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Ralph A. Hudson

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Ralph Hudson
Born
Ralph Allen Hudson

(1951-05-19)19 May 1951
Temple City, CA, USA
Died6 September 2020(2020-09-06) (aged 69)
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Occupation(s)Business owner
Builder/Fabricator
Motorcycle mechanic
Known forMotorcycle Land Speed record holder
Children1

Ralph Hudson (May 19, 1951 - September 6, 2020[1]) was an American businessman and motorcycle racer who gained recognition for setting multiple AMA and FIM land-speed records at Bonneville between 2009 and 2020.[2][3]

Over his career, Hudson set 39 records at Bonneville[4] and El Mirage[5] and won 3 SCTA motorcycle points championships. In recognition of his achievements, he was inducted into the Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame in 2017 and was later nominated for the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America of America.[6]

Racing Career

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Hudson first participated in Speed Week at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1971 at the age of 20, racing a stock Kawasaki motorcycle.

After stepping away from racing for decades to focus on his career and family, Hudson returned to land speed racing at the age of 58 in 2009 with the purchase of a stock 2003 Suzuki GSX-R1000 on Craigslist, which he spent the next decade personally customizing.[7]

Inspired by an idea he had conceived 30 years earlier, Hudson studied aerodynamics to develop a custom fiberglass bodywork for his motorcycle, which he fabricated in his Glendale, CA shop.[8] The success of the design resulted in his first land-speed record, set at Bonneville in 2009 with an average speed of 210.623mph[9] making him a member of the Bonneville 200 mph club.[10]

Over the next decade, Hudson continued to refine the bodywork and mechanical features of his motorcycles and would go on to set numerous land speed records, many of which still stand.[11]

Top 1 Oil Bolivia Speed Trials

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In 2018, Hudson participated in the Top 1 Oil Boliva Speed Trials[12] at the Uyuni Salt Flats with a goal of being the first traditional motorcycle to achieve an FIM record above 300mph.

Riding his Suzuki GSX-R1000, Hudson made a one-way run of 304 mph (489 km/h), the fastest recorded speed for a sit-on motorcycle,[13] and set a land-speed record with an average speed of 297.970 mph, which remains the FIM world record as the top speed for a sit-on motorcycle.[14]

Death

[edit]

On August 14th, 2020, at the age of 69, Hudson crashed during his return run on a record attempt at Bonneville after a strong gust of wind blew him off course while traveling at a speed above 250mph. The accident resulted in Hudson's passing 23 days later on September 6th. [15][16][17]

Land Speed Records

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Bonneville Land Speed Records[18]

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[19]
2016 Suzuki 1000cc APS-BG 1000 230.719 mph Bonneville Speed Week[20]
2018 Suzuki 650cc APS-BF 650 223.641 mph Bonneville Speed Week[21]
2019 Suzuki 650cc APS-BG 1000 232.964 mph Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials[22]
2020 Suzuki 650cc APS-BF 650 235.518 mph Bonneville Speed Week[23]
2020 Suzuki 650cc APS-BG 650 241.273 mph Bonneville Speed Week[24]
2020 Suzuki 1000cc APS-BF 1000 260.840 mph Bonneville Speed Week[25]
2020 Suzuki 1000cc APS-BG 1000 263.678 mph Bonneville Speed Week[26]

El Mirage Land Speed Records[27]

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[28]
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 [29][30][31]
2018 Suzuki GSXR-1000 I.A1.B II.3+ 1000cc 297.970 mph [32]

References

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  1. ^ "Ralph Hudson Dies After Land Speed Record Attempt Crash". carandbike. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  2. ^ "'Quiet giant' Ralph Hudson, land-speed record holder who died in September, left rich legacy". Daily News. 3 December 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  3. ^ Gilboy, James (9 September 2020). "69-Year-Old Motorcycle Racer, Land Speed Record Holder Ralph Hudson Dies After 252-MPH Crash". The Drive. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Bonneville National Motorcycle Records" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. Southern California Timing Association. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  5. ^ "EL MIRAGE MOTORCYCLE RECORDS" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. SCTA. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  6. ^ "Motorsports Hall of Fame of America Nominees". Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  7. ^ Landa, Jeff (12 December 2017). "Glendale shop owner is one of the fastest humans on two wheels". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  8. ^ Hodgson, Kris (15 February 2017). "The Fastest of them - All Ralph Hudson With Phil Hall". MCNews. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  9. ^ "BONNEVILLE 200 MPH CLUB MEMBERS BY NAME (2024)" (PDF). BONNEVILLE 200 MPH CLUB. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  10. ^ "Bonneville 200 MPH Club History". bonneville200mphclub. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  11. ^ Fattal, Tarek (3 December 2020). "'Quiet giant' Ralph Hudson, land-speed record holder who died in September, left rich legacy". Los Angeles Daily News.
  12. ^ "Bolivia Land Speed World Record Event Returns". 20 February 2023.
  13. ^ "Land Speed Legend Ralph Hudson Passes". Cycle News. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  14. ^ "FIM Results". Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  15. ^ Turner, Jean. "Land Speed Legend Ralph Hudson Passes". Cycle News. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  16. ^ "Land-Speed Record-Holder Ralph Hudson Succumbs to Injuries". 11 September 2020.
  17. ^ "Farewell to the fastest motorcyclist on the planet, Ralph Hudson". 12 September 2020.
  18. ^ "Bonneville National Motorcycle Records" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. Southern California Timing Association. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  19. ^ "Ralph Hudson sets Bonneville record with Carpenter Racing". DragBike.com. Carpenter Racing. 29 August 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  20. ^ "Speed Week 2016 Certified Records - Bikes" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  21. ^ "Bonneville Certified Records - Speed Week 2018" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  22. ^ "Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials FIM Land Speed World Records". Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  23. ^ "Bonneville Certified Records - Speed Week 2020" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  24. ^ "Bonneville Certified Records - Speed Week 2020" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  25. ^ "Bonneville Certified Records - Speed Week 2020" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  26. ^ "Bonneville Certified Records - Speed Week 2020" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  27. ^ "EL MIRAGE MOTORCYCLE RECORDS" (PDF). SCTA-BNI. SCTA. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  28. ^ Warner, Dan (9 November 2014). "Impound Insights -- El Mirage November 2014". LandRacing.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  29. ^ Liew, Michelle (28 November 2017). "66 year-old Ralph Hudson sets world record at 284 mph". iMotorbike. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  30. ^ Turner, Jean (22 August 2017). "Salt Dreams and Serendipity". CycleNews. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  31. ^ "Cook's Top Oil 2018 Landspeed Shootout (BOL) Ralph Hudson". FIM Asia Live. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  32. ^ "FIM Results". Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
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