Sammy Tanner

May 23, 1939 – September 21, 2023

On Thursday, September 21, 2023 at 8:40pm a massive stroke claimed one of America’s most loved 2-wheel warriors “' The Flying Flea” Sammy Tanner.

Planning for a Sammy Tanner, Celebration of Life service had gone through several revisions as location and dates presented challenges that caused delays before June 1, 2024 was finalized and announced. The venue chosen was the Southern California Motorcycles dealership at 515 W Lambert Rd, Brea California USA. This large Triumph, Ducati, Suzuki, Royal Enfield dealership was well known to Sammy as he’s had a long standing relationship with its owner Tom Hicks and Triumph. Sammy also held his huge 75th Birthday party at that location on May 23, 2014.

Motorcycle racing and the community built around it is a tight knit family of friends, relatives, sponsors, advertisers and promoters and they know the Sammy Tanner story but for those not familiar here is the 411 on the legend they call the Flying Flea.

Samuel Edward Tanner was born on May 23, 1939 to father Fredrick and mother Erna. Sammy had an older sister Shirley, ½ brothers Fred Jr. and Jack plus four children Lauri, Jack, Christopher and Steven along with two Stepchildren Richie and Sherry, three Grandchildren Jordan, McKenna and Keith and three Great Grandchildren Kai, Rafe and Hazel.

Raised in Houston Texas Sammy’s family was dirt poor. Still it was a happy childhood. Sammy owned his own horse and would ride it to school. His dad Fredrick Tanner was a printer by trade and Sammy was going to follow in his footsteps with a degree from a printing vocational school following his graduation from High School. There was only one issue that derailed those plans, Sammy loved watching his hero AJ Foyt race and wanted to be like him.

At age 14 Sammy bought a Sprint car. Not an easy drive it scared him so he sold it and bought a motorcycle. We have all heard news stories about people that have a natural talent with certain skills. Some can play a musical instrument or know dates, spelling, addition and so on. Sammy Tanner’s talent was he could race a motorcycle. Only 5 feet tall and 100 pounds he was a fierce competitor. His weapon of choice was a 500 cc Triumph.

As a teenager Sammy competed in the dirt track races on the Midwest county fair circuit. One night an announcer told the crowd that Tanner was a rock 'n' roll star from Texas. It was a huge hit that had many of his fans asking about his singing and where they could buy his record. Sammy was no dummy so he quickly wrote a song and cut a record based on his nickname “The Flying Flea”. Fans loved the song and Sammy would sell autographed copies of his record at the race track.

Sammy Tanner qualified as an AMA Expert In 1958 and began competing for the title of Grand National Champion. That first year, he finished sixth in the circuit. In both 1958 and 1959, he was the top points earner in AMA half-mile races.

When Ascot Park opened its half-mile track in 1959, JC Agajanian received a collect long-distance call from Sammy asking to be put on the program. Rumor is Aggie promised Sammy $200. If he would drive from Daytona Florida to his California facility and race on three separate dates at Ascot. A smart move on JC part as Tanner won on opening night.
On top of the world it soon crashed as a Monday morning call from his Texas bike sponsor informed Sammy that they wanted their BSA motorcycle back and he was no longer allowed to race it. Seems that unknown to Sammy the person he beat was a racing superstar named Al Gunter who was also sponsored by the same BSA dealership and they were none too happy about Sammy beating their veteran racer. Apparently #3 Al Gunter was winning every week and promoter Aggie Agajanian was advertising he would pay a bounty to anyone who could beat him.

Tanner was in trouble. Aggie promised to pay if he raced three meets and here after only one he had no motorcycle to race. Well what’s the saying, I’d rather be lucky then good. Well in Sammy’s case he was both. He went to Johnson Motors in Pasadena California to meet with the owner Pete Coleman and ask for a race bike. Coleman liked what he heard and figured anyone who could beat Al Gunter was worth sponsoring. I’m fairly certain that Gunter on a BSA Goldstar and Johnson Motors selling Triumphs was an additional bonus. There’s a whole story about Sammy being promised a race machine that unknown to Pete Coleman had been sold so Tanner got a brand new Triumph off the showroom floor. Johnson Motors converted it into a race bike and Sammy Tanner won the next five events held at the Ascot ½ mile on it. Rumor has it that JC Agajanian was so impressed he paid Sammy a big bonus over the $200. originally promised.

Now called “The King of Ascot” and sporting his new #7 number Sammy became the local hero after he broke the long-held eight-mile race record by six seconds and won the first AMA Grand National race held there.

From 1959 to 1966 Tanner competed regularly at the Ascot Park weekly races and won four Grand National Championships on the ½ mile track. Very popular his white racing leathers had a guitar emblazoned on the back, and yes, Sammy still sold copies of his record to the fans after the races. The ultimate souvenir an autographed copy of his record is still a highly valued collector’s item. “I was a 10 year old kid back then and use to sell programs for my dad” Chris Agajanian tells. “Dad paid me six cents for each but Sammy would pay me a quarter so I’d work the stands and made good spending money selling his records”.

Over his career Tanner campaigned Triumph and BSA motorcycles and won a total of seven AMA nationals, including the prestigious Springfield Mile. An astonishing lifelong record Sammy had won 408 regulation AMA races and 67 Trophy Dashes when he retired from competition in 1972. Sammy Tanner has been inducted into the AMA, Trailblazers, Dirt Track and Hot Shoe Hall of Fame.

Is there more? Sure, did you know; After a chance meeting with New Jersey based motorsport accessory retailer Roger Weston where Sammy was educated about a Japanese helmet company that was not yet selling in America he started Sammy Tanner Distributing and became the first US distributer of Arai Helmets. With the help of friend Bruce Porter, Sammy Tanner Distributing became and longest standing US distributor for the Arai Helmets.

Then there’s Tanner’s other love, Speedway. Of course everyone knows he was a Class C Flat Track Champion but Sammy also rode Class A Speedway. He like it and won a lot on the skinny brakeless motorcycles. Fact is the last race Sammy Tanner ever competed in was a 1977 Speedway event at a track in Santa Ana California. “He was on one of my machines and I sponsored him that night” US Open Champion Gene Woods told me. “He was a hero to me and my brother Rick Woods and when I decided to open a Speedway track in Las Vegas Nevada in 2011 Sammy was the first person I called” Gene continued.

There’s a million more stories about Sammy involvement with Speedway promotion and his sponsorship of riders but I’ll leave all that for another day as it’s a chapter of many words and faces.
And what about all the famous that were there and spoke at Sammy’s celebration you ask. Well for sure the VIP list is long and a special shout out is in order for Pastor Steve Wise, son Jack Tanner for sharing the family eulogy, racer and friend Keith Mashburn, Bruce Porter and Chris Agajanian who all came to the podium and shared their life memories with “The Flea”. I’m not even going to attempt to relay the names of those that were in attendance but it’s a who’s who list that’s impressive and speaks for the fact, Sammy Tanner was a giant in racing and life and that so many loved the man.

Rest in Peace Sammy Tanner, all will miss the “The Flying Flea.”

With deep respect, Howie Zechner

Adventures and stories abound. Happy Birthday to my Flying Flea friend, Sammy Tanner.

Seven Grand National Champion, Sammy Tanner was born in Houston, Texas, on May 23, 1939.

A race fan since early childhood Sammy bought his first motorcycle and started racing it at age 14. Only 5 feet tall and 100 pounds Sammy was a fierce competitor. His weapon of choice was a 500 cc Triumph. As a teenager, Sammy competed in the dirt track races on the Midwest county fair circuit. One night an announcer told the crowd that Tanner was a rock 'n' roll star from Texas. It was a huge hit that had many of his fans asking about his singing and where they could buy his record. Sammy was no dummy so he quickly wrote a song and cut a record based on his nickname “' The Flying Flea” Fans loved the song and Sammy would sell autographed copies of his record at the race track.

Sammy Tanner qualified as an AMA Expert In 1958 and began competing for the title of Grand National Champion. That first year, he finished sixth in the circuit. In both 1958 and 1959, he was the top points earner in AMA half-mile races.

When Ascot Park opened its half-mile track in 1959, JC Agajanian received a long-distance collect call from Sammy asking to be put on the program. Rumor is Aggie paid his expenses to drive from Daytona Florida to his California facility. A smart move as Tanner won on opening night and followed it up by winning five of the next, six events held at the Ascot ½ mile.

Called “The King of Ascot” Sammy became the local hero after he broke the long-held eight-mile race record by six seconds and won the first AMA Grand National race held there.

From 1959 to 1966 Tanner competed regularly at the Ascot Park weekly races and won four Grand National Championships on the ½ mile track. Very popular his white racing leathers had a guitar emblazoned on the back, and yes, Sammy still sold copies of his record to the fans after the races. The ultimate souvenir an autographed copy of his record is still a highly valued collector’s item.

Over his career Tanner campaigned Triumph and BSA motorcycles and won a total of seven AMA nationals, including the prestigious Springfield Mile. An astonishing lifelong record Sammy had won 408 regulation AMA races and 67 Trophy Dashes when he retired from competition in 1972.

Sammy Tanner has been inducted into the AMA and Trailblazers, Hall of Fame and still does personal appearances at various tracks and reunions. On any given day you can find him working at his company, Sammy Tanner Distributing, supplying Arai Helmet to the racers and public.

Howie Zechner