T.R.O.G. Santa Barbara 2019 — The Race of Gentlemen Goes West

I fell in love. Full stop. Tank-shift, suicide clutch, vintage iron, and the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop — The Race of Gentlemen came to Santa Barbara in 2019 and I was there for every single second of it. Worth every mile of the trip.

What Is The Race of Gentlemen?

The Race of Gentlemen (T.R.O.G.) is one of the most unique motorsports events in the world. Founded in Wildwood, New Jersey, it's a celebration of pre-1947 motorcycles and pre-1953 automobiles — vintage Harleys, Indians, custom-built bikes, hot rods, and rat rods, all competing on a simple 1/8-mile drag strip. No modern machines. No electronic aids. No excuses. Just old iron, mechanical skill, and the kind of raw speed that makes your chest vibrate.

The rules are strict about era-correctness, which means every machine on the strip is a rolling piece of history. Tank-shift transmissions. Suicide clutches. Hand-built frames. Engines that predate most of the people watching them run. It's the antithesis of modern motorsports — and it's absolutely electric.

On the Beach in Santa Barbara

For 2019, T.R.O.G. made the trip out west and set up their 1/8-mile strip right up against the Pacific Ocean in Santa Barbara. The setting alone was worth the drive. Imagine vintage Harleys and Indians launching off the line with the ocean behind them, salt air in the breeze, and the sound of old engines echoing across the beach. There is nothing else like it.

The racing ran non-stop from sun up to sun down — one right after the other, no breaks, no lulls. Vintage motorcycle against vintage motorcycle. Hot rod against rat rod. Grudge matches that had the crowd on their feet. The energy was unlike anything I'd experienced at a motorsports event before — part race, part time machine, part community gathering for people who love the old ways of doing things.

The Grudge Matches Were Electric

If the regular racing was energizing, the grudge matches were something else entirely. Two riders or drivers with a score to settle, lined up side by side, letting the machines decide. The crowd knew what was happening before the flagman even raised his hand. That kind of racing — personal, raw, and completely unscripted — is what T.R.O.G. is built around.

And then the Santa Barbara Police Department joined in. The SBPD brought a vehicle out and raced. I can't think of a better endorsement for an event than the local police department getting in on the action.

The Machines

What you see at T.R.O.G. is unlike anything at a standard bike show or car show. These aren't trailer queens. They're running machines — built to race, maintained to period-correct standards, and ridden hard by people who know exactly what they have. Vintage Harley-Davidsons and Indians lined up next to custom-built bikes and hot rods that look like they rolled straight out of 1940. The craftsmanship is staggering. The commitment to the era is total.

For someone who loves motorcycle culture and the history behind it — which is exactly what VCMCo. is built on — T.R.O.G. felt like finding a tribe. These are the people who understand that the old ways weren't just simpler, they were better in the ways that matter.

Worth Every Mile

I couldn't stop smiling the entire weekend. T.R.O.G. Santa Barbara 2019 is one of those events that recalibrates what you think a motorcycle event can be. If it ever comes back to the West Coast — or if you find yourself near Wildwood, New Jersey in the summer — go. Don't think about it. Just go.

The Race of Gentlemen is the real thing.