Al & Maryjane -

Thanks for all the great years you have devoted to AHRMA! Get well soon.

Watching Al Knapp on his Indian even into his 70s was something, saw him crash hurt / fractured wrist, was back at track watching later in the day!!

You could tell with Al riding that Indian hand shifter, he had skills that went back decades!! More of the rich experience from AHRMA . Hope Al and wife get to doing better, great folks!!

Beno and I called and talked to Al and MaryJane a few months ago. Seemed like they were doing fine, just couldn’t hear very good, which is understandable. Sorry to hear they’re not doing so good now. We had alot of fun times with them in the ’80′s and 90′s when we all traveled around the USA and Canada. Thanks for sharing their recent move and address.

I was running Sportsman 650 in the mid eighties and Al would be running his Indian in the same race. He was a man that you could trust to do the right thing on the track.
An example of this was when I came up on him exiting a corner , we were so close my handlebars were over his seat. I reached over and touched him and he without looking eased away to give me room. Ever since then on the rare occasion that I got close enough to him I would pat him on the back.
Al was much more than a competitor he was also a gentleman. Being thoughtful enough to send photographs that he had taken of you at a race.
My wife and I wish them both well.
ps Then there was the time that we raced our identical motor homes around Grattan race track , but then again there are many more stories.

Al was always a force to be reckoned with…you`d pass him early on in a race and figured you had him taken care of. Well, he was behind you taking notes and on the last lap here comes the silver fox… lesson learned. I called him the poster boy for Viagra because he was always in great shape and probably forgot more than we will ever remember when it comes to racing handshifters. And he raced Harley- Davidson`s, not Indians, so get your facts straight….just look for old # 26…he`s a legend. And Mary Jane is a sweetheart. They`re both a perfect example of what a racing couple should be….thanks for all the great memories! Art Delor AHRMA Class”C” Handshift # 12

Damn…. Al was my hero I will miss him.

In Memory:

Al Knapp 6/29/1922 – 5/10/2013
I’ve known Al for most of my life, my father had met Al through motorcycle racing and they remained friends until his passing yesterday morning. I’ve had the good fortune of being able to be around and learn from some very fascinating people, and Al was certainly one of them.
Al was amazing in that he raced (and won) well into his eighties. Not only did he still ride exceptionally, but he was a very good mechanic and innovator right up until he decided that he could no longer consider himself a threat to win, and as Al put it: “If I don’t think I have a chance to win, then I shouldn’t be racing”. Ironically, it was a slip on the ice and broken hip that probably shortened his racing career from what it could have been.
Al was much more than a motorcycle racer, during his life Al was a;
Professional boxer
Survived WWII in the navy in the South Pacific
Professional motorcycle racer
Professional race car mechanic including, multiple Indy 500’s
Helped to build, develop and race the Baja Boot, a car which was later driven by Steve McQueen (with Al as the mechanic)
Successful business owner (Gaskets Inc.)
A talented scuba diver
An avid photographer
Exceptional machinist and tool maker as well as an outstanding mechanic
I’m sure the list includes many activities that I don’t even know about. But most of all, to me and the many people who have come to know Al here at work, Al was an “inspiration”. He showed us all what a person was capable of if they just “didn’t quit”. One saying that he often repeated (and those of you who know Al have heard this I’m sure) is, “Success is spelled, w-o-r-k”.
There are so many stories that I would like to tell, but this would go on forever. I would like to say that I consider myself fortunate to be able to say that Al was my friend, and all of us here at Industrial Boring Co. send our thoughts and prayers to Mary Jane.
As my son puts it, Al was like the guy in those commercials where they talk about “the most interesting man in the world”. Except that Al was the real thing! Al you will be missed!

Jay Kaip

What a GENTLEMAN. ALWAYS LOOKED FORWARD TO SITTIN AND TALKIN IN THE PIT ON THE REAR OF HIS TRAILER. WOULD NEVER LET ONE ASSIST IN LOADING/UNLOADING… HE Had his system! Always a smile. Always got to practice with him as the shifters ran with the 200gp group. Couldn’t wait to come up on Al. Would spend the rest of the time following and watching the FLOW. What an honor.!!!
Ran into the back /front of the Hand Shifters last lap,last turn at Talledega.
Could not/would not take the chance to hit Al… backed out and Pontilete took me a few feet… The only time I never minded 2nd in my entire race life.
He was a blessing to his wife ,his family and to all who love motorcycle racing. May some of us finish off like BIG AL. God Speed, SIR.

I first heard about AHRMA in ’91 and attended the ’92 Daytona to observe, I was floored watching this older guy wrench on his orange Harley WR prepping for the big race ! Spent most of that day hanging in his pit and asking alot of dumb questions, at one point he looked up from his bike and said : do you wanna race a handshifter ? Yea I do , well then he said get yourself a bike and come race with us, I spent that entire year building a bike and was on the starting grid of the ’93 Daytona. It took several years but I’ll never forget the first time I passed Al, it was at the beginning of the long back straight at Mid Oh, I couldn’t believe I passed Al Knapp !! Almost at the end of the straight I noticed this figure slowly creeping by me, it was Al, I swear he held it wide open into the corner ! Thanks for all the memories Al, ride on

I am sad by the passing of AL and at the same time happy because of knowing he is in a good place.
Racing with Al when I was in the 200 GP class and the old bikes started before us was always fun when I caught up to Al we would wave at each other sometimes I would even ride along side of him for a while then when the race was over I would go over and shake his hand and we would talk about the race.
He was a great example of a real person, salt of the earth kind of guy and will be missed by many.

Al was my hero.

I had the pleasure of meeting Al way back, when I purchased the WR he campaigned on in his early racing career.
As the “new” owner I was keen to gain as much info as was possible, and to meet the man that did so well on it, way back when!
Al was very welcoming and we remained in contact over the years.
I was saddened to learn of his passing…..
A group of us from Australia took our Class C Racers to Daytona in 2007, and had a ball. Al had hurt is hip ( I think ) falling on ice and did not compete with us, but was most helpful in speaking with me with regard to Class C Racing in the States, and the rules and gearing etc.
We all sent him a get well card.
I have a file on Al.
In fact last week, I was reading up on timing 45″ scavenge pumps without taking the cam cover off, so his advise(s) will remain….
I/we send our thoughts to Al’s family and friends in this sad time.
Sincerely, Tony Blain and Al’s Aussie mates.