Doug Danger Breaks Knievel’s Record

Folks of a certain age might remember when Evel Knievel attempted to jump 22 cars in 1972, at Monroe, Washington. Concerned that he might not have enough room to get up to proper speed before the ramp, Knievel had the crew build a safety ramp over the last three cars. Knievel, you may recall, bounce-landed on that safety ramp and left defeated.

At Sturgis yesterday, at the Buffalo Chip amphitheater, Doug Danger pulled off the same jump. Most impressive: He did in on Evel's own 1972 Harley-Davidson XR750! That's right, Danger cleared all 22 cars after roaring up to speed between the packed campers and blasting under a bridge. The back tire of the 40-year-old Harley bit the edge of the landing ramp and stuck after a quick bounce. Then, Danger narrowly missed the edge of the decking surrounding the Top Shelf bar, where many fans were watching.

“This is the best day of my life,” exclaimed Danger. “That bike landed like a ton of bricks, and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to keep it from bouncing down the ramp, but I did it! I broke Evel’s record and cleared those 22 cars!”

“These people saw one of the greatest jumps in the history of motorcycling today,” said Buffalo Chip President Rod Woodruff. “Thousands of people were holding their breath and the tension was unbelievably high when Doug flew off the end of that ramp, but he was successful and it was an incredible moment.”