The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
is an American motorcycle rally held annually in Sturgis, South Dakota each first full week of August.
The first rally was held on August 14 1938, by the "Jackpine Gypsies" motorcycle club [1] (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 focus of a motorcycle rally was originally racing and stunts. In 1961, the rally was expanded to include the Hillclimb and Motocross races
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 gas rationing
In 1997, the crew from the COPS
television series attended the rally, as well as Dennis Rodman. From 1996 to 1999, it also featured a WCW wrestling pay-per-view television program called Road Wild
.
Annual television coverage of the festival by the VH1 Classic network includes interviews and performances as well as rock music videos. The rally was featured in 2005 as part of the ESPN SportsCenter
promotion 50 States in 50 Days.
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STURGIS MOTORCYCLE RALLY TICKETS
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