At the Labor Day Springfield Mile in 2008, a lap of honor was done in memory of longtime national flat track announcer J.B. Norris, who died from a heart attack earlier that summer. J.B. was known for riding to the races on his trusty BMW GS with stainless-steel panniers featuring large SPAM logos. AMA Grand National racer Joe Kopp was asked to ride J.B.’s Beemer in the lap of honor. Kopp astounded the capacity Springfield crowd when he wheelied the big GS down the front straightaway. It was a pretty spectacular feat of riding and it thrilled the crowd. Kopp later said he thought J.B would be looking down and getting a kick out of that one.

Joe Kopp does the seemingly impossible, pulling a monster wheelie on J.B. Norris’ famous BMW GS down the front straight of the Springfield (Ill.) Mile during a lap of honor for Norris, the well-known national flat track announcer who died in June of 2008. Kopp not only got the front wheel of the big GS in the air, he actually held the wheelie for a good distance down the straightaway. (Larry Lawrence photo)