RIP George Singler
- Thread starter Vet261
- Start date
oldmxrider
PR Member
One Helluva man !
Windtunnel36
PR Addict
GeorgiePorgie
PR Founding Father
Windtunnel36
PR Addict
We got this note from reader Mark Winfree:
Hi, I was hoping you could give a shout-out to George Singler, owner of Smith Road Raceway in Medina, Ohio, since 1968. He will be 75 June 13 and still races vintage races and runs his race track. George was recently featured in the new Motorcyclist Retro Magazine. He has done a lot to support the sport of motocross and started many young stars careers. Many pro riders have visited the track through out the years, including Chuck Sun, Brock Sellards, Pat Richter of Moto X Fox fame, and many more. Plenty of GNCC riders have burned up plenty of gas at George’s track, including Juha Salminen, Shane Watts, and a host of KTM riders, who are based near here in Amherst KTM headquarters. In my opinion George is a motocross living legend and shows he loves the sport by having a well-prepped practice track every Wednesday night and selected races during the year. He’s a wealth of motorcycle knowledge and a blast to talk to and pick his brain on many subjects. He even raced a Trans Am race back somewhere around 1970 against the tough Europeans of the day. So any mention would be great. Thank you very much. Sincerely, Mark Winfree
Happy birthday, George! Still riding at 75? Does it get any better than that?
RacerX put this story of George in Racerhead June 08.
Hi, I was hoping you could give a shout-out to George Singler, owner of Smith Road Raceway in Medina, Ohio, since 1968. He will be 75 June 13 and still races vintage races and runs his race track. George was recently featured in the new Motorcyclist Retro Magazine. He has done a lot to support the sport of motocross and started many young stars careers. Many pro riders have visited the track through out the years, including Chuck Sun, Brock Sellards, Pat Richter of Moto X Fox fame, and many more. Plenty of GNCC riders have burned up plenty of gas at George’s track, including Juha Salminen, Shane Watts, and a host of KTM riders, who are based near here in Amherst KTM headquarters. In my opinion George is a motocross living legend and shows he loves the sport by having a well-prepped practice track every Wednesday night and selected races during the year. He’s a wealth of motorcycle knowledge and a blast to talk to and pick his brain on many subjects. He even raced a Trans Am race back somewhere around 1970 against the tough Europeans of the day. So any mention would be great. Thank you very much. Sincerely, Mark Winfree
|
RacerX put this story of George in Racerhead June 08.
Vet261
PR Addict
I got hurt at Smith Rd pretty bad in 2003. Hit the fence, big mess.
I'll always remember George helping me, getting me up onto his quad to haul me off the track and take me back to the pits.
Another funny story, when I was doing the whole photog thing and taking pics at the races, I was at one of the Smith Rd races just taking pics, not riding. George is watering the track at intermission and really soaking the absolute piss out of the track. Quads were up first after intermission. He finishes, parks the tractor and is talking to me and he can tell I had that look of like jeezus you soaked it....he looks at me and goes "I treat those guys like sheeitt don't I...." and just laughed.....I will never forget him saying that to me, and I was cracking up the whole time watching the quads slide around in the mudfest he just created for them.
George is one of those guys that just seemed like they would be around forever.
I'll always remember George helping me, getting me up onto his quad to haul me off the track and take me back to the pits.
Another funny story, when I was doing the whole photog thing and taking pics at the races, I was at one of the Smith Rd races just taking pics, not riding. George is watering the track at intermission and really soaking the absolute piss out of the track. Quads were up first after intermission. He finishes, parks the tractor and is talking to me and he can tell I had that look of like jeezus you soaked it....he looks at me and goes "I treat those guys like sheeitt don't I...." and just laughed.....I will never forget him saying that to me, and I was cracking up the whole time watching the quads slide around in the mudfest he just created for them.
George is one of those guys that just seemed like they would be around forever.
Windtunnel36
PR Addict
I heard him say as he was looking down at a hurt rider, "I thought you said you knew how to ride a motorcycle." Another story, We were at Mid Ohio Vintage days in the swap meet. Here comes George, no shirt riding that BSA. I said what you doing. He said I thought I'd see if I could sale this thing. A guy offered me $5000 for it. I said you going to take it. He said no, I think I'll wait till next year and it will be worth $6,000.
Double D
PR Founding Father
George, made the world a better place by being here... work ethic, stood by his beliefs..
And anyone that could eat those left over hotdogs and burgers from Wednesday to Wednesday was one tough dude.
I miss you George. Wish there were about100 million more like you in the US right about now.
And anyone that could eat those left over hotdogs and burgers from Wednesday to Wednesday was one tough dude.
I miss you George. Wish there were about100 million more like you in the US right about now.
you will always be one of my heroes of motocross, rip my friend
RocketRobin
PR Founding Father
I grew up riding at Smith Rd from the time I was 5 years old and still go there weekly now 46 years later during Wednesday's in the summer months. George was there from the time I was a little kid on a 50 all the way to the time when I was a successful racer at Loretta's winning a title. Never made a difference to George, he treated me the same from the first time I met him until the last time I saw him a couple of years ago when he was back in Ohio and excited to start riding again after one of his cancer battles was over. Big Smile and a Giant Hand out for a hand shake just happy to be talking about motorcycles and riding again. It took me many years of riding at Smith Rd every week before I was finally "faster" than George when he would get out on his own track for some laps well into the night of practice. I think I was 20 and he was in his 60's when I finally could keep up and pass him on the track, spent my teenage years wanting to be as fast as that crazy old guy who would ride with no shirt and jeans on, and then sell me a hot dog or a burger at the end of the night. Great memories of spending a lifetime at the track learning how to ride from a legend!!!!!
MarctheSharc
PR Founding Father
A true original. George left an impression on many.
I'm grateful to be one of them.
RIP George -
I'm grateful to be one of them.
RIP George -
zcarlson12
PR Member
MarctheSharc
PR Founding Father
Great read in the AMA mag - Thanks Mitch !!
I flagged for George when I was a kid in the 1970’s, saving up to buy a bike. Lots of great memories, and I finally did get a bike and race. George taught me a lot and always seemed to enjoy helping out the kids. I think I only saw him scowl once, when I got chewed out by Barb for pit riding my first race!
Last edited:
Windtunnel36
PR Addict
George Singler of Medina, Ohio, spent much of his long life around motocross. Born in 1933, he served in the U.S. Navy in the 1950s, stationed for a time in Hawaii, where he would ride stripped-down Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the pineapple fields. He also started racing enduros, scoring class wins in such notoriously tough events as the 500-mile Jack Pine National Enduro in Michigan. As motocross began growing on the heels of Edison Dye’s Inter-Am Series, Singler quickly became one of the top American riders of the late 1960s, along with the likes of Barry Higgins and John DeSoto.
Singler became a promoter too when he took over Smith Road Raceway from 1971 through 2010, holding both races and track days for many years. He was also continued riding himself, as you can see in this video from 2014.
A friend and fellow rider named Mark Winfree said this of Singler a few years back: “George is a motocross living legend and shows he loves the sport by having a well-prepped practice track every Wednesday night and selected races during the year. He’s a wealth of motorcycle knowledge and a blast to talk to and pick his brain on many subjects.”
Singler was at his home in Brooksville when he passed in April at the age of 87. His obituary included this description of his passion for life and moto: “Often known to leave trophies behind and hang plaques on trees, George rode for the love of the sport, always looking toward the next race, the next challenge, or the next day. He talked about tomorrow and faced life head-on, including his eight-year battle with cancer.” George got mentioned on RacerX. I thought it was good to remember him again.
Singler became a promoter too when he took over Smith Road Raceway from 1971 through 2010, holding both races and track days for many years. He was also continued riding himself, as you can see in this video from 2014.
A friend and fellow rider named Mark Winfree said this of Singler a few years back: “George is a motocross living legend and shows he loves the sport by having a well-prepped practice track every Wednesday night and selected races during the year. He’s a wealth of motorcycle knowledge and a blast to talk to and pick his brain on many subjects.”
Singler was at his home in Brooksville when he passed in April at the age of 87. His obituary included this description of his passion for life and moto: “Often known to leave trophies behind and hang plaques on trees, George rode for the love of the sport, always looking toward the next race, the next challenge, or the next day. He talked about tomorrow and faced life head-on, including his eight-year battle with cancer.” George got mentioned on RacerX. I thought it was good to remember him again.