Inscription Found on the WPFTA Monument — Prelude
A gold star in front of the name indicates it is one of these grand fellows who have gone before us to “That beautiful land of the big track where the groove is 20 feet wide, no dust or rain outs, where there are no fouled plugs on the starting line and the motors always start with a short ten-foot push.”
I have been very active with all phases of motorcycling for over 50 years, 39 of those as a dealer. I have personally known many of the flat track riders. I know also that you will have some tears in your eyes when reading the attached list of many of those grand fellows who have gone to The Big Track which will bring back memories of the great good times we had together.
Very few of the younger flat trackers were riding in those days when it was either a case of winning a part of the prize money or eat hamburgers until the next race, hoping it would be better and then with some money in pocket, a big steak was the order.
Remember when. Starting out in the spring (usually in an old car) with probably enough money in pocket for a week’s gas and eating, they started out with plans to enter as many dirt track meets as possible, with no long distance traveling between races.
I have personally given some badly-needed help to a few riders who, in a few years, were some of the best white plate riders on the dirt. One or two of them even earned the number one and all were very good friends.
I felt sure that those older flat trackers had more fun, enjoyed living and racing — even though they often had to sleep in a haystack or curled up in a little car, eating hamburgers — than the present-day flat tracker.
I. M. Anonymous
Read more about the history of the WPFTA on page 2
