 The
first Rally was held August, 1938 with 19 racers at the half mile track.
Besides the racing, the event featured such stunts as board wall
crashes, ramp jumps and head-on collisions with an automobile. Johnny
Spiegelhoff, Milwaukee, won most of the prize money. $500 put up by four
local business persons. The event was two days in duration and did not
feature tours.
J.C. "Pappy" Hoel, owner of a local motorcycle shop, was one of the
originators of the event. The Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club and the
Black Hills Motor Classic Inc. were formed to develop the event. By 1940
5,000 spectators watched 150 racers run the Sturgis half mile. During
World War II, the rally was not held because so many were involved in
the war effort.
As the Rally grew in attendance, events and days were added. From a 1947
issue of the Indian Motorcycle News, "400 riders participated in their
A.M.A. Gypsy Tour and motorcycle races".
In 1965 one thousand cyclists enjoyed the Sturgis Chamber of Commerce
feed and program hosted in the city park, including contests for queen
of the Classic, cyclist and couple traveling the longest distance
outside and within the U.S. to attend the event, couple married the
longest, best dressed man and woman, as well as oldest rider. Three
hundred and thirty riders participated in the Gypsy Tour - a two day
event with an overnight stay at Custer, South Dakota. The five days were
touted as the `Biggest in History'. In 1981 Pappy Hoel, motorcycle
racers and area persons developed a six-sided monument listing the White
Plate Flat Trackers. The white plate is a designation given to
motorcycle racers fast enough to earn the distinction. The monument is
located on Junction near the local hospital. Anticipated attendance for
the yearly event was 25,000 to 30,000 persons.
The 45th year of the Classic was dedicated to J.C. "Pappy" Hoel.
Governor William Janklow dedicated the entire 1985 week to Hoel "who
earned national respect and fame because of his years of devotion to
friends, family and community". The news article ended with the
suggestion that "regardless of what type of motorcyclist you are, you
should take a minute while attending the 45th Annual Rally to pay silent
homage to a man whose love of motorcycles helped make the event grow
into one of the largest of motorcycle events.".
Rally attendance dramatically increased in the late 1980's. The
attendance figures are drawn from S.D. Department of Transportation and
Division of Public Safety statistics. Estimates of attendance are:
|
1987
|
63,000 persons |
1988
|
73,000 persons |
|
1989
|
100,000 persons |
1990
|
400,000 persons |
|
1991
|
100,000 persons |
1992
|
120,000 persons |
|
1993
|
150,000 persons |
1994
|
200,000 persons |
|
1995
|
185,000 to 215,000 persons |
1996
|
165,000 to 170,000 persons |
|
1997
|
200,000 to 220,000 persons |
1998
|
360,000 persons |
|
1999
|
275,000 to 290,000 persons |
2000
|
550,000 to 633,000 persons |
In 1991 a new group was formed to 'plan, organize and promote' the rally
and races and to return significant tangible financial benefits to the
residents of Sturgis. The new group was Sturgis Rally and Races, Inc.
and represented the residents of Sturgis, the business community and
racing organizations. Based on a phone survey, the Black Hills Motor
Classic name was changed to Sturgis Rally and Races in 1992. Persons
knew the event as Sturgis. The organizers wanted to emphasis the
historical basis of the event - racing. Therefore the name change.
The event lasts seven days, and still has at its core - racing and
touring events. Main St. has become the visual image of Sturgis Rally
and Races. Four blocks closed to motorcycle traffic only is a photo
pleaser. Persons attending are from all fifty states and numerous
foreign countries. The National Motorcycle Museum has the maps from
Rally Headquarters for both 1990 and 1997. The maps are a graphic
representation of the numbers here. Maps for all other years are on loan
to the Broken Spoke Bar. Maps for 1998 are also on display at the
National Motorcycle Museum.
The event continues to be a crowd pleaser. The Black Hills are one of
the greatest locations for motorcycle riding in the world. Persons love
the mountains, the roads and the mid-western friendliness of the people.
The Rally is a time to renew ties to friends and meet new friends.
Persons calling for information call Sturgis a mecca, a nirvana, a place
all persons who ride a motorcycle have to attend just once. If they
attend once, they need to come back because they did not see everything,
or ride on that special ride or just to see the friend who is always
here. Sturgis cannot be described. People have tried and end with "You
just have to see it!" |
