Fast Diggers: The Rise and Demise of Gustaf Rudolf Lawson

Gustaf Rudolf Larrson was not a native of Los Angeles, but local riders, cycling enthusiasts, and general sporting aficionados welcomed him as if he were one of the city's own. Lawson responded by making the city his base for both of the winter seasons of the short-lived original Los Angeles Velodrome. Born into a "cycling family" on 3 April 1882 in Norrkoping, Sweden, it would not take long for Gus, or "Gussie" as race announcers would often refer to him, to join his older brothers Iver and John "the Terrible Swede" in the professional ranks. [Note, the Larrson family name likely changed to Lawson at the time they emigrated to the United States]. Though I have not yet found evidence, Lawson may have ultimately moved to Los Angeles; a story from 1913 notes that he traveled from the city to Germany for a race (more on that below).

As for racing, Lawson came to Los Angeles to compete at the new Velodrome (from the family home in Chicago) in early 1900 when he was only sixteen years old. At that time he had only been riding competitively for two years. He rode as an amateur his first year, mostly in road races around the Chicago area. For his second year, Lawson turned professional, excelled, and "competed successfully in many events." Of all those "successes" the greatest must be marked as his third place finish in the Kansas City Six Day Race, in which he is credited with having ridden 165 miles in the first eight hours, and 961 miles at the end of forty-eight hours.

Over the remainder of his racing career Lawson continued to excel. His career was marked, as is that of all cyclists, with highs and lows. It was not my intent to detail his career at this point, but the following two incidents are representative: On 8 April 1900, riding at the Velodrome in Los Angeles, Gus established a new mark for the one-hour record, riding for a distance of 34 5/8 miles, more than two miles further than the previous record. Though reported as a "mediocre" competition rider, racing solo was his forte; in those races Lawson would follow behind his pacing machine "with the tenacity of a bull dog."

In March 1901 Lawson was racing in Fresno, at the new track in that city. He was competing in a ten-mile motor-paced match race against John Lake when Lake's motor broke down in the second mile. Though it was in violation of rules Lawson, feeling good, continued to race for the full ten miles; at that time a quarrel ensued and developed into a general free-for-all among the gathered racers.

It was not uncommon, in the early 1900s, for bicycle racers to transition into motorcycle racing (frequently the other way around as well), or for them to ride the motorized tandem (or single) pacing cycles during professional bicycle races. On 8 September 1913 Gus Lawson was setting pace for French racer Guignard on the track at Cologne, Germany. Guignard was competing in a one-hundred kilometer championship match race against Scheuermann, a German racer who was being paced by a compatriot named Meinhold. In the course of the race a tire on Lawson's motorcycle burst, sending all four riders hurtling to the bottom of the track. Lawson suffered internal injuries as well as fractures to his skull and both arms, and died soon after. Scheuermann was also killed in the collision while his pacemaker, Meinhold, was reported as dying.

If this sort of thing interests you, watch for the future publication of Fast Digs: Bicycle Racing Venues of Los Angeles, which will contain additional information on Gus Lawson and his racing in the City of Angels.