Corky Keener leading a pack that includes Randy Goss (still running the regional number 30X), Skip Aksland (27) and Billy Schaeffer (96) in a 1977 Grand National. (AMA press kit photo)

Corky Keener had a nice job as an electrician and his performances on the track weren’t progressing. Corky was just about to hang up his leathers, but one man saw something in Keener and that man happened to be racing legend Bart Markel. Markel started tuning and advising Keener and all of a sudden Corky started winning nationals.

Keener was one of the most popular riders of that era and earned the nickname “Mr. Dirt”. He eventually became a member of the factory Harley-Davidson team and went on to win five AMA Grand Nationals during the mid-1970s.

He was ranked inside the top 10 in the final season standings a total of five times, including a career-best fourth in 1975. That year Kenner finished behind legends Gary Scott, Kenny Roberts and Jay Springsteen… not a bad crowd. Keener continued racing through the 1980 season. He briefly managed Yamaha’s flat track squad that featured a young Jimmy Filice.

This photo is an old AMA press kit photo showing Keener leading a pack that includes Randy Goss (still running the regional number 30X), Skip Aksland (27) and Billy Schaeffer (96). Not sure who 23 is in the background with red leathers. It looks like there may be a letter with his number. There’s also a rider directly behind Keener with a number that starts with an 8. Not sure what track this is either. Some flat track veterans will know.

(Update: The excellent readers over at www.flattrack.com came up with the answers on the location and other riders. This is a 1977 race in Columbus, Ohio. The rider directly behind Corky Keener is Jimmy Zeigler and the rider on bike 23L in the red is Dewayne Howton. Veteran photographer Dave Hoenig even guessed that the rider behind Schaeffer is Willie Crabbe.)