{{Short description|American bicycle motocross racer (born 1961)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{BLP sources|date=September 2020}}{{Infobox cyclist | name = Toby Henderson | image = | fullname = Toby S. Henderson | nickname = "Coca-Cola Cowboy"<br>"Captain Elbows"<br>"Hollywood Henderson" | birth_date = {{Birth date and age |1961|10|10}} | height = {{convert|1.83|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | weight = {{convert|78|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | birth_place = Bedford, Indiana, United States | currentteam = Retired | discipline = Bicycle Motocross (BMX) | role = Racer | ridertype = Off Road | amateuryears1 = 1974-1976 | amateurteam1 = Bottema | amateuryears2 = 1976 | amateurteam2 = Cerritos Bike Shop | amateuryears3 = 1976-1977 | amateurteam3 = Ralph's Bicycles | amateuryears4 = 1977-1978 | amateurteam4 = Hiatus from racing | amateuryears5 = 1978 | amateurteam5 = DG | proyears1 = 1979 | proteam1 = DG | proyears2 = 1979-1981 | proteam2 = Raleigh | proyears3 = 1981-1984 | proteam3 = Hutch | proyears4 = 1984-1985 | proteam4 = SE Racing | proyears5 = 1986 | proteam5 = Father | proyears6 = 1986-1987 | proteam6 = BMX Action | proyears7 = 1988 | proteam7 = GT Racing | majorwins = }} '''Toby S. Henderson''' (born October 10, 1961) is a former professional American "Old School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were between 1979 and 1985. He was given the nickname "Coca Cola Cowboy" by Bob Osborn, publisher of ''BMX Action'' magazine, although the reason for it was unknown even by Henderson. He himself regard it as "lame".<ref>[http://users.pandora.be/jjrbmx/inter-test/HUTCHTobyHendersonInterview2003.html Toby Henderson 2003 interview]</ref>

==Racing career== Henderson started racing in 1973 at the age of 12 at Hollyfield Park in Norwalk, California.<ref>''BMX Plus!'' October 1982 Vol.5 No.10 pg.54</ref><ref>[http://bmxactiononline.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=26&func=view&id=9899&catid=13&limit=10&limitstart=0 bmxactiononline 2007 interview]</ref> In a September 1982 ''BMX Action'' his first race was claimed to be Scot Briethaupt's B.U.M.S track.<ref>''BMX Action'' September 1982 Vol.7 No.9 pg.34</ref> He rode a Schwinn Sting-Ray bicycle at that time.<ref>''BMX World'' December 2005/January 2006 Vol.1 No.1 pg.8 (Premier Issue)</ref> He turned professional in December 1978,<ref>''BMX Plus!'' October 1982 Vol.5 No.10 pg.54</ref> and came in third at the Pro Class at the National Bicycle Association (NBA) Supernationals in Saddleback Park in Irvine, California on April 8, 1979.<ref>''Bicycle Motocross Action'' July 1979 Vol.4 No.5 pg.67</ref><ref>''BMX World'' December 2005/January 2006 Vol.1 No.1 pg.8 (Premier Issue)</ref>

He retired in 1987 aged 26. His last national race as a serious competitor appears to have been the United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA) Grandnational in Dallas, Texas on November 11, 1986. He came in seventh in "A" pro, the senior pro level.<ref>''BMX Action'' February 1987 Vol.12 No.2 pg.49 (results)</ref> It was the last USBA sanctioned race before the USBA merged with the American Bicycle Association (ABA) in 1987. Henderson then pursued a Mountain Bike racing career. He would later race at least one BMX race in 1987 at the Vision World Cup in Irvine, California on June 21, 1987. He did not make any mains.<ref>''BMX Plus!'' October 1987 Vol.10 No.10 pg.34</ref>

During his career, he was sponsored by Jeff Bottema's uncle (1974 to 1976),<ref>''BMX Plus!'' October 1982 Vol.5 No.10 pg.54</ref> then by D.G. Performance Specialist (late 1978 to June 1979),<ref>''BMX Plus!'' July 1988 Vol.11 No.7 pg.26</ref> and finally by Raleigh Cycle Company of America (July 1979 to January 1981).<ref>''Bicycle Motocross Action'' October 1979 Vol.4 No.8 pg.41 (photo caption)</ref><ref>''BMX Action'' September 1982 Vol.7 No.9 pg.35</ref><ref>''BMX Plus!'' October 1982 Vol.5 No.10 pg.54</ref> Other sponsors included SE Racing (January 1984 to December 1985), "DAD" (January 1986-February 1986),<ref>''BMX Action'' April 1986 Vol.11 No.4 pg.61 (photo caption)</ref><ref>''May 1986 Vol.11 No.5 pg.16''</ref> BMX Action Magazine (February 1986-March 1987), and GT Bicycles (April 1988 – 1991).<ref>[http://www.os-bmx.com/Library/OSBMXinterviews/TH%20Interview%20LR.pdf OSBMX.com Interview (PDF File)]</ref>

=== Titles === '''National Bicycle League (NBL)''' *''1980 National No.3 Pro'' *1981 Pro Cruiser Knott's Berry Farm Grand National Champion (NBL, United Bicycle Racers (UBR) & World Wide Bicycle Motocross Association (WWBMXA) sanctioned.) *''1982 National No.2 Pro Cruiser'' *1983 "A" Pro Grandnational Champion *1984 Pro Cruiser Grandnational Champion *''1984 Pro Cruiser National No.1'' '''United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)''' *1985 National No.2 Pro and National Pro Cruiser No.2 *1986 National No.3 Pro '''Pro Series Championships''' *1981 Pro Cruiser International Grand Championship Champion

=== Injuries === Henderson broke his collarbone at the NBL North Park National in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on August 9, 1981. He crashed in his first Pro Trophy qualifying moto when his front wheel failed to clear adequately and struck the second of double moguls, breaking the front end of the Thruster frame he was racing and catapulting him at high speed into the ground head first.<ref>''Super BMX'' December 1981 Vol.8 No.12 pg.46&71</ref><ref>''BMX Action'' September 1982 Vol.7 No.9 pg.35</ref> He was laid up for approximately six weeks until the 1981 NBL Grandnational in St. Louis, Missouri held on September 26, 1981. He didn't make it out of his Senior "A" pro quarter semi finals, but came in third in the Pro Trophy competition.<ref>''Super BMX'' January 1982 Vol.9 No.1 pg.22</ref>

==Accolades== Henderson was inducted to the ABA BMX Hall of Fame in 1994.{{Dead link|date=September 2020}} He was inducted into the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame.{{Dead link|date=September 2020}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.os-bmx.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=22549 The Old School BMX Toby Henderson interview] * [http://www.ababmx.com/ The American Bicycle Association (ABA) Website.] * [http://www.nbl.org/ The National Bicycle League (NBL) Website.] * [http://users.pandora.be/jjrbmx/inter-test/HUTCHTobyHendersonInterview2003.html Toby Henderson interview January 2003] * [http://www.descent-world.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=57&Itemid=81 Decent World.com Interview] * [https://web.archive.org/web/19991006230033/http://www.espn.go.com/xgames/winterx99/bikerace/bios/henderson.html espn.com 1999 profile.] *[http://boxcomponents.com Box Components]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Henderson, Toby}} Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:American male cyclists Category:American BMX riders Category:Cyclists from Indiana Category:20th-century American sportsmen