MOORESVILLE, N.C. — We took our “SPEED SPORT LIVE From” show to Bike Week in mid-March and having been in Daytona Beach for Speedweeks three weeks earlier, it was interesting to see the difference between the two major Florida events.
The Sunshine State is considerably more open for business than many states and race fans and bikers were taking full advantage.
It felt like there were more motorcyclists in town for the 80th anniversary of Bike Week than there were race fans for the 63rd Daytona 500 and Speedweeks activities at the local short tracks. There were plenty of racers for both events. Pit areas at Daytona Int’l Speedway, New Smyrna Speedway and Volusia Speedway Park were bursting at the seams for multiple days and nights of racing for both two- and four-wheel competitors.
It was the surrounding venues, such as restaurants, where you saw thousands of motorcyclists enjoying Bike Week. It was no different than what bikers have done throughout the history of the legendary kickoff to the motorcycling season.
Thanks to our partners at Kicker Audio, Jeff Emig and I were able to provide the biggest and best coverage of Bike Week through our “LIVE From Bike Week” episode that aired on MAVTV. If you missed the original airing, you can see it on SPEEDSPORT.TV. A big thanks as well to our friends at Bruce Rossmeyer’s Destination Daytona for the hospitality. Their massive Harley-Davidson dealership was the perfect backdrop for our set.
– Did you know Rusty Wallace, the 1989 NASCAR Cup Series champion, owns a custom motorcycle company? He does. It’s called Southern Country Customs and is the brainchild of Wallace’s son, Steven.
Steven Wallace had his own successful NASCAR racing career, competing in all three of NASCAR’s national touring divisions. When Steven Wallace hung up his racing helmet, he took all of the skills he learned in the race shop and combined them with his vision of what a motorcycle could be. The result is some of the most spectacular Harley-Davidson custom motorcycles on the market.
The Wallaces have partnered with Brian Wade, who starred in the hit comedy “The Big Bang Theory,” in the ownership of Southern Country Customs. Steven Wallace and his team, many of whom were previously employed by NASCAR race teams, work out of the Rusty Wallace Racing shops in Mooresville, N.C.
Check out their latest builds at southerncountrycustoms.com.
– Six-time Supercross and motocross champion Jeff Stanton is excited about his new venture, Jeff Stanton Adventures. Adventure-style motorcycles have become hugely popular and Stanton’s new tour group will put guests on Triumph Tiger adventure bikes, allowing them to enjoy one-, three- or five-day riding tours through Stanton’s home state of Michigan.
Adventure-category motorcycles are built to handle pavement but are also capable of running off-road. Stanton said his guests will get plenty of both as they explore backroads and dirt trails throughout the Wolverine state.
The Triumph Tiger 900 is an outstanding machine for this type of touring and will work perfectly whether you are choosing one of the beginner, intermediate or expert trips. If you are up for the adventure, book your trip at jeffstantonadventures.com. Best of luck with the new company Jeff! Save us a spot for a trip this fall.
– Like many, we are counting the days to the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500. Adding to our anticipation was the arrival of “500 on the Indy 500.” The tremendous new coffee-table book consists of 500 tales, facts and figures about The Greatest Spectacle in Racing as written by Rick Shaffer.
Shaffer has been a large part of the spectacular TV coverage of Indianapolis for decades and with the recent retirement of Indianapolis Motor Speedway historian Donald Davidson and the release of this book, which provides a unique and entertaining look at the history of the Brickyard, Shaffer has put himself squarely in the running to fill Davidson’s vacant role as the most knowledgeable person regarding the world’s greatest race.
It’s difficult to say which of the 500 stories I found the most interesting. However, fact No. 72 is an example of the type of insight this book provides for fans of the Indy 500. It turns out that L.L. Corum, co-winner of the 1924 race, never led a lap while driving the car, making him the first of two race winners to pull into victory lane without having led a lap during the race. Corum never led a lap in any of his six Indianapolis starts.
Order your copy of this outstanding book from our friends at Coastal 181 by visiting coastal181.com.