Cal Rayborn
Calvin "Cal" Rayborn II ( born February 20, 1940 in San Diego, California, † December 29, 1973 in Auckland ) was an American motorcycle racer who as the best U.S. rider was in his seven professional years on the racetrack and in Europe sees had become obsolete, American drivers were true only in path sports competitors. He held from 1970 to the speed record for motorcycles with 427.25 km / h
Life
Cal Rayborn grew up in San Diego and began at the age of eight to ride a motorcycle. As a delivery driver with a motorcycle he earned his first money. In the late 1950s he met in a "drag race" Don Vesco, who became his friend and "Tuner" of motorcycles, with which both competed in the early 1960s at Club road race. His experience from the time when delivery driver let him be so fast that he could beat the American aces of the time without any problems.
A back injury slowed his career first, until 1965 it was enough to two podium finishes in the AMA Championship in Carlsbad (California ) succeeded in 1966, winning a " AMA national" race. Harley -Davidson racing manager Dick O'Brien was aware of him, and came to the view that Cal Rayborn is next to the British Mike Hailwood the best he observed road racer - he seemed to have a special feeling for his machine faster than others around tight corners to bring. This was not easy with him exclusively driven Harley -Davidson machines that were heavy and had relatively small brakes. 1968 and 1969 he had his best years as a works driver, he won twice in a row the " Daytona 200 " race, most recently as the remaining four-stroke riders in a field of superior appearing two-strokes of the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers. The AMA Championship, which included in addition to road race and track races, he finished in two years in the third place, an inconsistency on "dirt tracks" prevented a better result.
The superiority of Japanese two-strokes 1970 was overwhelming, but succeeded on the Bonneville Salt Flats on October 16, 1970 with the Harley -Davidson Streamliner a 427.25 km / h speed record, which after a few accidents at high speed a lot of courage. An excellent performance finally made him famous in Europe. It was in the spring of 1972 at six events of the " match races " in England, which could cross it three times with his borrowed from the Harley -Davidson XR 750 employees Walt Faulk old machine with iron cylinders as the finish line first. Rayborn had won eleven " AMA national" race, the last victory for Harley -Davidson he made on 23 July 1972, the Laguna Seca racetrack in California. When not much was left of the competitiveness of the Harley -Davidson machines, changed Rayborn 1973 Suzuki. With a Club race in New Zealand, he had an accident in December 1973 fatal.