Sturgis Motorcycle Rally |
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Official Site: Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Wikipedia: Sturgis Motorcycle Rally |
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| Sturgis Buffalo Chip |
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History
Documents Article Index |
History
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally page on 17 November 2015, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is an American motorcycle rally held annually in Sturgis, South Dakota usually during the first full week of August. It began in 1938 and was originally held for stunts and races, but has evolved into being a meeting for motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world. It brings significant income to the citizens of Sturgis, a town of only 6,627 people. It is one of the largest motorcycle rallies in the world.
History
The first rally was held on August 14, 1938, by the "Jackpine Gypsies" motorcycle club, who still own and operate the tracks, hillclimb, and field areas where the rally is centered. The first event was called the "Black Hills Classic" and consisted of a single race with nine participants and a small audience. The founder is generally considered to be Clarence "Pappy" Hoel. He purchased an Indian Motorcycle franchise in Sturgis in 1936 and formed the "Jackpine Gypsies" that same year. The Jackpine Gypsies were inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1997. Hoel was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame the following year, in 1998.
The focus of a motorcycle rally was originally racing and stunts. In 1961, the rally was expanded to include the Hillclimb and Motocross races. This could include half-mile track racing (the first year in Sturgis, there were 19 participants), intentional board wall crashes, ramp jumps and head-on collisions with automobiles.
The Sturgis Rally has been held every year, with exceptions during World War II. For instance, in 1942, the event was not held due to gasoline rationing.
| Date | Document Name & Details | Documents |
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| 20 November 2020 publication date | COVID-19 Outbreak Associated with a 10-Day Motorcycle Rally in a Neighboring State — Minnesota, August–September 2020 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | Infographic PDF - 257KB - 6 pages |
| Date | Article | Author/Source |
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| 4 August 2003 | HOGS GO GOURMET AT STURGIS THIS YEAR | James Page Brewing |
| 31 March 2011 | Let The Good Times Roll Into Sturgis, South Dakota This Summer | John V. |
| 22 July 2015 | Sturgis 75th Anniversary | Congressional Record: Congressman Tim Walberg |
| 1 August 2015 | Vanson Leathers at 6 Great Events for 75th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally | Vanson Leathers |
| 5 August 2015 | Sturgis Motorcycle Rally 75th Anniversary | Congressional Record: Senator Mike Rounds |
| 16 August 2016 | New Effington Man Sentenced for Illegal Use of the Internet | U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of South Dakota |
| 25 January 2018 | Canadian Man Sentenced for Internet Crime | U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of South Dakota |