Ricky Graham in the winners circle of an 883 race on the Milwaukee Mile in 1993. (Larry Lawrence photo)
The legendary AMA Grand National Champion Ricky Graham passed away 12 years ago (on Jan. 22, 1998). That day we lost one of the greatest riders and warmest personalities in all of motorcycle racing. He had a huge fan following and it was well deserved.
Graham wasn’t a perfect human being. He, like all of us, had human failings. I got to know him in the mid-’80s and it’s no secret that Ricky had bouts of alcoholism and depression. The funny thing about it is that Ricky always put on a happy face at the races. He loved to hang out with fans and fellow racers. In spite of his troubles he overcame and made a stunning comeback in 1993 to have a record setting season where he won 12 races, including a record six straight, to win his third AMA Grand National Championship.
I got to hang out with Ricky a bit when he lived in my hometown of Indianapolis. Honda’s flat track team was based out of Indy and during the racing season Ricky and Bubba Shobert lived in some apartments on the Westside, just down the road from Sam Ingram’s little motorcycle shop/used car lot in Clermont.
Ricky and Bubba were archrivals on raceday, but buddies every other day of the week. One night I happen to be there when Ricky and Bubba were hanging out at Sam’s shop. After a few beers the two of them got into a bench press contest in the back of the shop. Then they grabbed one of the cars off Sam’s lot and took off into the night. I can only imagine what they did to that car, but a half hour or so later they came driving the thing backwards into the lot. Whatever they’d done messed up the transmission and the thing would only go in reverse. I don’t know how they didn’t get arrested, but Ricky said they’d driven the car five or six miles in reverse to get back to the shop.
The funny thing was that Sam didn’t even seem all that ticked off. He gave them a little grief, but was laughing too at the picture of Bubba and Ricky driving this car backwards through the streets of Indianapolis.
Ricky was a fun-loving guy and one heck of a motorcycle racer.
Rider Files 
Living now on the Monterey Peninsula, close to where Ricky grew up, not a few days go by where I don’t see the number 3 sticker in the back window of a random car here.
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That’s cool that people are keeping Ricky’s memory alive.
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I have been very fortunate through the years. Having raced against Gary Scott, Jay Springsteen, Steve Eklund, Randy Goss, Bubba Shobert, Scott Parker, Joe Kopp, and Kenny Coolbeth, in 1993 Ricky Graham was the best there ever was.
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“I have been very fortunate through the years. Having raced against Gary Scott, Jay Springsteen, Steve Eklund, Randy Goss, Bubba Shobert, Scott Parker, Joe Kopp, and Kenny Coolbeth, in 1993 Ricky Graham was the best there ever was.”
Comment by Chris Carr — January 24, 2010 @ 10:47 am
Wow! I’ve seen praise heaped on racers by the ton. I think that my be the ultimate.
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I feel very lucky to witness many of Ricky’s wins over the years. What I would give to see just one more of those front straightaway victory wheelies.
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John
Agreed. That is very high praise from Carr. When someone like that makes a statement you listen.
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I think one of my favorite quotes from Ricky was when Allan Girdler asked him about his mechanical aptitude. Graham said:
“My dad has a muffler shop. The only tools are a big wrench, a pry bar and a cutting torch and sometimes you use the end of the torch as a hammer. So I use all tools like that.”
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My hometown being Springfield,I watched Ricky show the world how to tame the fastest mile dirt track in the world! One year Ricky shows up in town with speed boat in tow, tells everyone.. “Me and Scotty have to have a little fun don’t we?” He won Spfld that day! and when he got back to line to grab that flag, he jerked that front wheel up and that man rode a wheelie at speed, holding the flag all the way around that mile track!… In his short time with us Ricky Graham was the best that strapped on a steel shoe! Still miss ya buddy to this day!..
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Ricky Graham was my first boyfriend…we grew up together in Pacific Grove, CA. Even at the age of 12 he was everything you say he was…a beautiful boy with an infectious personality. I have a diary filled with memories of him…sweet and innocent. I realize this has nothing to do with racing, but my memories of Ricky will always be that he was my first “love”.
p.s. I was prompted to search him on the internet…and just discovered of his passing. Sad.
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I found Ricky sitting on the curb outback of our motel after the accident at Louisville that took Davey Jones from us.I walked up and sat down next to Ricky and ask if he was o.k. he said,Man I don’t know.We sat and talked for sometime. I felt so sorry for Ricky that night.My wife and I ask if there was anything we could do and he said no but thanks for sitting and talking with me.That whole night at Louisville was so tragic and I will never forget Ricky and our chance encounter.I just hope the time we spent with him that night helped in some way to ease his pain.I still have a picture of him and Tex Peel standing together talking that I will cherish forever.God bless you Ricky Graham.Doug&Lisa Deering
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