Harley-Davidson’s racing history: Part One

Harley-Davidson has long been at the forefront of the pursuit of speed. In this first installment of a two-part series, we take a decade-by-decade look at some key achievements.

Enthusiasts have been racing Harley-Davidson motorcycles for more than a century. Nothing quite compares to chasing that thrill which comes with speed, maneuvrability, and triumph on the racetrack. Here, we look back at some highlights from the Motor Company’s extensive racing past…

1900s
On July 4, 1905, the Chicago Motor Club awarded Walter Davidson first prize in its 10-mile Open, which he finished in just over 19 minutes. He continually found success in distance events, scoring a perfect 1,000 points at the annual Federation of American Motorcyclists’ Endurance and Reliability Contest in 1908, and proved the quality of his motorcycle with an economy record of 188.234 miles per gallon just three days after his distance win. Word of the extremely tough Harley-Davidson motorcycle soon spread.

1910s
In 1910, records show that Harley riders placed first in at least seven different events across racing, endurance and hill climb competitions in America. Then, in 1913, the first Racing Department was formed under the watchful eye of William S. Harley, and the Motor Company formally entered motorcycle races the following year. It didn’t take long for team Harley-Davidson came to be referred to as the “Wrecking Crew” due to their incredible dominance of the sport.

1920s
This proved to be a record-breaking decade for H-D. The team began conducting experimental time trials on Daytona Beach, setting official and unofficial records. On February 16, 1920, Leslie “Red” Parkhurst sped across one kilometer in 19.98 seconds, and a mile in 32.45 seconds, hitting speeds of 111 mph. Just one year later, on February 22, Otto Walker became the first rider to surpass 100 mph during a motorcycle race, and success continued throughout 1921 with Harley-Davidson riders winning every national championship. Some big names also made their debuts in the 1920s, including talented dirt track racer Joe Petrali, the iconic Harley-Davidson “Peashooter”, and the special overhead valve 45-inch V-Twin.

1930s
Starting the decade strong, Bill Davidson Jr. scooped the top spot in the Jack Pine endurance contest, with Harley-Davidson riders topping all individual classes. By this time, Joe Petrali was making waves, and in 1932 he became the first person in American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) history to hold dirt track and hill climb national championship titles in the same year—a feat he would repeat in 1933, 1935, and 1936. In 1935, Joe and the Peashooter won 13 AMA national championship dirt track races and broke four records in the process. Then, in 1937, he rode two Harleys to new land speed records for their classes, hitting 136.183 mph on a 61-cubic-inch model.

1940s
In 1940, Babe Tancrede won the Daytona 200 on a WLDR model. In 1946, Harley-Davidson introduced one of its best dirt racing models ever: the 45-cubic-inch flathead WR. Then, in 1947, dirt track racer Jimmy Chann won the first of three consecutive AMA Grand National Championships, rounding off the decade on a high note for competitive Harley riding!

1950s
Racing achievements continued to rack up throughout the ‘50s, starting with Larry Headrick winning the AMA Grand National Championship for Harley-Davidson in dirt track racing. In the same year, H-D riders won 18 of 24 National Championships, setting six racing records in the process. In 1954, racer Joe Leonard won the AMA Grand National Championship on a Harley, and H-D racers would rule the competition for the next eight years. In 1955, Harley-Davidson began a seven-year winning streak at the Daytona 200, with victories shared by Brad Andres, Johnny Gibson, Joe Leonard, and Roger Reiman, all on KR models.

1960s
This was a strong decade for Daytona success. In 1960 alone, the top 14 finishers of the Daytona 200 were all riding Harley-Davidson KR models—with Brad Andres snagging first place. Ralph White came out on top at the same event in 1963 on his 750 KR motorcycle. And in 1964, Roger Reiman won the AMA Grand National Championship, and also scored the first of his back-to-back victories in the Daytona 200. Bart Markel led H-D to first place in the AMA GNC in both 1965 and 1966, followed by Mert Lawwill in 1969. Cal Rayborn also began a run of back-to-back victories in the Daytona 200, from 1968, with aspirations of going even faster on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Read more about his pursuit of speed here.

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