The Marion 200 Mile Motorcycle Championship

Meet the Wrecking Crew

The Marion 200 Mile Motorcycle Championship was one of the earliest big races held in the wake of World War I. The race sped over a 5.17 mile long road dirt course in Marion, Indiana on September 1, 1919.

Why was this such a big deal? It marked the return of the Big Three to fully supported factory racing after the war. Harley-Davidson, Indian, and Excelsior all had iron horses in the race. What’s more, the newly assembled factory team from Harley-Davidson established themselves at the event as the top team in the country to contend with, a legendary group of men and machines which would become known as the Wrecking Crew. Watch for Otto Walker, who wore his unique crested German aviator’s helmet, a souvenir he picked up during his service as an aviation mechanic in France the year prior.
Further, it was at Marion that racer Ray Weishaar sported a newly adopted pet pig, leading to the legend of the Harley hog. By the end of the grueling 206.9 mile race Harley-Davidson’s new team swept the podium, with Leslie “Red” Parkhurst coming in first place, Ralph Hepburn in second, and Otto Walker in third.