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| Hornell, NY hill climb, 1936 |
In the 1920's and 1930's, the sport of motorcycle hill climbing was at it's peak across America. The sport was so popular that many movie theaters showed clips from recent hill climbing events as part of the preview reel before the start of the movie. The rules were simple, whoever got the farthest up the slope was the winner, but the racing was dangerous. At such steep grades, the motorcycles could easily roll backwards on top of their riders. Harley-Davidson, Indian and Excelsior all fielded factory racers to compete for the coveted victories hoping that they would result in higher sales.
In 1937, Harold "Hap" Seamans won the National Hillclimb Championship at Mt. Garfield in the 80 Class B division. The following picture of him cresting the top of Mt. Garfield appeared in the September 1937 issue of The Enthusiast. This caption followed the picture:
“With a tremendous burst of horsepower Class B Champion, Seamans, comes flying over the crest.”  |
| Hornell, NY hill climb |
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| Syracuse Class B hill climb |
1 comment:
I am communicating with persons that are searching for information on Harold 'Hap' Seamons, H.D. Factory sponsored National Champion Hill-climber. I visited 'Hap' Seamons several times at a nursing home in Syracuse, NY with my Dad John W. Brandt, before he passed on in the sixty's. My dad shared stories about 'Hap' during our visits to 'Hap's' room. I'm not aware of any family members in the immediate area. I remember that 'Hap' suffered a spinal injury when he fell off the porch railing before his demise. The nursing home was run by Onondaga County and was based near OCC campus. If I can answer any other questions, please send requests to my email address.
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