1971 R75/5 At The BMW Airhead Invitational | Megaphone

It's a daunting feeling racing a motorcycle on which someone almost met his maker. But that's where I found myself this past October during the third-annual running of the BMW Airhead Invitational at Barber Motorsports Park.

That someone was Jerry Settle. A Baptist minister and family counselor by trade, the Tennessee resident started vintage racing at an age most competitors are hanging up their leathers. His passion for air-cooled BMWs-what the faithful call Airheads-led him to create an annual race for them, held in conjunction with the final round of the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) national championship.

Airheads I-held at Alabama's Talladega Gran Prix Raceway in October of '03-was a resounding success, and everyone looked forward to Airheads II. And then it happened: During an AHRMA regional race there five months later, Settle crashed and suffered serious injuries. He was transported by helicopter to the trauma center at the University of Alabama, where he required resuscitation and mechanical ventilation and spent 18 days recuperating.

"I have no memory of the first 15 days," he wrote to friends on the one-year anniversary of his accident. "I didn't know my wife, my girls or my pastor, or anyone that came to see me. I had a traumatic brain injury as well as several broken bones."

The Airheads competitors-Jerry's kids-kept a vigil through this worrying period, updating one another on his progress via e-mail and message-board postings. Everyone figured Airheads II wouldn't happen, so it came as the best possible surprise when Settle announced that not only would the race go on, but it would be held at Barber Motorsports Park! He wouldn't be riding himself, but would be there to oversee the proceedings and to hold his traditional Sunday-morning chapel service.

Of course, we shouldn't have been surprised by Settle's fighting spirit. In 1995, after his daughter Brittney received a failing grade on a ninth-grade paper she'd written about Jesus, Jerry and his wife Charlotte encouraged her to file suit, and the case went all the way to the Supreme Court.

My involvement in the first two Airhead Invitationals was as a modern-day Walter Mitty, riding bikes prepared by Chris Hodgson of San Jose BMW to wins in three of four races. When Chris didn't have anything for me to ride in Airheads III, I sent out a mass e-mail asking if anyone might have a bike to which I could affix my number 1 plate. I got two offers, one from Southern Californian Rod Chambers, who had just purchased the R75 formerly raced by Larry Stonestreet, and the second from Settle, who said my message had inspired him to put his bike back together for me to ride. How could I not accept that?

Settle hadn't touched the '71 R75/5 since his accident, so it was in bad shape. A quick once-over with mechanic and friend Ray Dey resulted in a lengthy parts list, which included a bent-and irreparable-frame. Adding to the crunch was most of the work had to be done in early October, when Settle had vacation from his part-time job driving a school bus.

As work progressed I received daily updates. The biggest unknown was the condition of the engine, because the bike had to be reassembled before it could be bump-started. The uncertainty was killing me, especially when Settle closed each e-mail with, "Keep your options open and we will hope for the best."

Finally, just five days from the start of practice, Settle sent one final e-mail: "Brian, I have good news. The bike is running! We spun the rear wheel, released the clutch and the engine roared to life-a very sweet sound. It was as though my bike was allowed to live again, just like I was even though I was at Death's door and I know it. It will be a joy for me to bring the bike to Barber to show everyone that neither of us died, but both of us have a chance to live again."

Teething problems with the resurrected Beemer hindered our efforts at Barber, but I didn't care. Just being on Jerry's bike and seeing the smile on his face each time I brought it back to the pits was reward enough.

It was a long and difficult road from Talladega to Barber, but through it all, Settle kept the faith. "I knew when I got into this game that something like this could happen," he said. "Sometimes, when life throws you a curveball, you've just got to take it and keep on truckin'."