The Harley Davidson Sprint Story

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THE BIRTH OF A LEGEND With the invasion of the American lightweight market by the Japanese motorcycles, Harley Davidson was forced to abandon their stateside manufacturer of the two stoke line and look about for a more competitive product. William Davidson a brilliant man and president of the Harley-Davidson company spent a great deal of time in Europe hoping to find a product that could be purchased and eliminate the time loss of setting up a new factory. He finally accomplished that with the purchase of fifty percent of the Aermacchi factory, one of the oldest manufacturers in Europe, located in Italy. The company had experienced a string of bad investments and was in great financial trouble. Mr Davidson was able to purchase the deal for only two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. They first brought in the 250cc OHV single and named it “ The Wisconsin”. The name lacked pizzazz and was later renamed the Sprint. It was just what the factory needed however the majority of the Harley-Davidson dealers who were so totally buy American and leave foreign products alone, which many of them did just that. The dealers that welcomed the line and promoted it were very successful. As you might assume those that did not offered and got very little from it. The most successful selling dealers were the ones that promoted them on the race tracks all over America. The old automotive line worked here as well. “Win on Sunday and sell on Monday” As time went on they added a complete line of two strokes from 50cc to 250cc which due to the high performance Japanese and Spanish bikes placed them in a highly unfavorable light. By 1974 just when Harley-Davidson had developed a 350cc street bike of the highest quality the total market sort of went dead. The 250OHV Sprint that started it all remained and is today the favorite of the AHRMA flat trackers in all its forms, flat track, road race, scrambles, M/X. Over a long period of time it proved that William Davidson knew what he was doing.

MIKE CONNELL AHRMA HIGH POINT WINNER

2003 AT DAVENPORT,IA

DECORA, ILL

WHEN NOT RACING OPERATES A CHARTER AIR SERVICE

THE THREE AMIGOS RON LANCASTER, TOM COLE

AND SEAN COLE

THESE ARE THE GUYS THAT MAKE THINGS HAPPEN AT THE LANCASTER SPRINTS SHOP AS WELL AS THE TRACKS

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MARK BRELSFORD HARLEY FACTORY RIDER SHOWN ON A

JIM BRELAND SPRINT

JIM BELLAND WAS KNOWN FOR HIS ABILITY TO MAKE A HARLEY PRODUCT GO. THERE ARE STILL A COUPLE GOOD

ONES STILL RUNNING ON THE CALIFORNIA SCENE

DAVE ATHERTON WHITE PIGEON MICH

MR SMOOTH ON A SPRINT

DAVE WENT ON TO WIN A TON OF RACES AND LATER SWITCHED OVER TO A TUNER FOR A LOT OF THE MICHIGAN

MAFIA RIDERS.

CAL RAYBORN SAN DIEGO EXPERT IN ALL VENUES CONSIDERED THE MAN TO BEAT AT

ANY ROAD RACE OR MILE

CALL WAS KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT IN AUSTRALIA WHILE TESTING FOR KAWASAKI

DAVE ESTEP ORIENT, OHIO

OHIO HALL OF FAMER, STATE CHAMP HILLCLIMBER IN OHIO AS WELL AS W. VA. LIKED BY ALL AND CONSIDERED ONE OF THE

BEST ANTIQUE RESTORERS AFTER RACING RETIREMENT

THE WHOLE HOLLINGSWORTH FAMILY WITH BIG SMILES AFTER SON DON

WINS DAYTONA 1968

IF THERE EVER WAS A FAMILY THAT WAS A CREDIT TO THE SPORT OF RACING SPRINTS THS IS IT. IT WAS A COMPLETE

FAMILY EFFORT.

DOUG DUBUQUE SEATTLE WASHINGTON

WON THE CANADIAN NAT CHAMPIONSHIP LGT WGT CLASS AND ALSO WON THE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX IN WESTWOOD

THE NEXT DAY IN THE 250 CLASS

GEORGE ROEDER MONROEVILLE,OHIO

GEORGE SPENT HIS ENTIRE LIFE IN THE PURSUIT OF M/C RACING PLEASURE. NO RACE WAS TOO FAR. IN ADDITION HE

FATHERED A TEAM OF HIS OWN RACERS.

DICK HAMMER LAKELAND, CA

JOEY DUNLOP

CRIS KERBER OREGON AHRMA ROAD RACER

OWNED AND MAINTAINED HIS OWN EQUIPMENT AND WAS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE SPRINT ROAD RACER AND

WAS WILLING TO HELP ANYBODY THAT NEEDED IT

500CC LINTO SPRINT DESIGNED BY LINO TONTI BY ACTUALLY JOINING TWO 250CC SPRINT ENGINES

SIDE BY SIDE

THE BIKE WAS RACED WITH SOME DEGREE OF SUCCESS IN THE EUROPEAN CIRCUITS INCLUDING THE FAMOUS ISLE OF MAN

RONNIE RALL AND BART MARKEL GETTING IT ON AT ASTRODOME

1969

SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING RACES EVER HELP WERE AT THE FACILITY DURING THE SIXTIES. RONNIE MANAGED TO GET THE

ONE ON A SUPER HOT BULTACO

250CC SPRINT BUILT AND RIDDEN WITH GREAT SUCCESS BY ROGER MCGINNIS

THIS BIKE WAS COMPLETELY REDESIGNED BY ROGER. HOME BUILT FRAME, FORK YOKES, MANY ENGINE CHANGES AND

IMPROVEMENTS. A HUGE SUCCESS

THIS WAS INCLUDED JUST TO SHOW THAT THERE IS LIFE AFTER DEATH CERTAINLY A BEAUTIFUL RESTORATION

RONNIE RALL DOES IT ALL AT PEORIA SECOND REIMAN AND THIRD BILLY HOLCOMB

ARTICLE SAYS IT ALL

HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE HOME OF THE FACTORY THAT MADE

THOSE FINE LITTLE MOTORCYCLES

NESTLED IN SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY KNOWN TO MAN. WHAT THEY LACKED IN FASHION THEY

MADE UP IN PASSION FOR A SPORT

THE ASSEMBLY LINE WHERE ALL THE SPRINT ENGINES AND TRANSMISSIONS

WERE ACUALLY ASSEMBLED BY HAND

CRUDE BUT EFFECTIVE, WHO WOULD HAVE EVER THOUGHT THAT THESE ENGINES WERE BEING ASSEMBLED IN HOPE OF

RECEIVING $500 FOR THEM AND TODAY $6000 SOUNDS CLOSER TO REALITY

BART MARKEL ONE OF THE TOUGHEST HARDEST RIDING RACERS THAT EVER LIVED

HE COULD RIDE ANYTHING THAT HE GOT ON FROM ROAD RACE TT, MILE, HALF FLAT TRACK AND THE EARLY ON GUYS

WERE HAPPY TO SEE HIM TAKE HIS BSA SINGLE AND GET OUT OF SCRAMBLES AND GET IN TO PRO RACING

BUTCH DUVAL WISCONSIN SPRINT

FLAT TRACKER

CARROLL RESWEBER PORT ARTHUR ,TX

ONE OF THE GREATEST RACERS IN THE HISTORY OF THE

AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE ASSN UNBEATABLE ON ANY VENUE

DAVE ESTEP LEADING AN INDOOR

CONCRETE FLOOR ARENA IN COLUMBUS, OHIO

IN THOSE DAYS YOU WOULD RACE ANYWHERE AND ANYTIME YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY. SAFER WALLS? WHAT SAFER

WALLS/

DON HOLLINGSWORTH ST.AUGUSTINE FL ON #94 LEAVES THE LINE AT LACONIA

NEW HAMPSHIRE

DON WON BOTH RACES THAT DAY, BROTHER DAVE IS 83

EDDIE WOOD RICHMOND, VA

EDDIE RACED FLAT TRACK ON THE MID ATLANTIC CIRCUIT ALTERNATING BETWEEN A SPRINT AND A YAMAHA

HE IS NOW RETIRED AND OPERATES A VERY SUCCESSFUL AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR BUSINESS WITH HIS SON AND A

BOATLOAD OF GRANDCHILDREN

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HARLEY-DAVIDSON’S ORPHAN CHILD HOW THIS LITTLE MOTORCYCLE IN A PERIOD FROM 1961 TO 1974 EXCITED A MOVEMENT THAT IS STILL HOLDING ON 36

YEARS LATER

THANKS TO ALL THE PEOPLE THAT CONTRIBUTED INFORMATION AND PICTURES TO GET THIS TOGETHER AND

FOR THOSE THAT ARE KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE

FROM THE COLLECTION OF

EDDIE BOOMHOWER

JOHN TIBBEN CEDAR RAPIDS IOWA

BEGAN HIS FLATTRACKING CAREER IN 1957 ON A HARLEY WR

HAVING BEEN A CLOSE FRIEND OF CARROLL RESWEBER FOR A LONG TIME HE WAS ABLE TO TAKE OVER THE #1 SPRINT WHEN CARROLL

ENDED HIS RACING CAREER IN 1962. HE SUCCESSFULLY RAN THE BIKE TILL 1970. IN 1970 HE GAVE MOST OF THE PARTS TO MIKE CONNELL

AND IS NOW IN THE PROCESS OF RESTORING THE BIKE BACK TO ORIGINAL. IF YOU HAVE ANY CR PARTS YOU CAN CONTACT HIM

THROUGH ME.

SPRINT ROAD RACER

BUILT AND OWNED BY KRIS KERBER

HOME BASED IN OREGON CRIS HELPED A TON OF SPRINT FANS WITH HIS BOOKLET ON HOW TO DO ALL THE NECESSARY THINGS TO RACE ECONOMICALLY. HE WAS A GREAT HELP TO ME PERSONALLY.

BART MARKEL FLINT MICHIGAN

RIDING A BUBBLE ENGINE

THIS SHOT WAS TAKEN AT THE FIRST RUNNING OF THE HORSE TRACK SHORT TRACK RACES AT RICHMOND, VA. BART WAS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST RACERS THAT EVER COMPETED.

MARVIN WELLS

PETERSBURG, VA

MARVIN POSED WITH HIS NEW SPRINT ROAD RACER AT THE UPPER MARLORO RACE TRACK IN MARYLAND. MARVIN WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL IN ESTABLISHING AND OPERATING SEVERAL YAMAHA DEALERSHIPS IN VIRGINIA.

MERT LAWILL SAN FRANCISCO, CA

GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPION 1969

PACK OF SPRINTS IN THE FIRST TURN AT WINSTON SALEM, N.C. 1966 LED BY

BOB MCCORMICK ON THE INSIDE

RESWEBER, MARKEL AND JOE LEONARD IN TIGHT COMPETITION BATTLE AT THE

SANTE FE SHORT TRACK OUTSIDE

CHICAGO THREE OF THE VERY BEST IN ONE ACTION SHOT

ROBBIE ROBERTSON OCEAN SPRINGS, MS

SPRINT RACER AS WELL AS KR’S

AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER ROBBIE OWNED AND OPERATED ALL THE HD DEALERSHIPS IN MISSISSIPPI

NEVER MISSES ANY MOTORCYCLE ACTIVITY AT THE RIPE OLE AGE OF A YOUNG 77

RON JAY FISH HAVEN, IDAHO

HOW COULD A GUY NOT SET RECORDS WITH A PIT CREW LIKE THAT. HE JUST WANTED TO GET THE RUN OVER WITH AND

GET BACK TO THE PITS.

RON LANCASTER AND SOME OF HIS TOYS

RON OWNS AND OPERATES THE VERY SUCCESSFUL LANCASTER SPRINTS OF TAMPICO, IL

AN EXAMPLE OF HOW DOMINANT THE SPRINTS WERE DURING THE MIDDLE

60’S

DURING THEIR HAYDAY THESE POSTERS WERE MAILED OUT BY THE FACTORY EVERY WEEK REPORTING THEIR VICTORIES

THE FORCE BEHIND THE LANCASTER RACING PROGRAM

PICTURED AT THE ANNUAL DAVENPORT, IA SHOW & RACE

RON MUSIC, RON L./WIFE KAY, BRIAN FRY, DAVID CURLEY, RONS GRANDSON, TOM COLE, RON&KAYS DAUGHTER DENISE

AND THE FRONT ROW THE SEBBY FAMILY

RICKEY ON HIS WAY TO VICTORY AT THE SHIPPENSBURG, PA REGIONAL

RICKY NEVER SAW THE BIKE BEFORE, GOT ON IT AND WON HEATS AND FEATURE. HE CAN RIDE ANYTHING

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY RON & HIS GRANDSON BRIAN

IN LINE FOR PRACTICE SO THE OLD DOG CAN SHOW THE NEW

DOG SOME OLD TRICKS

RON JAY #225 BONNEVILLE RACER

RECORD HOLDER FOR 250CC SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION PUSH ROD

STRETCHED AND RAKED CR FRAME HOLDS 6 RECORDS ON SALT. CURRENT RECORD HOLDER A/PG GAS AT91.25

RACES OUT OF FISH HAVEN IDAHO AND WINTER QUARTERS IN SAN CARLOS , MEXICO. MUST BE TOUGH

THE GREAT RONNIE RALL GEARING UP TO DO SPRINT BATTLE