Tommy Lee Brackens (born November 20, 1960) is an American former professional "Old School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer.
His nickname was "The Human Dragster", so named for his adeptness at getting the "Holeshot", or getting out in front literally at the drop of the starting gate and leading the other competitors down the first straight and into the first turn.
[2] That goal was fulfilled in 1987 When he won BMX Action's Number One Racer Award (NORA) Cup for that year.
He failed to transfer out of his semi (crashed) while only a few points behind the eventual No.1 for that year, Pete Loncarevich (who was not doing well himself at the time and barely qualified for the main).
[17] The Kellogg's Frosties BMX Championship held in Birmingham, England was a series of six races held on three days total (but stretched out over a week including off days) that was centered on the invited 12 top pros of the United States and 12 British pros and tailored for British television broadcast.
A staggering (by American standards) 18,000 spectators attended the sell out event and it was covered live on French television.
[18] The Scorpion International Spring Classic was an invitational race held at Lowestoft, a town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England on May 4, 1986.
Four American pros were invited: Eddy King, Scott Clark Travis Chipres and Tommy Brackens.
They raced at least four respected English pros in the main including Tim March, Geth Shooter, Garry Llewellyn Jamie Vince and Charlie Reynolds.
"[22]----BMX Action March 1987GPV racing had been around since the late 1970s but achieved wide notoriety among BMXers beginning in early 1985.
Often so was the bicycle frame with the bottom bracket pointing toward the racer's chest to lower the profile of the bike for greater stability.
At the beginning of the 1988 GPV season they started getting highway department permission to block off roads, therefore removing the outlaw characteristic of the activity.
Scott E. Burdick who made a fairing out of cardboard, and still was able to reach speeds of more than 100 mph in the final straight away of the palm springs California tramway hill.
[23] *The table of contents page has it mislabled No.1 He started his own BMX bicycle company Brackens Racing Products.
[13] Brackens returned to his Motorcycle Motocross racing roots for a time, which he was involved in prior to his BMX career.