Rally beginnings date back to ‘30s
By: Sturgis Rally Daily
June, 12 2007
"The races were promised to be the biggest ever held in this part of the country." How prophetic those words turned out to be! Nine racers participated in the first official Sturgis rally, competing for $750 in prize money. How far we've come ...
This year marks the 65th observance of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The world's most-anticipated biker event has undergone and observed a lot of changes, but the aim remains the same.
The rally's origins can be traced back to 1938. Sturgis, along with all other communities, was trying to recover from the Great Depression.
Sturgis' Commercial Club supported the August races and heard in July there were many entries, and a lot of progress had been made through national publicity and channels of the American association.
Sturgis' motorcycle club voted to join forces with other area clubs to promote the event, which was expected to be a drawing card for thousands.
Founder Clarence (Pappy) Hoel told fellow cyclists the races would bring in riders from eight states to compete for $750 in prize money. Johnnie Spieglehoff of Milwaukee, Wis., turned in a first-place time of 32.6 seconds over the 1/2-mile track. He was one of nine riders competing that first year.
By 1939, a committee was appointed to figure out how to raise needed funds to carry out a WPA project for a grandstand. This was completed two years later and cost $5,000.
Spieglehoff defended his championship in 1939, turning in a track record clocking of 31.5 seconds. An evening awards program honored riders such as those coming the longest distance, the best-dressed male and female riders, the classiest club, and a queen.
The second year was termed one of the major Black Hills celebrations; it was a financial and entertainment success. All predictions pointed to continued growth.