Ralph Hudson
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| Ralph Hudson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ralph Allen Hudson 19 May 1951 Temple City, CA, USA |
| 💀Died | 6 September 2020 (aged 69) Salt Lake City, Utah, USA6 September 2020 (aged 69) |
| 💼 Occupation | Business owner Builder/Fabricator Motorcycle mechanic |
| Known for | Motorcycle Land Speed record holder |
| 👶 Children | 1 |
Ralph Hudson (May 19, 1951 - September 6, 2020) was an American businessman and motorcycle racer who gained recognition for setting multiple AMA and FIM motorcycle land-speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats and El Mirage Dry Lake between 2009 and 2020.
In 2018, Hudson participated in the Top 1 Oil Boliva Speed Trials at the Uyuni Salt Flats where he set a motorcycle land-speed world record of 297.970 mph aboard his Suzuki GSX-R1000, which remains the FIM world record as top speed for a sit-on motorcycle.[1]
In total, Hudson broke 39 records at Bonneville[2] and El Mirage[3] and won 3 SCTA motorcycle points championships. He was inducted into the Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame in 2017, and is a nominee for the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.[4]
On August 14th, 2020 during the return run on a record attempt in Bonneville, a strong gust of wind blew Hudson off course while driving at a speed above 250mph. The resulting crash led to his passing 23 days later on September 6th. [5][6][7]
Racing Career[edit]
Hudson first participated in Speed Week at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the 1971, where he raced a stock Kawasaki.
After stepping away from racing to focus on his career and starting a family, Hudson returned to land speed racing in 2009 after purchasing a stock 2003 Suzuki GSX-R1000 on Craigslist that he would spend the following decade customizing himself.[8]
Driven by an idea he had more than 30 years prior, Hudson devoted himself to the study of aerodynamics to come up with a custom design for his motorcycle's bodywork that he personally fabricated at his shop in Glendale, CA.[9] The success of this design propelled him to his first land-speed record at Bonneville in 2009, with a speed of 210.623mph[10] to become a member of the Bonneville 200 mph club.[11]
In the decade to follow, he continued to improve upon his bodywork design, and created a custom-engineered motorcycle that would ultimately break dozens of land speed records, many of which stand to this day.[12]
Land Speed Records[edit]
Bonneville Land Speed Records[13]
| Year | Manufacturer/Engine | Class | Official Speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | APS-G 1000 | 210.622 mph | ||
| 2010 | APS-G 1000 | 220.874 mph | ||
| 2011 | APS-G 1000 | 225.596 mph | ||
| 2012 | APS-G 1000 | 239.976 mph | Bonneville Speed Week[14] | |
| 2016 | Suzuki 1000cc | APS-BG 1000 | 230.719 mph | Bonneville Speed Week[15] |
| 2018 | Suzuki 650cc | APS-BF 650 | 223.641 mph | Bonneville Speed Week[16] |
| 2019 | Suzuki 650cc | APS-BG 1000 | 232.964 mph | Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials[17] |
| 2020 | Suzuki 650cc | APS-BF 650 | 235.518 mph | Bonneville Speed Week[18] |
| 2020 | Suzuki 650cc | APS-BG 650 | 241.273 mph | Bonneville Speed Week[19] |
| 2020 | Suzuki 1000cc | APS-BF 1000 | 260.840 mph | Bonneville Speed Week[20] |
| 2020 | Suzuki 1000cc | APS-BG 1000 | 263.678 mph | Bonneville Speed Week[21] |
El Mirage Land Speed Records[22]
| Year | Class | Official Speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | APS-G 1000 | 194.882 mph | |
| 2010 | APS-G 1000 | 203.744 mph | |
| 2011 | APS-G 1000 | 214.360 mph | SCTA Motorcycle Champion |
| 2013 | APS-BF 1000 | 235.848 mph | SCTA Motorcycle Champion |
| 2014 | APS-BF 1000 | 241.126 mph | SCTA Motorcycle Champion [23] |
| 2015 | APS-BF 1000 | 237.517 mph | |
| 2016 | APS-BF 1000 | 266.399 mph | SCTA Motorcycle Top Speed |
TOP 1 Oil Bolivia Speed Trials
| Year | Manufacturer/Model | Class | Official Speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Suzuki GSXR-1000 | I.A1.B II.3+ 1000cc | 284.361 mph | [24][25][26] |
| 2018 | Suzuki GSXR-1000 | I.A1.B II.3+ 1000cc | 297.970 mph | [27] |
References[edit]
- ↑ "FIM Results". Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ↑ "Bonneville National Motorcycle Records" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. Southern California Timing Association. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ↑ "EL MIRAGE MOTORCYCLE RECORDS" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. SCTA. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ↑ "Motorsports Hall of Fame of America Nominees". Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ↑ Turner, Jean. "Land Speed Legend Ralph Hudson Passes". Cycle News. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ↑ "Land-Speed Record-Holder Ralph Hudson Succumbs to Injuries". 11 September 2020.
- ↑ "Farewell to the fastest motorcyclist on the planet, Ralph Hudson". 12 September 2020.
- ↑ Landa, Jeff (12 December 2017). "Glendale shop owner is one of the fastest humans on two wheels". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ↑ Hodgson, Kris (15 February 2017). "The Fastest of them - All Ralph Hudson With Phil Hall". MCNews. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ↑ "BONNEVILLE 200 MPH CLUB MEMBERS BY NAME (2024)" (PDF). BONNEVILLE 200 MPH CLUB. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ↑ "Bonneville 200 MPH Club History". bonneville200mphclub. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ↑ Fattal, Tarek (3 December 2020). "'Quiet giant' Ralph Hudson, land-speed record holder who died in September, left rich legacy". Los Angeles Daily News.
- ↑ "Bonneville National Motorcycle Records" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. Southern California Timing Association. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ↑ "Ralph Hudson sets Bonneville record with Carpenter Racing". DragBike.com. Carpenter Racing. 29 August 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ↑ "Speed Week 2016 Certified Records - Bikes" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. SCTA-BNI. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ↑ "Bonneville Certified Records - Speed Week 2018" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. SCTA-BNI. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ↑ "Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials FIM Land Speed World Records". Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ↑ "Bonneville Certified Records - Speed Week 2020" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. SCTA-BNI. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ↑ "Bonneville Certified Records - Speed Week 2020" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. SCTA-BNI. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ↑ "Bonneville Certified Records - Speed Week 2020" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. SCTA-BNI. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ↑ "Bonneville Certified Records - Speed Week 2020" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. SCTA-BNI. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ↑ "EL MIRAGE MOTORCYCLE RECORDS" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. SCTA. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ↑ Warner, Dan (9 November 2014). "Impound Insights -- El Mirage November 2014". LandRacing.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ↑ Liew, Michelle (28 November 2017). "66 year-old Ralph Hudson sets world record at 284 mph". iMotorbike. iMotorbike. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ↑ Turner, Jean (22 August 2017). "Salt Dreams and Serendipity". CycleNews. CycleNews. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ↑ "Cook's Top Oil 2018 Landspeed Shootout (BOL) Ralph Hudson". FIM Asia Live. FIM Asia Live. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ↑ "FIM Results". Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
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