As Captain Robbie Knievel was a great showman,
following His Father’s footsteps…
Yeah Kiddoes’, I’ll admit that I’ve done run
outta Gas trying to think up riveting topics for the last of my 26, Err, Uhm 27
“Canned” No Fenders stories scribbled before January 23rd. And thus like the
late Robbie Knievel, hopefully I’ll make the gap and not break any bones uponlanding!
And it’s so long ago now,that I cannot remember
when the originally intended date for IndyCar racing at Texas Motor Speedway
was this year? But keeping the same weekend as 2023 would have seen it landing
on Easter Sunday, which I highly doubt would have happened! Even with it’s
5,000 faithful Fans on hand…
And thus I tend to recall that the Powers to be
at Penske Entertainment had been shooting for this coming Sunday. (4/7)
As Y’all may be wonderin’ what’s this got to do
with the late Robert Edward Knievel II who died on Friday, January 13, 2023 at
Age 60 from Pancreatic Cancer.
Well, Robbie successfully Jumped 21 Hummer H2’s
at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) Wayback in Gory 2008 before the start of that year’s June 7th Indy Racing
League (IRL) race!
As talk about your “Are U Ready to Go Racing”
Highwire Act! As Robbie had planned on jumping some 25Hummers that evening, but
due to strong winds. Nah, no Gale Force winds Ah-Blowin’ Jokes from TMS Impresario Eddie “the goose” Gossage here! But Knievel
shortened the Hummer Queue to 21 instead!
As Target chip Ganassi Racing Pole sitter Scott
Dixon won Round 7 ahead of the Penske Racing duo of Helio Castroneves and Ryan
Briscoe respectively that year, enroute to one of his eventual six IndyCar
Championships…
Not sure why, but when I think of Robbie
Knievel, I remember sitting thru nearly two hours of Bullshit “Hype” on the
Discovery Channel Wayback in 1999, Uhm, a quarter century ago now, Crikeys!
Before Robbie successfully jumped the Grand canyon on His Honda CR500 Motocross
“Scooter!” Although He crashed heavily upon landing and ended up with a broken
leg…
As Robbie, son of the great Evel Knievel, began
His Stunt Jumping career at the tender age of four. When jumping His “BMX” bicycle
before graduating to motorcycles at age seven! And performed His very first
show with His Father Evel at Madison Square Garden at age eight! Before touring
with Evel at age twelve.
While Robbie replicated many of His Father Evel’s
jumps. As noted, Robbie used a Honda Motocross motorcycle vs. Evel’s
Harley-Davidson XR750, which weighed 90lbs more and was a Flat-track motorcycle.
Making the Harley heavier and more unwieldly to land due to it’s lack of
suspension travel!
Robbie successfully jumped the Caesar Palace
Fountain in 1989, 22yrs after Evel’s failed attempt. Along with other such
outlandish jumps including: Jumping 30 limousines a record distance of 231 feet
at the Tropicana Hotel!
Robbie also jumped 130 feet between the two 13
story Jockey Club towers in Vegas. Purposely crashlanding on His side into
Haybales to keep from falling off upon landing!
Also jumping five aircraft upon the deck of the
USS Intrepid. And jumping a moving locomotive at 80mph. As the locomotive traveling
at 30mph demolished Knievek’s takeoff ramp while Robbie was in Mid-air!
As that’s just some of the plethora of jumps Robbie attempted and completed during His illustrious Stunt-riding career for the Father of three daughter…
