Eric Beilman grew up in Littleton, Colorado, where his love of racing motorcycles was born and nurtured—but it wasn’t until Beilman was 20 that he started racing. During his first season in an amateur 125 class Beilman lasted about half the season before he switched to a Honda 250.
“I got my first Honda support ride was on a 125 cc,” said Beilman. “But I obliterated the bike. Like we broke the frames, I smashed foot pads off and sheared off parts of the transmission, so they gave me a new 250 mid season and I have been racing 250 two-strokes forever.”
A speed demon at heart, Beilman spent his twenties tearing up the track. He fondly remembers this last race as an amateur before he turned pro. According to him, it was one of the best races of his life.
“I had raced all season against two different guys,” said Beilman. “On the first moto one of these guys started to the left of the gate and I was on the far right. We got to the first corner and he squeezed me out. So on the next moto . . . I got ahead of him and I ended up winning both motos by over 30 seconds and he got second on both motos. It was one of the best races of my career and that was my last race as an amateur.”
When Beilman went pro he competed in his first race soon after. I’m sure he thought that was the beginning of lucrative career, and it was—just with a few bumps along the way.
“(A month after) I turned pro I got hit by a truck walking across the street,” said Beilman. “It was one of those things—life happens or whatever . . . but I got my cast cut off of my leg in 1984 and raced in the Grand Prix two weeks later with 15 degrees of motion in my knee. It was a really important race with long motos and I couldn’t not go . . . That was at Pueblo Motorsports in Colorado. It was my second race as a pro.”
Beilman raced motocross until 1994 and has since occupied himself with other things. He is now 49 and living near Bull River, B.C., as of January 10, 2009, and while the lifestyle is somewhat slower than what he is used to he is content with where he is. He has recently bought a new Honda 450 and has been riding whenever he can in the hopes of getting back into the racing circuit.
“Obviously, I am not up to speed but it is still all there,” said Beilman. I have only ridden half a dozen times and some days it is not working and it’s frustrating and some days it feels so good and it is absolutely amazing.”
In the very near future, Beilman plans to get in a couple of races in the Southern Alberta Series. Thus far, he has obtained his pro license from the Canadian Motosport Racing Corporation for the over 40 class and he plans to participate in all of the Southern Alberta Series races in the fall.
“I am just trying to get in there and see how fast I actually am or not anymore,” said Beilman. “I am not really good yet but I know that I can be as fast as ever. It is pretty exciting and I get goosebumps just thinking about it.”
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