July 4th, 1925, a hot day with hardly a movement of the air, found thousends of happy motorcyclists
in Altoona, Pennsylvania, anxiously waiting for the start of the greatest motorcycle race of all time.
The big 1 3/4 mile wooden bowl held open the doors to new speed records.
What an opportunity for throttle teasers!
How would you like to have such a chance to open your motor wide,
hang on and roll full speed ahead to your heart's content? That's heaven for the motorcyclist.
Anxious moments !
Just before the start of the 100-mile National Championship Solo Race,
Altoona, Pennsylvania Speedway. Petrali, the winner, is on the white line to the right.
A big throng of spectators witnessed this most successful motorcycle race.
During the three hours of action, the crowd was thrilled time and time again with the way
the boys mounted on their iron ponies, jockeyed for first place and new speed records.
Words can hardly be found to picture for you motorcycle enthusiasts the whirring,
roaring motorcycles with their riders crouched low, peering over the handlebars and whizzing
through space at speeds upward of 100 miles per hour.
And how those Harley-Davidson motors did hum!
Turning over about 5000 times per minute, without dropping a shot,
they issued a sound like that of the queen bee, the boss of the bee hive. It truly was sweet music.
Motorcycle bearing license tags from many states in the Union and from Canada,
helped to make up the 16,000 spectators who were held spell bound during the contest.
Many motorcyclists planned their vacation with the Altoona Speedway Race, as a prominent
part of the program. This big event proves again that motorcycle riders are Gypsies at heart.
Filling up !
Joe Petrali takin' on a little "wash" while one of
the boys looks over the bus.
Joe Petrali had already become the first Two Cam rider to exceed
100 Miles per Hour on July 4, 1925, when he rode on of these Harleys
- before it was offered as a stock model in the line up -
at the Altoona, Pennsylvania Speedway to the top speed of
100.36 Miles per hour.
He won the National Championship 100-mile Solo Race that day!
About the Riders
I know this is the part that you fellows want to know more about but I simply had to tell you
something of the track and crowd, or we might say the stage and audience,
before I introduced the actors.
Jim Davis 1925
Did you ever meet and converse with a clebrated motorcycle racer ?
Jim Davis
101 Years
April 26, 1997, Columbus, Ohio
YES ! I did - a great Day in Columbus !
Fritz
Jim Davis was born in Columbus, Ohio March 23, 1896
Jim Davis passed away in Daytona Beach, February 6, 2000
* 23.3.1896, Columbus, Oh
If you have, I know you have found him to be a young man at heart and with the brain of a
business man to direct his thoughts and energy. For the most part, motorcycle racers are quiet,
unassuming young men. These boys are not the circus type of dare-devils or the kind that tour
the country with small carnivals demonstrating their ability in handling the motorcyle on a thimble
bowl track. Far from that. On the contrary, you will find among the racing clan, well educated and
intelligent young men who could make good in any business enterprise. As a matter of fact,
motorcycle racing is their business - a sportiung business. Once a motorcycle racer always always a motorcycle racer at heart. No other sport can equal the thrill of motorcycle racing.
Joe Petrali 1925
Now for the Races
Little has heretofore been known of (Johnny Petralli) Joe Petrali,
the winner of the National Championship, 100 mile solo event.
Johnny is a Pacific Coast lad and has participated in motorcycle races in California.
A day or two before this great event, Ralph Hepburn had the misfortune to injure his left wrist
and was, therefore, unable to enter the 100-mile grind, although he rode in the 5-mile.
Hepburn, sportsman that he is, turned his Harley-Davidson
over to Johnny Petralli for the century event.
Johnny held his own with the best of them until the forty-third lap when he gave the
throttle the final twist that put him in first place which he held until the finish.
Here's where you fellows get a thrill. For the first time in copetition,
a motorcycle has made 100 miles in less than one hour, and Harley-Davidson did it.
Petralli's time for the century mark was 59 minutes, 47 1/5 seconds.
Average speed 100.36 miles per hour.
Yep, up goes a new American Motorcycle Association record.
The checkered Flag -
what a thrill for the crowd when Jim Davis crossed the tape, winner of the
5-mile Race. Hepurn is second. Davis was rolling better than 110 m.p.h. !
when caught by the camera.
Jim Davis, one of the old Harley-Davidson standbys, clipped feathers off the wings of time
when he turned the mile, in the time trials, at the rate of 114,5 miles per hour.
How's that for rolling with a pocket valve 61" motor ?
Kinda quick I'll say.
And in the 5-mile class A Solo event, Jim flased over the boards to first place and
a new A.M.A. record. Jim's time for the 5-mile was 2 minutes, 474/5 seconds;
an average speed of 107,27 miles per hour. Whoope! Jim was followed closely by Ralph Hepburn
who deserves much credit for his gameness in riding with an injured left hand.
A new A.M.A. record was established in the 50-mile sidecar National Championship
event by Bill Minnick, the sidecar whirlwind from Wilmington, Delaware.
Bill's time for the 50 miles was 37 minutes, 34 1/5 seconds,
or an average speed of 79,85 miles per hour. Nearly 80 miles per hour average.
Boys, how would you like to face that breeze and see the old speedometer hand
dance around the top end figures for 50 miles ?
Bill Minnick 1925
In the 10-mile Class B Solo event, Bob Sarkegian with his Harley-Davidson finished on top of the list.
The Class B event was run for riders who have never won a professional event.
Bob's time for the 10 miles, was 6 minutes and 3/5 second or an average speed of 99.83 miles per hour.
Bill Minnick riding his Harley-Davidson came in second.
It might be interesting for you to know that Bill Minnick entered the
same Harley-Davidson in this event that he rode in the 50-mile sidecar race.
Well fellows, that's all there is except the summary I am going to give below,
but don't forget that at this greatest of all races, Harley-Davidson, your motorcycle -
finished first in all four events and hung up three new records.
In other words, Harley-Davidson broke records established by Harley-Davidson.
Bill Davidson & Bill Harley 1925
Some fish ! Here is none other than Bill Davidson holding his choice catch of the saison -
a 16 pound Northern Pike. Bill Harley in the saddle of his 1926 model.