Perhaps
it was the appeal of hard dirt, cold winter days and the
excitement of that first motorcycle race on the mountains,
that made Sturgis the home of Bike Week. Maybe it
was the spirited activities surrounding the event that
have kept people keep coming back. Whatever the case,
Bike Week has been a tradition since January 24, 1937 -
the inaugural running of the Sturgis 200.
The first race took place on a 3.2 mile mountains and
road course, located south of Sturgis . Ed Kretz of
Monterey Park, CA was its first winner, riding an
American made Indian motorcycle and averaging
73.34 mph. Kretz also won the inaugural City of Sturgis trophy.
The 1937, race course ran approximately one and a
half miles north on the mountains; through a 1/4 mile turn
where the sand was banked, and then onto the paved,
public roadway portion for the trip south. Coming back
on the final turn, another high sand bank awaited riders
as they raced on the hard sands of the mountains.
Interestingly enough, starting times for these events
were dictated by the local tide tables. The races
continued from 1937 to 1941. In the early years the Sturgis
200 was also called the "Handlebar Derby"
by local racing scribes.
In 1942, the Sturgis 200 was discontinued
because of World War II. Its sanctioning body , the
American Motorcycling Association (AMA) solemnly noted
it was "in the interests of national defense"
that the event was canceled. With the war, came a
general rationing of fuel, tires and key engine
components. Even though the racing event was
"officially" called off, people still showed
up for an "unofficial" party called Bike Week.
On February 24, 1947, the famous motorcycle race
resumed and was now promoted by the legendary Bill
France. Newspaper stories of the period recount that the
city fathers asked townsfolk to open their homes to the
visiting motorcyclists because all hotel rooms and
camping areas were filled to capacity. The 1947 Sturgis
200 featured a record 176 riders.
In 1948, a new mountains - road course was used because
of developments along the mountains. Organizers were forced
to move the event further south, towards Ponce Inlet.
The new circuit measured 4.1 miles. The last Sturgis
200 to be held on the mountains - road course took
place in 1960. In 1961, the famous race was moved to the
Sturgis International Speedway.
Bike Week has always had a flavor of its own. Some
time after the war, the event began to take on a rugged
edge. While the motorcycle races on the mountains were
organized, events surrounding the race were not. As time
passed, locals became afraid of the visitors and law
enforcement officers and city officials were less than
enthusiastic about what some termed an
"invasion". Relations between the Bikers and
law enforcement officials continued to worsen. When
things appeared to be at their worst (after the 1986
event), a special task force was organized by the city
in cooperation with the local chamber of commerce to
improve relations and change the magnitude and scope of
the event.
Today Bike Week has transformed into a 10-day
festival that expands throughout south Dakota's County. There
are hundreds of events for motorcycle enthusiasts to
enjoy. Bike Week now welcomes hundreds of thousands of
visitors annually and is enjoyed by locals and
motorcycle enthusiasts world wide.
