STURGIS, S.D.—Clarence “Pappy” Hoel wanted to promote his Indian Motorcycle dealership in Sturgis, South Dakota, in 1936. So he built a half-mile dirt oval track and invited a few like-minded gearheads to race their machines on it—cars included.
That informal race was so well-received that on Aug. 14, 1938, nine racers and an unknown number of spectators gathered for the first annual Black Hills Motor Classic.
