Elmer Trett The Tragic Story Behind Drag Racing's Darkest Weekend

Elmer Trett was the fastest man in the history of Top Fuel Motorcycle drag racing and on September 1st 1996 he died on an exhibition run at the N.H.R.A. U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park that didn't even count for points. This video covers the full story of how a self-taught bike builder from a one car garage in Ohio became the first rider in history to break 200 miles an hour and later 210 220 and 230 becoming the only motorcycle racer ever named to N.H.R.A.'s list of the fifty greatest drivers in the sport's history. We cover his humble beginnings in Corbin Kentucky, his years building Harley and Kawasaki based Top Fuel motorcycles out of Demorest Georgia, his generosity toward rivals like Terry Vance of Vance and Hines, Tony Lang, and Larry McBride, and the record setting 6.069 second 235 mile an hour pass he ran just weeks before his death. This episode also covers the darkest weekend in N.H.R.A. U.S. Nationals history, when Top Fuel car driver Blaine Johnson was killed during qualifying on August 31st 1996, one day before Trett's fatal crash on the same Indianapolis Raceway Park racing surface. We walk through what is actually known and not known about the cause of Trett's crash, including N.H.R.A.'s own admission that it never determined why he came off his motorcycle at 232 miles an hour, and what Larry McBride, who has seen the crash footage, believes may have happened. If you're into drag racing history, motorcycle drag racing, Top Fuel Motorcycle, Prostar racing, N.H.R.A. U.S. Nationals history, Don Garlits, the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, or the history of motorsports safety, this is a deep dive into one of the most talented and least remembered legends in American drag racing. #ElmerTrett #TopFuelMotorcycle #DragRacing #NHRA #MotorcycleDragRacing #DragBikeHistory #USNationals1996 #MotorsportsHistory