XL List Harley Davidson Sportster Racing Team

17 Oct 2001 – Sportster List Race Team Triumphs at Bonneville

The Internet based Sportster List Race Team took the USFRA’a 1000cc Production Frame/Production Pushrod (P/PP) record away from a Moto Guzzi during the World of Speed at the famed salt flats in Utah last September (2001).  The team was born on the Sportster List, an Internet e-mail message system, to retake the record after the Guzzi team won it from Mike Mendoza and his Sportster in 1999. Sportster List members and the Yahoo! Sportster Owner’s Club joined together to raise money for the racing effort. The task of building and running the bike fell to Dale Amsden of Springfield, OH, Mid-Ohio Harley-Davidson and Nallin Racing Head Service. Team members George Crim of Wintersville, OH and Art Northup of Terrell, NC, also fielded a race bike in the 1650cc Modified/Pushrod Gas (M/PG) class as did Tom Metty of Whitmore Lake, MI.  The 1650 bikes set three records with the Crim/Northup effort setting a M/PG record at 167.7mph and 166.4mph in the Altered/Pushrod Gas category. Metty’s bike grabbed the 1650 Modified Partial Streamline record at 167.3mph.

The Team:

The team has changed significantly since its inception. The original instigator and bike owner has gone one to other things.  The current list of team supporters and active participants is too large and volatile to handle listing anymore.  The experience as a whole has at times seemed overwhelming.  What began as a crazy idea of one individual has grown and expanded to spawn other XL racing teams with numerous bikes, and a whole new group of individuals dedicated to Harley Davidson Sportster Racing.  I am still amazed at times as to what this group of people have been able to accomplish.  But, all this could not have happened if not for the support of the Sportster community.

So, special thanks to all those XL-List, YSOC, and other groups that have supported this racing effort since the beginning.  Thanks to all the volunteers that have helped with parts, merchandise, food, transportation, and moral support.  Special thanks goes out to George Crim for starting the whole thing, Gene Brauinger for all his investment, “dad”, Jim, Dale, Ray, for all their time and expense.

Available Photo Albums

• Bonneville 2001
• Maxton, May 2002
• Maxton, June 2002

Other Images

Scan of 1000cc SCTA record certificate

Scan of 1000cc SCTA record vehicle plaque

Available Movies

Metty’s monster running the monster mile.

Nola on Tom Metty’s homemade dyno.

Articles

From September 2002 issue of Thunder Press, reprinted with permission
Sportster List Race Team at Maxton
Surfing for Speed -Information Highways Spawns New Breed of Racer

By our own NJBikerGrrrl, aka Shadow, who wrote the article with the much-appreciated help of Art, Crim, and Dale from the Sportster.org Race Team, and Lee and SNAL from the SNART Race Team.

Links

• Southern California Timing Association
• East Coast Timing Association
• Land Speed Racing Information galore
• SNART Racing
• TeamElves
• Lone Eagle Motor Co.
• Twin Jugs Racing