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White Plate Flat Trackers

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Motorcycle flat track racing got its start in a grassroots type of way. Good ol’ boys who liked to go fast needed a place to race one another for bragging rights. The best place to do it was often at the local horse track. They’d roll up to the starting line, and when the flag dropped, it was all gas and no brake. They slid into the corners and sped down the straight-a-ways. Soon the local community became hooked on the excitement and daring feats of these “flat trackers.” The sport grew and grew, until a national organization, the AMA (American Motorcycle Association), was founded. It became the national sanctioning body for flat track racing. More and more racers clamored to compete, so the AMA separated them into categories: the Novice Division (green plate), the Junior Division (yellow plate), and finally the elite White Plate Division.

White Platers are a set apart group. Their bright, white number plates are symbols of the years, miles, sweat and practice that brought them to the starting line marked with “expert status.” Very few racers earn their white plate, and when they do, it’s a monumental day. Through the years, the members of this elite group have become guardians of the sacred speed and brotherhood found on dirt tracks everywhere. In 1979, Al Burke and J.C. Hoel gathered together many of the nation’s top racers and pitched them the idea of an official “White Plater’s” Association. The response from the racers was a resounding “yes,” and so began the White Plate Flat Trackers Association. Hoel gained the support of Lin Kulcher, the executive director of the AMA, and the group was “off to the races.” (Sorry, I had to do it.)

Their mission statement is: “Dedicated to the preservation of the names and history of the professional motorcycle racers of the world.” Based in Sturgis, South Dakota, the White Plate Flat Track Association wanted a visible way of honoring the hundreds of racers who made their mark in racing by earning their white plate. They dreamed up a monument, six-sided and decorated with the names of the best racers in world. The city of Sturgis liked the idea, and soon the monument honoring dirt track racers was built. It was the first of its kind in the world.

Today, the White Plate Flat Tackers Association has many active members. Their most recent project has been the revival of the dirt track races during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. For the past two years, the association has produced a full card of flat track races, drawing competitors from all over the nation. The group is certainly achieving their mission of preserving the magic of dirt track racing. Those first good ol’ boys would be proud.

July 2016

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