Event Description
Founded by legendary custom bike builder Billy Lane, Sons of Speed is a high-octane vintage motorcycle racing series that revives the dangerous, raw spirit of early 20th-century board track racing.
Unlike modern races with advanced safety tech, this event is a "no-frills" throwback where racers pilot century-old machines around steeply banked tracks at terrifying speeds—with no brakes!
The Machines: "Old School" is an Understatement
The bikes are the stars of the show. To maintain historical authenticity, the racers use stripped-down, period-correct American motorcycles (primarily Harley-Davidson and Indian).
- Eras: Most bikes are pre-1925 (Board Track era) or pre-1950 (Flathead era).
- Mechanics: These machines have no brakes, no clutch, and no gearbox.
- Power: They are powered by vintage V-twin engines, some of which are over 100 years old, yet they can still hit speeds between 80 and 100 mph.
- Starting: Because they lack clutches or starters, the bikes must be "bump-started" or pushed by a support vehicle to get the engines firing.
The Venue: Chasing the "Motordrome"
While the original wooden "Motordromes" of the 1910s are long gone, Sons of Speed recreates the experience on asphalt tracks with high-degree banking.
- Primary Location: The New Smyrna Speedway in Florida is the main home for the event, typically held during Daytona Bike Week (March) and Tennessee National Raceway in Hohenwald TN.
- The Banking: The track features 22-degree banks, which allow the bikes to maintain high speeds through the turns—a necessity when you don't have brakes to slow down.
Our Race Classes
The event has grown from a single race into a series with multiple classes to accommodate different engine sizes and eras:
- 500cc Single Cylinder: The lightest and most agile of the vintage machines.
- 1000cc Stock Twin: Original-spec V-twin engines.
- 1000cc Modified Twin: Hot-rodded vintage engines for extra speed.
- 45 Cubic Inch (750cc): Focused on the mid-century Harley and Indian Flatheads.