Cal Rayborn, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetCal Rayborn
American motorcycle racer
Date of Birth: 20-Feb-1940
Place of Birth: San Diego, California, United States
Date of Death: 29-Dec-1973
Profession: motorcycle racer
Nationality: United States
Zodiac Sign: Pisces 
About Cal Rayborn
- Calvin Rayborn II ((1940-02-20)February 20, 1940 – December 29, 1973(1973-12-29) (aged 33)) was a top American professional motorcycle road racer in the 1960s and early 1970s.Born and raised in San Diego, California, Rayborn began riding motorcycles at an early age.
- He began his racing career in dirt track events in Southern California and in 1964, he began racing professionally in the A.M.A.
- Grand National Championship, a series which encompassed events in four distinctive dirt track disciplines plus road racing.
- Rayborn excelled at road racing, winning his first AMA national at Carlsbad, California in 1966.His prowess on road courses earned him a place on the Harley-Davidson factory racing team.
- It was with Harley-Davidson that he achieved his greatest success, winning two consecutive Daytona 200 victories in 1968 and 1969.
- He also set two 1970 motorcycle land speed records.
- He accomplished a tremendous feat when he competed in the Trans-Atlantic Match Races in England in 1972.
- The Trans-Atlantic Match Races pitted the best British riders against the top American road racers.
- On an outdated motorcycle with no experience on British race tracks, Rayborn won three of the six races.Towards the end of 1973, it was apparent that the Harley-Davidson team could no longer provide him with a competitive motorcycle for road racing, so Rayborn accepted an offer to race for the Suzuki factory.In December 1973, Rayborn travelled to New Zealand to compete in an auto racing event.
- He also accepted an offer to race a Suzuki motorcycle at the Pukekohe Park Raceway outside of Auckland.
- Rayborn's bike was short of power and top speed so the bike was hurriedly converted to burn methanol fuel.
- Rayborn started the race and was up with the leaders when the bike's engine seized.
- In the ensuing crash he slammed into a wall close to the edge of the track and was killed.Rayborn was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.
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