Plaques installed on each side of the trophy base

The following photo and caption of Fritzie Baer appeared in the race program for the 1976 Laconia Classic. The photo has been enlarged, colorized and enhanced by AI.

Award Winners

1996-Harold Boyajian (1926-1998)

Vintage motorcycle racer. Master mechanic for Harley-Davidson, at Laconia and Daytona, from 1960-1971. Owner of the Kawasaki of Rhode Island Motorcycle Shop from 1971-1998.

1997-Fred Marsh (1900-2003)

Indian Motorcycle dealer in Hartford, CT from 1926-1953. Flat-track and hillclimb racer in his youth, lifelong rider, even as a centenarian.

1998-Dick Klamfoth (1928-2019)

Three-time winner of the LACONIA 100 and three-time winner of the DAYTONA 200. AMA’s Most Popular Rider in 1961.

1999-Peter Giammalvo (1959-2011)

Motorcycle race promoter, founder of the Wachusett Valley Riders Club, and track owner in Winchendon, MA.

2000-Bob Coy (living)

Director of the USCRA, the United States Classic Racing Association, which he founded in 1980. The USCRA is the oldest vintage motorcycle road racing organization in the USA.

2001-Nate Sheldon (1918-2004)

Harley-Davidson dealer of Worcester, MA for over 40 years. He was a VP of the NE Motorcycle Dealers Association.

2002- Leo Castell (living)

Publisher of “The Motorcyclist’s Post – The Voice of Northeast Motorcycle Riders”, a monthly magazine, from 1996-2013.

2003-Charlie St. Clair (1950-2026)

Director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association from its inception in 1991 until his death in August 2026 in a motorcycle accident while on his way for the 50th time to the Sturgis, SD rally.

2004-Jennifer N. Anderson (living)

Assistant Director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association from 1998 to the present.

2005-Herb & Linda Johnson (living)

Founders of the Meredith Harley-Davidson dealership in 1983. Built the current store on Route 3 in Meredith in 2003. Sold the dealership in 2008.

2006-Kinney O’Rourke (1938-2010)

Director of the Greater Laconia-Weirs Beach Chamber of Commerce from 1999-2001. Served as a President of the Laconia Rotary Club. Owned and operated a restaurant in the downtown Laconia train station, which he renovated. Rode more than 300,000 miles on his Harley during his more than 20 years living in NH.

2007-Peter Makris (1924-2007)

Owner of the NASWA resort in Weirs Beach since the early 1950s. An avid motorcycle enthusiast, he actively rode with the NH Leathernecks until his death.  

2008-Peter Karagianis (1916-2016)

Owner of the Laconia Spa convenience store since 1945. President of the Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce in the 1950s. Championed the effort to save Laconia’s Belknap Mill in the 1970s. Worked extensively to enhance Laconia Motorcycle Week.

2009-Dick Cartier (living)

Master builder of custom motorcycles. Veteran bike show organizer and judge for over 40 years of motorcycle shows and build-offs. Founder of the New Hampshire Motorcycle Rights Organization.

2010-Paul Lessard (living)

Rider Coach for 25 years for the New Hampshire Motorcycle Rider Training Program. President of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association from 2001-2009.

2011-Mike Moyer (living)

Spent 27 years with the Laconia Police Department, serving as Chief from 2007-2011. Moyer was the Belknap County Sheriff from 2016-2020.

2012-Governor John Lynch (living)

Governor of New Hampshire from 2005-2012, Lynch was a big supporter of the Laconia Rally, and was a frequent speaker at the official kick-offs to the event.

2013-Paul Fitzgerald (1950-2026)

Mayor of Laconia from 1992-1996 and a motorcycle enthusiast, he was instrumental in helping transform the Laconia rally from “Motorcycle Weekend” into the week-long event it became again in the early 1990s.

2014-Paul Cote (living)

Long-time motorcycle rights and motorcycle safety and awareness advocate, spreading the slogans “Check Twice Save a Life” and “Motorcycles Are Everywhere”.  Helped create the Massachusetts Motorcyclist’s Survivors Fund. Since 2018, the AMA Massachusetts Chapter Coordinator.

2015-Mayor Ed Engler (1947-2021)

Founder of the Laconia Daily Sun Newspaper in 2000. Publisher until 2012, and editor until 2015 of the paper. Three-term Mayor of Laconia from 2013-2019. Led the successful effort to restore the Colonial Theater in downtown Laconia. Served on the board of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association

2016-Major Russell Conte (living)

Major Russell Conte served various roles in a long career with the New Hampshire State Police from 1986-2018, including as Major Crimes Commander and Field Operations Commander. Although now retired, he continues to be a champion of mental health and suicide prevention efforts that support first responders.

2017-Doug Asermely (living)

Founder of the Sick Boy line of motorcycle apparel and gear. Honored for his work organizing Laconia’s annual Mae-West Memorial “For the Love of Pets” ride supporting animal rights organizations.

2018-K. Peddlar Bridges (living)

Motorcycle historian, writer, and poet laureate of the Rally, known as the “Road Poet” or “Roadpoet”. Has published several books on motorcycle history, including “Laconia 1916 The Beginning…” and “Laconia 1916 Chasing the Road!”. Columnist for Cruise News newspapers in CT and NY.

2019*-Matt Canfield (living) *Co-winner

A career officer with the Laconia Police Department since 1997. Chief of Laconia Police, 2017-present. Played a leading role in securing national law enforcement accreditation for the department. A strong proponent of community policing, established the Citizen Police Academy.

2019*-Mark Armaganian (living) *Co-winner

Chief of the New Hampshire Liquor Commission’s Division of Enforcement and Licensing since 2017. Strong believer in partnering with licensees to achieve safety instead of “arresting into compliance”. Joined the NH State Police in 1987 and served as a motorcycle officer.

2020-Due to the worldwide COVID epidemic, there was no award recipient in 2020.

2021-Don Hamme (living)

A tireless booster of the Laconia rally throughout the Western Pennsylvania, Western New York and Eastern Ohio regions, giving talks, making calls and distributing the Rally News magazine to motorcycle enthusiasts.

2022-Paul Giblin (1955-2022)

Worked diligently in marketing and business development at the NH International Speedway, at Vermont Sports Car in Burlington, VT, and at the Hobo Railroad in Lincoln, NH. Lifetime member of The Sports Car Club of NH. Event Director from 1995–2021 for “Climb to the Clouds”, an auto race up Mt. Washington.

2023-City of Laconia

An award to the City for its strong support of the Rally and to its staff throughout the many City departments that make the Rally possible.

2024-Nick Tamposi (living)

A real estate investor and developer. Strong supporter and patron of the Rally.

2025-Tom Crompton (living)

Vintage motorcycle racer with the United States Classic Racing Association. Vice President of the New England Motorsports Museum. Crompton and his associated organizations host a number of events for the Rally.

2026-Cynthia Makris (living)

President and owner of the Naswa Resort. President of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association from 2010-present.