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CN III ARCHIVES BY LARRY LAWRENCE F or motorcycle road rac- ing fans racing at Road America was a long time coming. The locals were happy with the picturesque and laid-back atmosphere of Elkhart Lake. Road America, developed in 1955, didn't want to upset the apple cart by having the tranquility invaded by a bunch of rowdy, black t-shirt-wearing motorcycle bads. Of course the track's management not knowing anything about motorcycle road racing didn't help matters. The AMA tried for years to have motorcycle races at Road America, but by the late 1960s, having been rebuffed many times, they'd given up hope of ever getting motor- cycles on the circuit. Roger Jaynes, a sportswriter for the Milwaukee Journal who later served as director of public rela- tions at Road America, remembers the area resi- dents' view of motorcyclists was a bit out of date when the track finally began considering bringing in motorcycle racing in the mid-1970s. "They pictured the Hell's Angels moving in and taking over the town," Jaynes said with a smile. "What they didn't realize was the crowd that fol- lowed motorcycle road racing was a lot like the people who were into sports car racing. They were enthusiasts who were really into the action on the track." Much of the credit of bringing motorcycle rac- ing to Road America goes to WERA's founder Peter Frank. Frank convinced Road America to let him bring WERA, "non-spectator" club racing events to the track. The "non-spectator" part was sort of intentionally ignored and the races drew small, well-behaved crowds giving management the encouragement they need to bring in full- fledged AMA spectator races. In spite of the pre-runs, the locals were still nervous about the first big motorcycle race to come to Elkhart Lake in early June of 1980. Cycle World columnist Peter Egan recounted in "Road America: Five Decades of Racing at Elkhart Lake" the high anxiety leading up to the inaugural motorcycle race. The book says that a state newspaper headline read: "Cycle Invasion Strikes Fear at Elkhart Lake." Local shop own- ers, and even restaurants, closed their doors for the weekend. Police patrols were beefed up (a legacy that lasts to this day) complete with riot squads at the ready. Of course the races went off largely without a hitch. And the crowds were much larger than expected. There was a pent-up demand by enthusiasts wanting to see the bikes stretch their legs at Road America. The racers loved the challenge of Road Amer- ica. It quickly became the number-one track RUN FOR THE HILLS, MOTORCYCLES P86