E. J. Potter
Born(1941-04-24)April 24, 1941
Ithaca, Michigan, U.S.
Died30 April 2012(2012-04-30) (aged 71)
Ithaca, Michigan, U.S.
OccupationStunt performer
Known forMotorcycle stunts

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

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 drag racing circuit for 13 years with his creations.[1]

He died in Ithaca, Michigan, aged 71 from complications of Alzheimer's Disease. [4]

Legacy

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

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 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. 1 2 3 4 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. ↑ "E. J. Potter, 'Michigan Madman' of Motorcycle Racing, Dies at 71". Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ "1971 EJ Potter Chevrolet V8 "Widowmaker 7" Dragbike". Bonhams. January 26, 2017. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  7. ↑ 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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