TrailBlazers Motorcycle Club

Working on my Flying Floyd book this morning and came across a news article and photos from a race at Mint Canyon (near Saugus) in 1947. Floyd won the Heat race, Trophy Dash and Main event that day, and took home $95 (which today would worth about $1,350). Just another day in his motorcycling life. Stay tuned here and online at EmdeBooks.com for the release of the book in 2025.

Date finalized for Trailblazers banquet!

To all members, sponsors, honorees and other friends, the Trailblazers Board of Directors has chosen March 15th as the date for the 80th anniversary banquet in 2025 at the Carson Center.

Please disregard any previously announced "tentative" dates. Available tickets will go on sale on the website on January 15th.

Stay tuned for future updates here on the Trailblazers page and/or website at www.trailblazersmc.org.

Ben Campanale’s Brush with Death, by Don Emde

I have previously posted some materials that are going into my next book, "Flyin Floyd. The Motorcycling Life of Floyd Emde." While it will be a biography about my father, it will include stories about the many top racers that he competed with through the years, such as 1938+1939 Daytona 200 winner Ben Campanale.

Ben was originally from Rhode Island, but moved to California around 1940, about the time my dad was racing at the Expert level. So they raced against each other all over Southern California before WWII and after.

I knew Ben through my father, as they had remained close friends, and after Floyd passed away in 1994, Ben invited me to come visit him where he then living in a retirement community near Temecula. I ended up going to see him probably half a dozen times, and he'd tell me many old racing stories (and yes, I taped his stories).

One day, Ben gave me the news that he needed to move back to Rhode Island so family members could take care of him. But he wanted me to have his scrapbook from his racing years. I was honored to receive it of course. So recently I figured there must be some photos or materials in it that might be useful for the book. And there surely was. Anyone who has ever seen any of Ben's old photos can easily recognize them because he would also write a caption right on the front of the picture.

So when I got the scrapbook out, I was kind of shocked to see some newspaper clippings from a race in Corona in 1946. I knew that Ben had gotten hurt pretty bad, but had no idea just how bad it, or how it might had otherwise worked out if someone had asked about Ben's condition.

Here is how it will read in the book...

On Sunday, July 7, 1946, the Orange County Motorcycle Club put on an AMA Eight Star flat track race on the Corona Show Grounds track in Corona, west of Riverside, California. An Eight Star designation meant it would have a large purse, so all of Southern California’s top riders were there in search of a good “pay day.” In addition to Floyd, the “who’s who” included Burton Albrecht, Chuck Basney, Ben Campanale, Ed Kretz, Kelly Myers, Ray Tanner, Win Young and many other fast riders.

There were 36 entries with the fastest 24 in time trials qualifying for one of the four 6-lap Heat races. Floyd was in the first Heat with Ray Thuet, Ben Campanale, Chuck Basney, Frank Stillwell and Hal Odell. At the start, Floyd was first off the line ahead of Thuet and the other four. He had a clear track ahead of him with no knowledge of the calamity that was happening behind him.

Flat track bikes were not allowed to have brakes at the time (and for many years yet to come) and after going down the back straight on lap one, Thuet went into the second turn too hot and crashed into the unprotected outer wooden railing. Campanale was close behind and laid his bike down to avoid hitting the fallen rider. Basney was following the same wide line into the turn as Campanale with nowhere to go and no way to slow down. Running about 60 miles an hour, Chuck ended up running right over Ben’s chest before also crashing.

The race was immediately stopped with three of the six riders down. Basney was quickly back on his feet, but Thuet and Campanale were both injured…in Ben’s case, gravely injured. That’s when the confusion began. As Thuet was being loaded into an ambulance, one of the medics reported that Campanale was unconscious, not breathing and pronounced him dead. He was then carted over to the infield hospital and left under a sheet awaiting the local mortician.

Moments later as the ambulance was leaving for the hospital, Joe Koons, a friend of Ben’s and also one of the race directors, was asked by a reporter what hospital the injured riders were being taken too? Thinking Ben was in the ambulance with Ray Thuet, Joe asked a track doctor, and he was then informed that only Ray was sent to the hospital. Ben, he was told, was “lying over there under the canvas.” The track doctor continued, “We’ve tried everything. The only thing left is oxygen and that tank outlet over there does not fit the head masks we have here.”

The local newspaper, The Pomona Progress Bulletin, reported the next day what happened next: “Koons jumped into action. He grabbed a monkey wrench from his automobile and seconds later he had the coupling fitting the mask and artificial respiration was started on Campanale. Within a few minutes the doctor had revived a spark of life.”

Miraculously, Ben was alive, but his injuries were serious and his road to recovery was long. He was in the Pomona Valley Community hospital for five weeks. When he was discharged his body was still encased in a plaster cast from his neck to his hips. He had a fractured shoulder and several ribs and fighting an infection following a surgery. Many people thought Ben would never race again, but he would about a year later.

# # #

More to come about the Flyin' Floyd book. Working to have it published in early 2025. Stay tuned here on Facebook and at www.emdebooks.com

John Rice aka "John R" 11/28/1935 - 6/22/2024

Sadden to hear that Trailblazers Hall of Famer John Rice, better known as "John R," passed away recently. A copy of his biography that ran in the program for his Hall of Fame induction in 2012 provides an overview of his many years in the motorcycle sport.

According to his daughter, Tami Greenhill, a Celebration of Life is planned for late-October at Glen Helen Raceway. Her email address is [email protected].

Rest in peace John R

LARRY HUFFMAN 11/13/1941- 7/1/2024

Sad to report that the distinctive voice of famed race announcer and commercial producer Larry Huffman is no more. Larry passed away this morning at age 83.

In addition to being a long-time member of the Trailblazers Motorcycle Club, Larry had also served on its Board of Directors for many years. His many contributions to the motorcycle sport had been recognized by numerous motorcycle organizations, including his induction into Trailblazers Hall of Fame in 2013. He had also been inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame in 2008 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hot Shoe Hall of Fame in 2022.

Larry and his wife, KC, were married for more than 30 years. With his numerous foot surgeries, and complications through the years, KC had always been there for Larry and always very involved in whatever rehabilitation work needed to be done. She was with him today when he passed away.

There are no memorial plans at this time.

Godspeed Larry, with condolences from the Trailblazers to KC.

Note: The following is the story that ran in the 2013 Trailblazers banquet program the year Larry was inducted in the Trailblazers Hall of Fame:

Larry Huffman’s passion for motorcycling began when his father paid $50 for a 1948 Whizzer and gave the machine to him as a birthday gift. From that point on Larry almost always had a motorcycle as his favorite form of transportation; however, it was his unique voice and rapid-fire speech that made him famous in racing.

He began his career as a disc jockey, but his love and respect for racing drove him to the tracks begging to announce. He started at the Lion’s Drag Strip in 1968 announcing the cars and bikes for $5 an hour and quickly moved on to the Southern California Speedway circuit. When the Motocross World Championships came to Saddleback Park in 1970, Larry was the voice shouting all those unique European names over the loud-speakers as they raced into motocross history.

Since then, he has announced at nearly every type of motorcycle race, including Supercross, Arenacross, ice racing, drag racing, flat track, roadracing, speedway and hillclimb. He has announced at motorcycle races in nearly every major city in the United States, Canada and Japan.

Larry was the choice to announce at the first Superbowl of Motocross at the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1972. And when Supercross came to television, Larry was the man at the mic and is still recognized as the original “Voice of Supercross.” It was announcing Supercross where Larry’s descriptive terminology became catch-phrases mimicked to this day. Who can forget “He’s on him like a dog on a piece of meat!” or “He’s after him like a Krishna on an airport traveler!” Huffman’s voice is so famous that he was asked to announce Supercross events in English to thousands of non-English speaking fans in Japan. “Every now and then I would shout ‘Bonsai!’ And the whole stadium would cheer,” says Larry of the fond memory.

As a television host, Huffman realized that many racers were camera shy and often gave poor interviews. So he developed an in-studio PR course, where they could learn to relax and better serve their fans and sponsors. Companies such as Harley-Davidson, Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki hired Larry to coach their racers into personalities. Graduates of the course include Jeff Ward, Rick Johnson, Mark Barnett, Scott Parker, Wayne Rainey, Kent Howerton and Eddie Lawson.

Larry went on to create and produce the first motorcycle magazine television show to air on a major American network, Motorcycle World with Larry Huffman, which was followed by a radio version of the show. He also co-wrote and co-produced the motion picture On Any Sunday II.

Nicknamed “Supermouth” by the Los Angeles Times for his ability to get the crowds excited at motorcycle races and for being clocked at over 300 words per minute, Larry also has the dubious distinction of having been imitated by comedians in comedy clubs across the United States.

Reprinted from the Trailblazers 69th annual banquet program April 6, 2013.

The passing of Clara Aragon from Howie Zechner...

Clara Aragon 5/23/35 – 6/22/24

The world lost a very special lady this morning with the passing of Clara Aragon. Married to Ernie Aragon just three months shy of 70 years Clara had been diagnosed with neuropathy and suffered from pain and limited movement.

Stress also complicated the Aragon household after their son Donnie died several weeks ago. A tragic twist of fate on the very morning both were getting ready to leave for a large family Celebration of Life in Donnie's honor Clara passed.

The couple was almost ready to go when Clara said she was tired, put her had on Ernie’s shoulder, laid back and at 11:am stopped breathing. Ernie did try and resuscitate her but was not able to.

When asked what those who love and respect him could do Ernie’s wishes were quite clear. Please don’t call or come by. I need a few days by myself to process it all. Till then please respect my wishes and leave me alone.

Our deepest condolences on Clara Aragon passing. We pray for her soul and for Ernie's sanity. God Bless.

With deepest respect,

Howie Zechner

Here's a little trivia about my Dick Hammer connection long before this week's announcement of the award I will be getting at the next Trailblazers banquet. Back in the day, many riders, including Dick Hammer, rode for one factory in the Daytona 200 on Sunday (In Hammer's case, it was Triumph), but they rode for another factory in Saturday's 100-mile Lightweight race on 250s (In Hammer's case Suzuki).

So in 1968, I was getting started in Roadracing and my dad, Floyd, was a big Suzuki dealer in San Diego area and he found out that U.S. Suzuki was selling their 1967 team bikes so that Dick Hammer, Ron Grant and a few others could get new 1968 models. So Floyd arranged with their race team manager Fred Moxley to buy Hammer's '67 Suzuki X6 for me to ride.

I didn't even have my pro racing license yet, but in those years Wednesday at Daytona Bike Week was the Sportsman day for the amateur riders. Hammer's old X6 was a bullet and I made my way into the lead of the 250cc race, but on about the 2nd or 3rd lap, one of the ignition points on the magneto broke and I was off to the side of the track with a dead engine.

I was crushed by my misfortune, but I had better days that year racing AFM club events in California and worked my way up the ladder from there.

Photo by Dave Friedman.

2025 Trailblazers Honorees Named

On Wednesday, June 12th, the Trailblazers Board of Directors met to decide on the honorees for the club's 80th annual banquet to be held in Carson on April 5, 2025.

The new Trailblazers Hall of Fame inductees will be:

Steve Baker - Daytona 200 winner/Formula 750 World Champion
Eddie Castro - Speedway racing veteran
Tony Dodge - AMA Grand National Championship team owner
John & Rita Gregory - founders of JT Racing
Bruce McDougal - Southern California motocross pioneer
Roy Turner - Motocross team mechanic, manager, product designer.

Additionally...

Howie Zechner will be the recipient of the Earl & Lucile Flanders Lifetime Achievement Award.

Don Emde will receive the 2025 Dick Hammer Award.

Voting is now open for the AMA Hall of Fame, 2024. You must be an AMA Life Member in order to be eligible to vote. A couple of our Trailblazers are among the nominees: Billy Hamill and Debbie Matthews. Also, from Long Beach, CA, and District 37, Dana Bell is also a nominee.

𝐀𝐌𝐀 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬

The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame selection committees have put forward 13 nominees from eight areas of influence: Ambassadors & Industry, Design & Engineering, Dirt Track, Leadership & Rights, Motocross & Supercross, Off-Road, Road Racing and Specialty Competition.

Nominees include:

- Dave Zanotti – Dirt Track
- Kevin Windham – Motocross
- Mike Lafferty – Off Road
- Mat Mladin – Road Racing
- Billy Hamill – Specialty Competition
- Sidney Biberman – Ambassadors & Industry
- Gina Bovaird – Ambassadors & Industry
- Debbie Matthews – Ambassadors & Industry
- Bud Maimone – Design & Engineering
- Barry Willey – Design & Engineering
- Dana Bell – Leadership & Rights
- Rob Rasor – Leadership & Rights
- Gary Sellers – Leadership & Rights

For more information on each nominee and voting requirements, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com/hall-of-fame/hall-of-fame-members/current-class-and-voting/.

Voting is now open for the AMA Hall of Fame, 2024. You must be a Life Member in order to be eligible to vote. A couple of our Trailblazers are among the nominees: Billy Hamill and Debbie Matthews. Also, From Long Beach, CA, and District 37 is Dana Bell.

𝐀𝐌𝐀 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬

The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame selection committees have put forward 13 nominees from eight areas of influence: Ambassadors & Industry, Design & Engineering, Dirt Track, Leadership & Rights, Motocross & Supercross, Off-Road, Road Racing and Specialty Competition.

Nominees include:

- Dave Zanotti – Dirt Track
- Kevin Windham – Motocross
- Mike Lafferty – Off Road
- Mat Mladin – Road Racing
- Billy Hamill – Specialty Competition
- Sidney Biberman – Ambassadors & Industry
- Gina Bovaird – Ambassadors & Industry
- Debbie Matthews – Ambassadors & Industry
- Bud Maimone – Design & Engineering
- Barry Willey – Design & Engineering
- Dana Bell – Leadership & Rights
- Rob Rasor – Leadership & Rights
- Gary Sellers – Leadership & Rights

For more information on each nominee and voting requirements, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com/hall-of-fame/hall-of-fame-members/current-class-and-voting/.

Happy 90th birthday to Ernie Aragon! Please join me and all of the Trailblazers Board of Directors and fellow members to wish Ernie a very happy birthday. He is an ongoing inspiration to those of us who work with him to put on the annual banquet. The enclosed photo is from 2016, but he has been a Trailblazers member and banquet attendee for more years than any of us can remember. He has also been our sponsor for many years getting our Hall of Fame medals made and engraved for each year's group of honorees and, as he did a few weeks ago, he always shows up at the banquet ready to work. Wishing you a great day Ernie.

We're in the News! Thanks Mitch Friedman. https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1518695-cycle-news-2024-issue-14-april-9/44?

Cycle News - Cycle News 2024 Issue 14 April 9 Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

Trailblazers memories. With the 79th annual Trailblazers banquet just a day away, I was going through my files this morning and came across some fun photos of years past. If there is an event where legends of the sport are guaranteed, it's the annual Trailblazers banquet. It's been an honor to be the president of this historic organization a couple of times actually since 2000. For more info about the Trailblazers Motorcycle Club, check out our website at: www.trailblazersmc.org.

All clear for Trailblazers Bike Show & Banquet on Saturday! Weather reports Friday morning says it will be wet in So Cal today, but its moving out and Saturday looks cool, but clear all day.

So far, so good as to the predicted weather as of Wednesday for the 79th Trailblazers bike show & banquet on Saturday. Looks like cool temps in the 50s and some rain on Friday, but as of today, Saturday looks to be dry, but still chilly in the 60s.

The banquet is on rain or shine, but for anyone planning to bring a motorcycle for the bike show, keep watching to make sure the fast moving storm doesn't slow down and land on Saturday.

Looking forward to seeing all my Trailblazers friends who will be attending our 79th annual banquet. For those not attending, we will be streaming the banquet on Facebook Live here on the Trailblazers Motorcycle Club page starting Saturday at 6:00 pm PDT.

Looking forward to seeing many of you this Saturday for the 79th annual Trailblazers banquet. The banquet is totally sold out with names on all 650+ seats. For those not attending, please remember that we will be streaming the banquet on "Facebook Live" on Saturday right here on the Trailblazers page starting at 6:00 p.m. PDT. The first part of the program, including the annual In Memoriam video will happen in the first hour. We will then take a one-hour dinner break and resume the program at 8:00 to continue with the 2024 Hall of Fame presentations. We will conclude on or about 9:30 p.m.

Sunday...

Save the date! Trailblazers banquet to be shown April 6th here on Facebook Live!

Good news for anyone not attending the 79th annual banquet on Saturday night, April 6th. The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. PDT and the first portion of the event will run until 7:00. We will then take a 1-hour dinner break and return at 8:00. The screen will stay live with a time counter showing how many minutes to go before it resumes. The program will then run to its conclusion at approximately 9:30.

In addition to Bike Show winners, other awards and our annual In-Memoriam video, the multi-media program will feature on-stage awards presentations to 2024 honorees Rod Lake (recipient of the Earl & Lucile Flanders Lifetime Achievement Award), six new Trailblazers Hall of Fame inductees: Roger De Coster, Walt Fulton III, Broc Glover, Mercedes Gonzalez-Natvig, Mike Haney and Pete Pistone. The last presentation of the evening will be to David Aldana, this year's recipient of the Trailblazers highest award, the Dick Hammer Award.

The Facebook Live presentation will be on the Trailblazers Motorcycle Club page.

Trailblazers banquet attendee update: Today (3/7/24) is the deadline to book hotel rooms in our room block at the Ayers Hotel in Seal Beach. Instead of the $350+ per night rate at the Carson Doubletree, we've got a discounted rate of $179 a night for a single King bed, or $189 for two queen beds at the Ayers. But you need to do it today as long as they have rooms available. Call 1-562-596-8330 and be sure to tell them you are in the Trailblazers motorcycle group to get the discount.

Darryl Bassani 12/12/44 - 2/7/24. By Don Emde

It was so sad to hear the news yesterday that my long time friend, and a friend to many in the sport and industry, had passed away. Darryl had a rough couple of years battling cancer and related problems, so it's good to know he is out of pain, but we'll sure miss him. Condolences to his wife Becky, to his family, friends and everyone at his Bassani Xhaust company.

I knew Darryl since the early 1970s and through years our relationship started out with me being his customer, then years later it switched and he became mine.

Starting about 1970 when I racing motorcycles for a living, I was making enough money to live on during the season, but from about October to February, none of the pro roadrace and flat track races were running and I wasn't making any money. So I started a distributing business and became a distributor in San Diego County for Pirelli Tires, which I used when I raced at Ascot Park. I carried the popular MT53s and also some knobbies that sold pretty well. Before long, I started looking at other things that I could sell. I found a line of chain l**e, some ignition parts for BSAs and Triumphs, and then I met Darryl. I can't remember when or where, but I told him what I was doing and that I'd like to sell his Bassani expansion chambers and silencers that were becoming popular.

So I became the Bassani distributor for San Diego County. Darryl was real easy to do business with, and we just kept things simple. There were no minimum orders or big programs. I kept a small stock of Bassani pipes at my dad's downtown San Diego store and everything I sold to the local dealers was from my van as I went to visit the dealers. He packaged all of his pipes in those years in big clear plastic poly bags. There was no shipping, only deliveries. So this went on for a couple of years until I retired from racing and had to get a real job.

Fast forward years later and I was now publishing Drag Specialties Magazine and Parts Magazine. Along the way, Bassani became a vendor for Drag Specialties and Darryl and I renewed our relationship as he now became one of Drag Specialties' largest exhaust system suppliers and an advertiser in our magazines.

Everyone loved Darryl...the dealers, the custom builders, the Drag and Parts Unlimited sales reps, the staff and management at LeMans, especially Fred Fox. People from big stuffy organizations who sell to Drag and Parts never got much of Fred's time, it was just business. But since Fred started his company all by himself, he loved working with people like Darryl who started their business the same way.

Darryl was also a big supporter of the Trailblazers organization. He was an inductee a few years back into our Hall of Fame, and was also a great supporter. He always bought a table for the banquet, and the last few years he and Mike Maely split the cost of a full page ad in the Trailblazers banquet program...including the upcoming banquet where ironically their ad will pay tribute to another legend we lost this past year...Sammy Tanner.

I was told that Darryl's wife Becky was at his side yesterday, and before he passed away he told her he wanted to have a big party and little of a service. Details to follow.

We loved Darryl and already miss him. Godspeed old friend.

Attention Trailblazers banquet attendees needing a hotel:

Deadline for discounted room rate at the Ayers Seal Beach Hotel for Friday (4/5) and/or Saturday (4/6) is March 6th or when hotel is sold out, whichever comes first. Mention Trailblazers for discount.

Glenn Pierce R.I.P. 1937 – 2024

The Trailblazers lost a longtime member on January 10th…Glenn Pierce, 86, son of “Mr. Indian,” the legendary Sammy Pierce. Glenn was born in Los Angeles on September 1, 1937, to Sam and Lorenna Pierce. He worked with his father and raced motorcycles early on, before eventually moving to Fresno in 1973 where he sold cars for the rest of his life.

According to his son Bryan, Glenn battled cancer for two and half years, despite doctors only expecting him to live for 3 to 6 months when he was originally diagnosed.

He is survived by Marilyn, his wife of 46 years, sons Bryan and Brett, daughter Kim and lots of grandchildren. There will be a celebration of his life in Fresno on Sunday, February 11 at Yosemite Falls Cafe (Cedar street location) from 11-3. For more information, email Bryan at: [email protected].

Tom Heininger 9/28/1926 - 1/6/2024. Sorry to report on the passing on Saturday (1/6/24) of motorcycle industry legend Tom Heininger at age 97. Tom and his business partner Bob Hughes are best known as co-founders of Webco, the popular motorcycle aftermarket company that supplied motorcycle performance products, as well as riding gear, casual wear and all sorts of nifty gadgets and products from the 1950s, 60s and 70s, Their company promotions thru the years were many, including the Webco Radio Show, held during Daytona Bike Week at the Hawaiian Inn, hosted by Roxy Rockwood.

After retiring from business, Tom spent many years living in Maui, Hawaii, and eventually split time between his home there and Southern Calfornia. Tom and his first wife Genie had three children, including son Jeff who worked for a time in the motorcycle business. Tom remarried after Genie passed away in 1998.

Tom had been inducted into both the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and Trailblazers Hall of Fame. Condolences to Jeff and the entire Heininger family.

2024 TRAILBLAZERS BANQUET & BIKE SHOW

The 79th annual Trailblazers banquet will be held at the Carson Center on Saturday, April 6th. General ticket sales will open on the website on Monday, January 15th starting at 6:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. Log on at: www.trailblazersmc.org

Tickets will sell fast, and we expect a quick sell out. This year we had more pre-orders from honorees and others that we always need to arrange in advance. If you get a “sold out” message, please send an email to Don Emde to get on the waiting list. Email: [email protected]. People often order more seats than they needed, and their cancellations always open up additional seats. They will be available from the waiting list in the order received.

Here’s some other things to know:

1. Banquet location: Carson Center, 801 E. Carson Street, Carson, CA 90745

Directions to the Carson Center: Exit off I-405 at the Carson Street exit. The banquet hall and bike show area is west of the 405. The large Carson Doubletree hotel is easy to spot, and the banquet hall shares the same parking lot with the hotel. Parking is free.

2. Speaking of the Carson Doubletree, we were not able to work out a room block there, but we do have another option to consider just 15 minutes south of Carson. We arranged a room block with a group rate at the Ayers Hotel in Seal Beach, right off the 405 freeway at Seal Beach Blvd. The Ayers Hotels, by the way is the same local hotel chain we used in Anaheim in 2021 and they are very nice hotels with free parking and breakfast for hotel guests. Our group rate is $179 for a single King bed on Friday and/or Saturday, or $189 for two Queen beds. To get the deal, all you need to do when you make your reservation is to mention that you are with the Trailblazers. The number to call at the Ayers Seal Beach is 1-562-596-8330.

3. For those of you bringing motorcycles for the bike show, check-in begins at 11:00 am and all bikes must be in place by 12:30. It’s first come, first served and space is limited, so please understand if you come skidding in at 12:29 or earlier, it’s possible we will be full. The sooner you arrive, the better the chances we can get your bike in the show. And as always, bring your own cable lock, an oil drip pan, and remember vehicles only, no extra props like poster boards, helmets, leathers, etc. We just don’t have room in the courtyard.

4. As always, we will have personalized or guest badges for you to pick up by name at Will Call. Badges will include your table number, and they must be worn to enter the bike show and banquet areas. If any name changes are necessary, we will have equipment at Will Call to print revised name labels to your badge.
5. Except for the bike show entries, Will Call and the Bike Show begins at 1:00 pm and continues throughout the afternoon until 5:00 pm. We encourage you to come early so you have time to visit with old friends you might not have seen for many years. Also, there will 75 or more classic motorcycles to check out, many actually the old race bikes of your fellow Trailblazers members and honorees. You will receive a ballot at Will Call to vote for your favorite bikes. Those ballots will be collected and tabulated to decide on the bike show winners who will be receiving one of the coveted Trailblazers bike show trophies.
6. In addition to the motorcycles, we will have a limited quantity of 79th annual Trailblazers shirts on sale and will again have a silent auction for a few cool pieces of motorcycle art. We can accept cash for the shirts or cash or credit cards for the silent auction.

7. The doors will open to the banquet hall at 5:00 pm. As noted above, your table number will be printed right on your badge. We don’t however have seat numbers at your table, so that is handled on a first come, first served basis.

8. There will be two bottles of Ron Pierce’s Racer’s Edge wine on your table when you arrive. These were again sponsored by Barnett Tool & Engineering for the purpose of our annual wine toast. Those who have attended the banquet in the past know this, but if you have not attended before, one of our special moments in the first hour of our program is our annual In-Memoriam video and wine toast to members, friends and notables of the sport who have passed away since the last banquet. Please save a full glass to raise to our dear-departed friends at the conclusion of the video. A portable cocktail bar from the bike show will remain open during the banquet to purchase soft drinks or alcoholic beverages.

9. The program will begin at 6:00 pm. We ask for your cooperation at that time to bring the noise level down as we begin. We have awards to give out and announcements to make and it’s hard to try to talk over 650 people who are also talking. If you prefer to talk with your friends instead of listening to the program, please respect those around you and take the conversation outside to the courtyard.

10. Following the wine toast, we will break for dinner at 7:00 pm and like last year, it will be served to your table. The program will resume at 8:00 pm with our Hall of Fame awards and presentation of the Dick Hammer Award.

11. We will conclude by 9:30 after our annual Trailblazers Hall of Fame group photo including all of this year’s honorees and all previous inductees. If you are one of this year’s, or a previous Hall of Fame inductee, we will make the announcement for you to come up the stage at the conclusion of the Dick Hammer Award for them photo. The stage has been extended this year, so it will be easier to get everyone in the photo.

12. For anyone wanting to take photos of the Hall of Fame group, please respect that we have some professional photographers at the event shooting for motorcycle publications and websites. Trailblazers board members in the gold blazers will be in charge of holding everyone back until those photographers are done. Then we will open it up to all of the iPhone photo jockeys.

Please follow instructions from any Trailblazers member in a gold blazer!