E. J. Potter

E. J. Potter (April 24, 1941 - April 30, 2012[1]), a.k.a. the Michigan Madman,[1][2] was an American dragstrip exponent. Writing his obituary in 2012, Paul Vitello of the New York Times described him as a "legend".[1]

E. J. Potter
Born(1941-04-24)April 24, 1941
Ithaca, Michigan, U.S.
Died(2012-04-30)April 30, 2012
Ithaca, Michigan, U.S.
OccupationStunt performer
Known forMotorcycle stunts

Life

Born in Ithaca, Michigan, Elon Jack Potter grew up on a farm repairing tractor engines,[1] which led to building motorcycles. In high school, he wondered if he could build a bike with a V8 engine.[2] The bike he built, named "Bloody Mary",[2] was tested at a local strip and reached 130 mph (210 km/h).[1]

He later built a three-wheeled motorcycle with a United States military surplus rocket engine.[1] "The Widowmaker" set three world land speed records.[2] Potter's other creations include putting a jet engine in a Motorized tricycle and putting WWII airplane engines into tractors for tractor pull competitions.[3]

Beginning soon after his high school graduation, Potter toured the racing circuit for 13 years with his creations.[1]

Legacy

In 2017, Potter's 1971 Widowmaker 7 went up for auction in Las Vegas.[4][5] Potter's motorcycles were featured on an episode of American Pickers in 2019.[6]

References
  1. Vitello, Paul (May 12, 2012). "E. J. Potter, 'Michigan Madman' of Motorcycle Racing, Dies at 71". The New York Times. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  2. Peek, Jeff (May 22, 2019). "Before Knievel was Evel, E.J. Potter was The Michigan Madman". Hagerty Insurance Agency. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  3. Kimball, Steve (June 2000). "Michigan Madman". Cycle World. 39 (1): 48–53.
  4. Ernst, Kurt (January 24, 2017). ""The world's fastest motorcycle," E.J. Potter's 1971 Widowmaker 7, heads to auction in Las Vegas". Hemmings Motor News. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  5. "1971 EJ Potter Chevrolet V8 "Widowmaker 7" Dragbike". Bonhams. January 26, 2017. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  6. Siacon, Aleanna (May 20, 2019). "American Pickers explores 'Michigan Madman' collection in new episode Monday". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
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