GRIT (Full Length) - The History of Motorcycle Board Track Racing

*Archive Moto* presents *GRIT*, the full and uncut documentary exploring the history of one of America’s most infamous and sensational sports, motorcycle *Board Track Racing*.

For six action packed years the American motordrome captivated the nation, but in a flash they were all but gone. A multitude of factors led to the eventual decline of the venues; maintenance issues and expenses, weather interference, mounting safety concerns, decreasing factory interest, increased preference for dirt track and long distance racing, and the highly emphasized public distaste for what was often times a brutal and violent sport.

In all, 26 timber saucers, America’s infamous board track motordromes were erected between 1909 and 1914 following Jack Prince’s initial experiment of the concept Clifton in 1908. Though the tumultuous age of the American motordrome had its share of heartache and tragedy, the sport made fortunes for a few, provided good livings for countless more and their families, and entertained thousands. Moreover, the motordrome helped define a new America, an industrious and daring nation, a little rough around the edges but never lacking in Grit.

*PATREON*

*PATREON*

Written, Narrated, Edited, and Produced by Chris Price, Archive Moto.

Music: The Road Less Traveled - Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen
This Delicate Place - Silver Maple
Brooklyn Burgers - Golden Age Radio
Sunny Side Up - Golden Age Radio
The Orchard - Jakob Ahlbom
Dismantle - Peter Sandberg
Nocturnal Waltz - Johannes Bornlof
Exile - Lo Mimieux
Awake - Megan Wofford
September Days - Franz Gordon
Le Papillon Solitaire - Franz Gordon
I Want You To Stay - Victor Lundberg
Candlelight Theme - Trevor Kowalski
Rain - Valter Nowak
Who We Once Were - Gavin Luke
Shadow Play - Anna Landstrom

[saginawdan]

An excellent doc. You should be proud. 👍

[professorginz]

It's about time a proper documentary about motordromes was made. Very nice job here. Thank you.

[fritzozuna]

At 8:35 the bike racer is Barney Oldfield is on the inside lane. He is one of the first great bike racing heroes, went on to motorcycles, then became the most famous auto racer. He missed racing at Indy, because of a bad reputation. The old saying - Who do you think you are - Barney Oldfield? comes from him.

[freezerburn]

Us mere mortals can but barely find a couple o pics of these early racers.. yet you have somehow come up with an entire storyline production of its complete history. Your time and efforts are duly noted, what an appreciated accomplishment. AA+++ and thanks 🙏 a ton, wow!

[KellyBarron-ck]

Golden age of both motorcycling and America.
We will never see the likes of that again.
Excellent documentary.

[Dream_]

My biggest takeaway from this is that I don't think you could have a better name for a racing organization than the League of American Wheelmen.

[Mtlmshr]

At 63 you finally put a timeline of the car and motorcycle in society that made sense to me thanks!

[Kiroquai]

One of the finest videos I've ever watched on YouTube - so good that I actually sat and watched it through a second time after my first viewing! Thank you for all the hard work you put into this, it's shining a light on a part of the sport's history that was gradually being left to slide into being forgotten completely.

[rdc]

Incredibly well done. I first learned of board track racing several years ago while visiting the motorcycle and car museum at Barber Motor Speedway. The museum has a great display showing recreations of board track and the racers. Thanks for making this piece of American history come to life.

[scottdelong]

Excellent documentary of an all but forgotten yet utterly compelling era of motorsport. Writing, narration, editing, even the music- all first rate.

[wizardmoto]

This is an excellent look into a very unique and mostly-forgotten era of motorcycling.

[jamesauld]

Here in the UK we never had anything like these wooden tracks, our big bike and car racing oval being Brooklands, and of course the French had Montlhery near Paris, both paved on solid earth banks. Very interesting and fabulous documentary, thank you.

[jgoogleheim]

A terrific documentary of the early development and history of two wheeling on the boardtracks. Nice to see Major Taylor who won the world cycling championship in 1899. A statue for him stands at the Worcester Public LIbrary. Great to see all those brave boardtrack racers and the history of the sport. You do such a fine job with this video I am wondering if you would be able to do a similar history of American flat track racing. While not as dangerous as boardtrack racing it is dangerous and thrilling to watch. The flat track racers are also pushing the limits of motorcycle technology and human capabilities as did the boardtrack racers over a century ago.

[michaelgrabner-fkpg]

Thank you very much from Germany, One of the best documentarties about vintage and antique motorcycles ever!
An uncle rode a late 1929 JD in the races after 1945. the bike is not here anymore, to sorry...
Old Harleys and Indians were very common in the years after 1945, the "Daredevils" use them still nowadays in the "Wall of Death".

They are everywhere, big show, spectacular!

[zippyt.libertine]

My maternal grandmother (born 1898)was from Long Island and told me of these races and the tracks which she and her friends called "Murder dromes".

[delray]

At last a professional documentary which captures the time and mood of the sport, first class, ended to soon, that’s the sign l will be looking for a sequel 👌

[tomtaylor]

I grew up just West of Newark, NJ in the 1960s. The track at Vailsburg is now a small park with a baseball field. There is a School nearby just to the North called Speedway School

[warrenbleakley]

Thank you for all the work you put into this clip it was extremely informative and well done.

[gchampi]

An astonishing piece of work!. I knew a (very) rough history of the boardtracks, but I had no idea of the prehistory & origins of the sport. I am deeply impressed by both the breadth and depth of the research needed to put this fine documentary together, both factual and visual. Bravo! Sub well earned!
Cheers... G

[ridged]

I'd give just about anything to go back into that era, & experience it. What a fabulous time!