is the place to be!
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 6, 2018) – America’s most unique motorcycle race – the bigger, better and faster Harley-Davidson TT presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys at DAYTONA – is set to dramatically expand its fan-friendly flavor on March 15, 2018, with the addition of several exciting new features. These include pit-road bleacher seating (see yellow area on map, above), which gets fans across the Speedway’s legendary tarmac and up close and personal to the TT action, and a multifaceted, family friendly UNOH (University of Northwestern Ohio) Fanzone in the legendary Daytona International Speedway infield, which incorporates vintage bike displays, a Harley-Davidson stunt show, and much more. Continue reading 2018 DAYTONA TT to Feature Trackside Seating, Fun-Filled Fan Zone, Rider Autographs and Harley-Davidson Stunt Extravaganza
We all have rallies that we love, Biketoberfest in Daytona has always been one of my favorites. Maybe it’s because the summer is ending and Daytona offers summer conditions year around, maybe it’s just Continue reading LOOKING BACK AT DAYTONA BIKETOBERFEST 2005
Pictures & Post by Jack McIntyre
One of my greatest “biker” memories was loading my first Harley-Davidson Fatboy onto my Dodge Ram a few decades ago, and doing the over night run from Philly to Daytona Beach for my first Biketoberfest. I had no idea what to expect, but when turning of 95 South onto Rt. 1 towards Ormand Beach, my eyes popped open the size of golf balls. Bikers everywhere, and I mean on bar fronts at every corner, parking lots, roads, beach… everywhere. I knew then that I was in my happy place. Since those days, I have watched the industry flourish, fall apart, pull it’s self back together, and keep trying up till today. I went from being just a visitor to very involved in the media side of motorcycling for the total love of it.
Truth is, my generation is getting older, not too old yet, but getting there. Of all of the things I have done in my life, biker rallies top the list by far. I go to as many as I can, and won’t stop until my body says to. My concern is, are the upcoming corporate professionals with the major motorcycle and component companies going to step up and keep up their roles? Are the up and coming media and event organizers going to keep alive these HUGE gatherings? I can only hope so and I would lend my experiences to anyone that would ask.
Just my two cents, have a great Daytona everyone, it’s coming up soon!
More than a dozen vintage-powered race bikes re-created the board track races of the early 20th Century at the second Sons of Speed race on October 21. The event took place at New Smyrna Speedway during the Daytona Beach, Florida’s Biketoberfest.
This fresh yet nostalgic race event, instigated by Billy Lane of Choppers Inc., first ran in March of this year during Daytona Bike Week on New Smyrna’s banked half-mile asphalt track. That time, Brittney Olson took first, followed by Matt Harris in second and Shelly Rossmeyer-Pepe in third. Olsen sat out this round while her bike was being repaired but acted as Grand Marshal for this day.
Many of the same racers came out to compete, some on the same machines they campaigned in March and others on “new” bikes that recently rolled out of Lane’s shop—one, in fact, just hours before race day! The powerplants vary in make but they’re all original equipment from the early days of motorcycling that sat languishing for decades. Lane’s purpose built frames, front ends and sheetmetal created homes for these motors to finally fire up once and get back on the track. The concept harkens back to one of motorcycling’s heydays and it’s exhilarating to watch.
Even the practice runs were exciting. Moonshiner Josh Owens and Matt Walksler ran neck in neck early on, with Owens fearlessly on the throttle. But that rivalry resolved when Owens’s bike wouldn’t start for the final. Walksler and Ebay Jake duked it out, too, crossing the finish line head to head in one heat. Buzz Kanter, Shelly Rossmeyer-Pepe and Billy rocked steady to make their qualifiers; Toce and Roxy ran consistently, too. Though mechanical gremlins bit Xavier Muriel, Rick Petko, Freddy and Brook they all exhibited moxie and looked incredible. These stripped down, pre-1925 machines with no clutches or brakes had to be bump-started and appeared to hang on the banking by magic.
Even with camaraderie high and competitive angst low, someone’s going to win, right? Ultimately Ebay Jake, who’d run strong all day, placed first on a 1919 Harley J Model racer owned by Curtis Wear. In second place—again—was the Matt Harris of 40 Cal Customs, still nursing his broken leg but not holding back a bit on the track. Matt Walksler of Period Modified came in third and was all smiles about it.
Ebay Jake also gave the crowd a stunt show before the main event, mixing it up with Bubba Blackwell who popped some wheelies, too, while taking a break from his emcee duties. Bubba stepped in to fill-in for the recently deceased Barry Boone who was originally set to announce the races. Bubba respectfully led the crowd in a moment of silence to remember Barry.
There were dozens of side stories, the racers took time to meet with spectators, and pit crews exhibited a ton of dedicated effort. But instead of us relating more here, just take this advice: next time Sons of Speed racing happens, go. You won’t regret it.
