 on Vesco, the multi-time auto and motorcycle land speed record-holder, used to say that weather was one of the biggest reasons that records lasted so long at Bonneville. Before he died in 2002, Vesco had made the trip to the famed Salt Flats every year since the early 1960s facing inclement weather conditions and the resulting rough salt many times. What he learned was that when the salt is bad, sometimes all you can do is start getting ready for next year. At the 2007 International Motorcycle Speed Trials by BUB, Mother Nature gave the participants a good example of what Vesco was talking about.
At the 2006 Speed Trials, the Rocky Robinson-Sam Wheeler-Chris Carr battle for the world record provided some of the greatest drama ever seen at Bonneville. Wheeler logged the fastest one-way run of the meet and Robinson set and held the world record for one day. When it was over, though, Chris Carr, pilot of Denis Manning’s BUB Enterprises streamliner, had run the fastest two-way average at 350.884 mph and went home with an FIM world record speed.
For 2007, the conditions on the salt flats were certainly not as ideal for high-speed action as the previous year. Wind, with rain on and off throughout the week, kept the salt from drying out completely which resulted in a slightly slushy surface. Streamliners work well only on a totally dry and hard-packed surface, so it became apparent on the first day of the meet that the ultimate motorcycle land speed record was not likely to be broken this year.
Anxious to get down to business, Rocky Robinson made two runs that day in the Mike Akatiff-built Ack Attack Suzuki Hayabusa. The first run went okay, with Rocky putting down a respectable run of 299.772 mph. The return run, however, would not go well at all. Nearing the end of his run Robinson lost control on the rough surface and crashed at somewhere near 300 miles per hour. Luckily he was unhurt, but the damage to the machine was beyond what could be repaired quickly and their week was over.
Seeing the problems with the salt, and the fact that the main challenger to their world record was heading home, Manning and Carr were content to keep the BUB 7 liner parked in the pits and never made a run.
Ironically, Robinson’s first 299 mph run would end up as the fastest run of the meet, earning him honors of “Top Time of the Meet” and the $5,000 cash prize. That was some consolation, but certainly less of an accomplishment than he and Mike Akatiff had come for. If Don Vesco were still with us he would have just said, “See you next year!”
Erik Bennett of Bennett’s Performance takes a shot at the “Top Time USA V-Twin” award, which was sponsored by his company. Competitor Aaron Wilson won the $1,000 award, however, with a speed of 203.840 mph.
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The crowd on the scene inspects Rocky Robinson’s crashed Ack Attack Suzuki. As a great testament to the attention to safety by builder Mike Akatiff, Robinson came away without a scratch despite a slide and roll at approximately 300 miles per hour!
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Compared to the great drama they went through the previous year when they established a new motorcycle land speed record, the BUB Enterprises team had a pretty leisurely time at this year’s meet, never needing to make a run after the Ack Attack team packed up.
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Jay Allen, owner of the Broken Spoke Saloon in Sturgis, was a participant this year and took home the $1,000 cash prize for “Top Time USA V-Twin Push Rod Gas” with a speed of 184.260 mph. Photo by Marilyn Stemp/IronWorks Magazine.
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Canadian Roger Goldammer built and rode this supercharged 965cc Twin Cam hybrid single. It ran on nitrous with closed-loop fuel injection, electric shifting and an onboard computer, among numerous other amazing innovations. His best run was 147.438 mph.
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The largest and one of the most popular classes at the Speed Trials was the “Run What’cha Brung” class. As the name implies, you just tape up the lights on your street bike (or whatever) and you get to say you raced at Bonneville.
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A MEMORABLE AND SUCCESSFUL WEEK FOR KLOCK WERKS
After establishing a National Speed Record at last year’s event for a Bagger, the Klock Werks crew from Mitchell, SD was back at Bonneville this year prepared to defend Laura’s record (which they did) as well as sending her daughter Erika Cobb down the salt on a modified 500cc Buell Blast. While the goal was to just break 100 mph, Erika ran 101.365 and, pending AMA confirmation, set a National record in class 500 MPS PG. She was also the winner of the “Women’s Spirit Award” at the Speed Trials.
Still the “World’s Fastest Bagger,” Laura Klock makes a run on the now-famous “WFB” record holder.
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Bonneville 2007 team photo for the Klock Werks crew. Erika Cobb is 5th from the left, with her new step-dad Brian Klock in the middle and her very recently married mom Laura 2nd from the right (see details of the Klock Bonneville wedding on page 8). |
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