Motorcycle Drag Racing History now on Television!
A television show will begin airing on February 16, 2023, on Dragbike.com and on Pittsfield Community Television channel 2, public access TV, out of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, to help preserve the history of motorsports for all time. The whole purpose of the show is to secure a historical, archival record of significant motorsports moments, hence the title of the show “Motorsports Moments.”
The host of the series is the Senior Editor of Dragbike.com, Tom McCarthy, who has been photographing, writing, and reporting on motorcycle drag racing since April of 1981. Tom began with The Motorcyclist’s Post, a New England Regional news magazine. His stories and photos have appeared in countless publications over the decades, in print beginning in 1981, until he went digital in 2012 and continues with Dragbike.com.
CLICK HERE to WATCH SEASON 1 – EPISODE 1: The Drag Bikes of Elmer Trett
Mr. McCarthy commented, “I have long wanted to do a series of programs and interviews similar to the famous CBS 60 Minutes news and information show, where you just get the facts on a particular topic or personality. Such a show allows viewers to sit down for up to an hour, uninterrupted, view and listen to a moderator on a select historical topic of significance and learn something new about that subject.”
In beginning the new seasonal series, season 1, episode 1, begins with a look at the drag bikes built and raced by Elmer Trett. Elmer is the most recognizable figure in motorcycle drag racing, and is held in high esteem globally. Trett is an iconic figure in American motor sports history. Elmer Trett is the first Top Fuel motorcycle drag racer to crest the 200 MPH mark in sanctioned motorcycle drag racing competition. He did so at the prestigious NHRA US Nationals in 1983. He then went on to become the first to breach the 210, 220, and 235 MPH marks in sanctioned racing competition. More often than not, during Trett’s 20 years of Top Fuel motorcycle drag racing, he was the fastest man in the world on two wheels. Tragically, he lost his life while racing in 1996, but his legacy lives on.
The initial episode of Motorsports Moments takes a deep dive into the drag bikes built and raced by Elmer Trett from his earliest beginnings, up through 1996. The 11 drag bikes he built and raced were all created by his hand and the show is focused on these motorcycles, highlighted by photographs from the Trett family archive.
McCarthy commented, “This series will focus on some of the biggest names in our sport as well as historical moments, which have impacted motorsports. Some interviews will be conducted on location as well as in the studio, to give viewers a clear view of a specific subject. Ultimately these shows will create a colorful mosaic chronicling various aspects of motorsports, while creating an archival historical record.”
Future episodes slated for production include the life and times of Jim & Phyllis McClure, Sam Wills and Jimmy Doyle. Two additional episodes are currently in the planning stages for 2023 production, which will resume in April of this year. While three episodes are slated for 2023, the target is to produce four episodes of Motorsports Moments each season, beginning in 2024.
To watch the original show as seen on Pittsfiled Community Television (PCTV) click here.
Our thanks to Rick Foulkrod and the staff at PCTV for the production of this program.
