Drag Racing Loses Tommy Bolton

The sport lost a real one. Tommy Bolton wasn’t just a racer, he was a builder, an innovator, a promoter, and a cornerstone of motorcycle drag racing. Known to the community as “Mr. Speed” and the “King of Cali,” Tommy spent a lifetime pushing the limits of what was possible on two wheels.

He was the first African American to break the 200 mph barrier in the quarter-mile. The first rider ever to clock 190 mph on a non-wheelie bar bike in the quarter. And only the fourth person in history to crack 200 mph in the quarter-mile, period.