Mark Brelsford - Anybody?

[Hogboy]

Anybody remember the spectacular Mark Brelsford of the Harley Wrecking Crew? Absolutely brilliant on the mile and also pretty good at RR too. http://www.harleykrxlrtt.com/images/01p-1972-brelsford-3sm.jpg p.s. I think his career ended at Daytona as a result of this terrifying impact. http://www.amaflattrack.com/adm/upl/5dneoffw00_1062181553.jpg

 

[ghabel]

That last photo is just plain nasty. We haven't seen fire like that in many years. Was there a change in fuel or something that prevents this in todays races? Greg COG # 7010/7010a (Tracey) CDA 0120 Connie Droppers Anonymous Awards Dude (CDAAD) 99 Connie "Herrin Christabelle". 05 Ninja 250

 

[Gil F.]

I remember reading that he had a career ending wreck but have never seen that picture before. He was one of the big names when I was heavy into all things related to motorcycles. My son got me a copy of the dvd "On Any Sunday" a few years ago and I have go get it out ever once in a while and flashback.

 

[Lake Cle Elum]

Coming back to defend his title, Brelsford had the terrible crash at Daytona. Larry Darr's bike had blown a motor and was barely moving around the track with Darr trying to nurse the bike back to the pits. Brelsford was tucked in close behind two other riders as they came around to the high-speed infield kink. The two riders veered around Darr at the last moment and Brelsford didn't have time to do evade the slow-moving bike. The impact broke both of Brelsford's legs, shattered his hand and wrist and left him with numerous other injuries. Brelsford was forced to sit out the rest of the season. The lasting effect of that crash was the damage it did to Brelsford's hand. He had three surgeries on the hand during 1973 trying to make it right for the '74 season. When he came back, his hand still was not right. In all he would eventually have a total of seven operations on the hand. The Brelsford name was carried on that year by younger brother Scott, who won the AMA Rookie of the Year Award in 1973. Another brother, Kirk, who Mark said was even faster than Scott, also raced for a time. In June, 1974, Mark was involved in another bad crash at the national in Columbus, Ohio. Once again both legs were badly broken. While in the hospital he suffered a blood clot and nearly died. Harley-Davidson kept his ride open for him and Brelsford fully intended to come back. But one day, after yet another surgery on his hand, Brelsford, sitting in the hospital, just decided to call it quits. Brelsford remembers his feelings at the time. "I was getting a little tired of hospitals by that time. I woke up in the recovery room and it just dawned on me, 'I'm not going to race anymore.' I really loved the wilderness and had discovered Alaska six months earlier. I called **** O'Brien at about two in the morning and said, '****, I'm quitting and moving to Alaska.' " So Brelsford virtually disappeared from the racing scene overnight. His mother had invested most of his race earnings in San Francisco-area real estate. It proved to be an excellent investment, so Mark had enough money to take some time off and move to Alaska. He got involved in real estate there and was still in that business during the time of his induction in 1998. Brelsford occasionally makes appearances at vintage events to catch up with his old friends.