You’ve probably heard the phrase, “bringing a knife to a gunfight,” haven’t you? It means “being severely under-prepared, out-matched, or ill-equipped for a challenge, confrontation, or task.” It implies a significant disadvantage where one’s tools or skills are insufficient in comparison to the opposition. The idiom is often used to highlight a foolish or doomed attempt at competition.
Well, in 1976 at Daytona, in the very first AMA Superbike race, the Butler & Smith BMW team essentially did just that. And won.
The team entered three air-cooled, horizontally opposed, 900cc, twin-cylinder BMW R90S motorcycles to do battle against a screaming horde of Kawasakis, Ducatis, Yamahas, and even a couple of Moto Guzzis and Laverdas. One of the three riders aboard the BMW Boxers, or “Stone Axes” as Cycle World referred to them, won the race.
For the first time in half a century, those three bikes, along with the winner of the 1976 Daytona Superbike race, plus his teammate and runner-up in that groundbreaking race, will be on hand during this year’s MotoAmerica season-opening round at Daytona International Speedway on March 6 and 7.
The Machines & The Riders
The celebration will feature the meticulously preserved motorcycles ridden by the legends of the 1976 season, including:
• The #83 BMW R90S raced by Steve McLaughlin, the man who, in 1976 at Daytona, claimed the victory in the first-ever AMA Superbike race.
• The #163 BMW R90S raced by Reg Pridmore, who finished second at Daytona in the first-ever Superbike race and went on to become the first-ever AMA Superbike Champion.
• The #24 BMW R90S raced by the late Gary Fisher, whose riding on a previous BMW prototype helped prove the BMW’s racing prowess.
In a rare gathering of racing royalty, both McLaughlin and Pridmore will be in attendance to share memories of the drafting battle that defined an era. Joining them is Udo Gietl, the visionary lead builder and “mad scientist” behind the Butler & Smith BMW program. Gietl’s engineering marvels—utilizing titanium rods, hollow lifters, and a custom monoshock rear suspension hidden behind the “stock” aesthetic—transformed the 60-horsepower R90S streetbike into a 100-horsepower racing titan.
Engineering A Miracle
The story of these bikes is one of extreme ingenuity. To achieve 150 mph on the banking, Gietl and fabricator Todd Schuster utilized aerospace materials and “borrowed” parts, such as McCullough chainsaw reed valves and Chrysler Hemi oil separators, to solve the unique challenges of the Boxer engine. “In 1976, we didn’t see anyone as a threat,” Gietl recalls. The results proved him right.
50th Anniversary Celebration
Fans will have the opportunity to see these iconic machines up close throughout the MotoAmerica weekend. The festivities will culminate in a Celebrity Dinner on March 7, where McLaughlin, Pridmore, Gietl, and other luminaries will recount the “metal chips and midnight oil” that fueled their journey to the top of the podium.
The golden anniversary celebration is made possible by RPM Ventures NC, in partnership with the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America (BMW MOA), and also through the support of the motorcycling community, including key sponsors OrangeCat Racing of Chicago and Tytlers Cycle of Wisconsin.
On-site camping is available. For booking details, contact Rob McIsaac at [email protected]
