Like many significant moments in the history of Project Daytona, it
started with a phone call.
In December last year, Don Bradley
called me and asked if I knew who Ed Youngblood was. Did I?
I had recently finished reading his excellent biography of Dick
Mann, 'Mann of his time'. "He wants to talk about doing an
exhibition at the
Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum
around our bikes straight after bike week. That's not far away
- I think you'd better get in touch!"
I was naturally very interested and
couldn't stop myself from getting excited at the possibilities. It's
part of Project Daytona's mission to bring as much attention as
possible to what we think was a very important but neglected chapter
in motorcycle history. A museum exhibition would certainly get
attention but would take a lot of work and we were already up to our
necks in restoration work and event planning and there wasn't a lot
of time before Bike Week. A BSA exhibition in 60 days - what
were we getting into?
Meanwhile in Ohio, Ed Youngblood had
been wondering what he was getting into too - over to Ed.
"In
December, Mark Mederski, the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum
executive director, and I were talking about an exhibit area that
needed to be renewed. We had discussed several ideas, but had
not settled on anything.
Then, I learned about Project Daytona and said to him, 'What if we
could acquire the two restored 1954 Daytona racers and build an
exhibit around them.
It is a great chapter in the history of Anglo-American
motorcycling.'
I was already up to my ears in planning another exhibit, and Mark
said, 'I like it, but who could we get to curate it on such short
notice?' In a moment of vast hubris, I said, 'Heck I can!
I'll get it done in 60 days, and we can have it ready to install the
bikes right after Daytona, if the owners agree.' Silly me - I
had no idea what I was getting into!"
A couple of emails later we agreed we
would do it but with Ed. and the Museum staff in Ohio and the
Project Daytona team in Florida and Scotland, Ed. was a little
concerned about how he would actually pull this together.
No problem to Project Daytona.
I explained
that we had been running our transatlantic research and restoration
project for a couple of years without some of the members ever
meeting each other. So we could apply the same modus operandi here.
As long as Ed. agreed not to meet any of us, he was allowed to be
part of the Project Daytona 'Wrecking Crew'!
What followed was a tidal wave of
emails, phone calls, ideas, proposals, copy and phone interviews as
Ed effectively became part of the project team. And the museum staff have been working flat-out to turn all this into high
quality presentation material.
The exhibition will consist of the Project Daytona Shooting Star and
Gold Star and will tell how and why BSA prepared for this
historic victory, which was the brand's only trip to the Daytona 200
winner's circle until Dick Mann won in 1971.
The
exhibit will also include personal artefacts belonging to the riders,
such as Hill's winner's trophy,
Thiessen's steel shoe and boot and Gunter's helmet. Graphic design, featuring many historical
photographs from the era is being undertaken by Matt Scheben,
a freelance artist.
Prior to its debut at the
Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, portions
of “BSA’s Greatest Daytona” will be shown where it all began—in
Daytona Beach, Florida during the February 29 through March 7, 2004
Bike Week.
Now that Ed. and the Museum staff are in the final stages late
stages of I asked Ed how the Project Daytona Wrecking Crew
experience had been so far?
"It has been a wonderful project, but far more time-consuming than I
had ever imagined. I would have fallen flat on my face without
the incredible cooperation and support we got from the Project
Daytona Team, plus all the riders: Hill, Klamfoth, McDermott,
Eggers, Thiessen, and Norm Smith."
Myles Raymond, 31/01/04
"BSA's Greatest Daytona" will open at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame
Museum
on March 15, the official grand opening and ribbon cutting will take
place on June 5, 2004. There will be a vintage bike show, with
emphasis on BSA.
Details will be
reported on Motohistory when they become available. For more information
and updates click here.
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