Eric Stahl Rises From The Ashes

June 8, 2021 2 min read

Here’s what’s left of the #55 Jiffy Tune Racing Harley-Davidson Electra Glide KOTB race bike after the fire. Photo courtesy of Eric Stahl.

Jiffy Tune Racing’s Eric Stahl is not a phoenix, the bird from Greek mythology that obtains new life by rising from the ashes of its predecessor, but his story sure does remind us of the legendary avian creature.

Last week, while Stahl was tending to his business, Jiffy Tune in Lake Elsinore, California, his Dad was en route to Road America. Towing the team’s race rig, used to transport Eric’s Harley-Davidson Electra Glide King Of The Baggers race bike, Eric’s father started to experience transmission problems with his Dodge Dually while traveling through Texas on Route 20. He stopped at a rest area between Midland and Odessa and called Eric to let him know about the problem.

Transmission troubles led to even bigger problems for Stahl’s Dad in Texas. Photo courtesy of Eric Stahl.

While Eric and his Dad talked, the Dually burst into flames. Eric’s Dad immediately grabbed a fire extinguisher from the rig, while two truck drivers in the vicinity also grabbed their own fire extinguishers. Working together, the three impromptu firefighters had almost completely put the fire out. Unfortunately, an hour and 20 minutes went by before fire trucks arrived on the scene, and by then, the fire extinguishers were empty and the conflagration had rekindled and burned everything to the ground.

“Fully involved” is an understatement. Photo courtesy of Eric Stahl.

After finding out about the incident via social media, Jon Bekefy, GM of Global Brand Marketing for Harley-Davidson, contacted Stahl. The two had a brief discussion, and Bekefy told Stahl that if he can make it out to Road America on Wednesday, Harley-Davidson would have a bike and parts at the track for Stahl and his crew to build a King Of The Baggers racebike. Stahl’s sponsors, including Lyndall Brakes and House of Harley-Davidson, would also pitch in with parts to help Jiffy Tune Racing get back in the show at Road America.

“It’s the way this bike community is,” Stahl said. “Great people always willing to help other people. Last week, my whole world went up in smoke. This weekend, I’ll be racing in round two of the 2021 Mission King Of The Baggers Championship.”

And so, like that mythical phoenix, Eric Stahl is ready to fly again.

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