Who was the first motorcycle rider to win a race at an average speed above 100 mph?

Otto Walker was a leading racer of the 1910s and early 1920s and was one of Harley-Davidson’s first factory riders. He won the first major race for the company, an FAM 300-mile road race in Venice, California, in April of 1915. Walker set numerous speed records during his eight-year professional racing career.

A souvenir from the war became something of a trademark for Walker. He wore a German aviator helmet instead of a motorcycle racing helmet during the races. Walker was also known for his unique riding style. He would arch his back on straightaways to give himself a better aerodynamic profile and his fellow competitors began calling him "Camelback" Walker.

At a non-title race on a mile board track in Fresno, California, on February 2, 1921, Walker became the first rider ever to win a motorcycle race at an average speed above 100 mph.

Walker retired after the 1922 season (as did fellow competitors Red Parkhurst and Maldwyn Jones). Walker ran a sport-fishing service on the Sacramento River and died in 1963 at the age of 73.

More Info: www.motorcyclemuseum.org

Test your knowledge

What are your thoughts on this subject?

7 Comments

Ken Walkley

What's most amazing is when and where Walker achieved the feat. A "board track" was basically a bowl, made up of boards hammered with nails to hold them in place. Think of the velodromes used in the Olympics and you'll get the idea. The tracks were up to one mile in length, with very high banking. The tracks were dangerous, as boards would come loose during races, leaving holes where cycle tires could get caught, throwing the driver and his ride up into the air, to crash and die in front of the spectators. Indy style cars also raced on these tracks, with the same dangers. Sometimes, repair crews would work to replace the wood. Their heads would pop up through the holes as they tried to reposition the boards. Many of the repair crew members would lose their lives as well. An incredibly daring, fast and amazing form of racing. One of the last tracks was Ascot Raceway in Southern California, which still is used for flat dirt track motorcycle racing. Speeds could be high because of the centrifugal force of the race cars or motorcycles on the steep banking, which limited the tires from sliding up the track surface, so the lesser horsepower engines of the era could keep pace, since they only had to run wide open -- no acceleration/deceleration necessary. Finally, the board tracks were determined too dangerous for everyone involved, including spectators, so they were torn down. It would not be until the mid fifties that banked tracks would make a comeback with NASCAR racing, beginning with Daytona.