May 3rd 1999, 26 Years ago today................

[Paul Danik]

May 3rd 1999, 26 years ago today, was a day of such significance in the world of John Penton, Ed Youngblood, the Penton Sportcycles and most assuredly the Penton Owners Group, that it deserves to be celebrated in some way. You see, it was on that date that Ed Younblood addressed the Penton Owners Group at its monthly meeting and proposed to write a book about John Penton. In attendance at that meeting were Jack Penton, Alan Buehner, Paul Danik, James Borer, Al Born, John Penton, John Borer, Dale Barris, Brett Watson, Barry Higgins, Ed Youngblood, Ollie Martin and Matt Weisman.

We have Davie Coombs to thank for providing the spark that lit this fire. As it was while Ed was sitting in Davie's office that Davie mentioned to Ed that he was going to rename his one GNCC event The John Penton GNCC, and he needed a story about John to publish in Racer X to tell the readers about John. "Hell, I can give you that, I have known John for many, many years" was Ed's response, according to Ed when he told me of his encounter with Davie. As the story goes, Ed met with John at his home for an afternoon and when he left he realized that much more than an article was needed to tell John's story, a book was needed ! Ed did write the story for Davie titled A LIFE LESS ORDINARY and it can be read in the Fall of 1999, Issue # 4 of the POG newsletter Still....Keeping Track. https://media.pentonusa.org/2023/03/04085516/SKT4.pdf

The story of how the John Penton book came into being and the details of the writing of the book could almost fill a book in itself, but I must say it was an incredibly exciting time for the Penton Owners Group. And in due time, when Todd Huffman read the John Penton book he decided to create the John Penton movie.  https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=John+Penton+movie+trailer&mid=F9F41F5CABB2F60C3010F9F41F5CABB2F60C3010&FORM=VIRE

As for celebrating this very significant day, I have a suggestion. On the Saturday of this year's Vintage Motorcycle Days at Mid-Ohio the Penton Onwers Group is going to attempt to bring 100 Penton Sportcycles together in a display to honor the upcoming 100th birthday of John Penton, and your help is needed. Please consider helping the POG by bringing any Penton Sportcycles that you might have to Mid-Ohio on that day. Barn fresh, total restorations, rollers, racers, trailer queens, whatever, if it is a Penton or was sold by Penton such as the Wassells and short trackers, load it up and haul it to Mid-Ohio. Consider making today the day you commit to helping us honor John Penton at Mid-Ohio.
The AMA has provided the use of the Grand Pavilion in the infield for our Saturday display. Yes, this is the exact same location where the POG had its display 25 years ago when Penton was the Featured Marque and John Penton was the Grand Marshall.


Please give thanks to the late Ed Youngblood in some way today for all that he did for us and the world of motorcycling. See yinz at Mid-Ohio.

[Bob Gilman]

   As I sit at the computer reading the story Paul wrote it brings back a couple of memories of Ed Youngblood.I got to know Ed pretty well in 2004 when him and I put on a Penton display at the Olney antique motorcycle event in Pa. This event was almost all Harleys and every other antique bike mc made. I think the only real Penton person that showed up was Paul Danik. I got to know Ed pretty well spending 3 days with him. The only bad thing I can say about Ed is he picked the motel we were staying at, It was like a run down motel 6. Its all good. I still miss his news letter he wrote. On a better note on the wall in my living room over the 97 125le anniversary bike is the   no.3 copy of 5 of the original manuscript of the John Penton book signed by Ed and John that was donated to the AMA that was auction off at Vintage Days 2000. That was the year John Penton was Grand Marshal. That will never let me forget Ed.