Richard, The Other Gadson

Words and photos by Tom McCarthy

Let's be clear about this, motorcycle drag racer Richard Gadson does NOT have an identity problem. Other people may have a problem with getting his identity correct, but rest assured Richard knows exactly who he is and where he's going in life.

That he has a very famous uncle who is a bonafide celebrity, with the same last name, may cause him some consternation from time to time, yet Richard is just fine with who he is.

For the uneducated, first encountering him in the staging lanes, suited up in his racing leathers; people see the last name on his back and the conversation unfolds something like this; "Hey Gadson, right? You been in this game a long time man. You got your own drag racing school and everything, right?"

Conversations begin like this frequently for Richard, and he politely replies, "No sir, that's my Uncle Rickey, Rickey Gadson. I'm the other Gadson; I'm his nephew, Richard."

Richard Gadson or "the other Gadson" if you prefer, is a hell of a motorcycle drag racer in his own right. Just like his famous uncle Rickey, they kick ass and are hell on two wheels. No matter the class, professional or sportsman, the Gadsons have been terrorizing the motorcycle drag racing ranks for decades.

Rickey Gadson started making a name for himself in the sport by winning his first championship title in 1989. He's won ten more since that time and traveled the globe as a sort of motorcycle drag racing ambassador. Think I'm overstating the case? When was the last time the Mandela’s invited you to dinner in South Africa?

And yes, Rickey Gadson has his own motorcycle drag racing school; he's schooled hundreds of racers in the last fifteen years. So it's easy to understand how people can see a name on a set of racing leathers and think "Oh yeah, that's Gadson," after all, Rickey has been in the sport for the better part of three decades.

Then there's the other Gadson.

Richard actually started off in motorcycle drag racing going to tracks with Rickey, doing videotaping and spotting for his famous uncle back in 1999. So while not always in the forefront, Richard has been frequenting drag strips a very long time.