American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 235 February 2019 | Page 17

Donnie Smith Custom
Bike Show
The 32nd annual Dennis Kirk
Donnie Smith Bike Show
Midwest Extravaganza will be
staged at the Saint Paul River
Center, St Paul, Minnesota, on
Saturday March 23rd and
Sunday March 24th.
More than just a (very good)
custom bike show with a (also
very good) cash prize fund and
the imprimatur of an industry
legend, the show features
custom cars and bikes, a tattoo
show, vendors from all across
America, and a popular swap
meet billed as “The Largest
Parts Extravaganza on the
Planet.”
The show has grown
tremendously from its
beginnings and weathered the
downturn well to emerge as
“the largest custom bike show
in the Midwest.” Organizer Neil
Ryan says that this year it will
again comprise over 225,000
square feet of expo center
indoor show space, with
competition classes set to
include custom Baggers,
Choppers, retro Bobbers and
custom Cruisers.
In related news, Flat Track
racing is returning to the
Minnesota State Fairgrounds
for a second
consecutive year,
with The War of the
Twins II being
staged the evening
before the show,
Friday March 22,
with sponsors
including Lucas Oil
and S&S Cycle.
For thirteen
seasons, from 1968
to 1980, the Twin
Cities was the
spiritual home of
authentic indoor
flat track racing
with the revered
Minneapolis
Armory hosting
races “that filled
the cold winter
months with
handlebar-to-
handlebar,
down-and-dirty
race action. Over
those years,
hundreds of
privateer racers
found a home in
which to compete. As one of
the largest, most successful
and longest-running flat track
events, “The Indoors” put the
sport on the map.
“We were thrilled with the
attendance and incredible
reaction to the races last year,”
said Neil Ryan, promoter of the
Donnie Smith Bike & Car Show.
“Flat track has played into that
American spirit of
independence,
competitiveness, and the need
for speed, the elements that
make this such a great partner
sport for the Donnie Smith Bike
& Car Show. I rarely see a home
run in its first year like we
experienced. We expect this
event to continue to grow and
provide thrilling racing action
for years to come.”
donniesmithbikeshow.com
AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - FEBRUARY 2018
17