Article By: Jacki Hill
B
onnie true it was born on the 4th of July 1935. What a great birthday! Everyone celebrated it every year! It is with a heavy heart that I report that the racing world lost a legend when Bonnie passed on August 13, 2018. From the time he and Paul Osborn started the business together as Truett & Osborn Cycles in Wichita Kansas, he and his wife Diane raced and built Harley-Davidsons. Back in 1975 when Pete and I went to our first “Big Boogie” at Beech Bend Dragwau in Bowling Green Kentucky, Bonnie was already a top fuel racer on the double engine Sportster (Ironhead, naturally) sponsored by Truett & Osborn. He, along with other prominent racers of Harley Dragbikes such as Marion Owens, Joe Smith, Joe Thronsen, Elmer Trett, Danny Johnson, and a few others were our heroes. We were their biggest fans. Then in 1978, we started racing. To our surprise and delight, these riders that had we had idolized became our friends, a very close band of friends. At Bonnie’s funeral in Vian, OK we said our goodbyes to a special friend and mentor.
34
December ‘18 - CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE
