Five-time National Scrambles Champion, "Stan The Man" Engdahl suffers a massive heart attack and dies in Lindsborg, Kansas.
Stan Engdahl was a legitimate legend on the dirt tracks of the Midwest. His racing career spanned an incredible 60 years from the 1940's to the 1990's. During that time, Stan won more than 600 trophies, including 5 National Scramble Championships and 16 Kansas State Championships. Also known as "King of the K" because every trophy and championship he won was on a Harley-Davidson K Model.
Engdahl credits his wins to the innovative and creative ways he and his pit crew came up with ideas to make those K Models lighter and more powerful. According to a 2004 Salina Journal (Kansas) article written about him, Engdahl and his crew "ran the oil through the motorcycle frame, which eliminated the weight of the oil pan. They hollowed out bolts, changed the engine timing, and regularly monitored the horsepower." Engdahl cut extra grooves in the tread of his tires or sanded down certain parts of the tread to handle the corners better. He was also known for making oil tanks out of old shot up road signs.
Stan Engdahl earned a reputation as one of the most passionate and toughest dirt track racers in the United States. That reputation was never more apparent than when he won the 1962 Kansas Scrambles Championship. He entered the race with two broken bones in his right leg following a racing accident a few weeks earlier. "The race officials weren't going to let me race in Wichita that weekend because I couldn't get protective gear on over my cast", he said. "I finally convinced the officials to let me race, but I had to sign a special waiver before they'd allow me on the track." He taped a piece of wood to his leg to reinforce the cast and then tied his leg to the frame of his motorcycle prior to the race. "The officials thought I was nuts…they might have been right….but I won my third State Championship that day," stated Engdahl proudly.
Today in motorcycle history proudly supports the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD). www.nabd.org.uk
Stan Engdahl earned a reputation as one of the most passionate and toughest dirt track racers in the United States. That reputation was never more apparent than when he won the 1962 Kansas Scrambles Championship. He entered the race with two broken bones in his right leg following a racing accident a few weeks earlier. "The race officials weren't going to let me race in Wichita that weekend because I couldn't get protective gear on over my cast", he said. "I finally convinced the officials to let me race, but I had to sign a special waiver before they'd allow me on the track." He taped a piece of wood to his leg to reinforce the cast and then tied his leg to the frame of his motorcycle prior to the race. "The officials thought I was nuts…they might have been right….but I won my third State Championship that day," stated Engdahl proudly.
Today in motorcycle history proudly supports the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD). www.nabd.org.uk
