Wheels Of Grace Magazine

Volume 13, Issue 4

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WheelsOfGrace.com | Volume 13 Issue 4 | 29 held was in 1942, at the height of World War II. Today, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally con nues to reap the support and a endance of both par cipants and motorcycle fans all over the United States and in some parts of the world. In 2015, a record 739,000 a ended the rally's 75th anniversary, including en re families who came with their RVs and rode the few last miles to Sturgis on their motorcycles. Sturgis Landmark: The White Plate Flat Trackers Associa on - (Pappy Hoel & Al Burke, 1979) was organized to remember the early racers who successfully competed and earned points for top finishing within specific me periods. See it at, Junc on Ave. & Harmon St., Sturgis SD For addi onal info, see: h ps://www.facebook.com/WPFTA/ Who are the Jackpine Gypsies The Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club started in 1936, with an official American Motorcycle Association (AMA) charter in 1937 . AMA began promoting the racing events, which started the now famous Rally in Sturgis on August 14, 1938. That weekend celebra on in 1938 had a lineup of only nine racers and a small audience watching the races. The average age for a motorcycle club is three years, and a er 78 years, the Black Hills club is s ll running strong. The club owns all the property on which most club ac vi es take place. A lighted short track, motocross track, field meet area, hill climb area, clubhouse, office and state approved concession business are located on the grounds. The Jackpine Gypsies are a non-profit organiza on. They donate to area chari es, including: the local food bank, Sturgis High School, Zonta Club of Sturgis, and Chris an Motorcycle Associa on. The Jackpine Gypsies have over 150 members living all over the United States and abroad. The average age of club members is 40. The average age of spectators is 42, while the average age of the riders is 23. The short track at the Jackpine Gypsies club grounds was first used in 1963. Since that debut race, many improvements have been made. The club holds races every other weekend and a full week of races during the rally. A motocross track was added on in the 1980's and then in 1996 a new track was built. The sport of motocross is beginning to grow again, in fact, in 1998; the Gypsies held five motocross races, which a racted over 500 racers. During the Sturgis Rally, they hold 12 events, including: motocross racing, a 1/2-mile race, hill climbs, road tours and short track racing. There were over 6000 spectators and hundreds of racers during the week of the Rally. As you can see, the Sturgis Rally has grown quite a bit since the first rally in 1937! Star ng from humble beginnings, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally has evolved in the last 82 years from just a handful of enthusiasts to thousands of bikers. Once known as the Black Hills Motor Classic, the Rally is now the largest annual event in South Dakota. The name "Sturgis" is recognized world-wide, synonymous with motorcycles, rock 'n roll and wild par es. But just how did this small, Black Hills town become the motorcycle mecca it is today? The Journey Museum explores the history of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in a 23-minute-long documentary detailing the rise of the Sturgis Rally from 1938 to 2020 and beyond. Listen to interviews with Black Hills figureheads from the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum, Sturgis Buffalo Chip, Jackpine Gypsies and more. These enthralling interviews give you all the details—how Pappy Hoel started it all, the legendary Buffalo Chip's first years and how the Rally is inspiring a new genera on of bikers. Alyssa is a Chadron State College graduate with deep roots in the Black Hills and Badlands. As an English Major, she has a passion for wri ng, people, animals, sta onary, and (of course) South Dakota. Her friends o en describe her as loyal, funny, and someone who always keeps things interes ng.

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