Shell Thuet
(1912-2011)

2001 American Motorcycle Association Dirt Track Hall of Fame Recipient

A Tribute to Shell (and Maggie) Thuet and Shell Racing Specialties


SHELL THUET BIOGRAPHY

Click Picture (taken at Del Mar in 2002 with Tom Horton) 1.1 MB PDF file

Maggie Thuet, loving wife of Shell Thuet, passed away at home in Victorville, CA on Sunday, 18 March 2007. Maggie was famous for her Flat-Track Tuna Sandwiches. She had been bed-ridden for several years and never lost her love for life or her sense of humor. Shell had been her primary care-giver and missed her vivacious and very spirited company.

SHELL THUET
ICON OR LEGEND?
A Biography by Mike Konshak (c) 2000

On this web site, you will find the official biography of one of America's greatest motorcycle tuners of all time. The riders get the glory but the tuners make it happen. Shell was responsible for Yamaha's first and only American Motorcycle Association National Championship, by modifying the XS-650 street bike into a 750cc dirtracker, with renowned rider Kenny Roberts in the saddle.

Shell's biography was published in 2000 in the AHMRA Vintage Views and in the VDTRA Vintage Dirttrack News and is now in the AMA museum archives. This biography, contributed to by Shell's friends and riders, precipitated in getting Shell Thuet inducted into the 2001 AMA Dirt Track Hall of Fame. The following pictures (left to right) are from 1946, 1953, and 1963.

Shell retired in 2008 one year after Maggie's death. He passed away 13 years later in Victorville July 8, 2011 at age 98 and was survived by his daughters; Ina Rae (Thuet) Ginos, of Vista CA and Ellen (Thuet) Bryant of Eureka CA. A funeral was held (against Shell's wishes) in Hesperia, CA and attended by many of the racer fraternity that loved Shell and Maggied. Larry Lawrence created this Shell Thuet Memorial web page of his funeral found on the Vintage Flat Track website.

Racing Pictures of Shell Riders

Click thumbnails for Larger Pictures.


88R - Don Hawley and 5X - Chuck Cove. 1956 Gardena, CA

38X - Blackie Bruce and 27 Elliot Schultz. Ascot, Los Angeles, CA
Shell Thuet (back to camera) Don Castro Cutting Kenny Roberts front tire. Sante Fe Speedway, Hindsdale, IL

1 - Hank Scott, Shell Thuet and 14- Gary Scott 88R. 1975 Astrodome, Houston, TX

62 - Corky Keener applauds Kenny Roberts winning 2nd GNC Championship Dave Aldana (Norton Jacket) looks on. Shell stands behind Kenny in Yamaha Jacket. 1974 Terra Haute, IN
Keith Mashburn winner of Yamaha Silver Cup. 1972 Boston Gardens

1977 Astrodome Program, Houston, TX

1977 Yamaha Gold Cup, Houston, TX

Hank Scott in the winner's Circle. 1976 Oklahoma City

14 - Hank Scott Looking Back

14 - HankScott on a Shell Two Stroke Short tracker

14 - Hank Scott and 3- Carl Romero

14 - Hank Scott Sliding

14 - Hank Scott at Ascot Half Mile National
14 - Hank Scott at Ascot TT National

14 - Hank Scott, Reading, PA 1977

Hank Scott with Shell (very rare photo of Shell having a drink. He was estatic from winning the national at Oklahoma City, without Yamaha's support. This was to be the last time that a Yamaha beat the Harley-Davidsons at a GNC.
14 - Hank Scott

55 - Tom Horton

Art Fredenburgh, Tom Horton, Shell and Maggie Thuet. Sacramento Mile, 1998
40 - Art Fredenburgh in 2000 - He died in a crash at an AHRMA event

55 - Tom Horton (top AHRMA Rider) battles 24 - Mark Gibson (top VDTRA rider) at the 1998 AHRMA Indy Mile

Art Fredenburgh battles #76 at the Sacramento Mile, 1998
VDTRA #1 Amateur - Mike Konshak, Ruidoso Mile, NM. 2001. 6 national class championships (2000-2001) on a Shell Powered Champion Yamaha 750. Thanks Shell!

Tom Horton discuss the tuning on his Shell Yamahas with Shell and Maggie Thuet at Del Mar in 2002
(C) Copyright 2003-2018 by Mike Konshak
If you have pictures of Shell or Maggie, or wish to add a tribute to him on this page, send to