Harley-Davidson® Rider Dominates Canadian Dirt Tracks

Deeley Harley-Davidson® Canada/Clare's Harley-Davidson® of Niagara-sponsored dirt track champion Donald Taylor of Welland, Ontario, added another page to the Canadian Motorcycle Association record book by obtaining his sixth consecutive National Championship and number-one plate win this past weekend in Leamington, Ontario.

Taylor rebounded from a mediocre start that saw him in sixth place entering turn one, and he quickly dispatched three riders on the exit of turn two on the first lap. At the start of lap two, he closely trailed race leader Jon Cornwell (riding a Harley-Davidson® XR 750 bike) and second-place rider John Parker (Rotax 600), and used the power and speed of his Harley-Davidson® XR 750 dirt tracker, which was tuned by George Evans, on the back straight to take over the points beginning on lap three of the fifteen-lap National Championship final. Riding with precision and daring, as though on a mission, he added to his lead with every lap to enjoy a cushion of nearly seven seconds when the checkered flag flew.

"There's not a whole lot to say," commented a smiling Taylor immediately after the race. "I did what I came here to do. George set up the bike the same as it was last time [I was] here, and I was very comfortable on it. We were fast through the practice and heat race. I was bad off the start again. I gotta work on that, but I was confident I could catch them quickly."

In-between interactions with a large number of fans and family, the ever-smiling champion continued, "It was getting slippery out there and I was starting to get dust in my eyes, but once I got past Jon I knew they'd be really riding hard if they wanted to catch me. I caught up to lappers towards the end, but they got the blue flag and there were no issues. Actually, I did have a little trouble. I forget what lap it was, but I got into the cushion really deep and it caught me and slowed me a bit. No big deal."

Taylor was reminded of his record-book status and responded, laughing, "Yeah, this record should stand for a while, six years at least. Will I go for seven next year? Of course. I'll approach it the same as this year. I'll race as many AMA events as possible, and hope I have enough races up here to go for the plate again. Things have been going really good for me down there in the U.S., so I want to concentrate on that, but you know this plate is very important to me and it's important to Deeley so I like winning it for them."

Although obviously not winded from his fifteen-lap feat, Donald paused for a sip of water and a quick face-wipe with a towel, and continued, "I really owe a lot of this to George Evans. He is a master at making my [Harley-Davidson®] XR 750 [motorcycle] work so well. That thing is so strong. And I need to say a big thank you to Clare's Harley-Davidson® of Niagara; they have been with me through my whole career and continue to be there, and I really appreciate their support.

Perhaps the most glowing of compliments on Taylor's accomplishment at this race came from Jon Cornwell, who placed a distant second. "I got a really good start," he shared. "But he came by me with so much speed! Don Taylor is something else. He is just on fire. Even if I was twenty years younger, I'd have nothing for him. Honestly, he really is something else!"

Deeley Harley-Davidson® Canada proudly congratulates Don Taylor for his impressive contribution to the national sport and thanks his partner, Alysha, for her endless support in making Don's dreams come true.

About Deeley Harley-Davidson® Canada
Deeley Harley-Davidson® Canada is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Harley-Davidson® and Buell® motorcycles, Genuine Motor Parts and Accessories, and MotorClothes® apparel, which are provided through a national network of authorized Harley-Davidson® and Buell® Retailers. Office and distribution warehouse facilities are located in Richmond, British Columbia, and Concord, Ontario.