Boonie Knott wheelies his Suzuki RG500 Grand Prix bike en route to victory in a WERA Formula 1 race at Indianapolis Raceway Park sometime in the mid-1980s. Knott was a farmer from central Illinois, who won multiple national titles with WERA racing 250 and 500cc GP bikes. He also had a solid career in the AMA highlighted by a podium finish in the Daytona 250 Grand Prix in 1983. Knott also raced this Suzuki to a podium result at the Brainerd AMA National in 1985. Knott came back and raced Supersport briefly in the late 1980s, but he said after racing the two-stroke 500cc GP bikes, that a 600 Supersport bike simply didn’t provide the adrenaline rush he was used to.
Boonie Knott wheelies his Suzuki RG500 Grand Prix bike en route to victory in a WERA Formula 1 race at Indianapolis Raceway Park sometime in the mid-1980s. (Larry Lawrence photo)
Rider Files 
Ahh….Fast Boys from Illinois! Actually, I think Norma Bonnelli was a member too, so it should have been FB&GI, instead of FBI. I can recall some great battles between Gary Gibson and Boonie. Great guy too!
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Love seeing pictures of Formula I & Formula II. I think the saying went something like this….”Valves are for Toilets”. All in jest you know, but I think the purists here will agree. Thanks again for the great photos.
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St Louis in early 90’s did a 6 hour on an FZR400 and met Boonie.
My buddy’s GSXR wasn’t running right and Boonie said the funniest thing I ever heard.
“Sounds like it’s hittin’ on every other stroke to me”
Still makes me laugh when I think of it.
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I’m looking for Boonie Knott. My dad Wendell Tisdale and him raced together on same team. If anyone could help please let me know.
Thank you
Andrea tisdale
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