Clarence "Earthquake" Perry

Filed under Hall Of Fame on February 25, 2020 | Comment(s)

As Northwest legend has it, a small rumble would begin when he rolled into the starting grid. With the drop of that gate, the earth would shake as he powered down the first straight like a speeding, out of control freight train. Tremors and after-shocks could be felt at BMX tracks all over the nation whenever he showed up to race. That, folks, is the legend of Clarence “The Earthquake” Perry! 

After discovering BMX in the bay Area in 1977, Clarence transplanted to Tacoma, Washington - and instantly made a huge impact on the Northwest BMX scene. First becoming a star of the Factory Sekai squad, he’d soon be recruited by Roger 

Worsham to lead the Factory CW force. With the evolution of cruiser racing, The Earthquake would prove CW’s worth on the National scene. As a double-A Pro in the mid-80’s, Clarence raced for six years - with a career average ranking of No.20.

Working by day in the warehouse of Seattle Bike Supply when they decided to revive the Torker brand in the late-90’s, “The Earthquake” would become its main factory star; giving Clarence his own signature-bike in 1999. 

From there, Perry would ride for Factory Redline - where he racked up National wins, NAG No.1 titles, Redline Cup plates and World Cup championships. Despite his large, intimidating physique, we’d dare you to find a more mellow, gentle Giant than Clarence. His friendliness and good sportsmanship made him a fan favorite throughout four decades of BMX Racing - from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s to Oh-Oh’s, you couldn’t help but like the big guy known as The Earthquake.