Photo: jerrysavoie.com
An alligator farmer from Louisiana is the winner of the 2016 National Hot Rod Association Pro Stock Motorcycle drag racing championship.
Although the NHRA is best-known for its car racing, its drag bike series is arguably the most-watched motorcycle racing in North America, simply because the car guys have to watch the bikes as well (unless they leave until they’re over, and the cars are back on track). Canada’s CMDRA series is NHRA-sanctioned, but we really don’t hear much about the NHRA bike races here in the Great White North.
This year, the title was won by Jerry Savoie, riding a Suzuki. Savoie’s story is wild: He’s in his 50s, having started a second career in drag racing at age 52 back in 2011, after 32 years away from bikes. What had he been doing in the meantime, you ask? How about, running an alligator farm in Louisiana? He made enough money from that gig to resume the hobby that had kept him busy as a youth, and he’s doing very well at it.
Savoie won two events this year, and was runner-up at four others, but never led the 2016 series until last weekend, when he took the title at Ponoma, after his main competition, Andrew Hines, was knocked out early in the racing.
Given that he’s approaching the age many people consider retirement, you’d think Savoie might consider hanging up his leathers, but that’s not the case. Word is, he’s coming back next year, with a considerably younger teammate — Savoie used to race with his father.
Find more of Savoie’s wacky story here at USA Today, or at his website here.
