The above photo is a perfect representation of the ‘Johnny Parker’ era I remember so fondly. I was just a little kid in the stands at Welland County Speedway, watching Parker hammer around with a ton of ’70s hair streaming out behind his Kawasaki or Harley XR750. My parents used to ‘sugar me up real good’ and force me to have a Saturday afternoon nap so I had a fighting chance of staying up long enough to watch the finals. Invariably the show would run late, and lots of times I’d fall asleep on the wooden bleachers listening to the ferocious sound of a pack of XR750s.

The next morning I’d tell my friends all about the races, and before long we’d be scraping our knees to the bone racing our bicycles around in circles. Naturally I’d be rocking the 111 of Johnny Parker, I mean, by putting his number on my Schwinn how could I lose? Besides, it was an easy number to replicate with electrical tape.

Parker, who holds five CMA #1 titles, 21 National Titles, 32 Provincial titles also has the record for the most National wins in a row and has won the coveted White trophy. Of course he has a small handful of rivals, but it’s safe to say he’s pretty much dominated Dirt Track in Canada.

Now, a whole bunch of years later, I got to know John a bit through his job as Shop Operations Manager of the motorcycle department at Budds BMW where he’s taking care of our long-term test BMW G450X. Honestly, I was a bit nervous about meeting him since he was a hero of mine as a kid, but before long we got talking about dirt track and all the people we both knew. A few days later we were hanging out n his garage, digging through old photos and talking motorcycles, just like a pair of kids who never really grew up.

Parker is still racing, winning and psyching-out the younger racers in the pits. And he’s just as fast as ever, finishing second to Don Taylor in 2009. He’s long been associated with Kawasaki Canada, and his home business, John Parker Racing, is a leader in dirt track engine and chassis technology. For motoheads, like you and I, the amount of craftmanship that goes into a Pro-level dirt track bike when compared to your average motocross bike is sick. Sick enough in fact to make even factory MX bikes look downright agricultural. They say a picture tells a thousand words. If that’s the case, then the following thousand or so photos can give any classic adventure novel a run for the money.

The following pics are from John Parker’s personal archives, unless otherwise noted.

The end of the Deeley era. Parker poses with his XR 750 and his 600 Rotax, wearing what is quite possibly the loudest riding gear ever designed.

A rotary-valve Kawasaki 350 two-stroke and the famous electrical tape number 111. When I replicated his number on my little 16” sidewalk bicycle I was unbeatable!

Leamington, 1976. Parker (111) aboard his 350 Kawi. On the outside is number 7, Dave McLean on a factory Can-AM.

Parker was groomed by has father to be a car racer, racing Karts before switching to schoolboy motocross and then Dirt Track. He’s not missed a single season of racing since 1967! In this shot he’s riding one of the first ever KX125s in Canada.

It’s 1978, and the bike is a Spanish Bultaco Astro 250.

TT racing remains a favorite of Parkers. He likens it to, “The way motocross used to be…” Peoria TT, 1992, aboard the 600 Rotax.

Tucked in at the Springfield Mile on the Harley XR750, 1984. He explained to me how the Rotax 600s will almost stay with the Harleys, and the 450-motocross engined bikes will almost stay with the 600s. “Dirt Track is all about traction,” he explained. He builds engines to suit his customers abilities, not their egos.

Parker was the first Canadian to race Pikes Peak, where he rode a 600 Rotax. To learn the course he spent the previous week riding up and down the twisty, dangerous mountain road on what has to be the most balls-out dual-sport bike ever, a Harley XR750 fitted with just enough foo foo crap to make it street legal.

Parker showed me how just about every aspect of geometry in a modern dirt track frame is adjustable. This trick Cr-Mo frame is wrapped around a 450F engine that makes over 13 hp more than the average 450 MX bike. Ready to ride, it will weigh under 220 pounds. photo by Dan Paris

A normal motocross bike can be transformed into a surprisingly competitive dirt track racer, at least for the shorter 1/4 mile and TT tracks. photo by Dan Paris

The 600cc Rotax engine may be getting long in the tooth, but Parker says he’s still normally faster on this bike than any of his others. Photo by Dan Paris

Even his ‘playbike’ is hardcore and prepped to works level. His fuelie KX450F has 1 3/8” of travel taken out of the suspension and serves as his woods bike. He rides it, “Just to stay sharp.” Photo by Dan Paris

Parker is a self taught mechanical wizard and credits Doug Sehl as his biggest influence growing up. Jake and Connie VanRoon, Len Shpeley, and Dawn Parker make up the JPR Team. His 2010 season kicks off June 5th at Welland and June 6th at Medina, NY. Photo by Dan Paris

Everything has to be absolutely perfect. Motocross mechanics could learn so much from Dirt Track engineering if they would only pay attention… Photo by Dan Paris

“It goes to 11.” Remember Nigel Tufnel’s favorite guitar in the movie ‘This is Spinal Tap’? Parker has the same thing going on with his gorgeous XR750. Look, don’t touch. On second thought, don’t even look. Photo by Dan Paris

Hangin it’ on the KX450F powered dirt tracker .

What more can you say about this photo than simply ‘awesome’. If you’ve ever watched dirt track racing you know what I’m saying…stare long enough and you can hear the bikes.

Parker told me he was once invited to try racing a Sprint Car. The guy can smell traction and had no trouble sliding through the turns on four wheels, but wheelying out of corners in a Sprint car made him very uncomfortable. I don’t know about you, but the thought of bouncing off the hay bales and chain link fence on the outside of this turn makes me uncomfortable… photo by Don Empey

Compared to this thing your 450F motocross bike is a dog. Parker is sponsored by Kawasaki Canada, Inglis Cycle Center, John Parker Racing, Scorpion Helmets, HotCams/Pivot Works/Vertex Pistons, 26 Suspension, Bickle Racing, Wood Racing, A&A Racing, Supertrapp, Extreme Measures Custom Paint and IM Leathers. Photo by Alysha Lawrence