fearless Lords of the Murderdrome

My interest in board track racing history came about by accident. I am a long time back yard mechanic, and have customized, restored, and tinkered with cars all my life. I saw an article on Chinese motor kits for bicycles, ordered one, and began a fun project to build a really cool motorized bicycle.. Upon completion I proudly motored about town getting attention from many people. One day a man approached me and asked if it was a restored board track bike. I had no idea what he was talking about but curiosity drove me to research the subject. I found very little on the subject, mostly drips and drabs, limited in context, probably enough for a average person, but the more I read the more I wanted to learn more on the subject. I next searched out books I could buy on the sport, again few existed, and next to none were in print. I lucked out contacting Stephen Wright, his book American Racers 1900-1940, was a treasured find. The more I read the more involved I became with these truly brave early motor cycle racers. They came to life for me, they became more than figures of motor cycle history, and more like friends I had discovered! These were pioneers of the motor cycle, young and caught up in the piston driven explosion that was sweeping the nation at the turn of the 20th century. Bicycles gave people a new form of freedom, and with the addition of an engine attached, a leap into the future, filled with hope and excitement.