J.C. Hoel
Co-founder of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
About J.C. Hoel
Lived 1904 – 1989 (aged 84).
J.C. (Clarence) "Pappy" Hoel (May 30, 1904 – February 1, 1989) was an American motorcycle racer, dealer, businessman, and founder of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. In 1983, he received the American Motorcyclist Association's (AMA) Dud Perkins Award for outstanding contributions to motorcycling. Both J.C. "Pappy" Hoel and his wife Pearl were inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998.
The Pappy Hoel campground in South Dakota attracts thousands of visitors yearly for the Sturgis rally. The campground opened in 2016 on the site of a campground operating under another name.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped J.C. Hoel's
Frequently asked questions
Who was J.C. Hoel?
co-founder of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
When was J.C. Hoel born?
J.C. Hoel was born on 30 May 1904.
When did J.C. Hoel die?
J.C. Hoel died on 1 February 1989.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). J.C. Hoel. https://biography.guide/j-c-hoel/
MLA: "J.C. Hoel." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/j-c-hoel/.
Chicago: "J.C. Hoel." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/j-c-hoel/.
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