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WILLIE’S TROPICAL TATTOO CHOPPER SHOW by Miserable George

For me, I’d say that this is my favorite segment of Daytona’s Bike Week. It’s many parts of some Bike Week requirements all rolled into one…FREE parking…(4 wheelers too), choppers galore, live band(Big Rick and the Troublemakers), plenty of good food vendors, the cold stuff, (thirst quenchers), babes…( the HOT stuff), celebrities, Billy Lane & Company, Dave & Jody Perewitz to name a few, plus Roadside Marty, the MC who brings all this together into one fabulous show, the climax of which is the awarding of the hand made trophies to all the winners in the Chopper building competition. These choppers are not your run of the mill machines…they are the results of what goes through a man’s mind, and are finally projected into reality!!! If you’ve never seen this production…see it next time at Biketoberfest…you’ll thank me!!! Oh yeah, the weather for this event was perfect, and the crowd was HUGE!!! The pictures can show it to you a lot better than I can with words, so, enjoy!!!

I had a blast shooting them and mixing with the crowd…the kind of “work” I love.

Hey, see ya next time…ride safe, thank a Vet, and, GOD Bless America…

Miserable George

Billy Lane’s SONS OF SPEED…# 10 by Miserable George

…..Billy Lane and company does it again…

     First, I’d like to thank Robin Bailey for all her invaluable assistance in covering this very COLD #10 Sons of Speed Race at New Smyrna Speedway.

When I say “cold’, I mean the weather, NOT the track action!! Right off, we noticed an increase in the number of competitors over last time…a definite sign that this sport is gaining in popularity!! Billy Lane himself worked the flag tower this year, and wasted no time in getting the action started right after the National Anthem and invocation.

There were 12 heats this time, made up of 45’s, early 61’s, and, hot 61’s, and, despite the COLD weather, the action on the half-mile was hot and heavy. Folks, THIS is real old school “board track” style motorcycle racing…if you close your eyes, you can almost see the boards!!!! No brakes, no clutch, and no trannies…starting and stopping is a real chore, but these racers handled it with ease!!!

We’ve published copies of the final results, so, YOU take it from there. I don’t wanna make any mistakes.

Our BIG thanks to Billy and Erin Lane, and the entire crew for bringing back this “old school” event, and I look forward to many more!! I thank them too, for their fabulous hospitality…!

See ya next time…Miserable George

Willie’s Old School Choppertime Bike Show Biketoberfest 2019 by Valgal

Willie’s Old School Choppertime Bike Show

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Turner Cycles Chop-A-Billy Bike Show by Valgal

Best Bagger-Joe Henley1
Best Bagger-Joe Henley2
Best Bobber-Miles1
Best Bobber-Miles2
Best Chopper- Shaun1
Best Chopper- Shaun2
Best Custom-Tim Banks1
Best Custom-Tim Banks2
Best Evo-Marcus1
Best Evo-Marcus2
Best of Show - Bruno
Best Panhead-Frank1
Best Panhead-Frank2
Best Rat-Cochise1
Best Rat-Cochise2
Best Rat-Cochise3
Best Shovelhead-Jack
Best Sportster-Gina 'Chckadee'1
Best Sportster-Gina 'Chckadee'2
Best Sportster-Gina 'Chckadee'3
IMG 6253
IMG 6256
IMG 6259
Poor Star Cloth pick Todd Duval.
Twisted Tea Choice- Pete

 

2019 has come and is almost gone already… Biketoberfest always means the beginning of fall… we here in Florida wish the weather would remember that…. Hot as Hell this year but at least it didn’t rain on us til late Friday night…

Turner’s Cycles had a GREAT turnout for their Chop-A-Billy Bike Show that OSB Magazine sponsored on Friday afternoon… Bruno Guillory took Best of Show with his 1953 Pan head… His beautiful bike will be featured this month in the web site issue AND in the next print copy!… Check out the pictures of all the winning bikes, like and share too… they worked hard on these bikes and it shows!… Thank you to everyone for showing your support for both Wendell Turner and Me (Valgal) we work hard to bring you the events and fun going on around Brevard county and surrounding areas…

ENJOY~

Valgal

Willie’s Tropical Tattoo Chopper Show by Miserable George

Like almost every other Chopper Show at Willie’s….the weather was perfect…maybe even a bit cooler…!!!  Our featured model of the day-Renea Hicks- was already hard at work when I got there, posing with a preselected bike, and, it seemed that every time you’d look at her, she had on a different outfit!!! Kudos to her….she worked super hard that day!! Usually, Biketoberfest features a slightly smaller crowd than Bike Week. Well, it started out that way, but as the day wore on, that crowd really grew!! As always too, lots of lovely ladies gracing the grounds in all sorts of eye-catching outfits, and speaking of “eye-catching” , our friend, Ellie, made the scene a little later in the day. Also on the grounds, were Dave Perewitz and daughter, Jody, holder of the womans’ motorcycle speed record…she raced at the Sons of Speed Races the following evening. We ran into “Orange John” Marinelli , former National Record holder in MC Drags, and lady drag racer Lily Padd…very exciting to see all these “fast” people!!! Rev. Al gave the invocation, and the awards for bike show winners were given out. Nice to see ol’ Roadside Marty again, AND, his Dad was there too. They also had a chopper in the competition. Oh yeah, I also ran into Lulu, my old boss!!! I tell ya….Willie runs one hell of a show…always the Thursday of Bike Week(s)…make it if you can. Nice to see all the Vets there again too…GOD BLESS ‘EM. Until next time…stand up for your country, and support our troops…God Bless America…

Miserable George

BILLY LANE’S SONS OF SPEED by Miserable George

The action at this year’s Biketoberfest Billy Lane’s Sons of Speed vintage Motorcycle Races, at New Smyrna Speedway, began on a note of sadness, at the announcement of the passing of racer Mark Hanna this past June…the race was dedicated to Mark…

      This race was held under the lights, which caused a “slight” problem for me, in as much as I didn’t want to use my camera flash shooting the  riders in action on the track. Making adjustments to the different race situations proved to be quite a chore, so I set what I figured would be a good “mean” setting…BUT…I was wrong, so some of the action is a bit blurred…please bear with me…OK?

There was yet another touch of sadness at the news of Brittney Olsen’s retirement from active motorcycle racing…always loved to watch that little girl race…she was GOOD too, although this last time out…she failed to score a final win. Good luck, Brittney…!!!

It was touch and go with the weather all evening, as we experienced some drizzle during the race…an all-out shower coming just after the final lap!!!!

The winners were:

45” Class…E-bay Jake
Stock 61” Class…ROXY HANNA!!!
Hot 61” Class…E-bay Jake.

It was a safe event…no spills. Air was a bit cooler, so the bikes ran a bit better too.

AS always, I wanna thank Billy Lane and his wife Erin for their awesome hospitality, as well as some of the crew members for their information during the action. Looking forward to Bike Week, 2020 and the next Sons of Speed event…

Miserable George

 

Willie’s Tropical Tattoo Chopper Show…Bike Week…2019 by Miserable George

Ya know, I’m not even sure just how many years the fabulous Willie’s Tropical Tattoo Chopper Show has been going on during Bike Week and Biketoberfest, but,

it gets bigger and better every year!!

Plenty of parking space, food and drink vendors, babes, and of course, some of the craziest hand made choppers you’ll ever come across.

Roadside Marty kept the ball rolling all day as only HE can. Ace builder, Dave Perewitz was there too, plus, I did run into a top female racer, Brittney Olsen, in her signature red skirt and golden slippers!!!  Big Rick and the Troublemakers were wailing out back…good show, Rick.

The group of Veterans was back to enjoy the show…God bless ‘em. I had company with me this year…Tonya…one of our cover girls. It was her first trip to Bike Week, and, she loved it!! I think the pictures can tell the story a lot better than I can, so…enjoy…!!!

ValGal has some stuff coming up too…Ride safe…

Miserable George

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Billy Lane’s Sons of Speed by Miserable George

Well, here it is…Bike Week, 2019…thought it would never get here!!

For ME, this means action at NSB Speedway, in the form of Sons of Speed Old Time Motorcycle Racing. Billy Lane created this type of competition several years ago, and it is growing into something serious!!! It involves Board Track type bikes, some as old as 100 years!!

The speeds aren’t really excessive, but, it’s the thought of these historic machines still able to roar around a racetrack, and, roar they do!! There are 3 basic classes: Stock 45”, Stock 61”, and HOT 61”.

Unfortunately, in the stock 61” class, Ken Curtis nipped the wall going into turn 4, and went down. Luckily, he was OK( according to the info I got).

Of course, the girls are getting into it too; there were 4 active lady riders out there today: Jody Perewitz, Brittney Olsen, Roxie Hanna, and, Shelly Rossmeyer Pepe. No lady winners this time out, but, they rode hard, and very competitive.

The weather was  good…warm, with high clouds, making for good racing conditions! The winners, (as I got it) were:

45”…Billy Applegate;
61” Josh Owens;
hot 61” Billy Applegate.

If we made any mistakes, we’re certainly sorry. OK Gang, we’ll see ya at Biketoberfest in Oct.

Miserable George

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Billy Lane’s SONS OF SPEED by Miserable George

I gotta admit, THIS is the event I always really get very excited over…the Billy Lane-Sons of Speed old time board-tracker style bike races, at New Smyrna Speedway, in Samsula, Fl…held at both Biketoberfest, and Bike Week.

Our report doesn’t even scratch the surface of the action at the track. You gotta BE THERE, to take in the sounds and smells, as well as the images, created by these awesome machines, some of them nearly 100 years old!!!

Due to some sprinkles early in the day, the track had to be dried off to make it safe for the action later in the day. That being accomplished, the warm-ups and tune-up runs began. What a rush to watch and listen to those old machines, wingin’ it around the racing oval..! Luckily…no mishaps on the track, however, one machine blew a cylinder head clean off…!! Crazy!!!

After all the qualifying and the heats,

the final results were:

  • 1st. place-45’s…DougYoung….
  • 1st. Place stock ‘61’s…Jody Perewitz….
  • 1st. Place Hot 61’s…Tod Cochran

 

All in all, a fabulous day at the track. I gotta thank Billy Lane for his unmatched hospitality, and the Score Girls for putting up with me!!!  Hey, stand up for your country, and, GOD bless our Vets…they made all this possible…

Miserable George

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**New Pics** TROPICAL TATTOO CHOPPER SHOW by Miserable George and ValGal

I’ve been attending this event for a good many years now, Biketoberfest, and Bike Week both, and the weather usually varies somewhere between hot and cold, BUT, this year for Biketoberfest, 2018, I think we broke a heat record…!! I mean, it was down-right UNBEARABLE. Even in the limited shady area…it was HOTTTT…!!

Even in the un-GODLY heat, the crowd was pretty nice for Biketoberfest…down a bit (of course) from regular Bike Week, but,

there was no shortage of beautiful, hand built, custom machines.

Ah, and of course, there were BABES!!! Maybe, THEY brought in SOME of that heat.

Big Rick, and the Troublemakers provided the swingin’ sounds, beer and hard iced tea stands (I guess), helped to quench at least a little bit of the thirst.

Gotta thank Wild Bill for a ride in his one-of-a-kind ‘40 Caddy Rat Rod…natural AC…(no windshield!!) I tell ya, we stuck it out as long as we could…got pics of the winners, but, not of the trophy presentations…sorry…just too HOT for this old boy.

Our thanks to Willie, and Roadside Marty for their usual fabulous event.

Hey, remember our VETS, and stand up for your country….

Miserable George & ValGal

George’s Pics

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Val’s pics

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