It is with great sadness that the Motorcycle Roadracing Association (MRA) announces the loss of its founder and iconic figure in the Colorado motorcycle community, Trautman G. “Woody” Witte. Woody passed away on October 16, 2023, in Denver, Colorado, after a life well lived. He was 81.
*”Born in Germany during WW2, T.G. “Woody” Witte and his family immigrated to the US and started a home in New Jersey. Woody enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1960 and flew while serving in aviation electronics. His time in the Corps instilled in him the standard of excellence that endures today. It also sparked an affinity for traveling the world, experiencing different cultures and exploring new beliefs. During a two year deployment in Japan, Woody began blending Western ideals with Asian spirit and philosophy. It was here that his affinity for fast motorcycles began to take hold.
Following his military service Woody moved to Colorado in 1973 and found his niche on the motorcycle race track. An avid racer and fierce competitor, Woody haunted the race tracks and founded the Motorcycle Roadracing Association to create a safer environment for racers. While working for a dealership and servicing broken moto wheels firsthand, Woody encountered the weaknesses of stock laced wheels and parts. Motivation to craft a better alternative led him to engineer a new, stronger, lace pattern that would combat OEM shortcomings. Woody’s Wheel Works launched in ’73 with a goal that still stands today: To Produce Dynamic Motion Under Solid Fundamentals.”
In 2013, the MRA honored their legendary founder and first overall champion in 1974 by retiring Woody’s #11 competition number at its awards ceremony. That same year the MRA was inducted into the Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame and Woody was presented with the Agajanian Award. Woody would still attend recent MRA events to show his love and support for the sport and the club that he had founded.
The Witte family will be holding a Celebration of Life Ceremony at Hudson Gardens Inn on Saturday, November 11, 2023 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time.
The MRA would like to extend its condolences to the entire Witte family, fellow MRA competitors and friends, and the motorcycling community as a whole. Woody may have left us, but his passion, enthusiasm, and friendship will not long be forgotten.
* Woody’s Wheel Works (n.d.) History https://woodyswheelworks.com/pages/history
