Frederick Fortune is a graphic designer in the San Francisco Bay Area, a motorcycle hobbyist whose taste is vintage historic motorcycles. A professional encounter with legendary racer Larry Headricks, then his son and another chance encounter with other racing legend Joe Leonard. When listening and absorbing their racing stories, Frederick fell in love with the spindly, brutally simple, and no-nonsense WR racers. This feature is unusually very long but worth reading to the last word. You will learn a lot about a big and important chapter of dirt track racing and understand and appreciate the passion of those spending years restoring classic racers.
Introduced in 1929 as the model D and as a competitor to Indian’s successful 750cc sidevalve Scout v-twin, the Harley-Davidson Model WL’s popularity (better known as the ’45’, signifying its capacity in cubic inches) skyrocketed when the USA’s entered into WW2, creating an unprecedented demand for a military version or the WLA. A model known as WLC was the Canadian version of the motorcycle. The WL solo’s 750cc flathead sidevalve engine would turn out to be one of the longest running Harley motors, ending its days in the 1973 3-wheeled Servicar and eventually evolving into the Sportster Flathead, Ironhead and Evolution motors.
Before and after the war, a derivative Harley hot rodded version of the 45 enjoyed considerable success in American oval track racing following the AMA’s introduction in 1937 of the Class C for 750cc production-based motorcycles which was intended to make racing more affordable for ordinary enthusiasts. Indian’s Sport Scout set the initial standard but Harley was quick to follow, introducing ever more powerful versions of the ’45’, culminating in 1941 with the arrival of the first 45 built specifically for racing: the WR, which was available in dirt track and WRTT road-racing forms. The WRTT having floorboards and a front brake unlike the Flat Track WR bikes.
With the legendary “The Patron”, Tom Sifton’s, tuning the WR, Harley ruled the tracks. In 1948, the WR won 19 of the 23 National events, including a dominant performance at Daytona in which seven of the top 10 finishers rode H-D bikes. In 1949, Harley-Davidson’s WRs won 19 out of 24 National races. In 1950 Larry Headrick, riding a WR prepared by Tom Sifton, won all three AMA national mile races to gain the coveted ‘No.1’ plate before a crippling street accident, shattering his left leg. Headrick, at 30 years old with a bad leg and four children to feed, decided to give up racing. He will always be remembered for that one shining season in 1950 when he was the best rider in the country.
Fortunately for Harley racing efforts, earlier in 1949 at the insistence of Tom Sifton, a talented newcomer was given trial run on a Sifton Harley WR. The new team member was Joe Leonard. Eventually an American AMA and Indianapolis Racing legend, Joe began his career riding Triumph. Seeing the young rider was strong, fast and fearless, Tom felt Joe had potential. Joe’s big break on the Sifton Team came as a result of two tragic incidences, an injury to Al Rudy that started Larry Headricks on his amazing but short lived career and Larry’s career ending accident. Continue reading ‘Tribute To Legendary Dirt Track Racer Joe Leonard. A Restored 1949 Harley WR/WRTT’
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