GREG EKINS – BACK TO HIS RACING ROOTS

SPANISH SPRINGS, NV (March 21) – After a four-decade layoff Greg Ekins has spent the past five years returning to his racing roots. And those roots run deep since his father and uncle are in the AMA Hall of Fame.

“My Uncle Bud Ekins started racing in 1950 and my Dad, Dave Ekins in 1951,” Ekins said. “The oldest trophy I have is a 1951 first overall that Uncle Bud earned for winning the Jack Rabbits MC Hare and Hound.”

Ekins was born in 1955 and attended his first race as a three-month old at the 1955 Catalina Grand Prix. His Uncle won that race overall while his father won his class.

Both his father and uncle struck up a friendship with another motorcycle rider/racer, the actor Steve McQueen. In fact his uncle, who worked in many movies, appeared in two famous ones as a stunt double for McQueen.

“In the Great Escape, shot in 1963, McQueen had been riding bikes for about four years, too dangerous for him to attempt the movie jump. At that time the Great Escape jump was a very, very big jump, amd it was before Evel Knievel began jumping on custom bikes. Bud said when he was in the air, everything went quiet, the exhaust noise was not echoing off the ground. So yea it was a big, big jump, on a 1955 Triumph made to look like a German BMW,” he said. “Uncle Bud also drove and jumped the 1968 Ford Mustang in Bullitt.”

Since his father and uncle cast such big shadows in the sport it was natural that the young Ekins would join them in competition.

 “I started racing as a teenager and by that time my dad was switching from racing Hare and Hounds, Hare Scrambles and ISDT’s to riding Enduros,” he said. “My oldest trophy is from the Ponderosa Hare Scrambles in 1969 when I was 13-years-old.”

He and his father, sometimes racing as a father-son team rode many enduros from 1969 to 1975. Winning father-son team on Bultaco’s in the 1972 Greenhorn 500 miler and the 1974 Tecate 500 miler among others.

“I could go two days for 500 miles because I was a teenager and you’re invincible at that age,” he said. “I really didn’t fall off much and my dad didn’t fall off much. Uncle Bud was harder on bikes than dad and I’m easy on bikes.”

His racing also took him overseas where he worked at two factories and got a chance to compete.

 “I went to Europe when I was 18 and worked at the Wassel Tyran motorcycle factory in Birmingham, England,” he said. “I entered my first motocross, got third, it was a very wet, muddy course. I was on a Wassel Tyran 125 in a 250 Class race so I was short on horsepower.”

From there it was onto Barcelona, Spain where he worked for the Bultaco factory.

“It was a great factory, Juan Xavier Bulto’ and his extended family, wonderful people,” he said. “Bultaco let me borrow one of their factory prepared 250cc Sherpa T bikes for a 3-Day International Observed Trials, I finished all three days. I didn’t finish very well as I wasn’t an observed trials rider but I finished and was happy about that.”

From there he traveled on the 500cc FIM circuit as part of Brad Lackey’s pit crew for a month. He got to know Lackey a bit and they usually pitted next to Roger De Coster.

“My dad and Roger struck up a friendship way back in 1964 at the East Germany ISDT,” he said. “And I met Roger when he first came to the states in the late 1960’s. That was great seeing how Roger raced at the very highest levels.”

This was the time when Ekins began contemplating a life changing decision. His natural eyesight is around 20/550, grade 6 myopia, and he needed thick glasses, which adds two surfaces for dust to collect on.

“I was able to go fast but wasn’t able to go at that top, top speed with dusty glasses under goggles. My Uncle Bud has pilot’s vision of 20 over 15 while my dad has normal 20 over 20 vision,” he said. “I realized when I was in Europe looking at the top MXers in the world, that I just didn’t have the vision. There are a few great riders who can race with glasses under goggles, amazing, impressive, hat’s off to those guys.”

Then he paused a moment and said, “I’m having fun now at 65 and I don’t have to go that fast. In 1975 I rode my last race an ISDT qualifier for the 6-Day, my special test scores were gold medal but my handlebars snapped with 1/2 a day to go, I ended on a bronze medal.”

After that race he entered college, met the love of his life, Linda, moved from the center of desert motorcycling, Los Angeles to Reno, got married and started a career. Once in Reno they started a family and stayed busy raising their three daughters.

“From late ’75 until 2015 I didn’t race at all and I barely rode, maybe once or twice a decade,” he said. “Just didn’t have a bike, riding is expensive, it’s not a cheap hobby.”

Finally after four decades the bug bit him again as it’s in his DNA. Then in 2015, when he turned 60, Ekins told his wife Linda he wanted to start racing again.

“Which she thought was kind of like ‘oh you do, okay,’ she’s been a good sport about it,” he said.

Right away he learned he couldn’t just jump on a bike and be competitive again. In fact it took a couple of years to get his race form back relative to his age group.

“I was really struggling in 2016-2017 because when you work in the white collar world you lose muscle mass. As you age your reaction time, your muscle mass and muscle memory go away,” he said. “So I’ve really had to relearn how to ride. In 2018 and 2019 I rode and finished all but one of the MRANN’s.”

Three years ago he was seventh in his age group with MRANN. The last two years, 2018 and 2019, he ended up second in the 60+ Class behind Pete Prichard. He also became friends with Prichard, who has raced consistently since the 1970’s and also races the AMA District 36 circuit.

“Pete’s a great friend, competitor and racer,” he said. “I decided this year to up my game, so I added the AMA National Hare and Hound circuit, which is why I have two bikes. The 200cc KTM for the MRANN races and the 300cc KTM for the AMA races.

“At age 65 I have the muscle to ride the 300 in shorter, faster AMA races. For the rockier, tougher and longer MRANN races, the 200 is easier and more fun to ride.”

Now that he’s racing and riding again Ekins has a post ride or race ritual that helps him improve for the next time.

“I log my thoughts after each ride or race, the bike, the course, myself and my preparation. What I did right, what I did wrong and what I should do the next time around,” he said. “One of the points I really pay attention to are tip overs, slide outs and crashes. If I don’t tip over, slide out or crash I’ve had a good ride regardless of where I finished.

“For me racing is about starting, having fun and finishing. At 65 it’s not so much about winning. If I get the class win, great but if I start, have fun and finish I’m happy as you don’t want to wad yourself up. Even if you’re a teenager you don’t want to wad yourself up.”

His advice to the younger riders is to ride clean, without tipping over, sliding out or crashing. Ekins feels that once a person learns to ride clean it’s more fun.

Since he’s been back Ekins has been working on conditioning and has dropped about 30 pounds as well as increasing his muscle mass. He’s also working on sharpening his reflexes as out on the course a rider needs to think quicker and have the muscle memory to make sudden changes.

“This is my fifth season back but I’ve really had only two full seasons, 18 and 19. Life took priority in 2017 and in 2016 I just started the last half of that season,” he said. “And this year COVID 19 is going to shorten the season.”

 Looking forward Ekins said he’s a lifetime member of the AMA and reads their magazine to keep up to date. He also thanked sponsors Fast Lane Racing, Motul Products, Fly, Regulus Fitness and DP Brakes as well as his wife Linda, their three daughters, three son-in-laws and six grandkids.

“Being that my dad and uncle are both in the AMA Hall of Fame I go to some of those annual events with the family and the induction ceremonies,” he said. “So I’m there, I’m around it and yes it’s going back to my roots, I’m enjoying doing that and I’m having fun.”

When MRANN can finally race again look for the “2s” bike, that will be Ekins having the time of his life and being back in a happy place.

OTHER RACING NEWS:

• Do you have a CDL and are looking for work? Well if so My Ride To Work is looking for drivers. The positions are temporary but could lead into full time employment. So if interested do check their website for requirements they need. That website is www.myridetowork.com. Good luck.

• This year’s Motorsport and 4 Wheel Drive expo, it’s part of the annual Home, Boat and RV Show, has been canceled. Due to the China Virus it will not be held this year but should return in 2021.

• There is one radio show that covers all things automotive and that’s Teresa’s Garage Radio Show heard every Tuesday from 2 until 3 p.m. Hopefully we’ll be able to do live show in the studio.

I have a preview section at 2:15 and go over what is happening or won’t be happening. In the Reno/Sparks area we can be heard on 1180 AM, or on a Podcast at amm.streamon.fm and we can be seen live on Face Book.

• If you enjoyed this article please “like,” and share it as widely as possible. Comments are welcome.

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