|
The
story of how the Meteor Motorcycle Club was formed and how the Sandy
Lane Enduro came about.
From
the Begining 1928 to 1934
Story
by Cale Davidson
In
1928 a sixteen-year-old Glendora Youth, looking for a motor for
a boat, found a 1913 Harley big twin cycle and bought it for five
dollars. By trial and error he learned to handle this " Iron Horse".
It had no lights and no title, so experience was gained in motorcycling
by riding backcountry roads. In 1929 this youth turned seventeen,
and purchased a 1925 ex-police 74 Harley for fifty dollars. It was
street legal, so he purchased his license took to the highway to
enjoy his new found two-wheel freedom. His younger brother often
accompanied him on the tandem seat. He helped hold the cycle while
the "pilot" worked the controls. In 1930 his brother bought an old
Harley, fixed it up, and purchased his license. This started his
career in two-wheeled motorized sport. Before
long, these two Davidson brothers had met two Runnemede youths who
became interested in cycles. Eggie Showalter acquired a 1928 Harley,
and Al Volz an Indian Scout. Now there were four "Iron Horseman"
riding around together and eager to start up a club. Soon
three more riders from Osage, Al and Ed Crompton and Larry McCleary
joined with us the first meeting of the club was held December 15th,
1930 at the Davidson Home in Glendora. Our first problem was finding
a suitable name and sifting through some titles such as "Rough Riders"--"White
Caps"--"Ramblers" and "Idlers." We settled on Meteor Motor Cycle.
We
were soon to get new members in our group. Hale Carpenter from Ashland,
Ray Winter from Stratford, and Joe Walters from Glendora. Now we
were to get first taste of competition playing Motorcycle Polo.
We
practiced among ourselves, and then played against the Newton Brothers
and friends from Gibbsboro on farmerıs fields. We soon learned the
problems of playing on stock street machines, so we built our own
Polo Cycles. The
Meteor Motorcycle Club joined the Eastern Polo League and competed
against teams from clubs in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Meteor
quickly grew and in 1931 we signed up Walter Brown, Tom Gallagher,
Harry Alexander, Fred Devinny, Ed Mowry, Jim Berardelli, Leo Batdorf,
Charlie Schmincke, Dave Chambers, Harry Gransden, Joe Ritchie, Don
Williams, Frank Bolton, plus seven others. The club had several
Secret Time Runs and many Polo meets. In the early years, the club
was very active, meeting every week at a memberıs house, and taking
trips on the weekend to historic places such as Valley Forge, Lakehurst,
Mauchunk, Conawingo Dam, and several shore points. Gypsy tours and
fields meets at Wilson Lake and Fries Mills were always a highlight
of our events. We also went on doggie roasts, watermelon parties
and skating parties. Individual
members had been joining the American Motorcycle Association, so
the club decided to apply for a charter as an A.M.A. club. Number
0173 was received in the fall of 1931. The club followed most A.M.A.
sanctioned cycle events such as Polo, Hill Climbs, and racing. Some
more daring members tried their skill at T.T. (Tourist Trophy) racing
at ridge farms, Penna. and Night Speedway Cinder Track at Yellow
Jackets Speedway in Philadelphia, Penna. In
1932 we signed up Fred Schmidt, Harry Staller, Charles Fewkes, Harry
Palmer, Frank Maloney, Leo Leman, Frank Worts, and many more. The
club continued doing much of what they had done in the pervious
years. In
1933 Frank Bolton went to Lansing Michigan and rode the "Jack Pine
Enduro". When he returned home, he started making plans for a local
event of the same type. We signed up more members, Elwood and Bill
Stillwill, Howard Bateman, Rudy Thielman, and Bob Kuehner, and more.
In
1934 we moved into a clubhouse on the Black Horse Pike in Bellmawr.
In October the club was incorporated. In November we held our first
official " Night Run", or better known as the Sandy Lane Enduro.
The date was November 28th, 1934, and what has happened since then
would fill volumes.
The
Sandy Lane Enduro.
The Early Years 1934 to 1948
Story by Frank Bolton
The
Sandy Lane Enduro was started in 1934 because two Meteor members
were enthusiastic off-road riders. They had been reading, dreaming
about the Jack Pine. This was a two-day, 500 mile National Championship
Endurance Run promoted by the Lansing Motorcycle Club of Lansing
Michigan. At that time there were no endurance runs in the east,
and Michigan was a long way to go. So we decided to bring the Jack
Pine, or a reasonable facsimile there of, to South Jersey. Being
long on enthusiasm but short on experience, Tom Simmons and I spent
a lot of time reading the A.M.A. rule book and accounts of the Jack
Pine in the Motorcyclist and the Enthusiast. Neither of us have
ever seen an endurance run, except in our imagination. We knew we
would need an appropriate name, a theme, and a date that would be
popular and easy to remember. Sandy Lane was chosen because much
of our terrain was deep sand. The pioneer theme was represented
by the Wagon Wheel Trophy. The
decision was to start at midnight on the eve of Thanksgiving. In
spite of our grandiose plans, we were a little "chicken." We decided
to run it as a closed club event. This allowed us to reduce the
225 mile minimum requirement. We had been exploring back roads,
sand trails, etc., for months, and the layout was just a matter
of connecting them together. Friends, family members were checkers.
So far, so good, but the toughest job was to sell the idea to enough
riders to make it worthwhile. The
event started at midnight as planned. Riders missed markers, became
lost, took spills and bent their 500 pound street machines, checked
in early and late (never on time), and straggled in to the finish
on a damp, cloudy Thanksgiving morning. Most of them were less than
enthusiastic about their latest motorcycling experience. However,
the tough course and hard work were soon forgotten, and we applied
for a sanction for the 1935 Sandy Lane. Due
to the length of the 1935 event (225 miles ), the starting time
was moved up to 10 p.m. on the night before Thanksgiving. It was
a wild night ride with only four riders reaching the finish. You
should have heard some of the excuses! All thought this event was
great great for the finishers, we couldnıt get enough riders to
do it again. So for 1936, we changed to a daytime run, and moved
the date forward a few weeks. This was better all around, and we
established it as our regular format. By
1939, we felt we were ready to put on a "National." Up to that time
the National Championship had been determined by a single event,
the Jack Pine. We started to campaign for the big event by: hounding
MISTER A.M.A., E.C. Smith, writing to the competition Committee,
showing Sandy Lane movies at the A.M.A. meetings, etc. The sanction
for the 1940 National was granted to Columbus, Ohio Club. This action
gave us some encouragement for the future. We
continued to prosper in 1940 and 1941 until W.W. II halted competition
for the duration. The
1946 winner rode a BSA, the first win with a foreign bike. Claude
Goulding was the 1946 National Champion as he had also won the Jack
Pine that year. Finally. In 1947. the A.M.A. granted us the National.
This
called for an all out effort for Meteor and all our friends, including
the Mid-Atlantic Dealers. The entire spring and summer were needed
to layout the 500 mile course. Entries came in from near and far.
Some from seasoned veterans, and some from riders entering their
first National. From the drawing for riding position the night before,
through two days of the numerous details of the run, and scoring
on the second night, everything went like clockwork. And, now that
was all over. Meteor could be proud of its first National. In
1948 we returned to a one day, 225 mile event, and a group of club
members lead by Paul Brumfield decided to let me enter the Sandy
Lane for the first time. (Club Members could enter the event, if
they did not help with the layout ) The day of the run was beautiful,
the course was great, my score wasnıt too good, but I finished.
Thanks fellows. Paul did such a good job on the 1948 Sandy Lane,
and I was soooo tired, that I was glad to have him take it from
there.
Inside
the Sandy Lane Enduro
Hertfelder's
version 1928 to 2005
By
Ed Hertfelder.
Hundreds
of riders have ridden the " Lane " for their first salty taste of
competition and, years later, nailed their boots to the garage wall
with arms heavy as lead after a final bout with the sugar sand,
cedar swamps and those little bastards 220 volt honey bees who seem
to thrive on sweat. Other
hundreds, faint-hearted and candyassed, have ridden it once and
sworn "never again" in the soft voice that follows ten minutes spent
hacking up a half-ounce of nicotine and lung while praying to god
to keep their faces out of mud and other riders off their legs.
No
other Enduro has the so many of the "why, I remember when" brand
of overstatements and downright lies heaped upon it. Like
winters that grow fiercer in the retelling, and fish that lengthen,
even multiply. After death; we must separate the wheat from the
chaff. And
the chaff from the horse shit. The Meteor Motorcycle Club, nee Idlers,
Rough Riders, was formed near Camden, New Jersey, in 1931.
For two years their main interest was motorcycle polo, a form of
mayhem most of us have never seen but it sounds like it might be
a good idea to make sure your legs are intact before stopping the
motorcycle after the game. Every
one of the 20 members aspired to riding the Jack Pine Enduro but
Michigan then was further away than the moon is today. There were
no concrete freeways or toll roads, just frost-heaved asphalt and
your rear suspension was covered by your pants. To compete in the
Jack Pine meant two days of hard riding to get there, two days to
ride the event, and two days to ride home. Add that up and youıll
find Americans have been riding six-day events long before they
entered the ISDE ranks. In
1934 the Meteor club decided to lay out their own
endurance event, based, without apology, on the Jack Pine. 1934
was when folks would run out of the house to see an airplane flying
over; and the airplane had two wings. The wet blanket of Depression
was unfolded more than halfway and Prohibition was just ending.
This
meant you were not only depressed but you had to STAY depressed.
Certainly there was some alcohol available but it was dubious and
being blind drunk became cause for some reason concern. Slim Lindberg
was the second most respected man it town. The MOST respected was
the neighbor who jumped the moving train and threw down 40 pound
lumps of coal heıd crowbarred out of the frozen gondola car. If
you picture this fellow heaving mound, youıre wrong. The cars never
more than half full and the coal had to be lifted six or seven feet.
Hard times ; hard times. You
had to be damn fortunate to own a motorcycle in 1934 and a man would
be very, very, proud running a 1922 frame and a 1919 engine. Frank
Bolton and Tom Simmons laid out the 34 Sandy Lane. They knew from
the AMA rulebook that it had to be 225 miles, they knew it had to
have an arrow every two miles and they thought it would be nice
if it had a name. Just about every road in South Jersey was a sandy
lane and Bolton lived on Sandy Lane ( until the township got uppity
and renamed it Browning Road ; after the poet not the gun ). The
first two Lanes had a key time of midnight ; Bolton figured that
starting it at that hour would eliminate all hassles with traffic
; which it did. And running it he night before Thanksgiving would
give the riders a day to recuperate from the sub-freezing ride.
Sounded good, but the wives and the families started to bitch ;
they didn't enjoy the turkey dinner with old dad slumped snoring
in the cranberries. In
1936 they petitioned for, and got a late September
date. It might be wrong to attribute the success of the event to
the invigorating Fall weather but it sure didnıt hurt none. In
memory of the midnight runs some riders set their clocks to a key
time of 12:00. Now thatıs what they TOLD me-and I think there is
some chaff mixed in it. Frank Bolton didnıt know the riders should
get route sheets, and had no money to get them printed anyway, so
he typed up 3x5 file cards for each rider. The first card got you
to the first checkpoint where they gave you a card to direct you
to the second check and so on. By 1936 they had made enough profit
from the fifty cent entry fee (times 20 riders) to get the route
sheets mimeographed. The best card holder was a stockroom type clip
board hose-clamped to the handlebars-the hot set up was a rubber
band to keep the cards from blowing around. The first three events
were won on 74 cubic inch-thatıs over 1200ccıs motorcycles called,
in South Jersey, Holly Davesons. 1934 Harry Staller HD 741935 Edgar
Mowery HD 741936 Grove Davidson HD 74These were the largest machines
to take the wagon wheel trophy and, because the factory was nice
enough to put his name on the gas tank, Davidson came back to win
it three times.
Only one other man, Penton, has won it three times and factories
painted HIS name on tanks also. Grove Davidson's brother, Cale,
is the oldest Meteor member today. Antoher member, Pete Epley, won
the wheel with a smaller machine and he and Grove had the thing
locked up for a few years. 1937
Pete Epley HD45 1938
Grove Davidson HD45
1939 Stanley Dennis HD61
1940 Pete Epley HD45
1941 Grove Davidson HD45.
We became embroiled in the War Two a few months after the 41 event,
scattering contestants all over the uncivilized world, exposing
many serious enduro riders to the agile, quick-shifting, British
motorcycles with less than half the tonnage of the American anvils.
The first major enduro after the war, the 1946 Jack Pine, was won
by Claude Goulding on a BSA. This was considered a one-in-a-million
shat at the time as everyone KNEW those Limey jobs wouldn't hold
up like a Holly! The Meteor club, almost as a gag, sent Goulding
a telegram to COME WIN SANDY LANE. Claude loaded the BSA aboard
one of his excellent Goulding sidecars, drove from Michigan to New
Jersey, and did just that. He proved two things; the limey machines
didn't break and it took the best rider in the country to win Sandy
Land.
1946 Claude Goulding BSA. For years the Meteor
club had been petitioning the AMA for a National sanction and it
well may be that Goulding's win gave them the nod. The National
was a 500 mile two-day event and Jack Pine had been IT for so long
there was talk of resentment: there was none at all. In fact, Oscar
Lenz himself, the Old Jackpiner, RODE the 1947 Sandy Lane National-the
first to use a same start/stop point for both days. The
club was fortunate to gain the use of the YMCA building just outside
Camden. This building today is an extremely busy hot-bed motel and
probably frequented by many of the Young Christian Men. The key
time was a frightening 6 a.m. and 78 riders entered.
1947 National Julius Kroeger Truimph The 46 winner; Goulding,
came back aboard a HD sidecar and brought the kids along for the
ride and they demolished the holy contested sidecar divison. Goulding
took first, his daughter Dot came in fifth, two places down from
her husband Earl. Oscar didnıt take any trophies back to Michigan
but he did take the National sanction and he kept it until the AMA
decided to run a series of Nationals to determine the championship
instead of just one event a year. If
you wonder how they ever got those sidecars between the trees be
advised they had SIDECAR ONLY trails around the really thick lumber.
1948 Rod Coates Matchless.
1949 Julis Kroeger Trrimph
1950 Dorney Wood HD
1951 Renick Parkey Truimpf
1952 Les Parker Truimph
1953 William Penton BSA. The first appearance of
a familiar name here- Bill Penton won it with a 988, the highest
ever scored until then. His little brother, John, BSA also, totaled
986 for second highest score; he gets better later on.
1954 Edgar Kaufman Zundapp
1955, Don Pink HD
1956 Don Pink HD. 1955 was the first year the entries
went over the 100 mark. In those days you could travel to nay enduro,
anywhere, and meet the SAME 40 or 50 riders. There are those that
say these were the best of times; when riders would help each other
out of mud holes. We ran just one a minute then and you could ride
for a long time and not see anyone. If
you were running early you might stop after a bad spot and even
go back and help the next guy just to hear a human grunt. And there
is something to being stuck that brings out the best in profanity.
Don Pink was the last to win on a Harley V-Twin. He placed
first in A class in 51, 52, and 53 and was accused of whipping a
dead horse until his back-to-back wins.
1953, Sal Scripo, the last Lane competitor still wearing a helment
he could fold up and put in his pocket, was the last to ride the
big twin Milwaukee iron. Strangley
enough, a Harley sidehack is still the first machine over much of
the Sandy Lane course each year. It's called "Brumfield's Hack"
and was used by Paul Brumfield to lay out the course after Bolton
switched to referee and scoring. This rig is now owned by Mel Downs
who, along with John Boone and others, arrows the run today. The
frame of this beast is 1946 but the sidehack sheetmetal and frame
have been replaced. Mel once attempted to go around both sides of
a sizable pine tree propeliing this writer, rather rudely, out the
front of the hack, banana peeling the sheetmetal and destroying
the wooden frame- a fragment of which is still permanently enshrined
under the skin of my right thigh. I
swapped seats with Mel after the incident, understandably, and discovered
that driving an 80 inch hack deep sand was about the same as bull-dogging
a large recalcitrant moose through a forest fire. It would be fair
to call Frank Bolton the father of Sandy Lane and Paul Brumfield
the stepfather. It is difficult for two men to lay out an enduro.
Where one man would arrow out tough sections early in the run to
weed out incompetents and make the check crew's job easier, another
might lay out so everyone gets a reasonable ride and takes his points
toward the end of the event. Bill "Training Wheels " Schemel worked
with both these men as did Eggie Showalter and Bob Hanselman but
it gradually became Brumfield's show. It
might have been due to the vast amount of responsibility Brumfield
assumed, but at Sandy Lane time Paul's disposition was somewhere
between that of a Parris Island D.I. with hemorrhoids and Attila
the Hun on a bad day. He once summoned me to appear before him in
his Gloucester apartment, seated me next to a large dog who yawned
a lot with a mouth like a croodille, and wanted to know what the
HELL I thought I was doing laying out an enduro in HIS woods. It
was obvious he might have considered the rest of the country part
of New Jersey : I never found out. The
enduro in question, Curly Fern, was sanctioned exactly six months
from Sandy Lane and I thought it would be nice for riders to use
their motorcycles more than once a year. He was a true dictator:
obstinate. I admired him.
1957 Jim Fennell Truimph 1957 Ed Elliott BSA..Your
reading it right; two winners. Both riders had identical scores
and if you think it couldn't happen twice, Don Pink and John Penton
tied for second in A Open.
1958 Dewey Hoffman Trumiph
1959 Dewey Hoffman Truimph. The second set of back-to-back
wins and there will be more : apparently, winning it once is the
best way to get charged up to win it again. After
almost endless petitioning for another National sanction the Meteor
club began a series of twelve in a row. The first one almost didn't
make it-hurricane Donna flooded the course so badly that only 16
of the 138 entries finished.
1960
John Penton NSU.
1961
Jack Wright Trumiph. Wright, like Goulding in 46. was fresh from
a Jack Pine win. When you read Trumiph it means a 500cc machine
except for Wright's exception : a 200cc T20 Cub.
1962 John Penton BMW. A BMW ?? Sure was. A 250
single. Shaft drive and all. The
thing had BSA front forks and sidecar gearing. John rode it " because
it was available." This BMW had a route sheet holder that was just
a beer can with a long bolt through the center. Penton cut his route
sheet into strips and wound it around the beer can, tearing off
the strips as he went. " Well, if you needa beer can to win Sandy
Lane then letıs get a beer can," said the 117 guys who scroed below
Penton. I can tell you that N.J. Route 206 is normally lined with
beer cans but on the night the beer can won Sandy Lane I had to
drive along the shoulder of that road for six miles before I found
one and almost got rear-ended by a guy with Michigan tags who had
twi eyes out for beer cans and none out for traffic. The beer can
was a great improvement over taping the route sheet to the gas tank
but mine rotated constantly until I got another look at Pentonıs
and saw the valve spring over the bolt pushing against the can.
1963 I was working a Lane checkpoint when Penton
came in with an early, and expensive, computer hung on his handlebars.
The thing lit up with the correct time, milage, temperature, the
next high tide and when he should eat his granola bars-I couldn't
help but wonder why he went to all that expense when all he needed
was a old beer can.
1963 Bill Baird Triumph. This is Baird's only win despite being
National champ for eight consecutive years it's heart breaking to
read the old result sheets and find Baird nissing it by one or two
points year after year. 1964
John Penton BMW. Here's
a good example of the luck Baird had. He scored the same as john
a 988. The tie was broken be an emergency check-something like FIVE
SECONDS difference. Because the emergency check has always been
so important the puts itıs best hands there. Mr. Sandy Lane, Frank
Bolton, busy as he is helping Bill Wollerton with scoring, usually
manages to spend sometime there during the event. In the past they
have set this check on a steep downhill, three or four feet will
do, with the flag at the bottom. An early rider "accidentally" fall,
but, unless he's got a fast opening parachute on the motorcycle,
it won't help much. Time is taken, you see, as the front wheel of
the motorcycle crosses the flag they don't care WHEN the rider staggers
in. 1965
Gene Esposito Triumph1966
Gene Esposito Triumph. The first five rides Gene had in the Lane
he broke; crazy things like a wheel, a shock, the frame. Gene enjoys
mud and water and Brumfield was adding more swamp year by year.
Now a Sandy Lane is not just something they arrow into to drown
people, mostly it's part of a real road that is under water when
it rains. All
of them are under water after a heavy rain in the pines, most go
under water when it rains ANYWHERE in New Jersey. And some go under
water when it rains in London. A flooded road presents no problem
to a well-prepared motorcycle: what presents a PROBLEM are places
where a jeep has gotten stuck-a stuck jeep is just a four cornered
excavator. And Esposito is an expert in staying in the center of
a road that is under the lake he is riding across. The first year
Gene won they said it was because he had an early number. He won
it the following year with a very late number-and no one said a
word.
1967 Jack McLane Honda. Jack came all the way from
Michigan to put a Japanese bike on the Wagon Wheel trophy-a 305cc.
Jack was the only rider to zero a section of Pope's Branch Creek,
an underwater corduroy road slippery as hell. McLane had put steel
studs in his tires, now outlawed, and motored right past a lot of
us. He left toothpick-like splinters in his wake. That
year they had so-called "free time" into the finish to keep riders
from speeding. It didn't work-some clowns flew in faster than ever.
I went to the finish after our checkpoint closed, walked out on
the course away from the crowd and there sat McLane killing time.
"It's free territory", Jack, I said "Theyıre not checking time in.
"I know, " McLane said, "but I am."
1967 was the last "Lane to start and finish at Pic-A-Lili inn, a
spacious restaurant bar where it wasn't at all unusual for a finisher
to down two mugs of beer then ask the bartender for some water to
quench his thirst. A
pack of street riders tore up the place weeks after the enduro and
motorcycles lost their welcome. The WORST thing the enduro guys
ever did was put junior's pet goat in a sidehack and scare one of
the horns off him. Unable to use them, Brumfield cast around for
another location. Paul knew just about everyone in the pines and
he went to chatsworth, where he'd frequently scheduled gas stops,
and was fortunate in obtaining the use of the firehouse for his
sign-up, trophy presentation and haranguing area. The folks in Chatsworht
probably own more motorcycles per capita than anywhere on earth
and they have a lady in the Auxiliary who takes a chocolate layer
cake I would kill for.
1968 John Young BSA
1969 Bob Fusan Yamaha. Brumfield got aggravated
at the way the contestants spun wheels off the start line in 69
and vowed to slow them down. He did. He turned the start chute so
that it was FACING the Jersey Central tracks ten feet away : two
feet of stone ballast, ten inches of wood tie and eight inches of
track on top. It must have looked like an Armco barrier to the new
guys. The old hands had no problem but they were sure going a lot
slower than last year. Watching some of the inexperienced riders
was enough to give you stomach cramps until your minute came up
and you had to sit there and eat that stone ballast fusillade while
Brumfield stood off to one side saying ; how do YOU like it?
1970-Buck Wallsworth Ossa. First victory for a
Spanish machine. Ole! Riding on the same number as Wallsworth was
Spike Griffin on a Yamaha he had ridden from Florida on a BMW the
day before and he was 63.Spike
had come close to winning the 1948 event.
1971 Bob Fusan Yamaha. Brumfield died this year
and his layout almost took the "Lane with him". It was rideable
by ordinary mortals right up to 96.4 miles where it took a left
into the biggest bowl of chocolate pudding you ever saw. It took
the heart out of a lot of riders; I know it took the soul out of
me. The rider outery was terrible to hear and , except for the time
they laid out the Reading run with a submarine, it was the worst
piece of trail I'd ever seen at an enduro. It cost them the National
sanction. Some said that Don Pink was only representing the riders
at the AMA and he had a stack of written protests he had to honor.
No, Pink didn't kill it ; it was the pudding at 96.4.
John Boone and Mel Downs vowed to make the 1972 event the MOST ride
able enduro EVER and Boone boasted he could take a full dress HD
over the entire course except for the railroad crossings. Someone,
me, called his bluff and Boone actually DID ride a Harley over the
course! Someone entered a three-cylinder Kawasaki street model with
bald tires and finished easily.
1972 Dave Meade Triumph. Meade finished with a
perfect score, very unusual at nay enduro, and weıre not sure just
who named it Candy Lane nut it sure was.
1973 Alfie Henrich Honda. The Meteor club was given
back it's National sanction for 73 and while it wasn't the cake
walk the 72 was, it was a big improvement over a "swamp run" 1973,
Warren Beetle was made trail boss for the 1973 event and promised
he'd get rid of that "Candy Lane" title and, at the same time, no
one would have to carry his motorcycle. He ran the thing in heavy
brush and we havenıt heard "Candy Lane" since.
1974 Alfie Henrich Honda. For some reason the Meteor
club didn't apply for a National sanction and 74 was just a club
run. Alfie, as so many others before him, chugged his 350 single
to a back-to-back win. There are those of us who feel that when
the day comes that the whole world is all urban sprawl, enduro riders
will load their bikes onto rocket ships and compete in Sandy Lane
on the far side of the moon. " One of the best Sandy Lanes
ever run" said Boyd Rennolds of Cycle News in 1975.
Trail bosses were Mike Borrelli Sr, and Jr. and John Boone. They
set out a course with lots of variety and terrain. Les Bowne, of
New Jersey, won this 150 mile National on a Can-Am. Bill Harris
III, riding a Maico, won the 1976 Sandy Lane. This
was a non-national, 100 mile run.
1977 marked Meteor M/C's 40th anniversary of the Sandy
Lane. Meteor had four antique motorcycles start the enduro on number
40. The riders were wearing riding gear typical of the past. The
event was a 125 mile National. This was won by Charles Stapelford
of Delaware. The riders machine, Ossa. New Jersey riders got their
act back together and have won each Sandy Lane till the present.
1978 and 1979,Riding KTM's, Bill Geier and Roy
Cook won the 100 mile and 125 mile Lanes in , respectively. 1980,
Husky Motorcycles started a dominance, winning seven Lanes in a
row. Frank Vanaman started the ball rolling. This was a fairly tough
run, and dry as a bone since it hadn't rained for weeks. Bruce Kenney,
riding a Kawasaki, won this year's 100 mile event Bruce lived in
Great Meadows. Dave Harris was the trail boss. 1981
to 1983, Meteor switched to a trail committee system. Henry
Braaksma held the title "trail boss" but Russell Hancock, Doug Benson
, and Henry worked together in preparation for the event. Their
first event produced the Sandy Lane "harescramble". There was lots
of woods trail, but no resets put the riders back on time. Jack
Lafferty Jr. of Millville, out raced the other riders to claim his
first of two Sandy Lane overalls. The following year was similar
to the previous. Lots of woods, some real knuckle-busting tight
trail, and Mr. Lafferty as a winner. Resets were also introduced
with excellent results.
1984. The team just keeps getting better. More
woods trail, more tight, good speed changes averages, and a increase
in rider turn out. Sandy Lane was gaining a reputation as a tough
enduro, nut definitely worth riding. Donnie Tomlin, also of Millville,
won the 100 mile Lane that year. Trivia time. Donnie has won the
Sandy Lane overall three times. His wins are also all in a row,
1984-85-86. Donnie is the only rider to do this. John Penton has
also won the Sandy Lane three times, 1960 62 and 64.
1985, there almost wasn't a Sandy Lane. A hurricane
blasted the South Jersey area the Friday before the enduro. How
bad was it? UPS wouldn't deliver the Jart charts. That's BAD! Meteor
worked overtime Saturday, Sunday night, and Sunday morning to get
the trail in riding order. The hard work paid off with another successful
Lane. 1986,
event was one for the record books. Held in May, the temperature
climbed to the low "90"s. It was also very dry., with
a high chance 0f forest fire. Meteor received special permission
from the park rangers to run the event. There were two reasons for
this. The first was the excellent track record of endures, the second
was each check was equipped with a walkie-talkie. These were manned
by the members of the Amateur Radio Squad. If there had been a problem,
all the riders could have been removed safely from the woods. 1986
was also the Squad's twentieth anniversary for working with Meteor
M/C at the Sandy Lane. The squad was needed. The enduro was an A.M.A.
regional event. This was in preparation for our 1987 national enduro.
The enduro was stopped at the three-quarter mark. Not by heat, although
all the riders thought it was a gift from heaven, but because of
a land permission mix-up.
1987, Meteor held it’s 50th Sandy Lane Enduro.
It was an AMA National enduro and after 150 miles Kevin Bennett
from Millville New Jersey was the winner. Trail boss for the event
was Doug Benson with assistance from Henry Braaksma and Russell
Hancock.
1987, Meteor held it’s 50th Sandy Lane Enduro.
It was an AMA National enduro and after 150 miles Kevin Bennett
from Millville New Jersey was the winner. Trail boss for the event
was Doug Benson with assistance from Henry Braaksma and Russell
Hancock.
1988 was the 51st running of the Sandy Lane Enduro
and was the last year that the event would start in Chatsworth,
NJ. It was a 100 mile enduro and was won by Kevin Bennett from Millville
New Jersey. New trail boss for the event was Dale Freitas with assistance
of Henry Braaksma.
1989 was the 52nd running of the Sandy Lane Enduro.
The Enduro Moved from Chatsworth fire hall to the Interboro gun
club in Green bank New Jersey. It was an 100 mile enduro and it
was won by Rich Mollingkoff out of Toms River, New Jersey. Trail
boss for the event was Dale Freitas with assistance of Henry Braaksma.
1990 the 53rd Sandy Lane Enduro started out of
the Interboro gun club in Green bank New Jersey. It was an 90 mile
enduro and it was won by Chris Smith out of Stanhope, New Jersey.
Trail boss for the event was Dale Freitas with assistance of Henry
Braaksma.
1991 the 54rd Sandy Lane Enduro started out of
the Interboro gun club in Green bank New Jersey. It was an 80 mile
enduro and it was won by Michael Lafferty out of Millville, New
Jersey. Trail boss for the event was Dale Freitas with assistance
of Henry Braaksma.1992
the 55th Sandy Lane Enduro started out of the Interboro gun club
in Green bank New Jersey. It was an 80 mile enduro and it was won
by Donnie Tomlin out of Millville, New Jersey. Trail boss for the
event was Dale Freitas with assistance of Henry Braaksma.
1993 the 56th Sandy Lane Enduro started out of
the Interboro gun club in Green bank New Jersey. It was an 80 mile
enduro and it was won by Jack Lafferty Jr.
out of Millville, New Jersey. Trail boss for the event was Dale
Freitas with assistance of Henry Braaksma.
1994 the 57th Sandy Lane Enduro started out of
the Interboro gun club in Green bank New Jersey. It was an 80 mile
enduro and it was won by Michael Lafferty out of Millville, New
Jersey. Trail boss for the event was Dale Freitas with assistance
of Henry Braaksma.
1995 the 58th Sandy Lane Enduro started out of
the Interboro gun club in Green bank New Jersey. It was an 80 mile
enduro and it was won by Jack Lafferty Jr. out of Millville, New
Jersey. Trail boss for the event was Dale Freitas with assistance
of Henry Braaksma.
1996 the 59th Sandy Lane Enduro started out of
the Interboro gun club in Green bank New Jersey. It was an 80 mile
enduro and it was won by Richard Lafferty out of Millville, New
Jersey. Trail boss for the event was Dale Freitas with assistance
of Henry Braaksma.
1997 the 60th Sandy Lane Enduro started out of
the Interboro gun club in Green bank New Jersey. It was an 80 mile
enduro and it was won by Fred Hoess out of Stanhope, New Jersey.
The club had a new Trail boss for the event and that was Rudy Eggburt
with assistance of Henry Braaksma.
1998 the 61st Sandy Lane Enduro started out of
the Interboro gun club in Green bank New Jersey. It was an 80 mile
enduro and it was won by Richard Lafferty out of Millville, New
Jersey. And the club had another new trail boss for the event was
Keith MaHann. 1999
the 62d Sandy Lane Enduro started out of the Interboro gun club
in Green bank New Jersey. It was an 80 mile enduro and it was won
by Jack Lafferty out of Millville, New Jersey. Trail boss for the
event was Keith MaHann.
2000 the 63rd Sandy Lane Enduro started out of
the Interboro gun club in Green bank New Jersey. It was an 80 mile
enduro and it was won by Fred Hoess. out of Stanhope, New Jersey.
Retired Trail boss Dale Freitas was asked if he’d handle layout
for the enduro. His response was that "It was only temporary
and that the club would have to develop a committee of assistant
Trail bosses so that one day one of them could take over the layout
duties”.
2001 the 64th Sandy Lane Enduro started out of
the Interboro gun club in Green bank New Jersey. It was an 65 mile
enduro and it was won by Aaron Kopp out of Bayville, New Jersey.
Trail boss again for the event was Dale Freitas and the club went
to an all Start Control/Checkout style enduro. The weather was nice
and we had close to 500 riders.
2002 the 65th Sandy Lane Enduro started out of
the Interboro gun club in Green bank New Jersey. It was a 65 mile
enduro and it was won by Aaron Kopp out of Bayville, New Jersey.
Trail boss again for the event was Dale Freitas with the assistance
of Mike Barr. Again the weather was nice and we had close to 470
riders.
2003 the 66th Sandy Lane Enduro started out of
the Interboro gun club in Green bank New Jersey. It was a nother
65 mile enduro and it was won by Aaron Kopp out of Bayville, New
Jersey. Trail boss again for the event was Dale Freitas with the
assistance of Mike Barr. Another nice and event, but the course
got harder. Rider turn out was close to 460 riders.
2004 the 67th Sandy Lane Enduro started out of
the Interboro gun club in Green bank New Jersey. It was a 65 mile
enduro and it was won by Fred Hoess out of Stanhope, New Jersey.
Trail boss again for the event was Dale Freitas with the assistance
of Mike Barr. Weather for the event waw nice, but the course layout
was more demanding on the riders. Rider turn was still good with
close to 450 riders leaving the starting line.
2005 the 68th Sandy Lane Enduro started out of
the Interboro gun club in Green bank New Jersey. It was an 85 mile
enduro and it was won by Michael Bradway out of Millville, New Jersey.
A light rain fell through the day and that might had something to
do with the low rider turn out. Some 300 riders left the starting
line, but C-rider turnout was low. Dale calked the low turn out
on bad weather and the Sandy Lane was getting a reputation for being
a tough event again. This was the last year for Trail boss Dale
Freitas as he planned to retire after this event. Course layout
was assisted by Mike Barr and Bob Devinnie.There
you have it sports fans. Meteor M/C, and the Sandy Lane Enduro history,
form the start. Good luck to all competitors, have a safe ride,
and hope to see you again.
Just
some more Meteor Motorcycle Club History, Hopefully we can get someone
from our club to fill it in.1947
The big event this year was the 500 mile National Championship Endurance
Run. Many hours were spent by crew chief Frank Bolton and his able
crew. It took all the members and the Auxiliary to promote this
great event. Grove Davidson, Pete Epley and Bud Coates resigned
from the club so that they could ride the event. The event started
at the old YMCA building on Admiral Wilson Blvd. In Canden NJ. Key
time 6a.m. 00.0 East on Wilson Blvd 00.7straight on NJ Route 40-4.8
R. on NJ Route 41- How's that for a start? Julius Kroeger Triumph,
was the winner. Grove Davidson- 2nd. Pete Epley went out with a
flat tire 440 mi. 78 entries 14 finishers. 1948
Grove, Pete and Bud were voted back into the club. Meteors Mid-night
Reliability Run was won by Bill Schemel. Members not working on
the run could now ride. Sandy Lane started at the Meteor Club House
in Westville Grove. 250 Mi. event 6 a.m. start 78 entries 21 finishers.
Rod Coates was the winner on a MatchDavidson-1st A solo. Frank Bolton-3rd
A solo. Paul Brumfield rode this year but didn't finish. Pete Eplet
was the crew chief, assisted by Bill Schemel and Dave Gravener.
The Middle Atlantic Dealers Assocation Round Robin Run-won by Grove
Davidson. 3rd.-Bill Schemel. Philadelphia Corsairs M.C. Mid-night
Reliability Run Expert class won by Lou Mahan. 1949
Frank Bolton returned to head up the Sandy Lane. The event started
at the Old Barrington Airport which was Meteor M.C.s new headquarters-another
250 Mi. event. 85 entries 25 finishers. Won by Julius Koeger on
a Triumph. Grove Davidson-3rd A solo. Bill Schemel- 4th B solo.
Conrad Keener kept Meteor represented in Flat Track racing at Langehorne,
Williams Grove, Charity Newseys, to mention a few tracks. Bill Youngson
won the Mid-night Reliability Run. In the fall of the year, different
clubs promoted fall Turkey Runs. These runs were between 75 and
100 Miles in length with a trophy and a turkey going to the winner.
This fall, trophies and turkeys were won by Fred Metzler, John Fenimore,
and Bill Schemel.
1950
Sandy Lane-Trailblazers John Fenimore, BillSchemel, Jack Wright-Lane
won on mileage by Dorrence Wood- no one finished. A torrential down-pour
to known control caused all riders to hour out. Still a 250 mile
event. Start at Westville Grove. We have a good riding club. Remember
the runs: Hell Mt.- Tomahawk Enduro- Banshee Enduro-Battle of Brandywine-Silver
Dillar,to mention a few.
|
SANDY
LANE ENDURO OVERALL WINNERS
1934
Harry Staller
Harley Davidson
1935
Edgar Mowrey
Harley Davidson
1936
Grove Davison
Laurel Sprrings NJ
Harley Davidson
1937
Pete Epley
Westville NJ
Harley Davidson
1938
Grove Davidson
Laurel Springs NJ
Harley Davidson
1939
Stanley Dennis
Clayton NJ
Harley Davidson
1940
Pete Epley
Westville NJ
Harley Davidson
1941
Grove Davidson
Laurel Springs NJ
Harley Davidson
WAR
YEARS 1942 43 44 45
1945 Claude Goulding
Saginaw Mich
BSA 225, Mile Nat.
1947 Julius Kroeger
Rochester NY
Triumph 500, Miles Nat.
1948 Rod Coates
Pluckemin NJ
1949
Julius Kroeger
Rochester NY
Triumph
1950
Dorney Wood
Harley Davidson
1951
Renick Parkey
Columbus OH
Triumph
1952
Les Parker
1953 Bill Penton
Lorain OH
BSA
1954
Edgar Kauffman
Atglen PA
Zundap, 225 Miles
1955 Don Pink
Yonkers NY
Harley Davidson, 150 Miles
1956 Don Pink
Yonkers NY
Harley Davidson
1957
J. Fennel
Bronx NY
Triumph, 150 Miles
E.
Elliott
Amherst OH
BSA 150 Miles
1958 Dewey Hoffman
Huntington, ID
Triumph, 150 Miles
1959
Dewey Hoffman Huntington ID
Triumph, 150 Miles
1960
John Penton
Lorain OH
BMW, 200 Miles National
1961
John Wright
Runnemede NJ
Triumph, 125 Mile National
1962 John Penton
Lorain OH
BMW, 125 Miles National
1963 William Baird
Sterling IL
Triumph, 125 Miles National
1964 John Penton
Lorain OH
BMW, 125 Miles National
1965
Eugene Esposito
Brooklyn NY
Triumph, 125 Miles National
1966 Eugene Esposito
Brooklyn NY
Triumph, 125 Miles National
1967 Jack McLane Jr
Port Huron MI
Honda, 135 Miles National
1968 John Young
Algonquin IL
BSA, 135 Miles National
1969 Robert Fusan
Glenshaw PA
Husq., 135 Miles National
1970 Buck Walsworth Valparaiso IN
Ossa, 150 Miles National
1971 Robert Fusan
Glenshaw PA
Husq., 150 Miles National
1972
Dave Meade
Freehold, N.J.
Triumph,125 Miles
1973
Alfie Henrich Hainesport, N.J.
Honda, 150 Miles National
1974 Alfie Henrich Hainesport, N.J.
Honda, 100 Miles
1975
Les Bowne Farmingdale, N.J.
Can-Am, 150 Miles National
1976 Bill Harris
Browns Mills, N.J.
Maico, 100 Miles
1977
Charles Stapleford
St. George, Del
Ossa, 125 Miles National
1978 Bill Geier
Metuchen, N.J.
KTM, 100 Miles
1979
Roy Cook
Forkham Park, N.J.
KTM, 125 Miles
1980
Frank Vanaman Millville, N.J.
Husq., 100 Miles Regional
1981 Bruce Kenny
Great Meadows, N.J. Kawasaki, 100 Miles
1982
Jack Lafferty Jr. Millvile, N.J.
Husq., 100 Miles
1983
Jack Lafferty Jr. Millville, N.J.
Husq., 100 Miles
1984
Donnie Tomlin
Millville, N.J.
Husq., 100 Miles
1985
Donnie Tomlin
Millville N.J.
Husq., 100 Miles
1986
Donnie Tomlin
Millville, N.J.
Husq., 100 Miles
1987 Kevin Bennett
Millville,
N.J.
Yam., 150 Mile Nat.
1988 Kevin Bennett
Millville, N.J.
Yam., 100 Mile
1989 Rich Mollingkoff
Toms River NJ
KTM, 100 miles
1990 Chris Smith
Stanhope, NJ
Suzuki, 90 miles
1991 Michael Lafferty
Millville, NJ
KTM, 80 Miles
1992 Donnie Tomlin
Millville, N.J.
Husq., 80 Miles
1993 Jack Lafferty Jr.
Millville, NJ
KTM, 80 Miles
1994 Michael Lafferty
Millville, NJ
KTM, 80 Miles
1995 Jack Lafferty Jr.
Millville, NJ
KTM, 80 Miles
1996 Richard Lafferty
Millville, NJ
KTM, 80 Miles
1997 Fred Hoess
Stanhope,
N.J.
Husq., 80 Miles
1998 Richard Lafferty
Millville, NJ
KTM, 80 Miles
1999 Jack Lafferty Jr.
Millville, NJ
KTM, 80 Miles
2000 Fred Hoess
Stanhope, N.J.
Husq., 80 Miles
2001 Aaron Kopp
Bayville, NJ
KTM, 80 Miles
2002 Aaron Kopp
Bayville, NJ
KTM, 80 Miles
2003 Aaron Kopp
Bayville, NJ
KTM, 80 Miles
2004 Fred Hoess
Stanhope, N.J.
Husq., 80 Miles
2005 Michael Bradway
Millville, NJ
Honda, 80 Miles
Meteor Images from 1930 to 1980
Click
here to View
Meteor Images from 2004
Click
here to View
Meteor HareScrambles Images from 2003
Click
here to View
Meteor Club Images
from 2003
Click
here to View
Meteor Sandy Lane Enduro Images 2003
Click
here to View
Meteor 2003 ISDE Fund
Event Manahawkin NJ
Click
here to View
Meteor 2003 Picknic
Click
here to View
Meteor 2004 DualSport
Click
here to View
|
