Cycle News

VOLUME 57 ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 P127 would reach his goal, and every "congratulations" he received that night only served to stoke the fire in his belly. If conditions had been better, Ralph likely would have sailed to his 300-mph goal without an issue, but the Salar had a little too much moisture in 2018, present- ing him with an uphill battle on the salt. "Last year the track was like white asphalt. I did a run at 289 and it was just so easy. It was just like riding to the store," Ralph ex- plained. "And then some of these runs were really, really difficult. I felt like I was in a rodeo or some- thing. I looked at the data and the bike speed was 294 and the wheel speed was 318. So it was really slippery. The tires are slicks so… if we could run knobbies it would probably help," he added with a laugh, as though 300-mph wheelspin was a laughing matter. He continued to vent his frustra- tions about his day, describing conditions that still boggle my mind. "Two hundred miles an hour is 300 feet per second, so that's a football field every second at 200," Ralph said. "So half again, that would be 450 feet per sec- ond at 300. You can't see or react to anything unless it was maybe like a bus. It's just a bit more diffi- cult to keep the bike going straight than I expected. It was just so slippery." Even though it wasn't the num- ber he was seeking, Ralph came to accept his world record achieve- ment, and even traveled to Andorra later that year for the FIM Awards Gala. He was thrilled and humbled to stand on the same stage with racers like Marc Marquez. His friends were quick to remind him that he was the only world cham- pion on that stage who designed and built his own race bike. But it wasn't just Ralph the racer that I admired. Ralph Hudson earned the nickname, "Quiet Giant," on account of his kind, humble nature off the track, belying his fearless badassery on the track. His quick wit and easy- going personality, made Ralph the kind of person you just enjoyed being around, whether it was at the races or at the bar. Even in moments of tension or frustra- tion, he always gave you his full attention, engaging people with a rare brand of genuine kindness and humor that is hard to find anywhere, let alone in a racer on race day. If you were just dropping in to shake his hand at Bonneville, a fellow competitor who needed help with a mechanical issue, or an annoying reporter seeking an interview minutes before his run, it was never a burden for Ralph. Or if it was, you'd never know. In January 2019 we had a little Bolivia reunion in Southern Califor- nia where several of us, including Ralph, met up at Angel Stadium for Anaheim 1 Supercross. We were sipping our $20 beers in the stands and chatting in between heats when the announcer caught our ear. He was introducing "the fastest man on a motorcycle, here with us tonight." We all stopped and looked at each other, dumbstruck. Our eyes got even bigger when the announcer started talking about a 1000cc turbo-charged motorcycle. "Do they know you're here?" I asked Ralph, thinking that per- haps our FIM steward friend had made a phone call to his Super- cross buddies. We sat in stunned silence until we realized the announcer was introducing NHRA Drag Racing Champion Rickey Gadson, who was a special guest. With all due respect to Mr. Gad- sen, I wanted everyone in Angel Stadium to know that he was actu- ally the second-fastest man in the stadium that night. "You should go down there, Ralph," I said. "Set those guys straight!" "Should I?" Ralph played along. "Here, hold my beer!" We laughed as we envisioned boosting Ralph out onto the sta- dium floor, and watching him dodge security and rush the stage, insist- ing that he is the fastest man on a motorcycle. Of course, to Ralph, laughing and drinking beer with his buddies in the stands was far better than being in a stadium spotlight. That's the Ralph I'm going to miss, the funny, modest, genuine soul who treated everyone like a friend. The racing community lost a giant, and everyone who knew him lost a friend when Ralph suc- cumbed to his injuries from his crash at Bonneville Speed Week. Someday (probably soon) some- one else will accomplish his goal of setting the World Record over 300 mph. When it does, I hope we can all raise a glass to the memory of our friend Ralph, who will be some- where in the stands cheering. CN

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