A Step Back In Time At The New Smyrna Speedway

’ve been a fan of the Sons Of

Speed since it started back in 2017. At first, it was hard to believe that some of the kings of the custom game like Billy and Warren Lane, Paul Cox, Berry Wardlaw, along with a host of others, were now chasing down the seemingly impossible goal of racing hundred-year-old machines. The first night I walked into Choppers Inc. and saw them all working on the bikes for that inaugural race, it all made perfect sense. They worked in perfect harmony, each with their specialty, learning from each other, forging ahead toward the common goal of reliving a time in history that most of the people in the room only knew from pictures and stories. It was perfect, and when race day came, none were disappointed.

You see, just like those original pioneers of motorcycle racing, there were those who pushed it to the limits, some beyond that, but the thrill on the track and in the pits was unparalleled by anything they had done to this point. Names went into the books like Fast Freddie, Josh from Moonshiners, Rick Petco, and eBay Jake. It was as if this motorcycle racing thing was a new concept all over again, and these rising young stars were cutting their teeth on it. Over the next

ifew races, fans became more aware of this happening, and more competitors accepted the challenge. As the fans looked on from the edges of their seats, there were crashes, tight races, the bikes got faster, some incurred death wobbles while others climbed the wall. It was much more thrilling than anyone could have expected. Now, I had been to the track to cover the races, spent time in the pits watching the action, and even dreamed about having a bike to race in this incredible once-in-a-lifetime event. But in truth, the cost of a bike like this makes it hard to manage for a simple man. At least that’s how it was before they decided to open the 45 class. With the 45’s, the racing got a little faster. The bikes became a little more affordable. Roadside and I began to formulate a plan to participate with an old 45 he had squirreled away at his shop. But COVID came and put a hold on that and everything else in the damn universe, so it seemed that the idea of racing at Sons Of Speed was put off once more. Enter Tom Keefer. Tom had been a staple at SOS as a support crew member, a mechanic, and then finally as a racer himself. Tom has two incredible bikes in his stable, a 1916 J model Twin and a 1912 single. Near the middle of last 2021, Tom called me for one of our usual calls between friends in motorcycling, but this time had a more purposeful reason. He offered me my own ride of a lifetime, a spot on his team for Sons Of Speed. I was to ride his J model Twin at the October race in New Smyrna. I was nervous since this is an expensive motorcycle, but at the same time, there was no way I was missing a chance to run it. Over the next couple of months, we talked about what it would be like. I started to drop weight because being a fat racer

isn’t a great idea, especially on these little bikes. Before I knew it, we were standing at the track setting up the pits for practice day. Freddie from Godspeed Racing is kind enough to organize a practice day at the track for everyone, and this would be my first AOS time with the 16.

Now, if you have never had the privilege of starting a bike like this, there is more to it than the procedure for starting an old turn of the century steam engine. Pull the compression lever in, roll the left grip to advance the timing. As they begin to push you, flip the compression lever off, roll back the timing, and roll on the throttle. If all goes well, it pops to life, and off you go. I wish I could say that I did this perfectly the first time, but in truth, it took a full push down the length of the pit road, failing before I would get the rhythm of it down. Once I did, it became second nature, and from there, I was off and running. Now, for the first few laps, I have to admit, I wasn’t even aware that I was in the year 2021. I immediately took a trip back to 1920, and as far as I was concerned, it could have been a board track we were riding on. The bike was surprisingly comfortable and stable, contrary to everything I had been told to expect. Once I came out of my time machine euphoria, I started to remember what people were telling me about navigating the banked turns. You see, these bikes have no brakes, so everything is about timing and strategy. How fast you are coming into the end of the straight, what line you take into the turn, and where exactly you decide to drop in through the apex determines how much speed you will carry to the other side where you can open it back up and race to the end of the back straight. At this point, I was flying, pushing the bike to its maximum, riding the absolute edge of the speed that I should be before letting off to start the turn. I was executing perfect lines and carrying all the speed…. Oh, did I mention that this was all in my head? Yeah, in fact, I was doing well for the first time, but I had so much to learn to call what I was doing racing. I was letting off way too early, dropping too early, and throttling out too late. But, I did get a little better each time I went out. Apparently, it was good enough for the rest of the racers that I hadn’t crashed and could hold my line and not be a danger to anyone else on the track. Seriously, the other racers were so supportive to me and each other. They actually stood at the pit road wall and applauded as I came in from my first few laps, a sign of the camaraderie that is the foundation at Sons Of Speed. I have to be honest, I kept thinking about the clincher tires that were on the bike I was riding. By now, everyone had heard

about these tires piping off, even taking some riders out in the process. While it was at the front of my thoughts going around the track, the truth was I would have to pick up way more speed before that was ever going to be an issue. By the end of practice day, I was getting very comfortable. I was having a blast, and suddenly Biketoberfest was fun again.

You see, after so many years of the big rallies, it’s hard to stay as excited about some of them. For me, Biketoberfest is a little lackluster compared to its big brother in the spring. Still, we go for Chopper Time and to say goodbye to our motorcycle family before winter hits. But this year changed all that. I seriously felt like the Sons Of Speed racing made it into Bike Week again. This was what it was all about. This is what had been missing. As Fast Freddie’s team cooked burgers and hot dogs on a grill outside the Godspeed trailer, other teams made repairs or modified their tuning time shifted again for me. It was 1920 again, and we were a family of motorcycle nuts that could have cared less what the rest of the world was doing outside the gates of that track. It was all right there, and we were firmly in the moment.

The next day was race day. My heart was pounding as my feet hit the floor. During the rider meeting, Billy Lane laid out the plan for the event and gave additional indication that big changes were coming for SOS in the spring, including some new rules to keep things fair and some new structure that will help them run more smoothly. From that point, the heats were set, and my name was on the board with some pretty tough competitors. As it would end up, I wasn’t actually racing them, but two classes of the type of bike I was riding were on the track simultaneously. Good thing, too, although it took until the last lap, Jody Perewitz did lap me. That was hard to admit. The only saving grace was that she was in the hot class, and I was in stock. In complete transparency, I think that she may have had the same result even if we were on the same bikes. She’s just that good. Speaking of that good, if you were not on hand to see the battle all day between eBay Jake and Joe Orsini from Toce Performance, then you missed what I believe to be one of the most epic contests of motorcycle racing’s history. Not only were they back and forth changing position, but they were employing real race strategies in the corners, pushing each other in and out of each other’s lines. There was only one wreck, a small accident coming into the pits, but it was at slower speeds, and luckily, no one was seriously hurt. As for our team, Tom was put in a race with none other than Billy

Lane himself, both on singles. It was good fun, and Billy took the checkered flag. My efforts almost came to a close right before my second heat when the transfer shaft locked up and stopped the wheel and the motor in a split second. We feverishly tore the pedal assembly apart and managed to get it back in running order for the third heat on the twins. Not that I was in any serious contention, but I did want a little more seat time. As it stood, I got to ride a bunch, gained some confidence, and will be ready for Daytona Bike Week, where Tom has agreed to let me pilot the 16 once more.

As for the rest of the day’s results, not that the score card matters to most of the racers, they went down like this: 1910 – 1929 HOT 61 Board Track Race - Michael Lange on a 1929 Harley Davidson.

Stock 61 Board Track Race – Michael Lange on a stock 1925 Harley Davidson.

Hot 45 cubic-inch class - Ebay Jake on a 1950 Harley-Davidson WR

Stock 45 cubic-inch class - Danny Eslick on a Godspeed Racing 1947 Harley-Davidson WL. 500cc single cylinder class - Billy Lane on a Mototique Racing 1921 HarleyDavidson J model twin with the rear cylinder removed

I can sum this experience up with is one simple word; family. From the time that Tom offered to let me to ride his bike to the outpouring of support from the Sons Of Speed racers and crew members, I was treated like part of the family. This is exactly why I got into the motorcycle culture to begin with and was overwhelmed to see it play out in such a dramatic fashion in this day and age. I can’t thank Tom Keefer enough or my few sponsors Spectro Oil, Motion Pro, and Broken Spoke Saloon. By the end of the day, the racers all converged on Giuseppe’s Steel City Pizza for a night of regalia and bragging. Biketoberfest was complete! If there is one thing to not miss during your trip to Bike Week, I know you will take in the show at Willie’s, I know you’ll visit Rossmeyers, but make sure you put Sons Of Speed on your schedule. Of course, they need your support, but what you will get out of a day at these races will pay you back tenfold. Mark your calendars for March 5th and 6th 2022, Bike Week at the New Smyrna Speedway. DO NOT MISS The first Evening Race on March 6,2022!!!!