Bubba Blackwell
Encyclopedia
Bubba Blackwell is a stunt performer
and motorcycle jumping world record holder who was sponsored by and promoted Buell Motorcycle Company
(Buell was partnered with Harley-Davidson
Motorcycles before becoming defunct in October, 2009). Bubba is best known for breaking Evel Knievel
's jump record for both cars and buses using a Harley-Davidson XR-750
track race motorcycle.
, breaking the 19 car record held by Evel Knievel. The following year, on July 4, 1999 during an airing of The Tonight Show
with Jay Leno
, Bubba jumped 14 buses at Del Mar Fair in California, tying the record held by Knievel, who leapt 14 buses at Kings Island
in 1975 (although Knievel's rear tire touched the 14th bus, his landing was successful). Five months later, Bubba would break Knievel's bus-jumping record by jumping 15 buses.
Bubba broke Knievel's last remaining jump record on on a Harley-Davidson XR-750 by jumping 52 stacked cars on October 4, 2008. The jump took place at the Deep South Speedway
located between Pensacola, Florida
and Mobile, Alabama
. The jump also marked Bubba's 41st birthday.
's Destroyed In Seconds
. Bubba planned to attempt to beat the XR-750 record again on June 12, 2010 by jumping 22 Ford Focus cars at the Rockingham Park
in Salem, New Hampshire
. However that event was cancelled.
Before Buell
went out of business in 2009, Bubba was sponsored by the Harley-Davidson subsidy and included the Buell Blast and the Buell Lighting. In 2010, Bubba discontinued using the Buell bikes.
) on a Harley-Davidson FLHTCU
. Bubba also performs burnouts, including going through all 5-speeds of his custom Harley-Davidson Super Glide
. The burn-outs often end with the rear tire of the motorcycle blowing.
In recent years, Bubba toured with Team Bubba, which included two other stunt riders other than himself: Andrew Griffy and Taylor "Tanus" Alvidrez. The two new riders to Bubba's team also featured stunts on Buell motorcycles, while Bubba performed on both the Buell and the Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
According to Bubba's website, he will continue performing for the "Harley-Davidson community".
on August 30, 2003 in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Harley-Davidson
. Bubba is still periodically jumping the XR-750.
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
and motorcycle jumping world record holder who was sponsored by and promoted Buell Motorcycle Company
Buell Motorcycle Company
The Buell Motorcycle Company was an American motorcycle manufacturer based in East Troy, Wisconsin and founded in 1983 by ex-Harley-Davidson engineer Erik Buell.Harley-Davidson acquired 49% of Buell in 1993, and it became a wholly owned subsidiary by 2003....
(Buell was partnered with Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
Motorcycles before becoming defunct in October, 2009). Bubba is best known for breaking Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
's jump record for both cars and buses using a Harley-Davidson XR-750
Harley-Davidson XR-750
The XR-750 is a Harley-Davidson racing motorcycle made since 1970, primarily for dirt track racing, but also for road racing in the XRTT variant...
track race motorcycle.
Records
Bubba Blackwell began his career on April 26, 1998, when he jumped 20 cars in Everett, MassachusettsEverett, Massachusetts
Everett is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, near Boston. The population was 41,667 at the 2010 census.Everett is the last city in the United States with a bicameral legislature, which is composed of a seven-member Board of Aldermen and an 18-member Common Council...
, breaking the 19 car record held by Evel Knievel. The following year, on July 4, 1999 during an airing of The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
with Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
, Bubba jumped 14 buses at Del Mar Fair in California, tying the record held by Knievel, who leapt 14 buses at Kings Island
Kings Island
Kings Island is a amusement park located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. Opened in 1972 by Taft Broadcasting Company and now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Kings Island is the most visited seasonal amusement park in the U.S...
in 1975 (although Knievel's rear tire touched the 14th bus, his landing was successful). Five months later, Bubba would break Knievel's bus-jumping record by jumping 15 buses.
Bubba broke Knievel's last remaining jump record on on a Harley-Davidson XR-750 by jumping 52 stacked cars on October 4, 2008. The jump took place at the Deep South Speedway
Short track motor racing
In North American auto racing, particularly with regard to NASCAR, a short track is a racetrack of less than one mile in length. Short track racing, often associated with fairgrounds and similar venues, is where stock car racing first got off the back roads and into organized and regulated...
located between Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
and Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
. The jump also marked Bubba's 41st birthday.
Accidents
On July 4, 2001, Bubba attempted to beat his own record, attempting to jump 22 cars at Del Mar Fair. He came up short and crashed. The crash is featured on episode 13 of A & E's Shockwave and on the Discovery ChannelDiscovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
's Destroyed In Seconds
Destroyed In Seconds
Destroyed in Seconds is a half-hour American television series that airs on Discovery Channel. Hosted by Ron Pitts, it features video segments of various things being destroyed fairly quickly such as planes crashing, explosions, sinkholes, boats crashing, fires, race car incidents, floods, etc....
. Bubba planned to attempt to beat the XR-750 record again on June 12, 2010 by jumping 22 Ford Focus cars at the Rockingham Park
Rockingham Park
Rockingham Park is a horse racing establishment in Salem, New Hampshire, in the United States. First built in 1906, it was used as an area for many to gamble on the weekends. Seabiscuit raced there in 1935 and 1936, and Mom's Command ran in her first race and gained her first victory there in...
in Salem, New Hampshire
Salem, New Hampshire
Salem is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 28,776 at the 2010 census. Salem is a marketing and distributing center north of Boston, with a major amusement attraction, Canobie Lake Park, and a large shopping mall, the Mall at Rockingham Park.- History :The...
. However that event was cancelled.
Motorcycles
During a show, Bubba rotates through several motorcycles, including:- A Harley-Davidson XR-1200 (stunt bike)
- A Harley-Davidson VRSCHarley-Davidson VRSCThe Harley-Davidson VRSC family of cruiser motorcycles was introduced in 2001 in a single model called the V-Rod. The V-Rod was developed by Harley-Davidson to compete against Japanese and American muscle bikes...
(stunt bike) - A Harley-Davidson Super GlideHarley-Davidson Super GlideThe Harley-Davidson Super Glide is a motorcycle model made by the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. Reputed to be the first factory custom motorcycle, it originated Harley's FX series of motorcycles by mating Sportster components, most notably the front end, with the chassis of their larger big twin...
(stunt bike) - A Harley-Davidson FLHTCUHarley-Davidson FLFL is a model designation used on motorcycles manufactured by Harley-Davidson from 1941 to present. Mostly applied to Harley's large-framed bikes, including the current Touring series, the FL designation is also used with their Softail series, especially on Softails with traditional styling,...
(stunt bike) - A Harley-Davidson XR-750Harley-Davidson XR-750The XR-750 is a Harley-Davidson racing motorcycle made since 1970, primarily for dirt track racing, but also for road racing in the XRTT variant...
(jump bike)
Before Buell
Buell Motorcycle Company
The Buell Motorcycle Company was an American motorcycle manufacturer based in East Troy, Wisconsin and founded in 1983 by ex-Harley-Davidson engineer Erik Buell.Harley-Davidson acquired 49% of Buell in 1993, and it became a wholly owned subsidiary by 2003....
went out of business in 2009, Bubba was sponsored by the Harley-Davidson subsidy and included the Buell Blast and the Buell Lighting. In 2010, Bubba discontinued using the Buell bikes.
Stunts
One of the highlights of the stunt show was Bubba lifting the front wheel (or doing a motorcycle wheelieWheelie
In vehicle acrobatics, a wheelie is a vehicle maneuver in which the front wheel or wheels come off the ground due to extreme torque being applied to the rear wheel or wheels. Wheelies are usually associated with bicycles and motorcycles, but can be done with other vehicles such as cars, especially...
) on a Harley-Davidson FLHTCU
Harley-Davidson FL
FL is a model designation used on motorcycles manufactured by Harley-Davidson from 1941 to present. Mostly applied to Harley's large-framed bikes, including the current Touring series, the FL designation is also used with their Softail series, especially on Softails with traditional styling,...
. Bubba also performs burnouts, including going through all 5-speeds of his custom Harley-Davidson Super Glide
Harley-Davidson Super Glide
The Harley-Davidson Super Glide is a motorcycle model made by the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. Reputed to be the first factory custom motorcycle, it originated Harley's FX series of motorcycles by mating Sportster components, most notably the front end, with the chassis of their larger big twin...
. The burn-outs often end with the rear tire of the motorcycle blowing.
In recent years, Bubba toured with Team Bubba, which included two other stunt riders other than himself: Andrew Griffy and Taylor "Tanus" Alvidrez. The two new riders to Bubba's team also featured stunts on Buell motorcycles, while Bubba performed on both the Buell and the Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
According to Bubba's website, he will continue performing for the "Harley-Davidson community".
Jumps
Bubba returned to jumping his Harley-Davidson XR-750 at Ukes Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Dealer in Kenosha, WisconsinKenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha is a city and the county seat of Kenosha County in the State of Wisconsin in United States. With a population of 99,218 as of May 2011, Kenosha is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, following Chicago,...
on August 30, 2003 in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
. Bubba is still periodically jumping the XR-750.