1937 Knucklehead - Wheels Through Time

Go for it!

When asked by some of the younger crew members who the backup rider was to spell him if he needed it, Wayne replied, "I'll only need a backup rider if I fall off." There was no falling off and no backup rider, despite the fact that before going to Talladega, he had only ridden the bike on the street, and that time from Jacksonville, FL, to Birmingham, AL. To get somewhat familiar with the track, he did take a few laps around it on a new BMW dual sport. "I didn't have much experience with the bike going into it, but by the end of the day I had plenty."

Besides bucking a headwind the entire time (along with ambient temperatures that hit 32 degrees F, not counting the wind-chill factor at 85-plus mph), Wayne had to deal with the ergonomic backlash from more than 18 hours in the saddle (six hours were lost to repairs, pit stops, and fuel-ups)."My hands felt the size of a telephone pole halfway through the night, and because I had to keep lifting my head over the windscreen, after a while it felt like there was a large screw being driven into my neck. But I have to say it was the most painful fun I've ever had."

Wayne at speed.

Summing up the attempt to break the record that fell short due to mechanical downtime, Wayne says, "While we didn't beat the record, we had a great run and did it on a 70-year-old bike. It was also the first car or bike to run 24 hours at Talladega, as well as clocking the most consecutive laps and most miles in 24 hours. I know Dale is proud of the fact that the bike made it, and I am as well. It was a combination of a great crew and a great bike, plus Dale with his drive, spirit, and talent making it all happen."

Asked what would happen if Dale Walksler called him on the phone and said, "Hey, Wayne, wanta go back to Talladega?" Wayne smiled and said, "In a heartbeat. Absolutely. I'd be ready to go tomorrow."

On the last lap...time running out. While the Fred Ham record of 1,825 still stands, the WTT '37 Knuckle racked up 1,350 hours despite six hours of downtime.

On the last lap...time running out. While the Fred Ham record of 1,825 still stands, the W

If this saga of courage and endurance got your adrenaline pumping and mind humming with "what ifs?," then you'll be happy to hear that Wheels Through Time is considering issuing a challenge to a number of four-man teams to approach or surpass Ham's record. Said Dale, "Perhaps a $200,000 purse will entice new talent in 2008."

For more information about Wheels Through Time Museum, its calendar of events, and its online television series, including video of the endurance record attempt, log on to www.wttthetimemachine.com, or call (828) 926-6266.