With much regret, Arkansas Outside can’t be at the Joe Martin Stage Race this year. Last night were the time trials held at Devil’s Den State Park where some serious climbing is involved. This afternoon is the first road race plus another on Saturday and finishing with a criterium on Sunday.
The race first started in 1978 and was called the Fayetteville Spring Classic, the name was changed to the Joe Martin Stage Race when race organizer, Joe Martin died in 1989.
Some of the early history of Joe Martin, the race and the Boston Mountain Cyclists is explored in The Free Weekly.
If you have a chance to get out in Northwest Arkansas and see some world class athletes, take it. Go to the Joe Martin Stage Race website for more information.
2 Responses
Joe Martin, Nancy Martin, and Bruce Dunn deserve lots of credit for building the Fayetteville Spring Classic into the major bicycle race that today is known as the Joe Martin Classic. However, the history of the origins of the race has been altered over the years to produce a more charming story as opposed to what actually happened.
The race was started in April of 1977 (not 1978) as part of Fayetteville Bicycle Week and was called the Fayetteville Criterium. It was initially promoted by the Razorback Racing Team, a chapter or the Arkansas Bicycle Club. While Joe Martin raced in the event and won as an out-of-town, category II-IV participant, he was not an organizer of the initial event. Joe and his wife Nancy moved to Fayetteville sometime during the year following the first occurrence of the event and joined the Arkansas Bicycle Club. The second year of the race’s existence saw its expansion into a two day stage race and a name change to theFayetteville Spring Classic. The second year also saw Joe’s first participation in the race’s organization, as a member of the Club. However, he was not the primary promoter of the event until its third year, when he and Nancy became the primary promoters.
(Northwest Arkansas Times, Sunday, April 17, 1977)
(Northwest Arkansas Times, Monday, April 25, 1977)
(The Grapevine, Wednesday, April 13, 1977)
(The Grapevine, April 27, 1977)
(The Grapevine, May 4, 1977)
(Arkansas Traveler, Tuesday, April 26, 1977)
(The Tulsa World, Saturday, April 30, 1977)
I know one of the time tial winners back in the late 90’s but I don’t see his name ( John Mchenry) I’m trying to put a scrape book together for him PLEASE HELP ME