W
ells Bennett was best
known for his cross-
country records aboard
motorcycles but dig a little deep-
er and you'd find that Bennett
was one of the most versatile
racers ever to throw a leg over
a motorcycle. Wells, who went
by his middle name, grew up rac-
ing on the dusty horse tracks of
Kansas. He was nervous about
racing the board tracks but later
became a winner on those
treacherous bowls as well.
Wells later found that he could
make a living hillclimbing and
cross-country setting records
during the Great Depression,
a time when making money
from riding a motorcycle was
a tall task.
The young Bennett started
to hang around a local bicycle
shop that also sold motorcycles
and became acquainted with
a few motorcycle owners. He
cleverly offered to clean the
motorcycles or run errands for
the owners in hopes of being of-
CN
III ARCHIVES
P106
The Multitalented Wells
BY LARRY LAWRENCE
