When Erik Buell founded the sport bike company that bears his last name in 1983, many industry insiders -- not to mention many of Buell's close friends -- wondered if he could be successful in a business dominated by Japanese manufacturers.
"People said I was crazy," Buell, a former privateer racer and bike designer, said in a recent phone interview from his office in East Troy.
"In 1983, the country was coming out of the last huge recession. It was a tough time to start a business. Interest rates were 21 percent. I started the company to compete against the import brands.
"People actually said I was crazy."
They aren't saying that now.
Earlier this year, Buell beat the favorites at the AMA Daytona SportBike doubleheader in Fontana, Calif., becoming the first American company to win a race against the Japanese since the Nixon administration.
This weekend, Buell racers and teams enter the sixth round of the 2009 AMA Pro Road Racing season with high expectations and three victories in the Daytona SportBike class.
"It created a lot of excitement around the office," Buell said, referring to early season victories by Danny Eslick, who beat Kawasaki's Jamie Hacking by 0.099 seconds in Fontana.
"We're definitely on the radar of all the sport bike companies now."
Eslick, who enters the weekend third in the points standings, hopes that support from the home state crowd and the familiar track will help him guide his Buell 1125R the winner's circle.
"It's going to be a good weekend; I've always liked this place," said Eslick, who races for Elkhart Lake-based Richie Morris Racing.
"We're coming in on a high note, being in Buell's backyard, and I need to win a couple of races to get myself back in the championship. With (Team M4 Suzuki's) Martin (Cardenas) winning four races in a row, he's pulled out a little bit of a gap on us.
"We fell off the pace a little bit at a couple of rounds, but we scored points. So we have to get through here with some good finishes. The track's going to be good for us and the bike, rain or shine, so we're really looking forward to it."
Eslick's teammate, Michael Barnes, riding the GEICO Powersports/RMR Buell 1125R sees this weekend as a chance to get his season back on track after a difficult start.
"Being back in Buell's home territory, with all the employees coming out, it will be special for everyone, ourselves included," Barnes said. "I'm really looking forward to a top finish. I've had one top five and one top ten and I'm really ready to get two strong results out of one weekend."
Both riders are gunning for a strong showing in Friday's 10-rider Superpole final qualifying session. "This is a track I've always gone well at," Barnes said. "Superpole is my minimum expectation, but I really expect Danny and I to be running up front."
The home field advantage will be equally strong for Buell teams entered in Saturday's SunTrust Moto-GT series two-hour endurance race, where two local teams are joined by another sponsored by a local company.
Wisconsin-based James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing will field two Buell teams sponsored by H-D/Buell of Appleton, and team riders Paul James and Jeff Johnson will continue their quest for a podium finish in Moto-GT1 aboard their Buell 1125R after a season best 5th place finish at Barber Motorsports Park in May.
"We've had a challenging season so far, learning a new bike, new tires and new tracks," said James. "We've made progress in developing the bike, and we look forward to racing it at our home track of Road America."
The second James Gang/Hoban Brothers entry will be a Buell Firebolt XB12R in Moto-GT2 ridden by motorcycle journalists Kevin Duke from Motorcycle.com and Troy Siahaan from Sport Rider magazine. This will be the AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT debut for both riders.
Elkhart Lake-based Richie Morris Racing rejoins the Moto-GT series with a GT1 class entry with Wisconsin-based riders Clint Brotz and Danny Bilansky aboard an 1125R.
Rounding out the Moto-GT Buell entries is the Liberty Waves Racing/H-D/Buell of Antelope Valley GT1 team of Eric Pinson and Eric Haugo are sponsored by Wisconsin-based Dairyland Cycle Insurance, who are currently fourth in the Moto-GT1 points standings. The Old Glory H-D team of Jaycent Gebers and Dennie Huff rejoin Moto-GT2 after taking the Barber round off.
In addition to the on-track action, Buell Motorcycle Company will host a series of events in East Troy and at Road America for fans, beginning Friday morning with an open house at the Buell factory in East Troy and continuing throughout the weekend at Road America.
Friday's lineup includes an open house at the Buell headquarters, with factory tours, an outdoor products display and an autograph session with Erik Buell.
At Road America, Buell will offer demo rides, autograph sessions and exclusive Buell parking near the demo area.
Host of “The Drew Olson Show,” which airs 1-3 p.m. weekdays on The Big 902. Sidekick on “The Mike Heller Show,” airing weekdays on The Big 920 and a statewide network including stations in Madison, Appleton and Wausau. Co-author of Bill Schroeder’s “If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers” on Triumph Books. Co-host of “Big 12 Sports Saturday,” which airs Saturdays during football season on WISN-12. Former senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com. Former reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
