BOARD TRACK RACING INTERNATIONAL

ISSUE #1 MARCH 1, 2013

INSIDE STORIES

A Word from our Editor

Page 4

The History of Board Track Racing

Pages 6-8

The Revival of Board Track Racing

Pages 10-11

Atomix Studio Presents –Filmmaker Brian

Darwas The Story of Cannonball Run

Page 13

Safety Tips from BTRI MagazineSafety Tips from BTRI Magazine

Pages 14

Von Baron Motor Company promotes

Motorcycle Safety Foundation

Pages 15-16

Born To Ride TV and Magazine

Pages 17-19

Introducing VINTAGE STYLE MOTORCYCLE

BRANDS

THE FACTORY METAL WORKS

SUCKER PUNCH SALLYS

CLEVELAND CYCLEWERKS

EGLI VINCENT MOTORCYCLES

Pages 23-26

How to build your own Bobber or Chopper

of your Dreams

Pages 27-28

A BRIEF WORD FROM OUR EDITOR

Welcome to Board Track Racing International

Magazine and thank you for viewing our very

first edition!

Board Track Racing was an event that was

created and the early 1900’s and was a very

popular event in its day.

BTRI Magazine is promoting Board Track Racing

and it’s millions of followers who have a deep

ISSUE #1

MARCH 15, 2013

and it’s millions of followers who have a deep

filled passion for Board Track Racing.

We would like to take this time to give special

thanks to Von Baron Motor Company and Born

To Ride TV & Magazine both companies have

given up their time and are committed to seeing

that the public learns more about Board Track

Racing.

If you should have any questions or comments

please leave them at VONBARONMOTORS.COM

Thank you for viewing our magazine and check

us out monthly for a new subscription.

EDITOR: CHRISTOPHER KEHL

A BRIEF HISTORY OF BOARD

TRACK RACING

Board track racing was one of the first types

of motorsports that were popular in the USA

during the 1910 and 1920’s Most Races were

conducted on circular or oval tracks with most

surfaces composed of wooden planks This is the

type of track that was first used for motorcycle

races, they were called ‘Motor Dromes’.

Most American National Championship races

were contests and huge venues developed

during the 1920s. Board tracks were used in part

because at that time, they were fairly

inexpensive to construct, yet lacked durability

and required a great deal of maintenance to

remain race ready. Many of the tracks survived

for as little as three years before being

abandoned. This was primarily due to lack of

sealers and durable building products.

As the Great Depression developed in the earlyAs the Great Depression developed in the early

1930s, board track racing disappeared rapidly.

However, several of its most achieved aspects in

racing have continued to influence the

motorcycle industry. Including but not limited

to: A technical emphasis on top speed produced

by the steep banking; and ample track width to

allow steady overtaking between competitors;

as well as the development of extensive

grandstands or stadium-style spectator seating

surrounding many of the courses

One of the very first board tracks for motorized

bicycle racing was the circular Los Angeles Motor

Dome in Playa Del Ray, CA, built in 1910. This

track was based on the same technology as

‘European Velo-Dromes’ used for bicycle racing,

this track and others like it were constructed

with 2-inch x 4-inch boards, often with turns

banked at up to 45 degrees. At some tracks, such

as the track at Culver City, banking was 50

degrees or more.

As tracks developed, longer tracks were later

built - some up to 2 miles long as early as 1915

- and lap speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour

became commonplace. Interest in the sport

was exploding during this period and by 1929,

24 board tracks had been built throughout the

USA, unfortunately by 1931, 20 of the 24 had

been shut-down or abandoned, and all tracks

in

1932 ceased to exist, and the championship

races riding on boards were no more.

At the time these tracks were relatively

inexpensive to construct compared to more

permanent facilities – (for example) the total

cost of the 2-mile Tacoma Speedway, was just

$100,000 in 1915, comparing this to the

$700,000 spent in 1909 just to pave the 2.5-

mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Racing on these board tracks often drew large

crowds of paying spectators. In 1915, a crowd

of 80,000 was reported in Chicago, and only

three weeks after, 60,000 attended the

Design and Safety

The first track in Playa del Rey Motor Drome

had a bank of 3:1 pitch (or about 20 degrees),

some tracks were built with even higher

banking up to 60 degrees.

The reality of these track designs were not

properly engineered until construction of the

Beverly Hills track in 1919 when Beverly Hills,

designer ‘Art Pillsbury’, eventually worked on

more than ½ of the championship board tracks

nationwide, and deployed the first ‘Searle

Spiral Easement Curve’ in which, effectively a

car could steer itself primarily because of the

tracks geometry.

These changes allowed higher cornering speeds

and higher G-Force on drivers, but

did not necessarily create greater safety. Driver

fatalities continued into the 1920s, which took

the lives of at least four Indianapolis winners.

Even when the bikes or cars did not crash,three weeks after, 60,000 attended the

Indianapolis 500. Furthermore a relatively

small and isolated Tacoma, who only had a

population of 83,000 in 1910 had turned out

35,000 to see a race the year before.

Board Track Purse over

$25,000

To attract both competitors and race fans,

racing promoters alike offered what at that

time was considered a sensational amount of

prize money –which could include a total purse

of $25,000 and surprisingly was not unusual

around the time of World War One. After WWI,

Triple A (AAA as we know it) re-organized the

National Championship Races. In the Early

1920’s to the end of 1931, AAA sanctioned a

total of 123 championship races on 24 different

race tracks, and 82 of those races were run on

wooden surfaces, 12 were on the bricks of

Indianapolis, and the other 29 were on dirt

tracks.

Even when the bikes or cars did not crash,

racing on a board track was very dangerous

partially from flying wood splinters and

primitive tire technology. Motorcycling, was

also very dangerous due to lack of riders

proper safety equipment. Fans used to sit

above the track, and looked down at the

racers. Sometimes when a rider lost control, he

would drive off the track and into the crowd.

On September 8, 1912, Eddie Hasha was killed,

which also killed 4 spectators and injured 10

more. The New York Times started coining

these tracks “Murder Dromes”. So in 1913,

these races moved to dirt tracks because they

were much safer, eventually the organization

that was overseeing these races banned

competitions on board tracks shorter than one

mile. This caused sponsors and manufacturers

to withdraw their support due to negative

press.

THE END OF BOARD TRACKS

The largest demise of board tracks was costly

maintenance. At that time, there were no

suitable wood preservatives, and most tracks

needed new boards fitted every three to five

years. Most resurfacing required a

million board feet of lumber per 1.25 miles of

track. This was not a cost effective expense

with sponsors and manufacturers dropping

out.

WHITE KNUCKLE THE MOVIE

THIS IS A MOVIE ABOUT THE CANNON BALL

RUN THAT TAKES PLACE EVERY YEAR AND

SHOWS YOU WHAT IT REALLY TAKES TO MAKE

AND BE IN AN EVENT OF THIS NATURE.

BUY THE DVD FOR ONLY $24.95

Furthermore, as speeds increased, overtaking

became more difficult - the faster the racer

would go, he would almost always win the

race, this led to Race Fans to start turning their

attention to the less-predictable racing that

was taking place on dirt tracks.

Most board tracks disappeared from the

National Championship scene in 1932, however

a few smaller tracks did continue to operate for

some years afterwards. For example, Coney

Island hosted ‘Midget Racing’ until at least

1939, and the Castle Hill Speedway continued

‘Midget Racing’ until the late 1940’s.

PLEASE CALL (239) 400-1289 AND ASK FOR THE

WHITE KNUCKLE MOVIE ON DVD

PRODUCTS AVAILABLE AT

VON BARON MOTOR COMPANY LLC.

BOARD TRACK RACING COMINGTO FLORIDA

Von Baron Motor Company

has aligned itself with a large

Family Park (LAZY SPRINGS) in

SW Florida that will be

building a 1/2 mile to 1 mile

track, which will offer a 4:1

pitch on 180 degree turns. The

Track being built at the park

will first be made out of

compacted dirt and crushed

limestone. Further plans are

to build the track with

materials on top of the “dirt

VON BARON BRINGS BACK THE BOARD TRACK

Since the time of 1900-1940, Board Track Racing has been obsolete.

Products today are far superior in quality since that era. For an

example materials do not fray, warp and deteriorate under exterior

conditions. Von Baron Motor Company firmly believes that with

today’s existing technological advances, we can again bring the

glorious Board Track Racing events back to the American public and

possibly the world.

There has been a huge up rise in older style board track motorcycles

and board track style motorized bicycles, with flat track, paved races

being held in California and Arizona. There is however no “board

tracks” left in the United States today and no pitched 3:1or 4:1 Race

Tracks available to race on at present time.

materials on top of the “dirt

track” which would be firmly

anchored with posts and

concrete. Safety precautions

and testing of the track will be

performed to ensure safety

precautions to alleviate

problems with early board

track racing events

BOARD TRACK RACING COMINGTO FLORIDA .

Von Baron Motors Board Track will be the first of it’s kind since

the early 1900’s and plans to develop other race venues as we

grow.

Von Baron Motor Company has already selected it’s Media

Partner as ‘BORN TO RIDE’ TV, and they will have exclusive

rights to film, manage and operate our race events for TV,

Editorial and Magazine Production.

Creating this type of track will not only allow racers from all

over the United States to compete in National Championship

Races, but will bring back a national pass time long awaited in a

niche market.

Christopher Kehl owner and operator of Von Baron Motors,

stated: “Sometimes we have to dive deep into our past, to

create entertaining new concepts”.

Although Board Track Racing is not exactly “new” it would be

the first track of it’s kind brought back to America since the

early 1900’s.

Ride along with Hot Rod

Builder and Award Winning

Filmmaker Brian Darwas as

he travels coast to coast on

the ultimate antique

motorcycle endurance run,

“The Motorcycle

Cannonball”.

Witness as these bikes are

pushed past their limits! Get

an upfront look at parking

lot engine rebuilds! and

watch as the top guys in the

motorcycle industry machine

parts in the back of their

vans to keep their bikes on

the road, and in the race!

“I followed some friends as

they rode on the they rode on the

first Motorcycle Cannonball.

The run was all pre-1916

motorcycles. Some were

single cylinder engines,

some had no transmissions

(just a belt and a tensioner).

They started in Kitty Hawk,

NC and rode clear across the

country to Santa Monica, CA.

Literally "Coast to Coast", on

all secondary roads, no

highways! . . and since I like

to witness pain and suffering

I tagged along and made a

movie about the trip.” -

Brian Darwas

TO ORDER CALL

239-400-1289

SAFETY TIPS

Board Track Racing International Magazine,

is promoting awareness for drivers and

motorcyclists nationwide. Gas seems to be

on the rise and Motorcycles are becoming

more and more a common site on National

Highways.

Many motorists today really need to look out

for motorcycles. Unfortunately there are

many times that motorists do not watch out

for these motorcycles and fatalities happen

frequently.

If you are a car or a truck driver you can

adhere to a few simple rules:

1. Before you change lanes, please use your1. Before you change lanes, please use your

blinker.

2. When behind a motorcycle please allow

up to 2 car lengths of space to allow a

safe distance between you and the

motorcycle driver.

3. If you see a motorcycle, then allow the

same space and respect you would give a

car or truck .

4. When approaching an intersection please

look twice before crossing even if the

light is green, so many accidents today

happen in busy intersections.

Von Baron Motor Company with the

assistance of Board Track International

Magazine is proud to promote the

Motorcycle Safety Foundation which

can be found online at : MSF-USA.org

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation was

developed to promote awareness of

bikers on the road.

To many times careless accidentsTo many times careless accidents

happens because people do not look

out for motorcyclists.

This can all be avoided by simply

spreading awareness!

SO PLEASE WATCH OUT FOR

MOTORCYCLES!

THESE ADS WILL BE POSTED AND PAID

FOR BY VON BARON MOTOR COMPANY

PROMOTE SAFETY 1ST

VON BARON MOTOR COMPANY

ADS BY MOTORCYCLE SAFETY

FOUNDATION MSF-USA.ORG

Born To Ride combines 4 successful

media elements; Television, Magazine,

Website and Event Promotions.

Born To Ride provides news and

events that are of interest to the biker

community. Spotlighting hardworking

dealers, bike builders, and

organizations are only a few of the

items the biker community looks

forward to reading every month. The

staff and writers are all bikers, as well

as professionals in the areas they

represent.

Born To Ride's involvement with otherBorn To Ride's involvement with other

successful venues has spanned 15

years the Born To Ride Saloon, West

Coast Bike Rally, and Thunder by the

Bay to mention a few. Born To Ride

collaborates with other local media

companies to create cross marketing

opportunities for its clientele.

Build your own Bobber is as

easy as 123. At Von Baron

Motor Company, we offer

Rolling Chassis, Engines,

Transmissions, Handlebars,

Exhaust, and everything you

need to build your own

custom motorcycle.

Many people have dreams of

building their own unique

style of motorcycle , so why

Step 1:

Pick a Motorcycle Chassis

style of motorcycle , so why

settle?

There are many bike builders

out there but do you know

which one you can trust?

Unless you are in the

motorcycle field, then its hard

to tell who is a great bike

builder and who is not.

Start your own project and

create your own unique

motorcycle. You will have fun

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Step 2:

Pick a Engine & Transmission

Step 3:

Choose Accessories and

Paint Scheme