Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

Wyckotf: Abram, I understaDd you are no loDpr marrted. Is tbat rlgbt? Dratn: No, I tried the marriage bit but tt didn't work out. Wyckotf: Were you marrled whUe you were ractng? Drain: Yes, I raced whUe I was married but she couldn't see putting money tn ractng equipment. Wyckoff: We are recording tbts interview in lhe beartof the south,Atlanta, Georgia. Both Abi'am and Bennie will be rtding October 12 at Hollday Downs at a 5-star baJf mile. It may take an unusualamount al courage, in the eyes of some people, to ride down bere. Let's see what they tbtnk about it. Abram, bow have you been treated generally in the south? Dratn: Generally, I would say I had been treated fair. Wyckoff: What about you, Ben? Bunter: Well, the riders treat you nice. They all accept you as betng another competitor. I think some of the peoPle down bere wonder about us. They don't know what to think. Generally most people down bere just come to see what you are gotng to do on the track. If you are good or you're not. Wyckoff: When you came south a few weeks ago there was a comment made by a spectator in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. Please tell us what the comment was and what your reaction was. Hunter: I was still tn the pits and they were having a rider's meeting. Abram went up to the meeting to find out how many riders were there, the qualifications and bow they were going to run the program. One of the spectators said, "Look there's a nigger." When he told me about It, we didn't know whether we sbould stay or whether we sbould leave. Wyckoff: Were you offended by It? Did It surprise you or were you afraid there was some dtfllculty coming up? Hunter: It didn't offend me because I'd been called that before. I was just afraid of what they might do. There were just two of us and a crowd of spectators. You don't know how many peOJlle are out there who dOll't like you. Wyckoff: How did you feel about it, Abram? What was you first reaction? Drain: 1 kind of pretended I didn't hear It at first. About that time Charles Southgate walked up and grabbed me by the bandana I wear around my neck to keep dust out of my face. He told Jack Warren, jokingly, "Do you think I ought to string him up?" Jack said, "No, he has enough trouble of his own right now." Southgate asked, "What do you mean?" Warren said, .. Ob, there's a couple of dummy yokels aver in the stands." Wyckoff: It Is unfortunate that some people have to be dummy yokels. I guess, even In America, we have to make room for the bad side of our soctety. You have traveled In the north -and the south. I am sure there are condi tions that 1 am not aware of what you have to face. You have to stay at motels, you have to eat at restaurants, you have to associate with other riders and most of the world you are In is whi te. I would like both of you Ben Hunt_, left, Is the Amateur, Abram Drain the E.... rt. They are the only two black men In profenlonal motorcycle racine. back to being a black man and the other riders gc back to being white men. As 10J'.g as we are there we are just competltors. We are both out there to win. After the race Is aver be seems to go liis way and I go mine. Wyckoff: Abram, have you had any dtfflculty In restaurants? Drain: No not really. Except for one instance when we were returning from Daytona in 1966. We stoPPed somewhere In this state around Valdosta I believe. We were getting some carryouts and I believe Ben went in to order. He was told be would have to go around in back to pick up the sandwiches otherwise he couldn't get any. As Ben was saying, there's a problem when you leave the race track. A few local guYS w1ll be friendly and you can go out for a few beers. Some natlonally known riders would help you regardless of who you are. Wyckoff: You are both fairly new to the professional field, when you need help or advice who do you go to get tl? Hunter: It depends on the kind of advice you need and wbere you are. Darrel Dovel has always been a person that treated us pretty fairly If we needed anything. Nell Keen 15 that way loo,anytbtng be'S got you can get. The bangupal most of the riders Is that they are frlendly and will belp us out with a gear or sometbtog when we are in the pits. But "I have the same lOlls that all raeer. have. I would like to win a national." to tell me some of the incidents that have happened that are a Ii ttle bard to talk about or a little funny to talk about. First of all what about your motel accommodations? Drain: We haven't bad any difficulty as yet. We usually go to motels or stay with people who are nice enough to put us UP. Wyckoff: Have you bad any trouble with motels, Bennie? Hunter: I think I feel about the same way Abe does. You look for a national motel, a cba1n like Best Western, Best Eastern, or a Holiday Inn. We have never bad any trouble about getting a room. Bu~ once you get the room what do you do? We may have a little conversation between the two of us but there's no one else to talk to. We don't ask for the location of the black community because they might be suspicious that we are there to cause trouble. As long as we are at the race track, we have the riders to talk to but it seems like when the race Is over I go when we leave the track there are oniya few of them who feel they can assoclate with us. Wyckalf: Is it your feeling that they would like to associate with you except for this soctal barrier? Do you think they are afraid their friends would object? Hunter: I think most of them don't associate with us after the races because they don't know what their friends are going to say. Let's face It, we are In the south and a lot of them live in the south. I guess they migbt feel they might get the name tag of a "nigger laver." Maybe they are afraid of what someone would say In their nelgbborbood or what the peOJlle they are riding for might say. Wyckoff: I am sure tbls would be a tbtng that I would find very dtfflcult to live with. Abram, do you feel any bitterness about It? Drain: No, I don't feel any bitterness about It. I would just like It to be on an equal lasls, like we are In the Pits, all the time. Wyckoff: How about you, Ben, do you feel bitter aver this or just wlsb It could be changed? Hunter: You don't feel bitter about It after you have llved with It so many years, as I have done. I was born black and always will be black and have just learned to accept It. Everybody would like equal opportunity and equal rlgbts but then you also like to reserve the rlgbt to decide wbo you talk to and who you don't talk to. I would like to associate with a man for just being a man, not because be Is white or because be 15 black but because we have something In common. I like to talk to peOJlle to find out how they feel about different things. This Is what Ileel15 kind of laektng down bere.1 don't know If they are Just scared to approach me or what. This ts justone of the big bangups you know. You Just don't know how to approach a person, how they are going to take It, If you are going to say the wrong thing, If they are going to be offended. Wyckoff: You are the only two blackrtders that I know al In the motorcycling profession. Why are there not more black rtders? Hunter: I think that a lot of black riders who ride the street are really capable al riding the track. I think they are just hesttant because they don't know how the white racing public w1ll accept them. I can recall one incident when Abram won an Illlno15-Indlana State TT title. The whole time be was leading the race the peOJlle seemed to be spellbound. It seemed they wanted him to do good but not to win. It's.lmportant what the while public tbtnks, because therearen'tenoughblaek people going to races to really supporta race. They are not racing minded. I know of a few guys who could prolably beat Abe and me on the track rlgbt now. Wyckoff: Abe, what 15 your big aim in racing? Drain: To be a national champion. I'm not sbootlng for a Number One plate because that takes a lot of hard work. If I were a few years younger I mlgbt make that my goal. But rlgbt now I am going to shoot for a national championship. Wyckoff: Do you tbtnk you can do tl with tile equipment you have now? Drain: With the equipment I bave now It Is virtually out of the question. Wyckoff: Ben, what are you goals In racing? Hunter: I have the same goals that all racers have. Everybody wants to be a winner. I would like to win a national. Everyone dreams of being Number One. If be doesn't want to be Number One, If be doesn't want to win, be doesn't want to race. Wyckoff: Except for the toP 99 racers, everyone else bas a letter after their number. Most of these would like to get some support from the factory, from a distributor, from a dealer, from some outside source. Do you have any boPe of impravlng your equipment or Ideas al how to do It? Hunter: Yes, I have some hoPeS and I have a few Ideas on how to improve my equipment. I think If I bad better equipmeD! I could make better showings and possiblY win some races. Any belp from a dealer or the factory would Improve our equipment because It 15 just outdated. Wyckoff: Abe, do you thlnktheridersare getting ellDugh prtze money or equipment from their wins to help? Drain: Everybody likes more money when they win. That could possibly belp. The whole Issue, the way I look at It is, the way the factories support some and give no belp to the rest and some riders have belp from good shops. There are some things that the general public just can't go In and buy for their race jobs tbat these guys have. Wyckoff: So tbls turns out to be a situation al unfair advantage where the pets can get spectal1zed equipment that will be superior. Guys like yourselves have to do as best they can. Do you tblnk It would be a good idea then to set up a separate classlflcation for those who get factory belp and let them race separately? Hunter: Yes, I tbtnk they should set up a program where Triumph could compete against BSA and Harley and other makers. Then the regular Joe Blow like myself who supports b1s own racing would have a chance to compete against others who support their own racing. When the factory gives belp to some and not others It Is unfair because when your equipment ts better you are bound to do better. I don't care how good you ride, when your equipment Isn't up to par you are just beating a dead horse. Wyckalf: As final comment, what do you tbtnk the future balds for the black rider In motorcycling? Hunter: I can't say what the-future balds. But I would like to see more of us out there trying. I think the opportuntly could come for a black grand national champlan. EPILOGUE Some of the incidents mentioned in this interview might seem minor. To Abram and Ben they are examples of everyday occurrences that grow to be major, after many years of repeti tion. Neither man is militant or bitter. They make no demands. only genUemanly requests for friendship between white and black people in motDrcycle racing and everyday living. We hope that because they spoke out, men like them will be encouraged tD go into motorcycle racing in greater numbers. We hope. too, that these two racers will be encouraged to continue by the generous reactions of the motorcycle industry. They are good competitive riders and deserve a chance to show their ability on better equipmen t. (END)

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