James Stevenson
Knievel's plan for the jump was to start his motorcycle in the wings, gun it to seventy miles an hour, go up the ramp, take off, land on the far ramp, go out into the wings on that side of the arena, and somehow come to a stop before he hit the concrete sidewall of the Garden. "It can't be done," one of the men had remarked, out of Knievel's hearing. "He may be able to make the jump, but he can't stop." Knievel limped along down the middle of the arena, past the ramps- a somber figure, his face set and grim. Suddenly, lilting music began to play over the loudspeakers.
Around four in the morning of the day of the opening, Knievel made his first trial jump, landed, zoomed into the wings, and smashed into the wall, injuring himself (one of the handlebars went into his groin; his legs were bruised) and wrecking the front end of his motorcycle. There was talk of cancelling the show, but Knievel decided against it. The motorcycle was repaired, and thin strips of corrugated rubber were taped to the floor of the Garden; these, it was hoped, would slow him down so that he could stop a few feet short of the wall.
The Devil Can Ride Lee Klancher (ed) pp142-3