This is a true story and we won't get into how I heard it. I just read this- this morning.

Hello,
My friend and I rode together back in the early 80's and late 70's. I rode a Hutch Pro Racer and he got a DB Turbo. We actually met Harry Leary at our local track during the War Of The Stars VI here in Raleigh NC in 1983. He and Greg Hill were out mingling with some of us locals after practice one day and we took him up to see some of our jumps we had built nearby. Harry liked the fact that my buddy had a Turbo and decided to hang out with us and have some fun. He's still got the bike and even the trophy that Harry promised he would donate to him if he won, which he did. Me and my buddy each took a third place trophy in our own divisions and went home with Leary's autograph, pics, his trophy he won, and some damn good memories, along with smiles you could not wipe off for anything.
Shannon




Cool huh?

Cool story.

That's the kind of stuff that makes BMX what it is.

Post some pics of your stuff, the bikes, the tropheys! Harry was a Great guy. Met him for the first time in San Antonio at the Lone Star Nationals in 1982. Our teams pitted mext to each other. Very cool guy. He actually walked up to me after I had come back from a Practice run and suggested a gear swap. Boy was he right!!! I wouldnt have gotten out of the Heats if not for that change!!

Very cool story. Pics of the bike and trophy??

I have that race on dvd......triple header weekend....Raleigh indoors, Raleigh indoors and Virginia outdoors. Harry won pro trophy at Raleigh both days as I remember.

Great story and it doesn't suprise me at all about Harry.

I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of time with many of the top pro's in the 80's. Summer tour always stopped at my parents house when I was on GT along with my team we always had the Hutch, Diamond Back and Free Agent motorhomes camping out in the drive way for a week between nationals. It was a great time and Harry would always interact with us lil kids and kids in the neighborhood who didn't race but knew darn well who Harry was thanks to BMX Action.

Damn Lone, we are agreeing in yet something else. Cool

Harry is good people. At Rockford a few years ago he did one of the classiest moves from a a former Pro I ever seen. I was displaying David Clinton's Kawasaki, he came up to me, we talked for a little, asked me if he could go to DC's Kawie. I was a bit confused and just daid "huh, ok" He walks up to it and rubs it with his hand for "good luck"

Classy, classy move with respect to the sport and the roots of the sport

Well, I never got a chance to meet Harry. We have spoken through email when he owned Dirtwerkx and through Thumperpilot. I've met very few pros, but one thing seems to remain consistent with them all: They realize how blessed they are and even though they are not rock stars, they understand the charmed lives they lead or have led doing something they love. And they realize to us they really are rock stars.

I've really been hit over the head with a lack of work, but if things play out well for me this year, I might do something for Harry and try to catch up with him at next year's Rockford.

Time will tell.

Deanna- Congratulations on your 3rd year Hall of fame nomination

Turbo just turned 50 not long a go. He's still races and visits this site from time to time. He's in super great shape and is doing well.

Harry Leary is another one of the true classy giants of BMX. I never met him BITD, but I have traded a few emails with him, through this site, over the years. He's been gracious and cool everytime.

There are a few new school stories about him and different members of this site - all cool as hell.

When I was told the above story I thought I just had to post it up here. Guess what? There may be pictures connected with this story. I am waiting for them. The guy asked me for my email address and said something about pictures.

We will see but I will post them if I get them.

I met Harry at his track in Ontario CA when I came back to racing after 20 years. I was still star struck after a 20 year absence. When I was a kid I thought his name was "Hairy Larry". LOL

When I was a kid, I continually corrected people who made that mistake. Glad you got to meet him.

I just invited this guy Shannon to become a member here so he can finish up this story. I sent him a link to the thread and I expect him to come on here and give us all the pictures.

The kid with the Turbo just agreed to sell it to Shannon and he may still have the trophy. Trophy goes with the bike.

I think it would be great if the Trophy made it back to Harry, if it still exists.

Okay, I'm going to wait for Shannon to finish up. I expect him to make an appearance.

Great story. I met Harry several years ago as we were both waiting to get into the Vegas Supercross finals. He was behind me in line and I noticed him. "Harry Leary?" I hadn't followed much BMX for year at the time, he was super nice and we got to talk for a little bit. Nice guy.

Cool. Well, it says he has 67 posts here since '04. If he sees this thread, I hope it makes him feel good.

I'm sure he needs no reminder, nor reinforcement, of his "legend" status. Not like it's a news flash or anything.

I would love for him to get to talk to Shannon on this thread. That would be totally cool.

Yeah that would be WAY cool! My buds and I were pretty starstruck at first but he was such a cool guy to hang around, he quickly set our minds at ease.

Yep, I'm Shannon. Howdy dudes!..and dudettes! Nice to meet ya!

First post here.

Wow.....ya tell somebody a story in an email on ebay, and suddenly...one day later it's a thread on a cool BMX forum.

Well I guess I should fess up... I made the whole thing up!
Bwahahahahaha!

Ok....just kidding...lol! Better post the real deal before I get axed for being a troll.

Just bustin your balz a little there Lonewolf! It's all good.

Thanks for introducing me to this cool website. It'll be fun to read through here and see what's shakin in the sport since I stopped participating around a quarter century ago....wow...
Now I feel old...

I'm workin on that one....I just talked to my friend last night. We haven't seen each other in a long time. He said he would sell me the ol Turbo if I wanted to try and restore it to at least part of it's original glory. It's been in a crawlspace under his dad's house for about 20 yrs though, so I'm not sure how much work I've got cut out for me yet til I actually see it. Looking forward to it though.
He also said he thinks he might still have the trophy harry gave him....so I'm keepin my fingers and toes crossed about that. He said I could have it with the deal if he can find it.

Keep in mind, this was 26 years ago when we met Harry at the War Of The Stars VI here in Raleigh. A lot has happened since then, with Steve and with me....many many parties, and many different moves from place to place...I'm trying to remain hopeful.

Aww crap...you're kidding me right? lol

Well the jokes on both of us then I guess......

I made that whole story up! hahahahaha


:-(

This is the email he just sent me. - Silly A s s.

I laughed even though I thought it was a fake story until I came here to post it was fake and found it was still a real story. - Just now.

I must apologize to the VintageBMX community in advance for dragging into the house what might surely be a problem child!

I'm gonna get you fer that one.

Listen up Nlybalz, go read. There is a ton of stuff here and a few specific BMX collector heros (Rielley1), and restoration mad scientists (TedCarl).

I am nobody special. People just make fun of me for having a screen name that they think, I think is cool. I'm basically no one to affiliate with, but I am really good at both nose diving threads by simply posting and creating threads that break speed records in reverse.

GOTCHA!!

Dude...always read all the way to the bottom of an email or post...lol. I think ya might have missed some of my message....just don't post the rest of it here if you don't mind. I'm still trying to get all my facts straight...lol...

Thanks for the tips too bro. I think maybe I've found a good place to talk shop with like minded folks, thanks to you and another friend of mine who, like I think I told ya, called me out of the blue last week to talk about old times when we rode BMX every day from sunup to sundown. He found my sisters page on Facebook and got in touch with me. I'll have to see if he's a member here too. I know he goes to some other sites like this.
bmxmuseum is one of em...

Well I guess this thread is worthless now without pics. That's why I didn't even want to start it until I could get a little farther along with this....then introduce myself....
I'll put some up as soon as I can get some. I do have a few from the race but would love to see that DVD that was referred to by Loper. Sent him a PM, maybe he will respond.

I do have some great vintage photos from BITD (late 70's -early 80's), of my friends and I catching some sweet air at the local track, some of our jumps we built, and at the old closed down skatepark (R.I.P.).
I guess I should post those somewhere.

Thanks for the warm welcome y'all.

It's all good, man. Go dig the thread up when you get pics. It's all the same. I wish you the best of luck on the Turbo.

Wolf time to pull out your tribute bike at the next old school show!

Nice stuff

Thanks Kollay. We will see how it goes. Looks like at least a few people went all out. I wasn't able to make it.

Who keeps the schedule to these shows? Are they posted anywhere on this site? Be cool to see one if it came through Raleigh. Maybe even have to take one of my bikes to one after I'm done whipping them back into shape.

Ok...I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve now... I'm gettin pretty excited to see the Turbo for the first time in at least 20 years. My buddy is finally bringing it over on Wed. Man this is gonna be cool! Even found out there's a new track that was recently built, and pretty close to my house.


Also found a few pics from that War Of The Stars VI. Anyone know where I can look up some info on the race? Would they have records going back that far on the ABA or NBL sites?

Cool pics. I don't think the sanctioning bodies have much in the way of archived results that they make available on their websites.

This is a rare photo of Harry in 1989 or '88. It won't be up forever, so copy it if you want it.

Thanks Lonewolf! Cool pic. Is that yours?

Here's the autograph he gave me back in '83...it was in with my BMX pics I dug out the other day and scanned a bunch of.


Harry was a CLASS ACT.

Less than 24 hrs to go now til DB Turbotime...yay!....tick....tock...tick....tock....lol....

Congrats. Waiting only makes it better.

That's not my picture, but I found it totally by accident and I have never seen it before. I collect Harry pics, off the net, and have never come across it before.

Hey Lonewolf, you seem to be somewhat of an expert on restoring DBs. Where do I need to look to find some new F&F decals if I end up having to strip this baby down....and redo it?

<prays not...>