10/17/2026
An American Triumph
The Bill Kennedy Sr. Story
Part 1
“When I could see eleven Harley’s behind that Triumph…that’s why I was there.”
Bill Kennedy did not start out to be one of the ultimate underdogs in flat track racing, it just evolved that way. The fiercely independent Kennedy started out as just another Triumph builder, but as the Meridian marquee waned in the mid-70’s, he became one of the few to keep the faith and to keep winning. He clearly saw the writing on the wall long before this though. In the early ‘70’s he already had dreams for the ultimate, modern evolution of the Triumph, the American. Along the way, his vastly underrated tuning abilities attracted some of the greatest riders in flat track/Grand National history. Just some of the stars that rode his Triumphs and Americans include; Ronnie Rall, Hank and Gary Scott, Ted Boody, Randy Goss, Steve Morehead, Jay Ridgeway, Jimmy Zeigler and Lance Jones. It was quite a ride.
The Beginnings & the Dealership(s)
While Bill Kennedy would become a very successful businessman, few would have picked him for success. He was born in tiny Rosedale, WV (population 100) to a schoolteacher and a father who passed away when he was seven. While kept somewhat in check by his mother, Kennedy said he was a handful as a child, he would describe today as a “hellion”. There was little to hold his attention, but he became fascinated by the beauty and speed of the thoroughbred racehorses that were housed at the Gilmer County Fairgrounds. Starting out “really young” hauling water and cleaning out stalls, Kennedy eventually talked his way into riding the racehorses. During the summer months a typical day would start out at three or four in the morning, watering the horses and cleaning the stalls. Riding the horses started around six. Kennedy gained a reputation as skilled rider and would often exercise up to 20-30 horses in a days’ time on the half-mile track. At 12-13 years old Kennedy began riding as a jockey at West Virginia fairground events at Gilmer County, Ritchie County, Wheeling Downs even to far off Charles Town near Washington, DC. An early teens growth spurt soon found the lanky Kennedy too tall to remain a jockey. This early racing experience; the spectacle, the noise, the color, hooked the young Kennedy for life.
Finding few opportunities around Rosedale, Kennedy joined the Air Force and soon became a maintenance technician. This honed his mechanical skills and while in the service, acquired a Triumph motorcycle. He became hooked on hill climbing and would win a championship event while stationed in Utah. This win was noticed by Triumph and upon return home, Kennedy parlayed his love of motorcycles into a career and opened up a small dealership in Elyria, Ohio in 1961. A combination of good timing with the explosion of motorcycling’s popularity in the US with Kennedy’s growing business savvy led to an almost immediate success. Quickly transitioning from a small store front to a larger 30’ X 50’ location, the business doubled in size several times. The shop also was one of the first Yamaha shops in the US. Kennedy said he was not interested at first, but the distributer offered to leave 50 motorcycles with Kennedy only having to pay for them as they were sold. He said, “We sold 50 in a month, so I ordered another 50.” Success led Kennedy to shoot for a huge sale in the middle ‘60’s. He said I spent “a fortune” and advertised for months on radio and in newspapers, leading up to an early spring date. On the Saturday of the sale, Kennedy awoke to 14 inches of snow. Expecting the worst, they trekked into the dealership and were surprised to find a large crowd already awaiting them. Turned into a huge day, Bill said, “We wrote up 108 and actually sold 91 motorcycles in one day!” Elyria Cycles would grow into one of the highest volume Triumph dealerships in the country and they eventually opened up another location in Medina. The business is alive and well today as Kennedy’s Sport Cycles, run by Bill’s daughter Linda. In 1968 Kennedy used profits from his dealership to invest in his first oil well. For decades, shrewd investments allowed him to become successful enough to fulfill his dream of building his own motorcycle.
The Racing
Ronnie Rall, Lennie Waldo, Frenchie LeBlanc, Mike Johnson
Through the booming ‘60’s Kennedy never forgot about motorcycle racing. He became a Pro and raced heavily up until 1970, ranked as an Amateur, he was competitive and was particularly good as a TT racer. He had become skilled at getting impressive power out of his Triumphs. These skills and a desire to win found him putting faster riders on his bike. He said it got to the point I “Couldn’t do my motorcycles justice.” He had struck up a friendship with Ronnie Rall who rode 650 Triumphs for Bill at TT events, including the Peoria GNC. The first rider who achieved real oval track success on a “Kennedy Triumph” was Lennie Waldo. Waldo was National Number 70 in 1967 and 1968. The two had had good success around Ohio using a 500 Triumph in a rigid frame, whetting Kennedy’s appetite for more. Waldo would go on to a very successful car racing career, including becoming a USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year.
Ronnie Rall was riding a variety of machinery in this time period, but a ride at a short track before the Peoria National impressed the veteran.
1971
The move into the ‘70’s saw the Kennedy dynasty as we know today, really start. Utilizing Trackmaster frames and 750 engines that saw Kennedy’s increasingly skillful touch, the Elyria based team began to standout from the crowd. At the 1971 Springfield, Ohio season opener, Ronnie Rall showed up with his BSA, Kennedy his Triumph with his own plates on it. He offered the ride; Rall at first deferred, but after a practice session, plates were switched and Rall tried the Triumph. He was immediately impressed with the power and was hooked for the season. Rall was already a success, a known commodity. Joining him on the team was an unknown (at least in Ohio) Junior, fiery Frenchie LeBlanc from Louisiana. By all accounts Frenchie was quite a character; quick tempered, head strong and physically tough (he infamously put a 18” tire on a 19” wheel, by mistake). He was also fearless and as Bill Kennedy said, “Did not know second place.” There were two Springfield races in 1971, Rall was first and third, with LeBlanc winning both races. The season would see one of the most dominant performances ever on Ohio area half-miles. The unlikely combination shredded the competition. Both riders went on big wins streaks, the Kennedy Triumphs nearly untouchable while still displaying amazing reliability. They were nearly unbeaten by anyone at Ohio races. At regional events, Rall won nearly every Expert regional race he entered, including the Dayton Old Time ‘Newsies, was second to Cal Rayborn at the Yamaha Gold Cup at Arlington Heights, Il, (runnerup only because Rall backed off the gas on the last lap at what he thought was a caution), added another Ohio State Championship. LeBlanc ran up at least 10 regional wins including topping Larry Darr and Teddy Newton at a Expert/Junior event at Trumbull County Ohio.
On the National scene, Rall had a seasons best finish of 4th at the Columbus Half-Mile, 8th at Louisville and 9th at the Livonia Mile. LeBlanc was one of the top performers at Junior Nationals in 1971. He battled fiercely with Kenny Roberts and Gary Scott. He was one of the very few to consistently give them a run for their money. He was 2nd at both Louisville and Livonia. He created a sensation at Livonia by riding the last laps of his heat with a flat tire, never backing off on his way to the win. He led most of the main with Roberts going by late for the win. He was 3rd at the Columbus National and fell off for no particular reason while leading the third heat at the late season Ascot Half-Mile.
1972
As good as 1971 was, the 1972 season would turn out to be a disappointment. Ronnie Rall, who could never turn down riding something interesting, was wooed by Gary Stoleznburg to ride his radical Trackmaster-framed, water-cooled Suzuki GT750 three cylinder on the ovals. Kennedy still appeared to have a strong team though; Frenchie LeBlanc turned Rookie Expert and was coming off a red hot Junior year He finished 2nd to Gary Scott in Junior Dirt Track National points and was 4th ranked Junior in the Nation in overall Junior points. The same could be said for the team’s new addition, Mike Johnson. The Michigan rider was the 4th ranked Novice in the nation in 1971 and was the Sante Fe Novice Champion. The ’71 bikes were sold and all new bikes and engines were built. One of the new engine items would plague the team all year. Things started off well. At LeBlanc’s Expert debut at the 1972 Houston Astrodome Short Track National, he easily made the Main. In the National, LeBlanc ran a strong 5th, not hardly slowed despite having to shove a loose carburetor back into the manifold. He was riding a high line, pressuring Bart Markel. He did everything but fall off trying to get around the old champ. Markel’s Sprint broke, and LeBlanc went to 4th. His heroics got the best of him as he chased Dave Hansen and he tossed it away.
When the regular season started off, things seemed okay at Springfield, Ohio with Frenchie solidly in the field. The bikes seemed a little off. It seems the new Axtell cams that CR and Bill Kennedy worked on had a problem. The metal was soft, and they would throw off the timing, then ruin the engine with metal shavings. With the cam-in-case Triumphs, this necessitated a complete tear down everytime. When the bike ran right, the team had bad luck. Frenchie got off hard at the Zanesville, Ohio Half-Mile in May, suffering minor injuries. At the Atlanta Mile Regional race in June, LeBlanc won his heat and fell off in the Main.
Things got a little better at the Troy Half-Mile in June. LeBlanc was 3rd in the Ohio State Championship and 7th in the regular Expert race. Mike Johnson was 3rd in the Junior Final. At the team’s “home” National in Columbus, LeBlanc did not make the race with Johnson coming in 6th in the Junior event. At the Homewood Mile GNC in August, LeBlanc made the National, but suffered a DNF. A mid-season bright spot saw Ronnie Rall ride one of Kennedy’s bikes to 7th at the Peoria GNC. At the Sante Fe Short Track National, the team had a great night; LeBlanc was 7th in the Main with Mike Johnson winning the Junior event. Kennedy was happy for the riders, but it was little consolation to the Triumph tuner. The camshaft issue caused lots of back and forth time delay between Ohio and California and was not really resolved until the end of the season. A very disappointing season.
At the end of the season, Frenchie professed a desire to race at Ascot in September. Bill Kennedy was very much against the idea. He had invested a lot of time and money trying to cultivate LeBlanc’s talent. He saw little to gain at the end of the year and a lot to lose. LeBlanc’s wide-open style and Ascot could be a dangerous combination. He told Frenchie, “If you go out there you are gonna get hurt!” Probably prompted by his lousy season, LeBlanc finagled a Norton out of someone, recruited a young Skip Eaken and headed to California. At a regular Ascot Half-Mile race on September 22, 1972, Frenchie LeBlanc was challenging Ron Moore for the lead in their heat race. He tagged Moore’s rear tire, high-siding LeBlanc into the fence. A close following Ted Longwith hit LeBlanc’s bike and was into the fence. Longwith was killed and LeBlanc suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). While he recovered and tried to race again, LeBlanc was never the same and it essentially ended his career.
Stay tuned for Part 2 and a whole new cast of riders!
