Name/Title
Hays, TommyEntry/Object ID
463Description
Tommy Hays was one of the best Class C dirt trackers of his time, and arguably the most successful racer from the pre-Grand National Championship era (1933-1953) who was not previously inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame. Hays’ AMA National career ran from 1937-1941, giving the young rider enough time to set records that lasted decades beyond his untimely death on the track.
Born Sept. 22, 1915, Hays was known by his fellow Texans for his fearlessness on the track. The Dallas native’s courage produced great success in his home state — where he claimed a pair of Texas State TT wins in 1939 and 1940.
Hays announced his potential to dominate by claiming wins in both the 80ci and the 45ci National Miniature TT at the Pochyla Ranch course in Waco, Texas.
Elsewhere in the country, Hays combined his courage, skills and speed to claim at least one AMA National TT win each year over a five-year period. His success on the track reached an all-time high in 1941 when he claimed a then-record three Class C National wins in a single season. The record was broken in 1951, but his career win total of seven Class C National TT wins was not surpassed until 1972 — an astounding accomplishment. He currently sits at fourth in most career AMA National TT wins.
Hays’ 1941 wins came aboard a Harley-Davidson at the 100-mile Speedway at Langhorne, Penn.; the 80ci Miniature TT at Marion, Ind.; and the 50-mile TT in Greenville, S.C. He also added a runner-up finish in the 45ci Miniature TT at Marion.
In his 1941 Langhorne appearance, Hays left the competition behind by racing at a blistering pace. Described as the “Texas Tornado” by The Enthusiast, Hays finished the 100-mile race in under an hour and 16 minutes to beat the then-three-time winner and current AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ed “Iron Man” Kretz.
Amid his most successful season, Hays became one of only thirty racers selected by the AMA to don a “permanent rider number” for the first time. These identifiers were later known as “National Numbers.” Hays was given No. 12.
Although on an unprecedented trajectory, Hays’ career and life ended abruptly Oct. 19, 1941. While racing in the Oakland 200 AMA National, Hays was fighting for second position 33 laps into the race when fellow rider June McCall crashed, causing a five-bike accident that included Hays.
“It looked as if a bomb had gone off over the racetrack, with riders and bikes strewn all over,” AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Campanale, who was involved in the crash, said.
Both Hays and McCall tragically lost their lives as a result.
Posthumously, Hays was voted the Most Popular Rider for 1941 — a distinction that evolved into the AMA Pro Athlete of the Year award. The trophy was presented to Winona Hays, Tommy’s wife.
Outside of motorcycling, Hays was one of the best drivers in midget automobile racing in the Southwest. However, motorcycle racing remained his favorite sport until his death.Relationships
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Hays, Tommy