There is nothing quite like the atmosphere of grass roots flat track events like the Wauseon Nationals quarter mile horse track at Ohio's Fulton County fairgrounds. This year's Wauseon Nationals presented by Roeder racing was a bit bitter sweet as the shutdowns of 2020 kept the event from happening a full year and then after much hard work to bring it back for 2021 the day of the event, in which racing was to begin, was unfortunately met with many obstacles surrounding the extremely unpredictable weather. No matter what the circumstances, if the track is just not safe enough or dry enough to race, you simply just can't allow people to put themselves at risk. So George and his team made some tough calls and moved the entire race program to the next day on Saturday. Well the rain kept up strong all Friday night and into the morning hours and the track stayed an ever sketchy and flooded state until the mid afternoon when the sun came out behind the clouds gave us a little drying assistance and the sweet roaring sound of practice laps finally began. A bit burnt out from the weather but yet still unthwarted the racers took the track with a sense of purpose.
July 3-4 2021 Allentown, PA Vintage Drags This is vintage motorcycle drag racing at the Great Allentown Fairgrounds in Allentown, Pennsylvania. And a lot of these motorcycles are bikes that, in the eyes of the uninitiated (or to the stringent collector), might have no place on a race track. Let alone one made of dirt and gravel.
Considering the age and relative scarcity of some of these vintage motorcycles, one might even think they'd be better off getting restored or, at the very least, preserved in their "barn find" conditions for future generations to admire. After all, these are generally not very inexpensive motorcycles. These bikes are expensive. And the replacement parts, should you break something, are also very costly, and only getting harder and harder to find.
Planning for Babes Ride Out I started planning about 1-2 months ahead, an all backroads route and booking places to stay for the outbound and return trip. I had been to Babes Ride Out in 2019 so I was pretty familiar with what to expect and the roads.
The highlight of our year is just around the corner! That's right, AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is coming up fast. For the folks here at Old Bike Barn we love any event that caters to vintage motorcycles, but there is something about AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days that is the icing on the cake for us! One of the best things we see every year is the blending of multiple generations with the same passion for vintage motorcycles, it has us smiling all weekend. It doesn't matter your age, what time period, make or style of vintage you are into, there is truly something for everyone.
The Wauseon National vintage flat track races presented by Roeder Racing is just around the corner, Friday, July 16th! This great tradition at the Fulton County Fairgrounds in Wauseon, Ohio is something you won't want to miss. Going on its 14th year alongside the Antique Motorcycle Club of America swap meet, the fairgrounds are home to a beautiful half-mile track that serves as a raw and gritty experience for fans and racers alike. Each year the team behind Roeder Racing steps in to really turn up the heat on this event and give spectators and Wauseon swap meet patrons an exciting day at the track. The range of bikes goes through every class and era of vintage motorcycle - from board trackers of the early 1900s, on to big twin tank shift Harleys and Indians of the 30's and 40's, to the Japanese and British powerhouse twins and singles of the 70's and up.
