Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Brett Underwood: The 'co llector By Gary Van Voorhis ' Race fans are avid collectors. They like to collect ticket stubs, programs with autographs, any souvenir that will remind them of being at a certain race and anything that will spark a bench racing session. Some collect more than others. Brett Underwood has such an extensive collection of 20 AMA Grand National Championship/Winston Pro Series memorabilia, it would take a museum to show off everything properly. What's more, Underwood is just getting into the swing of things. Who is Brett Underwood and where is he hiding all his goodies you ask? He is a 23-year-old apprentice machinist at Caterpillar's Peoria, Illinois, plant who lives with his mother and brother in a quiet neighborhood in East Peoria. Vans, mostly with outof-state tags, usually line the driveway -- especially during the time the TT National comes to town in early August of each year. The neighbors are used io that, because it's been that way for about 12 years during late May through the end of September when the majority of Winston Pro Series Nationals are running some- where east of California. Right now, the only display area Underwood has for his collectables is his bedroom and that is crammed. He is lucky to find the bedsince the floor, walls, cabinets and even the ceiling is used. In addition, Underwood has three other storage locations which are stuffed with neatly packed cartons of anything and everything. Actually, Underwood's bedroom display area looks more like a used leathers and helmet sales room . However, these items were worn by some pretty important racers. There are the Number One leathers of Jay Springsteen, Steve Eklund and Kenny Roberts along with their helmets. Check a little closer and you'll find the Camel Pro Series leather outfit which the then Miss Camel, Lynn Griffis. wore. How about Mike Kidd's Army leathers or a well used pair of Freddie Spencer's Honda leathers. The helmets run the gamut from Gary Scott's 1975 Number One model to one of David Aldana's " Big A" models. That's just scratching the surface. The bottom line-and still growingis that Underwood has amassed over 25 racer's helmets and an equal number of leathers. He also has over 1,000 T-Shirts from Nationals and shops throughout the U.S. which are all new, over 100 number plates, and enough stickies, programs, pictures, hats and incidentals to make the most avid race fan shudder with excitement. Why? Underwood has a dream that someday the collection will have a place where it can be displayed properly for everyone to see. That's it. The collection is the labor of love of someone who didn't start out to collect anything and wound up collecting everything. "I didn't really set out to collect anything more than the normal race fan," said Underwood. "My father owned a motorcycle shop -- Underwood Motorcycles -- in Peoria and a lot of riders used to hang around it and stay at our house. I came up with a lot of odds and ends like number plates and such. I guess I got hooked. That was 1972 and I was 13," Underwood then turned his energy to racing. Along the way injuries made him think again about his choice of careers. If he couldn't race, he reasoned, he certainly could stay as close to the sport as possible by lending a helping hand at the races. Underwood counts 1975 Peoria TT National winner Sonny Burres, 1978 Peoria TT National winner Chuck Joyner and 1979 Winston Pro Series Champion Steve Eklund as among those he has worked with. In fact, Eklund will base his racing program, while in the eastern part of the U.S ., at Underwood's home. In addition, Underwood has been active in helping Eklund obtain sponsorship. Underwood enjoys talking about his collection. "I'd have to say that the most prized items I have are the Number One leathers of Springsteen, Eklund and Roberts. The thing I'm really after is a set of Roberts' 500cc road racing World Championship leathers. He's promised them to me, but I haven't seen them yet. "I would hope someday to have my own building/museum where racers, fans and anyone interested could come and wander through it. Hopefully, when that day rolls around the col lection will be bigger and better. I'd like to expand it to include some machinery and things from other facets of the sport. I've talked to MXers, to drag racer Russ Collins and others and there's a definite interest. Of course, without the riders and everyone else who has donated things I wouldn't be able to have this dream," And what does Underwood think his collection is worth? "In my mind," he says after a long pause, " yo u can't put a price on it," •

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