Lance David was famous for winning dozens of races on his Yamaha XT500-based road racer. In fact at one time David set the track record at Grattan on the Yamaha thumper. Here’s David leading Michael Shilts and Ken Davis during practice for a WERA sprint race at Gateway International Raceway in July of 1985. I’m not sure what kind of bike David is on. It could be a TZ250 or possibly his single fully faired. I’m sure someone will know and report back. Check out the pebbles and dirt on the track. It looks like someone dragged their knee through the inside of the corner.
Lance David leading Michael Shilts and Ken Davis during practice for a WERA sprint race at Gateway International Raceway in July of 1985. (Larry Lawrence photo)
Rider Files 
Larry, I seem to recall Lance running a TZ250 occassionally, and this looks to be it.
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Checked one of my old pics of Team Thump (Wentzville 5-29-82) with Lance’s 500 Yamaha and I don’t think that is the same bike. The thumper had a chrome front fender and its one brake rotor on the left side of the front wheel.
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Hi Larry, it is my TZ 250. How can you tell it is Mike behind me? I know he was there ona Yamaha FZ750, he even let me take it for a lap or two. Funny, I have that same picture hanging on the wall of my office at home. That bike was pretty amazing to ride, especially compared to the thumper. Neil Tolhurst clued me in that you posted this. Thanks.
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He was my insperation to race a single . I saw him race at blackhawk ,and come in for a pit stop during a sprint race only because during the riders meeting they said you shouldn’t worry about it because you wouldn’t have time to come in and go back out . He came in after the second lap with a big lead , stopped and talked to a freind then went back out a won the race !
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My pops is so cool 🙂 Thanks for the picture! I still ride with Lance (my dad) and Mike. They’ve still got it! Those guys taught me everything I know about riding. I love getting a sneak peak into their lives before us kids were around (although I’m months away from being born when this picture was taken). Thanks again.
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Lance, I can tell its Shilts based on his helmet leathers, bike that I can see and confirm from other photos from that same weekend.
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Dawn, I doubt you remember, but maybe you’ve heard about this. When you were very little, your Dad used to take you for street rides on the back of his bike. He tied you on to him with the cord from his bathrobe! My wife & I were scared for you and unsucessfully tried to talk him out of it. Oh well, it worked out OK. May he or Mom never told you? LOL. 🙂
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I still run into Mike Shilts on the ice in Southern Wisconsin. I mean that literally, and figuratively. Funny how many old road racers go ice racing. Hey Lance, you need to dig up that old thump, and stud it up this winter!
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Who knows where the old Thumper is? Probably in a scrap pile by now. But I do have a fat tire mountain bike I will ride this winter when I’m not in Utah snowboarding.
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