Larry Wilburn leading the legendary Eddie Mulder in a TT race in the 1960s. (Larry Wilburn collection)

Quartz Hill, California, is a little burg in the high desert region of the Antelope Valley 60 miles north of Los Angeles. The town is nestled up against the north face of the San Gabriel Mountains. Motocross great Bob Hannah grew up in Quartz Hill and honed his riding skills in the nearby desert and mountain valleys. Right down the street from the Hannahs lived a buddy of Bob’s dad named Larry Wilburn. Before Hurricane Hannah came along Wilburn could very well lay claim to being the best known racer from Quartz Hill.

Wilburn, who is best remembered for finishing second to Mark Brelsford at the famous Ascot TT Grand National in 1969. Wilburn never became a big name nationally, a major crash in the Houston TT in 1970 put the clamps on him chasing the national series, but during his racing career Wilburn gained the reputation of being one of the best TT specialists of his era. That was a major accomplishment; especially considering Wilburn never rode a motorcycle until he was 20 years old.

Wilburn worked his way up through the novice, amateur and eventually into the expert ranks. He became close friends with Jim Hunter. He and Hunter ended up battling for the District 37 No. 1 plate in 1965. Wilburn’s friendship with Hunter might have ended up costing him the prestigious District title.

“We were running one and two in the battle for the championship,” Wilburn recalls. “Just before the start of a race down in Perris, Hunter’s BSA Goldstar wouldn’t start. I ask him what was wrong and he said ‘I don’t know. It won’t start, it just won’t start!’ I took the mag cover off and found that the points had come loose. We tightened it up, put it back together and he won the race and beat me out for the championship by 11 points.”

Wilburn is in his early 70s today and he still rides in the desert.