DIRT TRACK R OF THE MONTH HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN FLAT TRACK? I started dirt track racing in 1962. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT THE SPORT? The life-long friendships that have been made over a 60-year span and the joy of the list of friends getting larger each year. Been down a lot of happy trails. WHAT BIKE, MODEL, MAKE, SIZE DO YOU CURRENTLY RACE? I ride a 1963 Triumph 500, ridden in the Brakeless class. I’ve had this bike since I was 15; I threw newspapers on the Triumph, rode it to school and raced it on weekends. During the offseason, the Triumph was also used for boondockin’ and a couple enduros.
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Currently, it is basically in the same set-up and appearance as it was in the ‘60s; it was uncrated and set up for racing by Bill Cleek—B&M Cycle Sales— in Shawnee, OK. In 2008, Johnny Isaacs of Total Performance Racers, restored and updated the bike to its current form, keeping it close to the original 1960’s set-up. Many a young racer got their start with Bill and Mona Cleek, and few can say they were fortunate enough to have both the Cleek and Issac families to assist them in pursuing a passion. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN RACING AND WHAT DISCIPLINES? I started racing on a 250 HarleyDavidson Sprint H back when I was 14 years old. I’ve raced TT scrambles, short track, half-mile, and the mile.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE RACE/MOMENT OF DIRT TRACK? Looking back over 60 years, wow, every race was a moment and has a story. I’ll have to break it up into three periods. In the beginning, my favorite moment was winning the Tri-State Championship TT Scrambles in 1964 at the legendary John Zink Ranch. 45 years later, a second-place finish on the 750 Triumph (AKA: “The White Buffalo”) at the historic Peoria TT. I had the lead, but missed a gear in the last lap. It was a painful loss. Most recently, my favorite moment was winning the Brakeless class at the Springfield Short Track.
AMERICAN HISTORIC RACING MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
