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28 | WheelsOfGrace.com | #62 Sturgis is notable as the loca on of one of the largest annual motorcycle events in the world: the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, lasts for 10 days beginning on the first Friday of August. It a racts large numbers of motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world. The very first Sturgis motorcycle rally was held on August 14, 1938. The event was organized by the town's motorcycle club called the Jackpine Gypsies who bought and developed large tracks, hill climbs and field areas where the rally would be held. "Pappy" Hoel – Founder of the Sturgis Rally! It was Clarence Hoel or "Pappy" who was credited for founding the event when he bought a franchise of the Indian Motorcycle Company (a manufacturer of motorcycles in North Carolina) in Sturgis during 1936. A er that, he organized the Jackpine Gypsies. During the first few years, the Sturgis motorcycle rally focused on racing and stunts, tes ng the par cipant's various riding skills, courage and stunt crea vity. By the 1960s, the rally ac on expanded with hill climbs and motocross. Audiences saw more daredevil maneuvers like the half-mile track racing, ramp jumps, head-on automobile crashes and board wall crashes, the reasons for the tremendous popularity of the event today. The only me that the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was not In Part by Alyssa THE RICH HISTORY OF THE STURGIS MOTORCYCLE RALLY 28 | WheelsOfGrace.com | #62