Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/671116
CN III ARCHIVES BY LARRY LAWRENCE B eing the head of motorcycle racing in Amer- ica has proven to be a volatile position. From the mid-1970s to recent years the people running pro racing in this country seemed to be in a revolving door with new leaders appearing just about the time you learned the name of the former head. It's different now with America's professional motorcycle racing split up and run by various bodies with various forms of leader- ship, but for the first century of racing in this country nearly all professional racing came through the AMA in Ohio and for much of that time it was a single person in charge of the whole kit and caboodle. The fact that there was just one strong leader heading pro racing in America from World War II to the mid-1970s is a remarkable feat and the one man who pulled off the kind of longev- ity that no one after him enjoyed was Jules Horky. For most of his career Horky was the unquestioned authority, the final word when it came to decisions for motorcycle racing in America. And remarkably, for most of his career Horky was largely respected on all levels—from the manufacturers, to the fans and riders, Horky was seen as a strong and fair leader who tried to keep things on a level playing field for everyone involved in the sport. Horky devoted his entire life to motorcycling. He served as the AMA's competition director from 1946 until he retired from full-time service in 1974. Horky was a tireless advocate of the AMA, log- ging hundreds of thousands of miles, working long hours with meager recognition and dealing with the complexities of racing rules during the sport's most rapid growth. He built a strong national program through his personal service to volunteer leaders throughout the nation. Starting in the industry in 1927 as a self-proclaimed "greaseball" cleaning parts at a Philadelphia dealership, Horky had the opportunity to witness nearly the entire scope of modern motorcycle history in the United States. Horky was born in Philadelphia on April 1, 1909. His father bought him his first motorcycle when he was 15. His first job in motorcycling was as a parts washer and shop cleaner at legendary AMA hillclimber Red Wolverton's Harley-David- son shop in Philadelphia in 1927. While working in the shop, Horky bought a motorcycle and be- gan playing motorcycle polo for the Philadelphia Quakers. The team traveled all over the U.S. playing teams from other cities. Horky became a district official for the AMA in the early 1930s. He did about everything from registration to starting to refereeing and learned a great deal about racing. He was also heav- FOUR DECADES OF RUNNING PRO RACING P112