Zlock Racing has been a fixture in motorcycle road racing paddocks for five decades. Based in Spanaway, Washington, the company was founded by brothers Dan and Dale Zlock, and they’ve competed in everything from their local race clubs, which are the WMRRA (Washington Motorcycle Road Racing Association) and the Oregon Motorcycle Road Racing Association (OMRRA); to the Championship Cup Series, North American Sport Bike Series, and Formula USA; to WERA Motorcycle Road Racing; to three eras of AMA professional motorcycle road racing, including MotoAmerica. And, just for kicks, the Zlock Brothers also compete, and have set speed records, at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
For pretty much all of those 50 years, the name “Pinkstaff” has been associated with Zlock Racing, first with team rider Keith Pinkstaff, who competed aboard Suzuki GS and GSX-R Superbikes beginning in the late 70s and early 80s, and with Keith’s two nephews Kevin and Brian Pinkstaff.
Tragically, in 2005, Kevin’s and Brian’s Uncle Keith passed away in a streetbike accident, but his nephews have continued racing with Zlock, and they competed in MotoAmerica Superbike this past month at Road America.
The band of brothers—the Zlocks and the Pinkstaffs—are back in the Pacific Northwest this weekend and racing again with MotoAmerica aboard their Kawasaki Superbikes, this time at Ridge Motorsports Park, which is their home track.
As Dan Zlock talked about the team’s history, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a shiny gold coin that he carries. It was awarded to him when Zlock Racing set another land speed record at Bonneville. “We’ll be back there again in August,” Dan Zlock commented as brother Dale nodded in affirmation.
The clock may be ticking on Zlock Racing—like it is for all of us—but the Zlock brothers and the Pinkstaff brothers will continue to race in WMRRA, OMRRA, and also future MotoAmerica rounds at Ridge Motorsports Park. They are definitely not done racing.
