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IN THE WIND P40 National Hillclimb Legend Malcolm 'Beese' Wendt: 1936-2019 H illclimb Legend Malcom Truman 'Beese' Wendt passed away on October 3, 2019, at the age of 83. He is survived by his wife of 66 years Shelby J. (Miller) Wendt. Beese, as he was known by all, was born on March 5, 1936, in York, Pennsylvania to the parents of James and Minnie (Wyant) Wendt. Beese was employed by Harley-Davidson as a toolmaker until his retirement in 1999. He was a member of both the White Rose Motorcycle Club and the NDHP. He served as Grand Marshall of the York Bike Night in 2011 and was inducted into the York Hall of Fame in 2013 for his accom- plishments in motorcycle racing. Beese belonged to the Liberty Fire Company, Liberty Club and the Hellam VFW. Beese is survived by two sons, John and Jim; a daughter, Kelly J. Ruck; three grandchildren; six great grandchildren, and a brother, Dale. Beese was preceded in death by two brothers, Horace and Philip, and a sister, Janet Shive. Wendt's hillclimb career is high- lighted by seven national titles. The origin of his nickname is somewhat up for debate. Some say it arose from his habit of always winning in hillclimb's "B" class, while others assert it's because he loved his trusty BSA motorcycle in earlier days. Either way, his nickname is far more recognizable to the vast majority of hillclimb fans than his given name ever was. Most will remember Beese for his dozens of hard-fought victories on bikes with the Indian or Vincent or Harley-Davidson name on the tank. Beese started hillclimbing in 1959 and his racing career spanned four decades. His envi- able racing record reads like a history of post-war hillclimbing, especially in his glory years of the 1960s. Beese Wendt's resume includes: •1964 Canadian National Champion, Class "B" on an Indian •1965 AMA National Champion, Class "B" on an Indian •1965 Canadian National Champion, Class "C" on an Indian •1966 AMA National Champion, Class "B" on an Indian •1966 Canadian National Champion, Class "B" on an Indian •1968 Canadian National Champion, Class "A" on a Vincent Rapide •1969 AMA National Champion, Class "A" on a Vincent Rapide •AMA District 6 Top Pro Hillclimb Rider- 1966, '67, '68, '69, '70, '71, '72, '73, '75 Beese won more than 50 pro hillclimb races on Indians, Har- leys, and most of all, on his vener- able Vincent Rapide. He started posting some real successes in the early 1960s. He rode in the 45 cubic inch amateur class (750cc in today's lingo) on an Indian. He placed second overall in the 1962- 63 season in the U.S. Beese rode the 45's for a few years and forged a strong friendship with Glen Kyle, of Goshen, Indiana, a rider in the professional 74 c.i class. Their bond led to a groundswell of victories year after year, espe- cially after Beese moved up to the professional ranks on a Vincent in 1967. Beese also benefited from the mentorship of hillclimb- ing heroes and future AMA Hall of Famers: Tom Paradise, Herb Reiber and Howard Mitzel. Wendt's hillclimb career was not the typical affair as he didn't transi- tion into the professional class un- til age 31. He competed for more than 20 years until after his 52nd birthday. Then Beese had a nearly 10-year absence but came back at age 61 to ride again! Already well beyond the age of most every rider, he had an uphill battle convincing both his family and the AMA that he was up to the task of roaring uphill on a fire-breathing motorcycle. This latter period of racing saw Beese on a Harley XR750 hillclimber with technical support from "The Motor Company." Beese raced until age 63 and then he hung up his leath- ers for good. Jeff Whitehead Hillclimb Legend Malcom Truman 'Beese' Wendt passed at the age of 83.