Hogslayer – The Unapproachable Legend

The Hogslayer twin Norton powered drag bike

TC Christenson and John Gregory of Sunset Motors, Kenosha, Wisconsin

The Hogslayer twin Norton powered drag bike

TC Christenson, the Hogslayer Norton

The Hogslayer twin Norton powered drag bike

The Hogslayer twin Norton powered drag bike

Interview and story by Roland Chicane

There is a very interesting, soon to be released, documentary about a legendary 1970’s British drag racing motorcycle. It had a long string of racing wins and consistently defeated the ruling drag bikes of the day—the Harley Davidsons. It was an American national champion, christened the “Hogslayer”.

The documentary is being produced, directed and written by James Cutting: of The Edge Ltd. I recently had the opportunity to have a chat with Mr. Cutting about the film.

Note: In the 1970s, TC Christenson and John Gregory of Sunset Motors in Kenosha, Wisconsin, challenged the best drag racers in the world from former champions to factory supported teams with their home built dual-engine Norton dragster.

Hogslayer – The Unapproachable Legend

James, welcome and it’s a pleasure to meet and be able to chat a bit about this very cool and interesting film, what a piece of history!  So, let’s not beat about, what got you interested in making the documentary about TC Christenson’s “Hogslayer” drag motorcycle?

Thanks, Roland. Legends in motorcycle history can be lost to time. This was the driving force that inspired me to produce a documentary about the world champion motorcycle dragster known as the “Hogslayer”, it’s a story of unrivaled innovation, unbridled courage, and unyielding challengers. Their determination and passion engendered one of the most exciting championship runs in the history of drag racing.

Are you a motorcyclist James?

I’ve been an avid British motorcycle enthusiast for the last 35 years, Roland, but also as a career producer/director, I thought this story needed to be told. I have known TC and John over all these years and have witnessed their peak and watched as the years fogged over their spectacular achievements. Over those years, there were exhibition runs of the “Hogslayer” and an occasional article or publication highlighted their exploits. However, nothing has captured their personal experiences designing, building, and racing the world’s fastest motorcycle.

And when did you start all this monumental labor, sounds like a full time project? And what about TC and John?

In 2009, I finally decided to embark on this project. Having already met other legendary motorcyclists, I realized that the most inspiring stories originate directly from the subject. In this case, that meant the story needed to be told directly by TC and John and enhanced by the sights and sounds of the “Hogslayer” in action.

TC and John agreed to share their story in every detail, but the “Hogslayer”, now on permanent exhibit at the National Motorcycle Museum in Britain, was unavailable.

We decided to move forward in 2010 and I conducted interviews with TC and John in the original Sunset Motors shop, the birthplace of the “Hogslayer”. Their interviews would drive the documentary and were designed to be very personal in nature, as if the viewer were sitting right there with them. I coined this “bench racing at its best”. TC and John were comfortable in front of the cameras and shared the stories that made their experiences one of a kind.

So, the chats with TC and John sound fascinating but finding, documenting and verifying information and photos must have been a challenge.

As is common in most documentaries, I needed to rely on materials (articles, film, photos, and promotions) provided by race fans and those who had been involved with the “Hogslayer” to enhance the storyline. TC, John, and their families and friends provided me with over 500 archival elements to use. However, I soon realized that motion picture recordings from the pre-video 1970s were a rarity. At this point, I knew I needed to make a public plea for additional action footage.

I was aware of televised programs from the era that included the “Hogslayer” in action. One of which was a 1974 episode of Wide World of Sports showing a world championship run of the “Hogslayer” in Ontario, California, but the rights from ABC were costly. Sponsorships became a necessity to make “Hogslayer – The Unapproachable Legend” all it could be. And, seeking sponsorships required promotion of the documentary.

This must be an expensive undertaking, mate, what funding is going on?

Well, (nervous laugh) The sponsorships are key. Sponsorship in “Hogslayer” offers great opportunities for advertising, promotion, the experience of being a part of an exciting production, and the privilege of becoming a benefactor to the history of motorcycling. A solution to this was to produce a long-form promotional trailer for “Hogslayer”, requesting documentary materials and offering sponsorships on this exciting project.

I saw the long form trailer on the web and was impressed and excited about the film, I was captivated with all the cool vintage footage.

The Web is a wonderful vehicle for this application, Roland.  We updated www.nortonhogslayer.com, posted the “Hogslayer” trailer on YouTube, and opened a “Hogslayer Documentary” Facebook page.  All this effectively spread the word — worldwide.  In the first week after its launch, the “Hogslayer” trailer on YouTube had 1,500 hits.

Since then, many contributions of materials have been made to the documentary from enthusiasts throughout the US and the UK.  Several key participants in the original events of the 1970s have also been reintroduced through these efforts.

So when do we give it a go, mate? When can we see it and purchase it?

To date, although all principle photography has been completed, we are still accepting documentary materials and are in need of sponsorships.  The final script and narration have been completed and we are currently in the post production (editing) phase of the project.  “Hogslayer’s” premieres are planned for late summer 2011 and its DVD release will be in the US and Europe soon after.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of documenting the stories that make motorcycling history.  Legends arise, they inspire generations, and then they often fade away.  If we don’t take the initiative to record their contributions to the lifestyle we embrace, they will be lost to time.

I’m certainly in agreement James, and thank you for your time today and thank you for doing this for all of us motorcycle enthusiasts. We are all, I’m sure, looking forward to this documentary, what a great effort!

To become a part of Hogslayer the documentary, contact The Edge Ltd.

James Cutting
Independent Producer
THE EDGE LTD.
edgeltd@charter.net

Please visit the Hogslayer Facebook at “Hogslayer Documentary