Roger Lyle’s Motorcycle Xcitement Track Days and Road Racing School is proud to announce a $1,000.00 donation to the Roadracing World Action Fund in loving memory of former racer and race official Al Wilcox, 92, who passed away February 3, 2011 at a hospital near his home in Trenton, New Jersey.
If you want to donate to a worthy cause in Al’s memory, he asked that you donate to the Roadracing World Action Fund to supply soft barriers to save more motorcycle racers’ lives. This is a non-profit organization founded in 2001 by John and Trudy Ulrich. The Roadracing World Action Fund has been able to promote motorcycle racing safety, and in particular, to encourage and facilitate the use of soft air barriers at motorcycle racing events.
On March 9, in Daytona Beach, Florida, at the Daytona 200 Monument, we dedicated a plaque in honor of Motorcycle Xcitement’s official starter, friend and hero Al Wilcox. On April 1 we will have a tribute to Al Wilcox during our Roger Lyle’s Motorcycle Xcitement Track Days and Road Racing School at Summit Point Raceway. Everyone is invited!
Al Wilcox traveled to the races for 70 years. In 1947, he ran his first Pro race on the beach course at Daytona and finished 3rd overall out of 150 novice starters! He raced 19 years overall and 15 years with AMA National #49. Al also spent four years racing for the Harley-Davidson factory team. Al went to the starting line over 3,000 times, raced at over 360 tracks in the USA and Canada and won hundreds of races. He was ranked 5th in TT racing in 1951.
Al was a professional truck driver for 41 years, and was home for lunch every day with his beloved wife, Julia. He was also a professional roller skater and could dance circles around anyone. Al also promoted motorcycle races and paid Evel Knievel to jump 16 vans on a Harley-Davidson. Al was past president of the Garden State MC Club, and he was a Life Member with AMA, WERA, Motorcycle Xcitement and MARRC.
Al Wilcox flagged motorcycle races for 52 years. Al flagged Daytona with good friend Duke Pennell for 15 years. There is a photo of him jumping 3 feet in the air with the checkered flag at the first AMA Superbike 100 at Daytona International Speedway. He started flagging WERA races at Summit Point Raceway in 1973 and flagged the WERA Grand National Finals at Road Atlanta for 15 years. He was the “Starter to the Stars” and flagged thousands of racers, from novice to world champions! His style was unique, classy, and one of a kind. Al inspired thousands of racers and fans with his polished style and enthusiasm for motorcycles and the people who race and ride them.
We will miss the stories of Al Wilcox at the track, but we will cherish the memories and keep his legacy alive. Rest in Peace, Al Wilcox.
Roger Lyle Motorcycle Xcitement Track Days and Road Racing School Hagerstown,Maryland
With a donation to the Road Racing World Action Fund, you can get an Al Wilcox memorial sticker from [email protected] .