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23rd Annual Riding into History™
Motorcycle Concours d'Elegance

Get your Heart Racing
Competition Motorcycles

Saturday, April 15, 2023, Gates open at 10am
World Golf Village, St. Augustine, Florida
I-95, Exit 323

Riding Into History^™ 2023 Grand Marshals

Due to personal circumstances, Mary McGee is unable to be with us in person this April. To honor Mary’s many outstanding contributions to motorcycling, we have named her Honorary Grand Marshal for 2023. We are hopeful that she will be able to join us live and in person to be our Grand Marshal in 2024 for the 24^th Annual Riding Into History.

We are excited to announce that AMA Hall of Famer Brian Slark, of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum and Motogiro d’Italia Hall of Famer Vicki Smith, of Ducati North America will be our Grand Marshals for the 23^rd Annual Riding Into History on April 15, 2023 at the World Golf Village, St. Augustine, Florida. Brian and Vicki combined bring decades of industry expertise, competition bike knowledge and concours experience among many other things.

Brian Slark, AMA Hall of Fame

Brian Slark, from the AMA Archives

A true renaissance man in the world of motorcycling, AMA Hall of Famer Brian Slark is a jack of many trades and master of most. Collector, historian, importer, restorer, writer, entrepreneur, racing competitor, marketer – Brian has seemingly done it all.

Born in London, England in 1938, Brian became enamored with all things two wheeled when his dad took him to the Speedway Races at London’s Crystal Palace after the end of WWII. Brian was eight years old and hooked. Brian acquired his first bike, a BSA Bantam in 1954 and began work at Associated Motorcycles in 1957, where he field-tested and evaluated Matchless and AJS motorcycles for their Off-Road Department.

In 1963, the lure of desert racing drew him to Los Angeles, California and Brian decided to make the US his home. While living in California he worked for BSA Motorcycles as Service Manager and the Norton-Villiers Corporation and Norton-Triumph as National Service Manager before opening his own motorcycle shop specializing in the sales, repair and restoration of British bikes in 1976.

At the 1965 ISDT

Competing in motocross, scrambles and trials racing in the 1950’s through the 1970’s. Brian was instrumental in popularizing and establishing the sport of motocross in the United States. He was directly involved in the development of several motocross tracks and promoted the sport by teaching others how to ride motocross. A testament to his proficiency in competition, he rode in the International Six Days Trial (ISDT) in 1965 on the Isle of Man. Renamed the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) in 1981, this competition has been referred to as the Olympics of Motorcycling.

A proficient writer, as well as rider, Brian has written technical articles for Clymer Repair Manuals and Lucas Industries. In 1978, Brian was named the Volunteer Technical Editor for the International Norton Owners Association and still holds that position today. Brian’s writings have helped British bike owners repair and service their own bikes for decades, keeping their knees in the breeze.

Brian sold his shop in Southern California in 1986 and moved to St. Louis, Missouri to partner with fellow AMA Hall of Famer, Dave Mungenast, Sr. to continue his work in restoration and sales of classic motorcycles and to establish a motorcycle museum in St. Louis. By this time, Brian’s reputation for his ability to meticulously restore beautiful machines to seemingly new condition, his technical expertise and his vast working knowledge of motorcycles preceded him.

In 1995, Brian Slark was hired into his dream job when George Barber offered him a position at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Alabama as Technical Consultant. Mr. Barber’s desire was to create the best motorcycle museum in the world and Brian has been instrumental in bringing that dream to fruition. In 2014, Guinness World Records officially recognized Barber as the world's largest motorcycle collection.

In addition to procurement and restoration work done at the museum, Brian was heavily involved in creating The Art of The Motorcycle exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City in 1998. It is estimated that two million people viewed the exhibition in four different venues as it toured for nearly five years. Brian was also instrumental in the establishment of the Barber Vintage Festival held each year in October at the Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama. In 2023 the Barber Vintage Festival will celebrate its 18^th year with vintage races, vendors, exhibits, swap meets and all that it brings.

When asked how many bikes he has owned, Brian did not know the actual number and replied with a chuckle, “A lot.” His favorite bike was his BSA 441 on a Cheney frame. Brian built the bike himself to his own specifications and said it was the lightest, best motocross bike he ever rode. Brian’s most memorable restoration project was a Norvin, a Vincent engine in a Norton frame. He said every restoration has its own unique appeal, but the Norvin sticks out. Brian feels his biggest contribution to the world of motorcycling is “trying to make sure the written word is correct; that the history is recorded, not distorted.”

Perhaps the pinnacle of Brian’s career success came in 2012 when he was inducted to the AMA Hall of Fame. An innately humble man, Brian simply asked “why me?” when he received the news. Brian served as Grand Marshal for the 17^th Annual Barber Vintage Festival in 2022 and we are excited to have him as one of our Grand Marshals for the 23^rd Annual Riding Into History.

Vicki Smith, Motogiro d'Italia Hall of Fame

Vicki Smith, 2023 Grand Marshal, Riding into History

An amazing force of a woman, Motogiro d’Italia Hall of Famer Vicki Smith is known internationally as the go to authority on all things Ducati. Driving race cars for seventeen years, Vicki still had a need for speed after leaving the sport. Ducati motorcycles filled that need. She fell in love with the superb engineering and design, Italian styling, great performance and the speed of Ducati. Vicki has been instrumental in the brand’s success in North America, founding Ducati.net to give Ducati owners and professionals worldwide the ability to connect in real time to share ideas, news of events and technical support.

As a consultant with Ducati North America since the early 1990's, Vicki worked with their Marketing Department on the Event Team. A versatile person with many skills in her toolbox, duties included clubs, event staffing, photography and social media. Because she is a top authority on the history of Ducati, she is often charged with curating and organizing historical themed displays worldwide, as well as modern bike shows.

She is a mentor to official owner’s clubs and a brand ambassador at motorcycle events the world over. A prolific photojournalist, Vicki’s articles have been published in Rider, Cycle World, Ducati.net, Ductalk.com, Motorcycle Classics magazine, Café Racer magazine, New Atlas ezine (formerly GizMag), Motorcycle magazine and Benzina magazine, where she served as the Chief Photographic Consultant since 2010.

Vicki at home

Because of her expertise and extensive knowledge, Vicki has been invited to be class curator and judge at some of the most prestigious motorcycle shows and concours in the US and abroad. She has been involved with the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, the Monterey Motorcycle Meet, the Dania Beach Vintage Motorcycle Show, the Big Kahuna AMA Weekend at Road Atlanta, the Quail Motorcycle Gathering in California, the Los Angeles Ducati Week, Riding Into History, the Barber Vintage Festival, many café racer bike shows and Ducati World Week in Misano, Italy.

Vicki’s first experience motorcycling was about age thirteen in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where she was born and raised. Her friends with dirt bikes let her ride and they would scramble up a large dirt hill then back down again, over and over. Her first bike was a Honda CL450, her daily rider to and from high school. Her dad knew it and kept it quiet from her mom. The bike stayed hidden in the bushes. Vicki’s sister let the cat out of the bag when Vicki picked her up from school on the bike one day.

Vicki was the first woman to ever ride in the prestigious Motogiro d’Italia, a grueling multi day commemorative race through the quaint villages and cities of the Italian countryside. With its roots in European road racing, the Motogiro became exclusive to motorcycles only in 1914 and reached its peak of success and fame in the years 1953 – 1957. In 1957 the Italian government banned all road racing and it was not run again until 1989 after the ban was lifted.

Vicki in Italy

Vicki Smith was there in 1989 and became the first woman ever to run in the Motogiro. Vicki was adamant that she be able to ride a vintage bike, so the officials contacted a local man who had a stash of bikes in a shed. Vicki related that riding a vintage Italian bike is somewhat like a new relationship. The first meeting is awkward, but after a while you figure out what each other likes and it gets easier. She had multiple ongoing issues with the bike she received, as it was not in running condition when pulled out of the shed for the race.

At that time in Italy, women did not ride motorcycles and prostitution was accepted. Due to the excitement surrounding the Motogiro running the first time in over 30 years, there were plenty of working girls all over the route and in the small towns. Vicki found that these ladies were more than happy to help push start her bike and cheer her on whenever she needed it. Vicki became the sweetheart of the event and was on the news every night. The old Italian women especially loved her, yelling Brava Signora as she rode by. Vicki recalls the church bells would all be ringing the and school kids would come out to cheer them on when the riders would pass through a town. Vicki would come back to compete in a total of twelve Motogiro d’Italia commemorative races and was inducted into the Motogiro d’Italia Hall of Fame as the first woman to ever ride the Motogiro.

In 1999, Vicki was attending the Motogiro and the top boss of Ducati Italy approached her. This naturally made her a little nervous. He told her she was the most important woman to Ducati because she was organic Ducati. He said no other woman had done what she had done on her own, not being coached and taught how to ride like some of the other women who raced motorcycles. A high compliment indeed.

Vicki feels her greatest contribution to the world of motorcycling is “helping people have fun at it.” She loves taking friends to Motogiro to introduce them to all things Italian and the epic road race. She makes sure her volunteers always get the autographs of the racers and have access to the same areas she can go to. She likes to bring people to the sport, then teach and mentor them from her vast experience and knowledge, which she freely shares. Vicki says, “At the end of the day there is nothing better than a cold beverage in a parking lot with friends after a day of riding.” We are excited to have Vicki as one of our Grand Marshals for the 23^rd Annual Riding Into History.

Honorary Grand Marshal Mary McGee

We are thrilled to announce that trail blazer, glass ceiling smasher, AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer and Off-Road Motorcycle Hall of Famer Mary McGee has been named the Grand Marshal of the 23^rd Annual Riding into History™ celebrating "Get your Heart Racing - Competition Motorcycles" to be held at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida on April 14-15, 2023.

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Mary McGee is one of the most pioneering motorcyclists in history. She not only broke barriers for women riders, but for all riders. Her accomplishments are many and have impacted the sport in numerous ways.

Born in 1936 in Juneau, Alaska, she later lived in Iowa and then Arizona. She met her husband, Don, who was an expert mechanic and introduced her to car and motorcycle racing. In 1957, she began racing cars with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). Through a series of fortunate introductions, she was offered a variety of cars to race, and consistently won her races. Instantly recognizable in her pink polka-dot helmet, she raced sports cars by Mercedes, Ferrari, Porsche, AC, Corvette, Elva, Jaguar, and Lotus, winning races at tracks in Arizona, California, and Texas.

She described herself as “fast on my feet, fast with my brain, self-conscious and lacking confidence,” however she had “no trouble with confidence on the racetrack.”

Mary purchased her first motorcycle, a 200cc Triumph Tiger Cub, in 1957. She knew nothing about motorcycles but was willing to learn. The only problem was, it didn’t always start. So it got traded for a Honda C110, which McGee used to commute to her job as parts manager at Flint British Motors.

Ironically, it was car racing that began McGee's foray into motorcycle road racing in 1960. She was racing a Porsche Spyder in Santa Barbara, California and the car's owner, Czech race-car icon Vasek Polak, suggested to McGee's husband that racing a motorcycle would enhance her car-racing skills, "Make even more smooth in the car." When they sprang the idea on her back in the pits she responded with her trademark, "Okay, why not give it a try?" In 1960, McGee called Wes Cooley Sr. about road racing a bike. Cooley called around and found that she would have to audition in order to get her FIM license. Her tryout was at Willow Springs two weeks later. After riding on the track the whole day with about 9 other riders, Wes Sr. let her know she was accepted to race the next race. She became first woman to road race and hold an FIM license in the United States – on a 125 Honda CB92, wearing her pink polka-dot helmet.

This was just one of many firsts she has accomplished. A January 1962 Motor Trend article started with “Housewives revolt!” and ended with “So ladies, if your life is dull and you are bored with freeway traffic, don’t give up. Buy a motorcycle and join Mary McGee.”

A New Year’s Eve party in 1963 attended by Hollywood stars who raced both cars and motorcycles, introduced her to a new form of racing. McGee recalls actor Steve McQueen telling her, “McGee, you’ve got to get off that pansy road-racing bike and come out to the desert.” “And get dirty?” she responded. Her husband told her it was a great idea, and she was off.

Mary racing the Baja 500 in 1975 aboard her Husky 250

In late 1966, Cooley Sr. reached out to McGee to get her "desert sleds" running. Although popular in Europe, motocross hadn't yet hit the US and in February 1967, she became the first woman to race motocross in the States when she switched to dirt riding and rode her 1962 250cc Honda Scrambler in an AMA District 37 enduro. She was there for the first motocross races at Carlsbad and Saddleback, and also raced at numerous west-coast tracks.

Also in 1967, McGee finished the first Mexican 1000 in a Datsun 510. She continued competing in the Mexican 1000 in 68 and 69. She later became the first person (and woman) to ride the Baja 500 solo on her Husqvarna 250 which was one of her most memorable accomplishments as she finished ahead of several two-man teams. She says racing in Baja was the hardest thing she did in her life.

In 1970, the McGees moved to Idaho and opened a small Husqvarna dealership. Two years later, she became the Husky District Manager for seven western states, all the while racing motocross in Idaho, Washington, and Nevada, and escalating her involvement in the Baja. Also in the 1970s, McGee worked for Motorcyclist magazine and joined a 24-hour endurance road race in Las Vegas, in which the magazine’s team changed riders every hour on a 650cc Suzuki.

Mary McGee, with the iconic Laguna Seca Corkscrew in the background

Mary has served as an ambassador for motorcycling, whether as a pioneering female competitor or through her speaking engagements that encourage women to try motorcycling and racing. “I would like to see more women — and more younger women — get involved. It’s not whether you finish first, second or last. It’s the struggle to finish. It is the journey of your life, I never experienced any backlash being a female on a motorcycle, or maybe I just never noticed.” McGee is quoted as saying.

In 2011, she got her Motorcycle Street license at age 75. In 2018, Mary was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame.

Sadly, Mary suffered an injury this year which prevents her from joining us, so instead of attending as Grand Marshal for 2023, we are honoring Mary as our Honorary Grand Marshal.

23rd Annual Riding into History™ Motorcycle Concours d'Elegance

Get your Heart Racing Competition Motorcycles

Saturday, April 15, 2023, Gates open at 10am World Golf Village, St. Augustine, Florida I-95, Exit 323

Riding Into History™ 2023 Grand Marshals