In Darlington: National Bikers Roundup grows from humble beginnings into national event

Thirty-eight years ago the National Biker’s Roundup was no more than four small motorcycle clubs, holding a barbecue in a friend’s backyard in Kansas City, Missouri. Now, nearly four decades later, the roundup has grown exponentially to bring tens of thousands of bikers to a new city each year.

This year’s destination is the House of Speed – Darlington Dragway.

Larry “Wolfman” Harris is the national secretary of the National Biker’s Roundup Association and somewhat of a “go-to guy” for anything rally related. He was part of the original crew that started the roundup and said the roundup feels more like a family reunion than a bike rally.

“I’ve been doing this for almost 40 years and I see a lot of the same faces every single year all across the country,” Harris said.

What makes the National Biker Roundup different from other national biker events – like Sturgis and Daytona – is the changing location of the rally. “On Sunday night these people will vote on where they want to go for next year’s rally,” Harris said. “South Carolina has been great. All they ask from us is to be law-abiding and obey their rules. And that’s what we do.”

Tony Neal, national president of the Zodiac Motorcycle Club, one of the original roundup clubs, said the roundup rarely has any criminal problems and has always been a positive for each community it visits.

“Millions of dollars get put into local businesses and hotels when we come through,” Neal said. “There’s always a lot of hospitality and camaraderie … A lot of the cities, when we leave, ask us if we can come back again next year.”

Harris agreed and said that in the past, National Bikers Roundup attendees have donated thousands of pounds s in food to donation centers.

“When we leave, we want to leave a positive mark on the community we were in,” Wolfman said. “We normally do a food drive for a local food bank. This year we’re leaving Harvest Hope a sizeable donation whenever we leave, just as a way to say thank you to this area for having us here.”

During the event patrons can enjoy drag races, live music, game tournaments, demo rides, fashion shows, best-bike contests and more.

A highlight of each evening, Harris said, is Jim Brewer’s Peacemaker truck. Brewer has a custombuilt truck with the likeness of a jet engine that shoots a 50-foot flame out when roaring down the strip.

The roundup started Wednesday morning and will continue through Sunday evening.

This story was originally published August 8, 2015 at 11:30 AM with the headline "In Darlington: National Bikers Roundup grows from humble beginnings into national event."