ED KRETZ JR TO RECEIVE DICK HAMMER AWARD

For many years the Kretz name dominated the news headlines of the motorcycle world and it now returns with top billing for the 69th annual Trailblazers banquet to be held next April. Ed Kretz Jr. has been named as the 2013 recipient of the prestigious Dick Hammer Award and will be recognized at the banquet along with eight new Trailblazers Hall of Fame inductees.

Following in the footsteps of his famous father, Ed “Iron Man” Kretz Sr., Eddie had a very successful racing career, including winning the 1955 Peoria TT National, plus top off-road finishes at Catalina and Big Bear, as well as being the Pacific Coast TT Champion three times.

He went on to work with his father for many years at their Ed Kretz and Son dealership in Monterey Park, as well as serving on the Trailblazers Board of Directors alongside his wife Elaine until they relocated to Colorado.

The Dick Hammer Award recognizes individuals who achieved greatness as a result of their drive, desire and determination. It was created in 2000 with its first honoree being the late-Dick Hammer, who was at the time was enduring a long battle with cancer. In the years to follow many legendary motorcyclists have been added, including 2012 award winner Sammy Tanner.

The Trailblazers Board of Directors is proud to bestow its top award on someone who has contributed so much to the motorcycle sport and to the Trailblazers. The 69 th annual banquet will be held on Saturday, April 6, 2013 at the Carson Center in Carson, CA. Tickets will go on sale January 1st online at www.trailblazersmc.com

TRAILBLAZERS ANNOUNCE HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2013

After months of meetings and deliberations, the Trailblazers Board of Directors has made its final decision on 8 new inductees to its Hall of Fame who will be honored at the 2013 banquet on April 6 th. The new inductees are (alphabetically):

• Larry Bergquist (Posthumous award): “The Desert Fox,” who won overall 32 of the 106 District 37 desert races he competed in during the 1960s and ‘70s.

• Jim Connolly: Pioneer off-road and motocross racer who also shared his expertise testing products and reporting for motorcycle publications.

• Lori Conway: Leading female off-road racer with numerous victories, as well as having a long and successful career in the motorcycle industry.

• Larry Huffman: Aggressive and exciting race announcer who helped build fan attendance in Speedway, Supercross and other racing events. Also successful in television and radio productions.

• Walt Mahony (Posthumous award): Original owner of Ascot Park, best known for his photography of racing at Ascot and other west coast races.

• Stu Morley (Posthumous award): Part of the original Ascot BSA Wrecking Crew. Also competed in Speedway racing during its revival in the 1960s.

• Buddy Stubbs: Has had a lifetime in motorcycling, including a successful racing career, work as a movie stuntman and owner of motorcycle dealerships in Arizona.

• Tom White: Former Class C Pro racer. Went on to build a successful motorcycle exhaust and accessory manufacturing business and today operates a motocross museum.

Stay tuned here between now and the banquet as we will be providing more details about the life and times of each of our new inductees.

The 69th annual Trailblazers banquet will be held at our same location, the Carson Center in Carson, CA on Saturday, April 6, 2013. Tickets will go on sale January 1st.

SAMMY TANNER RECEIVES DICK HAMMER AWARD

The “Flying Flea” receives the Trailblazers’ top award at 68th annual banquet. Photo by Mahony Photos.

In 2000, Skip Van Leeuwen, Tom Cates and Jim Feuling came up with the idea of honoring motorcycle racing legend Dick Hammer at the Del Mar Show. Hammer, who at the time was still winning a ten-year battle with cancer, had throughout his life demonstrated a rare level of “Desire, Determination and Dedication” in everything he pursued, from racing motorcycles to his fight with cancer.

A special perpetual trophy was created and Dick was the first recipient. He was surprised with the presentation of the trophy and well pleased to have an ongoing award carrying his name as a part of the popular Del Mar motorcycle event. The following year the honors went to 1970 AMA Grand National Champion Gene Romero, followed by racing great Joe Leonard.

Motorcycle racing ended at Del Mar in 2002 however, so the idea was presented to the Trailblazers to make it a part of our annual banquet. It has not only been a part of the Trailblazers annual banquet ever since, it is the club’s highest award.

For 2012, the Trailblazers Board of Directors considered many candidates, but unanimously agreed that Sammy Tanner best lived up to the Hammer’s “Desire, Determination and Dedication” criteria and we are proud to present him the award this year.

Tanner was born in Houston, Texas in 1939. He started riding motorcycles at age 14 and soon was riding and racing Triumphs on the midwest county fair circuit. 1958 was his rookie year in AMA Pro Racing and he scored the top ½-mile points in the country, and was 6th overall in National points. He moved to California and in 1959 scored his first AMA National win at Ascot Park riding a Triumph 500 twin.

Sammy later switched to a BSA Gold Star and went on to repeat victories at the 8-Mile National three more times, as well as wins at Elkhorn, Wisc., Heidelberg, Pa. and the famed Springfield 50-Mile National in 1964. He continued racing into the 1970s, including a stint in Speedway racing, before hanging it up and devoting full time to his Sammy Tanner Distributing Company that he continues to operate today.

On Saturday, April 14th, Tanner received his award at the club’s 68th annual banquet, which drew over 600 attendees. The program also included a toast to legendary race builder and tuner Shell Thuet, who passed away in July of 2011, as well as the Trailblazers Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Jim McMurren, Dan Rouit, Eddie Lawson, Sam & Gene Dempsey, Steve Scott, Ray Tanner, Bob Sirkegian Sr. and John Rice.

The date for the 2013 Trailblazers banquet will be announced here in the near future.

TRAILBLAZERS ELECT “JOHN R” TO HALL OF FAME

The Trailblazers Motorcycle Club has announced John Rice, better known as “John R,” as one of its 2012 Hall of Fame inductees. He joins previously announced inductees Jim McMurren, Eddie Lawson, Bob Sirkegian Sr., Dan Rouit, Steve Scott, Sam & Gene Dempsey and Ray Tanner to be honored at its 68th annual banquet on Saturday, April 14th.

John was born in 1933 in Long Beach and graduated from Jordan High School in 1954. He was married and has two daughters, Robin Capps and Tami Rice Greenhill, who is still an active motorcyclist.

Rice was, as many young men in the 1950s, very interested in motorcycles and bought his first two-wheeled ride, a Cushman scooter in 1956. That only lit a spark however and soon after he purchased a BSA 650 Golden Flash. He rode more and more and then decided to take the next step and try racing. John purchased a 350cc BSA Catalina Scrambler and was ready to go for 1957.

His first “race” was at the old Lancaster fairgrounds and didn’t go very well. John entered an enduro, not understanding that an enduro is a timed event, and as was his style, he rode wide open the whole way. Next he tried a Scrambles race at the “Rusty Nails” track in San Pedro and led the race until he got a flat tire on his BSA. Scrambles was more to his liking and soon became his favorite type of racing. He rode every Scrambles race that year, finishing 7th in the district and a very credible 5th in class at the Catalina Grand Prix.

In 1958 John joined the Army and was stationed at Fort Ord. He continued to race almost every weekend, breaking his arm at Perris when he fell and was run over by Elliott Schultz. He came up with a story that the Army would buy; however, he cut the cast off his broken arm every week and had the Army medics re-do it on Mondays. That, he says, took a lot of explaining.

At the time Fred Moxley of Lakewood BSA helped him and stored his motorcycle for him. One weekend he left the base and wasn’t going to race, but decided to go to Perris to watch and saw a young rider racing his BSA. John asked the rider what he was doing on his BSA and the rider promptly said Fred Moxley said it was okay. Thus began a friendship with Monte Darling that has lasted ever since.

John left the Army in September of 1960 and came back to Southern California and began working in the aircraft industry for a while, then motorcycles called again and he went to work for Monte Darling at Norm Best BSA in Buena Park. He stayed in the motorcycle business and later accepted an offer to work at Long Beach Honda, where he worked for the next 12 years.

At Long Beach Honda he started riding Honda 305 Super Hawks because they were faster than his BSA. He rode District 37 events every weekend and even rode Ascot Park as an AMA pro Novice in 1961 and 1962 for Norm Reeves. John decided that professional racing at Ascot was just too dangerous and wasn’t as much fun as Sportsman racing, so he returned to District 37 racing. In 1967 he got a Honda 450 twin and went to Perris to try to beat one of his heroes, Jim Hunter. He won the number one plate in the very tough 500 Expert class in 1967 and 1968.

While doing all of the Scrambles in Southern California he managed to ride Hopetown several times, eventually winning the 100cc class and the 125cc class on DKW for Ted Lapidakis. He also won the 350 and 500 Expert classes, almost winning the Open Expert on a 501 Maico, it broke while he was leading. In the last year of the Elsinore Grand Prix, while leading overall, he hit a spectator, crashed and broke his nose. He got up and went to the pits to repair the bike as best possible and ended up finishing second to Steve Hurd.

Rice also won the District 37 Perpetual Trophy for the 400 Expert class that year. The names on the trophy are a who’s who in Southern California racing history. Next he decided to try his luck at District 37 motocross and in 1969 became the number one rider in the 500 Expert class. He continued riding motocross until 1976 when he quit racing and started in another sport, endurance horse racing. In 1996 John again began racing with AHRMA Vintage Motocross on a vintage Honda. Unfortunately he broke his hip, which ended his active racing days.

John rode for, and was sponsored by Long Beach Honda, Ted Lapidakis, Frank Cooper, Norm Reeves Honda and Norm Best BSA. He has always been a serious competitor and definitely a trailblazer. He has lived in Ridgecrest, CA since 1995 and still rides off-road as often as he can and helps the Viewfinders Motorcycle Club lay out desert race courses and put on their races.

John Rice is still active in motorcycling and a true trailblazer, racer and a credit to the sport. He is one of the ironmen of early Scrambles events and motocross and a well-deserved inductee into the Trailblazers Hall of Fame. The 68th annual Trailblazers banquet will be held on Saturday, April 14th at the Carson Center in Carson, CA. The evening’s dinner and awards presentations will follow the Tom Cates Memorial Bike Show which will begin at 3:00 pm. Tickets are on sale and going fast online at: www.trailblazersmc.com.

TRAILBLAZERS ELECT DEMPSEY BROTHERS TO HALL OF FAME

The Trailblazers Motorcycle Club has announced brothers Gene and Sam Dempsey among its 2012 Hall of Fame inductees. They join previously announced inductees Jim McMurren, Eddie Lawson, Bob Sirkegian Sr., Dan Rouit, Steve Scott and Ray Tanner to be honored at its 68th annual banquet on Saturday, April 14th.

Gene (pictured above in 1961) and Sam started riding, and then racing, motorcycles in the early 1960s. At that time big British bikes were the rage and the Dempseys rode Triumphs. They were both working in construction then, and after working all week would prep their bikes on Saturdays and race the desert on Sundays. That was their routine for about ten years. Along the way Gene started his own construction company and Sam joined the L.A. City Fire

In 1970 the Dempseys first raced in the now-famous Baja 1000 from Ensenada to La Paz. They rode a 650 Triumph and finished 4th overall. In those days Baja was a two- man race, so Gene rode the first half and Sam rode it to the finish. Department in 1974 after completing five years for the Ventura Fire Department. Sam retired in 2007 after 33 years.

As the years went by the courses got rougher and rougher and were more physically demanding. There were three races per year in Baja: the San Felipe 250, Baja 500 and the Baja 1000. Along the way some additional riders joined their team. They included Jim O’Neal, Steve Hurd, Dick Vick, Ron Bishop, Lou Peralta, Mike Harper, Charlie Marshall, Chuck Koistra, Dave Lapraik and Bill Nichols.

Through the years they followed the age classes: 30, 40, 50, and presently in the 60 class. They have now ridden in all five classes with many wins and class championship awards. Gene and Sam (pictured at right in 1967) rode together for fifty years, ten years in the desert and forty years in Baja. In 2007 Don Lewis joined up with the Dempseys team and has won four class 60 championhips riding all three Baja races each year. Gene Dempsey passed away in September, 2009 from cancer. He was Sam’s brother, best friend and racing partner. According to Sam, “My personal passion for motorcycle racing for all these years could only be exceeded by Gene. He was one of a kind as everyone who knew him would tell you. He is greatly missed by all, but mostly by me.”

The Trailblazers congratulates Sam Dempsey and his late-brother Gene for a lifetime of motorcycling excellence. The 68th annual Trailblazers banquet will be held on Saturday, April 14th at the Carson Center in Carson, CA. The evening’s dinner and awards presentations will follow the Tom Cates Memorial Bike Show which will begin at 3:00 pm. Tickets will go on sale in January online at: www.trailblazersmc.com.

TRAILBLAZERS ELECT RAY TANNER TO HOF

The Trailblazers Motorcycle Club has announced Ray Tanner as one of its 2012 Hall of Fame inductees. He joins previously announced inductees Jim McMurren, Eddie Lawson, Bob Sirkegian Sr., Steve Scott and Dan Rouit to be honored at its upcoming 68th annual banquet.

Ray Tanner was born in 1922 in Salt Lake City Utah where he lived until he was 12. After the family moved to Los Angeles, Ray grew up with some interesting siblings: a brother who was a Harvard lawyer, another brother who became a millionaire industrialist, a sister who was a radical leftist socialist, a sister who became an elite socialite in Hollywood, and another sister who married a Chicago Bears quarterback.

After he got his driver’s license Ray was a terror on the street. He got kicked out of High School for spinning donuts on his Harley VLH in the lunch yard. Then again for riding down the street in front of the school standing on the seat, with the high school quarterback doing a hand stand on the pillion pad behind him. He was constantly getting into high speed chases by L.A. police and to avoid capture he mounted the license plate of his bike upside down.

Tanner was drafted into the Army in 1941. He participated in the Normandy invasion in June 1944, was in Battle of the Bulge in the Arden’s forest Jan 1945 and marched into Berlin. He was wounded 3 times and received the Purple Heart and two Oak Leaf Clusters.

After the war, Ray began racing his own VLH that was built by an L.A. tuner called “Little George.” He only had three sponsors over his entire race career: Joe Walker, Rich Budelier and Mel Dinesen, plus support from Walter Davidson from the Harley-Davidson Motor Company who pitched in monetary support, especially for the Catalina events where Ray was virtually always the best finishing Harley.

His first sponsor was Joe Walker. When Joe’s main rider got hurt, Ray got the ride for the 1947 Riverside TT National. He won that 100-mile race ahead of fellow Harley rider Floyd Emde.

In 1949 Ray began riding for Rich Budelier’s L.A. Harley shop because Walker would not field a 74 inch Harley along with the WR. Rich gave Ray a Harley 45 to race half-miles on, a 74 inch Knucklehead to ride TT’s, and another Knucklehead to ride on the street and to use in off-road races.

For one year, when the AMA pros rode outlaw races in protest over the lack of insurance, Ray rode Dinesen’s potent Indian Chief and was undefeated at the old Lodi Grape Bowl TT (the track prior to the Cycle Bowl currently in place).

When not racing Ray worked as a truck driver, line driver in tank trucks, and his routes were L.A. to Phoenix, L.A. to Oakland, L.A. to Kayesville Utah. The companies he drove for were Langley, PIE, and Ringsby. His wife Barbara was raised as an orphan in a Shreveport Louisiana convent and they met at a motorcycle race.

In addition to winning the AMA TT National at Riverside in 1947, Tanner’s career victories included winning the 1946 Three Point National Hare and Hound desert race, 1952 Gold Rush Hare and Hound, 1953 Greenhorn 500-mile Enduro on the new Harley K-model (which Harley advertised significantly), the Cactus Derby and the 1954 Pacific Coast TT Championship. He once led the Big Bear race to last check point until he hit some ice in Fawnskin putting him and his Harley 74 into a ditch. This handed the win to Dick Page and Ray got up to finish second.

Ray quit racing when he was still fast. In his last year, 1958, both he and Ed Kretz beat Joe Leonard at a TT at Carroll Speedway. Kretz told Ray after the race, “We can still put it to the kids.” That same year Ray was 6th at Catalina.

Ray’s son Cary mentioned how his dad enjoyed telling stories of his racing days and of his fondness for his competitors and riding friends such as Floyd Emde, Ed Kretz Sr., Jimmy Phillips, Don Hawley, Chuck Minert and Chuck Wheat Sr. and Jr.

His favorite motorcycle was a 74-inch Harley, always a hard tail, and the only one in his view that deserved the title “Hog.” According to Minert all other smaller motorcycles were termed by Ray to be “paper route machines.” Tanner died at age 59, and is buried at the military cemetery in Riverside, not far from the old Box Springs Riverside track.

The Trailblazers look forward to honoring Ray Tanner for a lifetime of motorcycling excellence at the 68th annual Trailblazers banquet to be held on Saturday, April 14th at the Carson Center in Carson, CA. The evening’s dinner and awards presentations will follow the Tom Cates Memorial Bike Show which will begin at 3:00 pm. Tickets are now on sale online at: www.trailblazersmc.com.