Published in the Thigh Desert Advocate in the August 21st, 2020 Edition.
In last week (2 weeks ago) Speed Week, Ralph Hudson, 69, lost control of his motorcycle at the speed of 252 miles per hour. (photo credit WKRG/BD)
A few years ago, Ralph Hudson, now 69, hit the blistering speed of 300 miles an hour on a motorcycle. He wasn’t going quite that fast Friday morning when he crashed on the Bonneville Salt Flats attempting a speed record.
Hudson lost control of his bike going 252 miles an hour, crashed, and was nearly killed. He was airlifted to a Salt Lake City hospital.
Ralph Hudson, on his motorcycle on the Salt Flats during Speed Week, in Wendover. (photo credit WKRG/BD)
He was taking part in Speedweek with SCTA Southern California Timing Association whose president, Bill Lattin posted on Facebook, “at approximately 8:20 a.m. Mountain Time today, veteran rider Ralph Hudson, age 69, lost control of his motorcycle land speed vehicle. He was attempting a speed record and was traveling approximately 252 mph. Ralph was treated by medical professionals at the scene and transported by ambulance to LifeFlight and flown to Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City. The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.” Hudson was treated at the scene of the crash by local Wendover ambulance before being airlifted to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray. No update on his condition was immediately available.
In Wendover, both Utah and Nevada, the Wendover ambulance’s EMTs usually take care of the emergencies (together with sometimes local Fire Departments), and then meet the helicopter enroute on I-80 for air transport to Salt Lake City many Hospitals.
Besides Hudson, all drivers at the Bonneville Salt Flats were speeding up towards setting land speed records.
The 72nd Speed Week just wrapped up last Friday “Well it’s sad,” said Speed Demon racer George Poteet. “Attendance is about half of what it is normally.”
Poteet is a legend amongst racers at the Salt Flats as he is celebrating 25 years of racing streamliners. This year, racing during the pandemic, is one he will never forget.
Neither will the people who drove across the country to attend, including the Purdy family. They drove out from Iowa and were happy the event wasn’t canceled.
Another attendee from California said it was a perfect day for racing. “The weather has been nice and dry,” Michael Beam said.
Beam is an engineer who helped create what he calls the world’s fastest Tesla. They cracked a record close to 200 miles per hour on the 3-mile track.
Speed Demon broke a record on the 5-mile track whizzing up to 445 mph.
“Generally it is a nice, quiet ride. No stereo or air conditioning,” Poteet joked. “You sit there until the five mile marker and pull the parachute.”
Just as quickly as people raced to Utah for Speed Week, they were racing out.
The event saw around 200 racers this year, compared to an average 500.
