Hall of Fame Road Racings

Steve Baker - Class of 2014

admin — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 23:46:22 +0000

Steve Baker - Class of 2014 admin Tue, 10/24/2017 - 19:46

Blazing the path of a true Canadian champion

As a youngster Steve Baker enjoyed riding dirt trails around his home town of Bellingham, Washington. By the time he was 16 he had taken up racing and was honing his skills up and down the West coast of the United States and Canada. In short order, Steve became the top ranked novice short track and Junior TT rider in the country.

By 1971 Yamaha’s race director Bob Work, who had been following Steve’s dirt track success, offered him a ride on a TD2 sponsored by Canadian importer, Trev Deeley Ltd. Steve took to road racing naturally and by 1973 had won his first Canadian 250 Expert Championship. In the ensuing three race seasons, Baker blazed the path of a true champion, producing 9 more Canadian National plates. Bob Work speaks of Steve’s innate ability to learn a new track very quickly but to run at the front and finish the race, the bike also has to be very well prepared. The team of Baker/Work were the stuff.

Steve had success road racing in the US as well, supported by Yamaha Motor Canada. In 1975 Steve recorded a 2nd at the Daytona 200, 3rd in the 250cc 100 mile race and returned in 1976, making the podium again with a 3rd in the 250cc class. Baker then went on to earn his first AMA national win at Loudon, NH and capped the weekend off with a 250GP win. He duplicated that performance in August that season at Laguna Seca Raceway, again winning the National and the 250GP. These results placed Steve 2nd overall in the series behind Kenny Roberts.

In 1977, Baker started the year impressively by qualifying on the pole for the Daytona 200. He went on to win the rain-shortened 200 miler and the International Lightweight 250 Grand Prix event as well. From there he competed in both the newly formed Formula 750 World Series and the 500cc World Championship Grand Prix. With wins at Daytona, Spain, England, Austria and Belgium, Steve Baker and the Canadian Yamaha Team secured the Road Racing World Championship in the Formula 750 Series and finished runner-up to Barry Sheene in the 500 World Championship.

For that extraordinary season, Steve Baker and Team Yamaha were also recipients of the International Ambassador Award for their outstanding promotion of Canadian motorcycle racing.

The close of 1977 brought an end to that Cinderella season. Yamaha did not renew his contract so Steve spent 1978 contesting the 500cc World Championships on a privateer Suzuki. At the end of that season, Baker suffered a devastating accident at the Mosport circuit in Canada. That crash left him with a broken arm and shattered his left leg for the third time. Soon afterward, Baker decided to retire from racing.

Today Steve maintains an office in the motorcycle dealership he owned near Bellingham, WA. Since 2007 Steve has been traveling to Europe regularly as a rider for the Yamaha Classic Race Team based in Holland. This has provided him the opportunity to reconnect with many of the riders he competed against during his GP career and ride the 1970’s Yamaha race bikes ranging from the TZ125 to his favorite the OW-31 TZ750.

Roger Beaumont - Class of 2017

admin — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 19:22:18 +0000

Roger Beaumont - Class of 2017 admin Fri, 01/19/2018 - 14:22

We’ll never know what more he may have achieved

Born in England in 1938, Roger like most young English lads had a good childhood with lots of activity. His cycle influence began at home where his Dad rode bikes until an accident took the life of a close friend. At 14 years of age, Roger rode on a bicycle racing team. Yes, a group of lads raced pedal bikes on an oval track which entertained a full house every time. The bikes had only one pedal and were fitted with special tires and handle bars. The riders were equipped with team sweaters and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

His older brother had a motorcycle which Roger would borrow… this probably starting his career which he grew to love so much. He would start the bike by running along with it in the field, however, stopping was something done in a somewhat unusual manner. He would keep running the bike until the tank ran dry as he was too short to touch the ground.

Roger then began collecting different bikes which he would ride through the many fields and when he started to work, travelled back and forth on a Frances-Barnett 197cc. While still in England he rode trials and did some scrambling until moving to Canada in 1957. Roger was chosen to be on the first Canadian/US Challenge scramble team running at Grafton, Vermont and Copetown, Ontario and was chosen again the following year.

His real competition began in 1957 when he scrambled with an old Norton then, when winter arrived, ice-raced for the fun of it and that summer tried his hand at dirt tracking.

From Nortons, Roger went to a Velocette which he began road racing and found out that this was his favourite type of racing. His Manx Norton bought in 1962 brought him many victories and in 1965 he won the National Championship Road Race (and the #1 Plate) and repeated the effort the following year on a Triumph Bonneville. In 1965 Roger placed 3^rd (Hailwood was 1^st) in the US Grand Prix at Daytona and won FIM World Points Championship, 500cc Class.

In 1966, he and a friend, Dave Lloyd another Manx rider, toured Europe where he learned many new things from the world’s best riders. Corners became just part of the race whereas before they were the most difficult part of the track. Roger’s best performance was at Hockenheim, Germany when he placed 8^th overall and was the first private entry.

Roger has had many Canadian victories which his 75 trophies prove but his most remembered race was in 1967 in the World Championship Grand Prix at Mosport where he diced with another well-known Canadian rider with European experience, Mike Duff. It was a short duel all the way and Roger said it was the fastest he had ever had to ride.

Roger was a quiet, well mannered fellow married to a lovely girl and they had three children. He was a Quebec resident but moved to London, Ontario in 1968 and took a job with Raymond Burke Ltd., distributor for Triumph. Burke sponsored Roger with much success as he won almost every race he entered. In the Unlimited Class, he rode a Bonneville and used a stock machine for the Production Class.

Over the years, Roger raced many circuits with many top quality machines. His biggest ambition was to ride the Isle of Man a few more times. He rode it for the first time in 1966 at an average speed of 92MPH and wanted to be among the few names who average over 100MPH. In 1970 Roger finished third overall in the running for the White Trophy with most of his points coming from road racing.

In 1967, Bill Sharpless had a test-ride on the Triumph distributor’s factory TR100 but never felt confident with its clip-on bars. Roger tried it but didn’t like the handling either so he swapped the motor into his Manx frame and won several races.

With the help of Ray Gref who made possible the status of the record attempt in 1968, Roger set an FIM/CMA land speed record of 167 MPH at Bagotville, Quebec riding a Burke Triumph – 650 Bonneville.

Roger died suddenly of a heart attack on October 30, 1979. He was only 41. He accomplished much in a short period of time and we’ll never know what more he may have achieved.

Roger was well known to road racers in Canada and his friend and competitor, John Davies, established the Vintage Road Racing Association Roger Beaumont Award in his memory. It is awarded annually to the individual who best exemplifies the spirit and intent of the sport and whose dedication and commitment have contributed to the VRRA club and vintage road racing.

Steve Crevier - Class of 2018

Vada — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 04:18:40 +0000

Steve Crevier - Class of 2018 Vada Wed, 01/23/2019 - 23:18

As well as enjoying a very successful career, Crevier is also the most flamboyant and outspoken racer of his era

Steve Crevier is the most successful racer from the legendary mid-1980s British Columbia scene, his career launched from the “mountain high” Westwood venue outside Vancouver at the height of racing’s popularity on the “left coast.” Born in Montreal, Crevier started off moto crossing in B.C. and soon cut his pavement teeth on Yamaha’s famed two stroke twin RZ350, earning the nick name “Squid Kid” while still a front-running teen-ager.

As well as enjoying a long-lasting and very successful career, Crevier is also perhaps the most flamboyant and outspoken racer of his era, impressive given that Crevier rose to road race fame at the same time as popular Hall of Famers Miguel Duhamel and Jon Cornwell.

Crevier turned Pro in 1985, at the same time as Yamaha’s potent new five-valve FZ750 arrived in dealerships, including his long-time supporter Pacific Yamaha. The next year, Crevier got an ex-Rueben McMurter FZ750 Superbike, and stunned the racing scene by defeating National star Michel Mercier at Sanair International in Quebec in Crevier’s first appearance at that track.

For the next two years, Crevier competed in Canada and the U.S., in Superbike, SuperSport and 250cc Grand Prix class Yamaha equipment. In 1989, Crevier lead Yamaha Canada’s program with the new OW-01 “homologation special” Superbike, new Production class FZR600, as well as a Team Ciampini Aprilia 250cc Grand Prix machine.

1989 was Crevier’s breakthrough season with tuner Rick Hobbs, sweeping all three of the top classes in the Motoplan-Castrol Canadian National Championship. Crevier was also top Canuk at the Mosport World Superbike round, earning big financially from his dominant campaign as well as scoring a prize car!

After the North American season, Crevier competed in the Australian and New Zealand Superbike races, and won a race at the invitational event in Mexico City.

That success lead to a full-time factory ride with Yoshimura-Suzuki in the U.S.A. That deal came apart mid-season and Crevier returned to join the Canadian Kawasaki squad and still manage to grab the Grand Prix crown on the Aprilia.

In 1991 Crevier rode for Two Brothers Honda on Bridgestone Tires in the U.S. He dominated on Dunlop rubber for Canadian Kawasaki and did the same in 1992. In 1993 Steve clinched his fourth Canadian Superbike title, and ran his own program on a privateer Weld-Rite Kawasaki Ninja 600 in the U.S., earning a remarkable seven podium placings. Steve also rode in the prestigious Suzuka Eight Hour race in Japan for the first time.

That brilliant effort meant a second factory opportunity in the U.S. in 1995, joining the famed Muzzy-Kawasaki squad, earning podiums in Superbike and SuperSport. This helped Steve to join Camel-Honda in 1996, where he was team-mate to arch-rival Miguel Duhamel.

While Crevier had a number of strong finishes in his first works Honda campaign in 1996, a serious water craft accident interrupted his season and would continue to affect his health for years to come. 1997 went better, Crevier taking fourth overall in both Superbike on the RC45 and Supersport on the CBR600F3.

In an ironic twist, Crevier returned to Yoshimura-Suzuki in 1998 and had his “career year,” earning the Champion’s crown on the GSX-R600 in the ultra-competitive SuperSport category and developing the new TL1000R twin in Superbike, placing a strong seventh overall. The next year, Crevier was 10^th overall in Superbike and seventh in SuperSport with the number one plate on his Suzuki.

Crevier returned to Canada in 2000, joining the Honda team run by Hall-of-Famer Alan Labrosse with tuner Peter Snell and earned his fifth Superbike title on the new RC51 twin; the next season he repeated while also winning the Sport Bike number one on the CBR600F4. Unfortunately, 2002 was spoiled by an early season broken ankle caused by a mechanical failure.

Then Crevier moved to the Montreal-based Diablo Paintball Suzuki squad, eventually earning the 2005 Sport Bike title on a Diablo-Honda – Crevier was usually the rider to beat in 600cc class action across North America.

In 2007 Crevier moved to the Fast Company Yamaha Canada team, and finished the season with three wins in a row on the factory YZF-R1 tuned by Scott Miller, ending a close second behind Jordan Szoke in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. Considered the favorite heading into 2008, Yamaha downsized their program and Steve would not win another Superbike race, ending his career with a then-record 26 victories and six overall National crowns.

A move to the new Buell twin attracted lots of attention in 2008, and Crevier took an incredible third in the bike’s debut at Calabogie, ON. However, that program ended the next year, and Crevier would never again compete in the premier category.

Harley-Davidson launched a new spec series for their XR1200 twin in 2011, and Steve earned that series title for the Motosport Plus squad of Kingston two years in a row, also showing well in the same class in the U.S.A.

Now 53 years old, Crevier lives in the lower mainland of B.C. with partner Lindsay and their young family.

Don Haddow - Class of 2013

admin — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 16:19:12 +0000

Don Haddow - Class of 2013 admin Wed, 10/25/2017 - 12:19

A Christmas present of “Thrills of the Speedway” kindled a lifelong passion

Don Haddow credits his lifelong passion for motorsports to a childhood Christmas present from an aunt. “Thrills of the Speedway” was the title of the book, and his aunt seems to have anticipated Don’s interests well. It recounted the exploits of early stars such as Louis Chiron, Tazio Nuvolari and Sir Malcolm Campbell. While the book has lapsed into obscurity, it kindled a need for speed that fuelled Don’s later success on two wheels, four wheels and on skis.

Growing up in Toronto, in the early postwar years Don began to hang around the shop of a prominent racer and businessman named Chuck Stockey. Stockey had negotiated the rights to import Velocette and Vincent motorcycles from England and Don would hold a light and try to make himself useful while Chuck assembled the new motorcycles out of their crates.

Don badly wanted his own bike and at the age of 15 took a summer job working on lake freighters to earn the money. Stockey had taken a used Matchless single in trade for a new Vincent and this became Don’s first motorcycle. A month later came Don’s first motorcycle crash when he was rear-ended at night by a car. He gained a concussion and gravel rash on his head and shoulders, while the Matchless went for repairs to the AJS-Matchless importer, Harry Firth in Toronto’s east end. Every time Don would telephone Firth’s to find out when his bike would be ready he was told that the needed parts were still “on the water.” He found out later that his father had told the shop to delay the repairs, hoping he would lose interest. Eventually the bike was ready in December and Don rode it through the winter of 1947.

When he finished school, Don worked on oil tankers to raise funds for a used MG TC that he entered in the sports car races at Edenvale, an airport circuit near Stayner, Ont. His ambitions were thwarted, though, when he learned the prices of competitive machines like the Allards and Jaguars that he aspired to. Motorcycles seemed like a better deal, and Don turned to a used 500 cc Triumph T100C with twin carbs, low bars and a sprung rear hub. Bingo, his first race win at Edenvale at the age of 23.

A change of handlebar, gearing and rear tire would make the Triumph into a dirt tracker, and Don entered a variety of races in Ontario and Quebec with much success. He also took to the trails with a ride in the British Empire Motor Club winning team entry of the 1955 Corduroy Enduro on a twin-cylinder Matchless, and gained a senior class win in 1956 at the Ontario championship scramble at Peterborough.

In 1957 Don bought a new Triumph T100R and was rewarded with the Canadian championship in the expert class at Harewood Acres, near Jarvis, Ont. A few weeks later he placed second in the 25-lap final of the BEMC Indian Summer Trophy Races, again on the Harewood airport circuit. He was a non-finisher on the beach at Daytona but also raced at Laconia, Marlboro and Watkins Glen with what he describes as limited success.

Don’s career was taking off. He was invited to ride a factory Triumph at Daytona in 1961 by Rod Coates, service manager for the Triumph Corporation. He had to take time off from his winter job as a ski instructor in Quebec but recorded the fastest qualifying time and pole position for the race. Don was mentally counting his race winnings when the Triumph stopped with a broken condenser wire. Coates had also arranged for Don to ride a Yamaha TD-1C in the 250 cc race, but his seventh place finish was disqualified as he’d missed an unknown check of engine numbers 10 minutes before the race.

Coates offered him the Triumph for the rest of the season but Don suffered a broken leg skiing at Mt. Tremblant and the ride went to Bill Sharpless. Late in the season he rode Oscar Liebmann’s hand-built BMW Rennsport special at Harewood and narrowly beat Al Johnson on a Norton Manx to win the Indian Summer Trophy Race.

In 1963 Don received an invitation from Mike Duff to ride the Isle of Man TT on the Matchless and AJS race bikes that Duff had bought through Harry Firth; Duff was being sponsored by the legendary Tom Arter and would be riding Arter’s own machines. Don gained a 17th place finish and bronze replica on the 350 cc AJS 7R in the Junior TT but a moment’s inattention led to a crash at Glen Helen while riding the Matchless G50 in the Senior. Don spent a week in hospital before flying home.

Don also received a first class award in the Canadian winter rally in 1962 and competed in sports car hillclimbs in the legendary Jordan Special, a home-built car with alcohol-fuelled Vincent engine. It was invariably the fastest machine on the hill, regularly defeated Ludwig Heimrath in his Porsches and still holds the hill records at Hockley Valley and Rattlesnake Point.

Peter Kellond - Class of 2014

admin — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 23:35:19 +0000

Peter Kellond - Class of 2014 admin Tue, 10/24/2017 - 19:35

Setting lap records at almost every race

Pete Kellond’s racing career began at Abbotsford Airport in 1957, competing on his street motorcycle, a 1957 500cc BSA Clubman Gold Star. At that first meet Pete finished 3rd overall and 1st Junior.

The Westwood Racing Circuit in Coquitlam, B.C. opened July 26, 1959. It was there the Sports Car Club of British Columbia (SCCBC) held its opening event which included motorcycles as a demonstration class. Pete competed on his Gold Star and again finished 3rd overall and 1st Junior.

The British Columbia Motor Cycle Racing Club grew out of these competitions. Later the name was changed to Westwood Motorcycle Racing Club and Peter Kellond served as first treasurer and eventually achieved the status of Lifetime Member.

In late 1960 Pete demolished the Westwood lap record by a full 2 seconds aboard a Manx Norton. Over the next four years Peter became a local legend, establishing lap records for both the 500cc and the unlimited classes at his home track, Seattle International Raceway, and Portland International Raceway.

Pete held Westwood’s club championships for 500cc, 650cc and unlimited class yearly until 1964. However, by late ‘65 the more modern two stroke Suzuki and Yamaha bikes and the 750cc Norton Commando proved too quick for the Manx. Pete managed to repeat the 500cc championship but it became obvious he would need to change machines to remain competitive.

Pete retooled his race program in 1966 racing new Suzuki Factory 50cc TR50 and then the 250cc TR250. He still holds the lap record at Westwood for the 50cc class at 1 min. 28sec. Kellond continued to campaign the Suzukis throughout the ‘67 and ‘68 season, attempting to win the championship and set 250cc lap record along the way. It was proving very difficult to compete on the same level as the new Yamaha factory race bikes.

In the late 1968 Trev Deeley approached Pete to compete on the new factory TD2 250cc and TR2 350cc race bikes at Daytona. Subsequently Deeley continued to sponsor him for the 1969 Westwood race season and select US races.

Daytona in 1969, racing the AMA 200 mile National, Pete finished 8th and then 6th in the 100 mile 250cc Combined race. In September, at the California Sears Point National, Pete finished 5th in both the 90 mile and the 125 mile events. Back home Pete won the 500 cc Canadian Championship, and set lap records at almost every race many times lowering his own records in the 250cc, 350cc and the unlimited classes.

During these years of competition Pete and his brother Geoff had meticulously prepared all his race bikes. Pete never suffered an engine failure during all those races, a testament to their mechanical skills. Pete officially retired at the end of 1970 undefeated but only after again lowering the Westwood lap record down to1 min 17.5 seconds, crashes notwithstanding.

Twenty years later, September 15, 1990, a final exhibition was held before the permanent closer of Westwood. Pete raced his original 1959 Norton Manx to 1st Place in the 500 class and 3rd overall. A fitting end to a great Canadian racing career.

Pete’s wife Valerie worked the switchboard at many of the motorcycle races at Westwood. Pete and Valerie have now been married 42 plus years and live in North Saanich, B.C.

Clive Ng-A-Kien - Class of 2019

Vada — Sat, 25 Jan 2020 19:39:14 +0000

Clive Ng-A-Kien - Class of 2019 Vada Sat, 01/25/2020 - 14:39

Clive Ng-A-Kien, is a five times Canadian 250 Grand Prix Champion

Clive Ng-A-Kien, is a five times Canadian 250 Grand Prix Champion, having won the Canadian National title for five consecutive years from 1980 to 1984. He captured those five National Championships at a time when the 250 Grand Prix Class was one of the premiere road racing classes in both Canada and the United States.

Born in Guyana, South America, Clive got his first motorcycle at the age of sixteen, a 50cc Yamaha. He won his first Amateur race on that Yamaha and quickly graduated the following year to a 100cc Suzuki for road racing while also racing grass track. He won the Guyanese Grass Track Championships three years in a row, from 1973 to 1975. At the same time, Clive showed his versatility as a rider and also captured the Guyanese Dirt Track Championships on a modified Kawasaki in 1974 and 1975.

Clive’s family immigrated to Canada at the end of 1975. The following year the talented young Guyanese rider was back racing this time on a Yamaha TA 125 out of West Hill, Ontario Yamaha dealer, Ernie White. He was consistently running in the top five as a first year junior rider. In 1977 Clive remained a junior class rider but moved up to a new Yamaha TZ250 and won both the Canadian 250cc and 500cc championships.

1978 would see Clive move up to the Expert class where he finished third at the September 1978 Canadian Grand Prix 250 race. Later that year he notched two podium finishes at the International event in Jamaica with a first and a second place showing.

1979 would see Clive enter the International Lightweight race at Daytona where he brought his Yamaha home in 28^thwith mechanical issues. Clive rebounded with top finishes in Canada, the USA and Guyana later in the year including track records in the 125cc and 250cc Grand Prix classes at Mosport. He also took two wins at the International Road Race in Guyana that fall.

1980 was Clive's breakout year as he won both the 250cc and 500cc championships while racing in the WERA series in the United States. Clive repeated his 250cc Championship in 1981. He was again the best 250cc Grand Prix rider in 1982 notching his third consecutive National Championship while also acquiring a Yamaha TZ750. He then began work at Yamaha Motor Canada who became a sponsor of his road racing program.

1983 did not start out well as a result of a crash at Daytona and another while racing at the Isle of Mann. He did rebound later in the season recovering to capture his fourth National 250 Grand Prix championship at the last round of the series at the Sanair circuit in Quebec. Clive continued his winning ways in 1984 to take yet another 250 Grand Prix title in a year that saw the end of his quarter liter racing in favour of moving to the Superbike class.

With the support of Snow City Cycle, Yamaha Motor Canada and Canadian Tire, Clive moved to a Yamaha FZ750 Superbike for the 1985 racing season. He was racing against the very best riders of the era including Hall of Famers, Michelle Mercier and Rueben McMurter and made a number of podiums and the top ten by the end of the season. The 1986 season saw Clive run consistently in the top 5 in the Superbike Class but at the end of the year Clive retired from road racing. He did briefly come out of retirement in 1994 to return to where it all started for him as a teenager. He raced in the Guyanese Road Racing Series where he won all 5 races at the South Dakota Circuit. He returned the following year but a crash that resulted in a separated shoulder ended the final chapter on his road racing career.

Recently Clive has served as Team Manager and mentor for up and coming Guyanese racer, Elliott Vieira who contested the CSBK Sportbike Championships.

Al Perrett - Class of 2018

Vada — Fri, 25 Jan 2019 18:33:21 +0000

Al Perrett - Class of 2018 Vada Fri, 01/25/2019 - 13:33

From the day that Al was offered a ride on a 250 BSA, he was hooked

From the day that someone offered Al Perrett a ride on a 250 BSA, he was hooked. He was only 14 but thought that motorcycles were awesome. Motorcycles however, would have to wait as his love of skiing got in the way. He competed from the age of 16 until he was 22, even trying out for the Olympics in 1961.

Al tried working at various jobs but was not enthused and his brother suggested he go into the motorcycle business. In 1966, he borrowed $4000 from the bank, bought five little Suzukis and opened a small shop in Richmond. It didn’t take long before he moved to larger quarters selling Yamahas. Money was tight but Al bought out Tyne Side Repairs, a long-time established dealership. This purchase saved his bacon as he had truck loads of parts for sale and was soon able to pay off the bank as well as Deeleys for the Yamahas. He was even able to move to a larger location.

Al purchased a Montessa and started motocross racing at Totem Raceway in Aldergrove. MX was OK but Al’s preference was cross country and he raced the Ashcroft cross country event numerous times, coming close but never winning.

In 1972, Al sold his Yamaha shop and moved to Kamloops starting Kamloops Honda. Now he was able to compete more and won his first cross country race.

Dan Amor talked Al into going to the Six Days Trials in Italy in 1974. All he had was an XL350 which he put aluminum bars on, Koni shocks and a Snuff-or-not muffler. He made it to day 5 but crashed, landing in the hospital for a couple of days. Al thought this was such a great event that he continued to race the ISDT over the next decade. At the Isle of Man in 1975, he earned a Bronze medal and a Silver in Austria in 1975. He entered the 1977 Czech event and the 1980 one in France but broke down both times and did not finish. Day 5 must have been his unlucky number as his DNF’s and crash all happened on that day.

Al was so impressed with the ISDT events that he organized two-day qualifier events in Kamloops and encouraged a lot of the local riders to go to the 6 days. He also did a lot of trail work with many dedicated riders and organized many races over the years.

In 1973 and 1975, Al was offered a Harley-Davidson franchise and turned it down. In 1977, Don James made him an offer he couldn’t refuse – 6 prepaid Harleys, no interest, pay when you sell them and ship them back collect if it doesn’t work out. This was one of Al’s best business decisions.

In 1986, a disastrous fire destroyed the business. Robyn Muglich, a longtime employee and Shirley Perrett worked tirelessly with Al without pay, to salvage as much as they could. Things worked out and the business slowly grew and thrived again.

Kamloops Harley-Davidson was the sponsor for the Harley Owners Group from 1988 to 2016. This chapter raised $850,000 for Muscular Dystrophy. Their poker runs have been amazing with one event raffling off ten Harleys. Over the years, the dealership donated many gifts as well as cash to local charities. These donations as well as the HOG events helped to support and benefit the community.

In 1990, Al rode his first Baja 1000 and finished! He was hooked! He has competed in 17 Baja races with different team mates over the years winning class 50 and 60 numerous times. His last race was in 2012. Al grew to love the Baja and eventually bought some property and built a small house there where he spends his winters.

In 2003, Al wanted to start a small ride for close friends and family at Sun Peaks. It is called “Round the Peaks” and has been an annual event ever since.

Many riders have been inspired and encouraged by Al over the years which he didn’t realize until lately when people started to express this to him.

Al is very proud that he survived 50 years in the motorcycle business through some very tough times. According to Malcolm Hunter, “His customer service is legendary and has been the cornerstone of his success from the start.” The business grew from 2-4 people and had 28 employees when he sold to Barnes Harley-Davidson in 2016.

Al is grateful he could follow his passion for motorcycles as a career.

Dave Sehl - Class of 2013

admin — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 15:20:27 +0000

Dave Sehl - Class of 2013 admin Wed, 10/25/2017 - 11:20

“You’d never know what Dad might bring home for me to race”

For Dave Sehl it almost seemed predestined that he would become Canada’s most successful competitor on the AMA grand national circuit of the early 1970s. He has motorcycle racing in his DNA. First in Canada as a privateer and then in the U.S. on the Harley-Davidson factory team, for a few shining years Dave Sehl ruled the half-mile dirt tracks like few others.

Dave was a natural at motorcycle racing, and grew up in a family where twisting the throttle was a rite of passage. His father Wilf was a veteran of numerous forms of two-wheel motorsport, his older brother Jim set an example in his early teens and younger brother Doug was not far behind. Dave was competing in Steel City Riders club events as early as age 12, starting with a small Villiers-engined two-stroke and progressing to a Triumph Tiger Cub. “You’d never know what Dad might bring home for me to race,” he said. “He’d cook up a deal with Percy (Poole) and I’d have a new bike to race.”

Racing with his brothers and fellow club members was plain fun and Dave progressed rapidly. He moved up to a BSA 250 and gained his first ice racing experience, then tried a Harley-Davidson 250 Sprint and a 500 cc BSA Gold Star. A short stint on a Poole Cycle Harley KR750 presented mechanical challenges, but once Dave graduated to the immaculate Triumphs built by his brother Jim things really started to click.

Dave’s first success came in ice racing in 1966 when he won the CMA junior 500 national championship. In ’67 he was Canada’s top half-mile dirt track competitor in the senior class, repeating the win in ’68 as an expert. He topped that in 1969, winning on the ice again as an expert and taking the CMA No. 1 plate in dirt track. At Daytona in ’69, Larry Bastedo arranged for the loan of a 250 Yamaha road racer from Fred Deeley Imports but engine seizures kept him out of contention.

It was Dave’s first year as an AMA expert and he caught the eye of a Harley dealer from Atlanta, Georgia, named Powell Hassel who admired his riding style and urged the factory’s race director, Dick O’Brien, to give him a place on the factory team to replace Fred Nix, who had died in a dune buggy accident. Dave quickly was brought on board to join three other now-legendary riders, Mert Lawwill, Mark Brelsford and Cal Rayborn. Compared to the Jim Sehl Triumph to which he was accustomed, the early Harley XR750 seemed heavy and slow, causing Dave to struggle and even consider leaving the team.

O’Brien came to the rescue with a call to race tuner Babe DeMay in Illinois and Dave’s fortunes began to turn around. The two personalities clicked as they worked together in the spring of 1970 in an intensely focused effort to make the bike competitive. The project consumed every waking hour over two weeks and Dave moved in with DeMay for nearly a year. The bike was ready the afternoon before the Louisville national and since DeMay had another obligation, Dave drove himself and the bike to the track alone.

On race day, the iron-cylinder engine seized in practice and Dave coasted to a halt. Once it cooled, the engine loosened up but seized again in the first heat race. The only chance left to make the main event was through a semi-final and to Dave’s suprise, the engine ran strong and he won. He repeated the win in the final, giving him his first AMA national victory. It provided a huge boost and three weeks later Dave won again, this time another half-mile in Columbus, Ohio. He was on a roll, and over a five-year spell he won Louisville three times. “It was a nice track,” he says in retrospect. “Big and smooth, and nobody got in your way.” Over a five-year span Dave was on the Louisville podium all five times.

Perseverance and talent were rewarded and in 1971 Dave placed fifth overall in AMA standings—his best year. At the same time, his dominance of Canadian racing continued and Dave took the CMA championships in 250 and 750 cc half-mile dirt track in 1970 and ’73. By then, though, O’Brien had reassigned DeMay and his crucial mentorship, not to mention his mechanical gifts, were no longer available to Dave. The national race wins stopped coming and eventually for Dave it was time to come home.

Michael Taylor - Class of 2019

Vada — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 01:21:53 +0000

Michael Taylor - Class of 2019 Vada Mon, 01/27/2020 - 20:21

Taylor earned a reputation as an iron man

Two riders defined 1990s Superbike racing in Canada – 2006 Hall of Fame inductee Don Munroe and his arch-rival: Kawasaki team-mate and 2019 inductee Michael Taylor of Toronto. Taylor earned the overall Superbike Championship and Canada Cup in 1994 and repeated in 1996.

53-year-old Taylor also took a host of other class National Championships between his Pro debut in 1990 and his retirement in 2016.

During this period, Taylor won aboard a wide range of equipment, in almost every class in Canadian and American National competition. He also earned a reputation as an iron man, returning from a variety of severe injuries that would likely have forced retirement for other racers.

Taylor rode Twins, Triples and four-cylinder machinery, working for most of the major manufacturers involved in modern road racing. He competed in Endurance racing in the U.S. and at home in Canada when that was a major portion of National competition. This included a win at Shannonville in a 1994 WERA-sanctioned six-hour National, sharing a Kawasaki with Munroe.

Taylor began racing at Mosport International, now Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, in 1886. In typical Taylor fashion, he made his debut at a National Amateur round, on a Yamaha RZ500 that was so evil that officials suggested he should park his two-stroke – but Michael kept racing.

In 1987 and 1988, Taylor moved to the popular Suzuki GSX-R750, but didn’t have much success. A switch to the less-fancied Kawasaki 750R Ninja, with help from tuner Steve Crover, lead to a break-out season with success across Canada as a top ranked Amateur.

Taylor moved up to the new ZX-7R series Kawasakis for his 1990 Rookie Pro season, starting a long run of success with the homologation-special Ninjas. By 1993 he was sponsored by Brutune and builders Glen Clarke and Tony Russell, attracting attention in the United States and Canada.

During this period, Taylor rode in many production-based classes and was a major factor in American Championship Cup Endurance racing as a co-rider with Bill Toomer’s squad.

At the 1993 Superbike race at St-Eustache, Taylor pressured Kawasaki leader and class of 2018 Inductee Steve Crevier to take the win. In 750 Super Sport action at Laguna Seca, Taylor earned the podium in a race won by legendary World Champ Scott Russell.

A victory lap with the Penthouse Pets was part of Taylor’s California celebration.

Multiple successes in 1993 earned Taylor an invite to the end of season Asian invitationals, including the famed Macau Grand Prix street race. Fighting through to fourth, Taylor hit a wall and was helicoptered to the hospital in critical condition. It took all off-season to recover from those injuries, and Taylor’s developing opportunities with the American works teams dissolved.

Taylor returned to action in the spring of 1994 at Shannonville with a test - but broke his shoulder just weeks before the National opener! Even so, Taylor won the Castrol ASM National Series as well as the 750 Super Sport class for Kawasaki – the much-anticipated big break through after his near-death experience.

For the next three seasons Taylor and Munroe traded wins and titles: Michael earning his second number one plate in 1996, as well as the Open Sport Bike crown. Now a hands-on racer, Taylor spent much time developing the various ZX-7R and RR models, before transitioning to some special, one-off, built-in-Canada 900 Ninjas.

Taylor was second overall in Canada on his 900-based Superbike in 1999, ran up front in Formula USA, and challenged the new works Hondas in 2000 – the hey day of the big buck factory bikes.

Next Taylor switched to works Yamahas and then Hondas. He took his final Superbike National success in the rain on a CBR954RR in Calgary in 2003.

Taylor sits eighth-overall on the all-time Superbike win list with ten victories.

In 2004 Taylor returned to ride the new Z-1 Cycle Ducati 999 Desmo, but broke his hip qualifying for the Shannonville opener due to a water leak. He returned from injury to net 9^th at the final event of that season.

Taylor rode next in the Thunder class for Ducati and BMW, earning the National crown with the German manufacturer’s flat-twin in 2007. From there, he ran occasionally, including two top six finishes on a Honda Superbike at “old Mosport” in 2009.

Taylor unretired to join the new spec Harley-Davidson XR1200 class in 2012, but suffered a broken femur at Mount Tremblant. He then raced two weeks later for Mackie at C.T.M.P!

The next year, a recovered Taylor set a lap record at A.M.P. and won the series final at Le Circuit Mount Tremblant.

Taylor’s last serious National racing effort was aboard a GP Cycle Triumph 675 Daytona triple in the 2016 Pro Sport Bike category. Michael ran up front before a practice crash at the final event again put him in the hospital, convincing him to call it a career.

Now Taylor enjoys dirt biking with University student son Jude, watching his daughter Jasmine’s soccer games, and operating his home renovation business in Toronto’s Lakeshore west end.