I recently
sent out an email to my list called “Daredevil” about a
childhood hero of mine named Evel Knievel, a motorcycle
legend from the 70s and 80s. Little did I know that one of
the people receiving my email would be Bob Gill, a fellow
daredevil motorcycle legend – and former friend of Evel
Knievel.
So when Bob contacted me, I jumped at the chance to
interview him about his motorcycle days, the sponsorships he
negotiated for himself, how he made his money, his
world-famous Superbowl commercial, and his career-ending
injury. And in this two-part audio, you’ll hear all about
Bob and how he became one of America’s most amazing
daredevil motorcycle jumpers of all time.
Part One: Flying By The Seat Of His Pants
Bob says he lied his way into his first motorcycle jump. He
had just started hearing about a guy named Evel Knievel, who
was making good money jumping his motorcycle, and he decided
he wanted to try to do that too.
So he went to the local racetrack promoter and told him he
was already jumping five cars without the use of a landing
ramp. The promoter was so impressed, he asked Bob to jump at
a show that weekend. Instead of admitting to the lie, Bob
jumped at the chance, enlisted the help of a physics-minded
friend, and figured out how to make it all work.
And that was just the beginning of many opportunities for
this thrill-seeker. And in Part One, you’ll hear how Bob
went from “no-name guy from Florida” to the guy everyone
wanted to sponsor. You’ll also hear…
• All about his early days on the road with Evel Knievel
• Exactly how Bob found his many successful sponsors and
what he received from each
• How Bob kept racetrack owners honest when it came to “gate
counts” and payments
• The win-win deal Bob’s manager used to “sell” Bob to
racetrack promoters that got Bob the big bucks
• Why Bob is worried about Robbie Knievel’s next jump and
what he plans to do about it
