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On July 22-24, the Biggest Motorcycle Drag Race of the year returns with the 22nd annual WPGC Bike Fest at Maryland International Raceway in Mechanicsville, Maryland.

Over 700 Professional, Sportsman, and Grudge motorcycle drag racers will compete for over $80,000 in cash money at this event. But this event is more than just a drag race, the WPGC Bike Fest has something for everyone. Racing starts on Friday, then the volume cranks on Saturday and Sunday with an action-packed venue featuring something for everyone.

Live Bands
The WPGC stage will be jamming with DJ Flexx and DJ Akademics, plus a LIVE performance by one of the TOP bands in the DMV… New Impressionz!

Sound Competition and Custom Bike Show
Team Money Cycles will once again host their “Speed and Sound” Tour at this event on Sunday with a Sound Competition and Custom Bike Show. There will also be a “Baggers vs Slingshots” showdown on Saturday evening with Team SOS taking on SS Takeover and will bring in the crowd with the wildest custom bikes you have ever seen! Then on Sunday, the King of the Hill Bike Show and Sound Competition will take the main stage!

Beer Garden with Bikini Bartenders
The popular beer garden returns with plenty of ice-cold beer served by hot women in bikinis. No long walks to the concession stand; our Bikini Bartenders will be stationed close to the grandstands with your cold beers when you need them.

Bikini Contest
The Bikini Contest has been a part of the WPGC Bike Fest for over a decade and features the hottest girls of the DMV competing for bragging rights and cold hard cash! Hot Girls in Bikinis – Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

VIP Bike Parking

Ride your bike to the event and get FREE parking PIT SIDE in the huge street bike corral!

Kids Playground
Maryland International Raceway allows children to get up close and check out the fastest motorcycles in the country, and the facility also has a fenced playground for the kids to run around and expel their energy during the event. Kids 11 and under get in free!

Orient Express Racing Pro Street
The Orient Express Pro Street class features 6-second, 220+mph bikes and XDA will have twenty on the property, including the two fastest racers in the World, Greg Wallace and Justin Shakir. Wallace holds the MPH record at 236.05, Shakir is right behind him at 234.29, and that’s on a street tire bike with no wheelie bars! You don’t want to miss this premier class as they light up the scoreboards.

DME Racing Real Street
The DME Racing 7-second, 190mph Real Street class is designed for street‐legal sportbikes with limited modifications and a hand clutch. Rickey Gadson took a win at the last race to boost his points standing into third place. But his road to a championship won’t be easy with class champions David Stewart and Mark Hylton standing in his way. The WPGC Bike Fest is the mid-season point, and these guys have a lot on the line.

MaxxECU Pro Xtreme
Imagine the 4.60 Index class on steroids with no index, heads up, first to the finish line, and no breakout. This is where you get the quickest and fastest 1/8 mile category in the XDA. MaxxECU Pro Xtreme returns for this event featuring the World’s quickest turbocharged, nitrous injected or injected nitro drag bikes. These machines are making 3 second passes, and you won’t want to miss the power they can throw down in only 660 feet.

HTP Performance Super Stock
HTP Performance Super Stock will show out on 4‐stroke naturally aspirated production motorcycles. This class features strict modification rules, stock wheelbase, stock motor, MR12 spec fuel, no air shifters, no dataloggers, etc. Whoever has the best clutch hand will rule the weekend. Darion Payne leads the class but this weekend he can be easily knocked off his throne by Mike Davis or Curtis McDougald. Caleb Holt and Silas Wood are also in contention for a championship if Payne can be overthrown this weekend.

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Vance & Hines 4.60
Vance & Hines 4.60 class is the World’s quickest index class. The bikes in this 1/8th-mile sportsman index category make their four-second passes in a span of only 660 feet. With little margin for error, their reaction times at the starting line will make or break their run. Michael Stewart, Mac McAdams, Michael Ostrowski, and Kenny Cornell will be looking for round wins this weekend to climb the ladder to surpass points leader Ronald Procopio. The Vance & Hines 4.60 is an action-packed class to watch and bet on, both during qualifying and race day.

HTP Performance Grudge
The Saturday night HTP Performance Afterdark Underground Grudge program features the fearsome Running of the Bulls. These top tier grudge classes include Boosted Bulls (Turbo Bikes), APE Nitrous Bulls (Nitrous Bikes), 3 Sixty 5 Transport Monster Bulls (Heavyweights), and Tommie’s Motorsports DMV and All Motor Bulls. Grudge racing provides a lot of fast-paced action and excitement you’ll want to bet on. So don’t miss Saturday night’s program, where the drama before the race is just as exciting as the performance on the track.

1 Stop Speed 5.60
1 Stop Speed 5.60 is another competitive index category combining street legal and bar bikes. This class also has an added challenge of nailing a .400 Pro tree, and only running to the eighth mile, leaving no room for mistakes. Young gun Rico Brown is leading this class over tough competition eager to take the throne. This will be a make-or-break weekend for Brown as Nick Noble, Dustin Lee, and Carson Fields have a target on his back.

Mickey Thompson Tires Top Sportsman
The Mickey Thompson Tires Top Sportsman class features the quickest bracket bikes in the country! The 32-bike qualified field runs on a .500 full tree and will see bikes running ET’s from the low 7’s to the low 8’s. Over a hundred motorcycles will attempt to make this field so the competition on Sunday is brutal! Rob Hunnicutt leads by a mere eleven points, making it likely a new leader will emerge at the WPGC Bike Fest.

MPS Racing Pro ET
The MPS Racing Pro ET class has over a hundred entries at every race. This is the toughest ET class when considering all the variables a racer must overcome to make it to the winner’s circle. Not only will you have to earn at least seven rounds, but you will face a different type of bike setup every round leaving you very little room for error. Dustin Lee is currently leading the points, and he would like to keep it that way, as he does not yet have an XDA MPS Racing Pro ET championship trophy on his shelf. Keep your eyes on his competition this weekend because they will be hungry to earn round wins over him.

Brock’s Performance Street ET
The Brock’s Performance Street ET class is a sportsman class for street legal motorcycles only, and is great for new riders looking to get into the sport. If you ride your bike to the race to watch, why not try your hand on the track for only $65? Beginner’s luck could pay you $1,500 in cold hard cash. Mark Blake is currently leading the class by ten points. Derrick Milbourne is ten points behind him, and a syndicate of other racers could overtake the points lead this weekend by turning on more green lights than Blake.

And the opportunities don’t stop there for sportsman racers with the Friday night Hard Times Parts & Service Gambler’s race and the Saturday VooDoo Components Bracket Bash. So if you have a motorcycle, there will be plenty of on-track and off-track action this weekend to keep you entertained at this summer’s biggest motorcycle drag racing event in the nation!

So, look no further for next weekend’s plans. Come be a part of history at XDA’s 22nd annual WPGC Bike Fest on July 22-24, 2022, at Maryland International Raceway. BE THERE!

Visit www.xdaracing.com/bikefest for event information, class rules, schedule and more.

About XDA Racing
The Xtreme Dragbike Association (XDA) is an east coast motorcycle drag racing series with 700+ motorcycle racers competing at each event. Every XDA event hosts professional classes, sportsman classes, grudge racing and a vendor midway. Lifestyle activities such as bike shows, bikini contests, DJ and live bands are also held at select events. For more information on the XDA, please visit www.xdaracing.com or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube @xdaracing

First motorized vehicle to cross the U.S. wasn’t a car – it was a bike
by Jeff Peek from Hagerty.com

George A. Wyman made a name for himself as a bicycle racer, but he reached legendary status 119 years ago.

He rode a motorized two-wheeler from San Francisco to New York to become the first person to cross the North American continent aboard an engine-powered vehicle.

Read this Photo Feature Article on Bikernet.com – Click Here

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Celebrating 25 years of www.Bikernet.com

Editor’s Note: In a changing world, I ask myself constantly about the mindsets behind different chopper movements in the States and as you will see here in the Nordic Countries. I would love to listen to their conversations. The chopper movement in the States has changed, but what about the thinking behind each new trend? So, ask me what I was thinking with a fifth of Jack Daniels in my hand in 1970, as I swayed next to a fire in Fresno, CA at 3:00 in the morning?

–Bandit

Twelve years ago the car/MC club Jokers had their last big car/bike show. What was fun in the beginning went into headache in the end, liquor license security fire and rescue, yeah you get it, they quit.

However same year they started Fücker a MC-show on two wheels. Fully loaded choppers travelling to new locations every night, immediate success. This format meant you did fly under the radar from the government!!!

During two Corona years they had a Safari instead, same thing but shorter and few out of Sweden visitors.

2022 the 7th of July 5PM everything was back on track.

Djupsås Peoples Park, an old dance hall where farmers and blue-collar workers danced in the ‘30s and ‘40s perfect spot to gather the tribe. Pre-pre party… like 100 first night. Germans, Danes, Belgium, Finns and even one Canadian at the starting point.

Friday high noon, most sober to avoid the Swedish hard driving rules. Sebastian one of the Jokers hand out small piece of paper to each one, analog directions how to get to next stop. This continues through the three days. You never know where the camp spot is. Hang on or read map!

Friday the 8th we come to a small lake, where’d Swedish law allow camping 24 hours then clean and leave, old rule since the 1200s! Warm weather so many tattooed bodies scare the shit outta the fish maybe. A support van full, with Danish Beer, so life is good.

Saturday 9th 1200 kickstands up, riding on a gravel road 6 miles, it is a rolling show so just hang on. Lysvik Värmland where the big party starts. One hour from the Norwegian border so more bikers from our brotherland.

A couple of bands playing with late ‘60s vibe. We ended up in another Peoples Park, old veterans taking care of the buildings and helping with food and logistics . Fantastic to see 80+ years people just smiling among bikers whose average age is just 30+!

The format in short, like one week ahead on Instagram people will know the starting point, be there and join in. Everybody welcome on a chopper and if it breaks down you could come on a stocker but hide in the shadows, haha.

People arrive and leave during the rolling show so numbers are tough, 100-250 I guess.
10 % women, everybody ride with camper gear as back support so.. ladies have to drive their own wheels. This year Shovelheads everywhere, the prices on Knucks and Pans really changed the market.

Jokers no club in that sense no clubhouse, just good friends from west coast of Sweden.
The Fückers format bring back flashback memories for me, the kids good builders, try to copy the old, however in the old days they never drove that much as these kiddos!!

Last no fukkin sponsor, and yeah you smile for at least a month afterwards!!!

–Sheriff

FÜCKERS HOTSPOTS

by Rogue & Others

Back in 1972 Easyriders Magazine was forming an organization named A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments (ABATE). Meetings were held in Florida and California and open to the various motorcycle rights groups and individual from around the country.

Two of the people involved were Keith “Bandit” Ball and Rev. John “Rogue” Herlihy who were part of the Easyriders team.

READ this Legendary Photo Feature only on Bikernet.com

Know more about the history of grassroots movements.

Get to know about the significance of Rogue’s contributions to vast community of motorcyclists all over USA. He is still active and involved in these.

++ the incredible long-lasting friendship between two Life-Long Bikers who still ride their own motorcycles.

Visit Bikernet.com : still riding free for 25 years.

It was Marilyn Stemp with the world-famous Flying Piston Benefit Breakfast. I have been invited to modify a Strider balance bike, the kind that young kids can push with their feet and learn to balance. I don’t have actual builder talent but what an opportunity to hang out with famous builders like Arlen Fatland, Rodney Smith, Zach Ness, Cabana Dan, Pat Patterson, Chris Callen and Billy Lane, And maybe I’ll learn how to pronounce Cabana Dan’s last name. And the food is really good. Sooo…

However, the bike isn’t exactly finished when the phone rings.

Marilyn Stemp: “Is your bike done?”

Me, as in, Greg (aka Edge): “We are have having a problem with speed wobbles when the bike gets over 35 mph.”

Marilyn Stemp (exasperated sigh): “You have a three-year-old pushing the bike over 35 mph?”

Me: “Ahhh… yeah. The kid should be a great soccer player in the distant future. Like… when he turns five.”

Me (pause): “I am calling the guys at Suspension Technologies in Largo, FL. They are the best with handling issues. This should only set me back a week, 10 days tops. I am worried about the safety of the children.”

Marilyn Stemp: “F-#k! the kids, ship the bike Tuesday.”

The photo shoot with my two grandsons’, Wilder and Finn, was a hoot but eventually we got there. Special thanks to Prince Jeff Najar for the opportunity to work with the Flying Piston Benefit.

Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda Second Overall at Southwick

July 9, 2022 | The Wick 338 | Southwick, Mass.
Foothill Ranch, Calif. (July 10, 2022) – The AMA Pro Motocross Championship paid a visit to the famous sand pits of The Wick 338 in Southwick, Massachusetts, as the 2022 Championship reached the halfway mark. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Jo Shimoda stayed true to his current form, extending his overall event podium count in the 250 Class this season to four with a second overall finish. Meanwhile, teammate Seth Hammaker overcame adversity in his first visit to The Wick 338 to finish 11th overall (10-12). In the 450 Class, Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Jason Anderson earned 8-6 moto finishes for eighth overall with Joey Savatgy finishing 12th overall (9-16).

Summer in New England brought clear skies and mild temperatures combined with another reverse race schedule where the 450 Class would take the track first, leaving rougher conditions ahead for the 250 Class. The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki duo kicked off qualifying with Shimoda looking to carry momentum from last weekend’s historic win and sat at the top of the leaderboard briefly during the second session before finishing with the fifth fastest lap (2:13.514). Teammate Hammaker ranked 11th with his best lap time of 2:14.514 as he got adjusted to the tricky sand track where momentum is crucial.

The opening 250 Class moto of the day began with Shimoda crossing the Holeshot line inside the top-10 and Hammaker several positions back. The No.30 wasted no time chasing down the lead riders during the early parts of the moto. As the race entered the latter stages, a three-way battle for second began to form. A slight miscue by the third place rider was all Shimoda needed to advance and continue charging until he caught up to second place. A combination of late moto speed and crafty line choices moved Shimoda into second place. With a clear track ahead, Shimoda turned up the pace and began recording some of the race’s fastest laps, cutting the deficit from nearly six seconds to just three on the leader. Lapped traffic slowed the leader down and helped Shimoda close in further, shrinking the leader’s advantage to just under two seconds. Still, despite his best efforts to capture the moto victory, Shimoda would cross the finish in second. Hammaker quickly adapted to the track conditions to advance into a top-10 position by Lap 5. The No.47 continued his push through the field before issues with lapped riders dropped Hammaker back to 11th, where he’d finish the race.

The final moto of the evening saw Shimoda and Hammaker emerge from the first turn running in top-10 positions. A quick pass by Shimoda early in the race allowed the No.30 rider to take control of fifth by the start of Lap 2. The pass also granted Shimoda the perfect opportunity to study his opponent’s line choices. As the track conditions continued to deteriorate throughout the moto, Shimoda’s late-race pace again proved effective as he was able to take over the fourth-place spot and quickly chase down his opponent in third. The KX™250 rider was noticeably quicker than his opponent and managed to solidify the pass for third on Lap 9. While Shimoda ran comfortably in third, Hammaker was involved in his own battles to climb up through the field. The No.47 started the race in 10th before a mistake dropped him down to 17th. With his work cut out for him, Hammaker put his head down and pushed with all his strength the entire 30 minutes plus two-lap race. Hammaker’s admirable effort resulted in a 12th place moto finish and 11th overall on the day. Shimoda crossed the checkered flag securely in third to earn second overall with 2-3 moto finishes.

“I had good speed in the first moto but spent too much time following the guys in front instead of making passes early on. In Moto 2, I got an okay start and actually passed the guys in front quicker than in the first moto but the track was so gnarly by that time of the day that I couldn’t mount a real late-race charge for second. I still finished second overall, which is a good result for us.”
– Jo Shimoda

“This was my first time racing at Southwick and I was excited to learn a new track. I quickly realized this was going to be a physically demanding race course as I went through practice and strategically decided to use the practice sessions as an opportunity to find consistent lines instead of homing in on one fast lap. I got an okay start in both motos but it was hard for me to make a lot of passes happen on this track, especially with how deep the field is. As a racer, we’re never completely satisfied with how we perform but we showed promising speed in the race and will work on getting better starts so we can battle with the guys up front next weekend.”
– Seth Hammaker

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Similar to last week, the Southwick National also featured a reverse moto schedule with the 450 Class racing first and followed by the 250 Class. The Monster Energy Kawasaki duo of Anderson and Savatgy took the track in the second qualifying session with raised intensity. Anderson reached the top of the leader board with a 2:09.525 lap time, good for third fastest overall, while teammate Savatgy logged the 10th fastest lap with a 2:11.285.

In 450 Class Moto 1, Savatgy launched his KX™450SR to an impressive sixth-place start and managed to move into a top-five spot by the completion of the opening lap. Unfortunately, further behind, Anderson was involved in a first turn pile-up that caused the No.21 to remount his bike outside the top-30. The New Mexico-born rider wasted no time slicing his way past slower riders, collecting one or two passes each lap as racing progressed. Savatgy battled for fifth in the early laps before settling into a rhythm within the top-10. A hard-charging Anderson was quick to reel in his teammate in the matter of a couple of laps and finished the job by taking firm control of eighth place by Lap 13. Anderson would cross the finish line in eighth after another heart-filled come-from-behind charge, meanwhile, Savatgy finished in ninth.

The second 450 Class moto began with Anderson emerging from the first turn in eighth with his teammate Savatgy close behind in 11th. Anderson worked his way into sixth by the start of Lap 2 and from there looked determined for a podium finish. The New Mexican brought the fans to their feet as he battled his way through to fourth with passes on consecutive laps. However, as the race reached the halfway mark, Anderson slowly faded back to sixth, where he would end up finishing the race. Savatgy was running comfortably in 11th position the majority of the race until the No.17 found himself engulfed in a battle for the position. Savatgy fought to hold the pressuring riders at bay for multiple laps and appeared to have the position secured until a mistake aggravated a lingering injury and forced the No.17 to finish the race in 16th. Anderson’s 8-6 moto scores earned the No.21 an eighth overall, while Savatgy finished with 9-16 moto finishes for 12th overall.

“I felt like I had the speed to be up near the front today. My Kawasaki KX450SR was hooking up great during qualifying and gave me a ton of confidence heading into Moto 1. Unfortunately, I got caught up in a first turn pile-up and fought back from 33rd place up to eighth. I got a much better start in the second moto but I was spent after having to fight so hard in Moto 1 that I had to ride smart and manage a sixth-place finish. Overall, I think we still had some positives come out from today.”
– Jason Anderson

“That was a tough race. My starts this weekend were okay, but there’s certainly room for improvement there. I think I showed everyone last weekend just how good I can be with a decent start. I want to try and focus on getting a little bit better on those so I don’t have to battle my way through the middle of pack early in the race and instead can gain more experience battling with the leaders on race day.”
– Joey Savatgy

Presenting the O2 for idiots!

A satirical exploration of why the extent of media focuses on this “mysterious” elected representative of citizens of America.

Maybe you will be curious. Maybe you will be reading more on this “political question” in the first part (click here).

Hey, its parody! Laugh sometimes….

Click Here to Read J.J.’s latest

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Back in 1972 Easyriders Magazine was forming an organization named A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments (ABATE). Meetings were held in Florida and California and open to the various motorcycle rights groups and induvial from around the country.

The National Abate did not happen, But ended up with each state having their own organization and having Easyriders Magazine share information of what was going on where, what was working and what was not

Two of the people involved were Keith “Bandit” Ball and Rev. John “Rogue” Herlihy who were part of the Easyriders team.

 

 

I am pleased I was able to attend and accept the awards. I would like to Thank the many others who attended as well, including Charlie St.Clair and Betsy Lister Sturgis Hall of Fame Members.

 

Also honored were Billy Gannon, Bob Dorion who worked with the Modified Motorcycle Association and Big Al Hogan a member of the Hells Angels. All people I knew and worked with over the years.

 Being one of the people originally involved in starting ABATE and seeing what it has grown to and also inspired other Motorcycle Rights Organizations like Bikers Of Lesser Tolerance (BOLT), Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF), Modified Motorcycle Association and others has been a real proud feeling to me to be able to work with so many great people and see what has been accomplished and continues to be.

 I sincerely hope if you are reading this you belong to some kind of motorcycle rights organization as the battle still goes on.

There are many issues that motorcycle riders deal with everyday like profiling and even though you personally may not have had it happen to you it does affect us all.

There are taxes on motorcycle that are supposed to be used for education and are not, or used on other things.

Everyone one is having a hardship with the current cost of living today and gas prices are off the charts.

If you want things to get better support your Motorcycle Organizations and BE SURE TO VOTE in Up-Coming Elections

STOP and Think How Many Motorcyclist We Are. If We Got Together To Change The Things That Affect Us It Would Happen.

Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame announce the hiring of Leah Whaley as our new Executive Director. Penny Tolrud promoted to Museum Manager.

July 8, 2022
Sturgis SD: The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame announces Leah Whaley as its new Executive Director.

“I’m excited that Leah has joined the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame team,” said Museum Board President Paul Johnson. “She brings over 20 years’ experience from the motorcycle industry and experience with non-profits.”

Leah is an avid motorcyclist and is a member of the Motor Maids, Inc., the Antique Motorcycle Club of America, and Harley Owners Group. She builds, restores, and shows antique and custom motorcycles in her leisure time. She and her husband Dan moved to the Sturgis area.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame promotes Penny Tolrud to Museum Manager.

Penny Tolrud has been promoted to Museum Manager of the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame. Penny has served as the Gift Shop Manager since 2020 and brings a wealth of experience to the role. “Penny has been instrumental in growing the Museum’s retail environment and the Museum’s daily operations,” Johnson stated.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame was established in 2001. The mission of the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame is to collect, preserve, and interpret the history of motorcycling, honor those who have made a significant impact on the sport and the lifestyle, and pay tribute to the heritage of the Sturgis motorcycle rally.
Visit: https://www.sturgismuseum.com

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