Rocky continues his feature on Bonneville racers first, best and next times down the salt:
Your FIRST TIME: Share your first pass down the salt. What did it feel like? Share the experience.
Your BEST TIME: Your best two-wheeled pass. What changes did you make to get there? What worked and what didn't? Details, please…
Your NEXT TIME: What is your ultimate goal as a land speed racer and where do you draw the line and say that is fast enough?
Shane San Miguel stages and waits his turn under the hot Utah sun.
“My first time driving to Land’s end was like being on another planet. It looked like we were on the moon except we had to drive through a lake to get where we were going.” Shane’s an engineering manager at Intel. His LSR machine is the popular
Suzuki Hayabusa.
“It took two days to work up to my B license. When the starter signed off I couldn’t conceal my cheesy grin. This meant I was allowed to turn the throttle to the stop and let Old Number Seven run!”
“I lined up on the starting line. It was incredibly hot. The surface temperature of the Salt was about 120F and I was in full leathers, helmet, and gloves. I had a hard time breathing. I could feel my heartbeat in my head, each pulse shook my vision and my hearing went away.”
Shane and Scott Horner celebrate their entry into the esteemed 200 MPH Club.
The starter briefed me before my run: “Shane, now remember, you be safe. Let me check your helmet; which way do you turn out in an emergency? What if everything is ok? How many miles are you running? Do you want me to check the wind for you?” His wisdom is a welcome commodity among first-time salt racers.
“I eased out the clutch, FINALLY some air coming into my helmet. The oxygen was like a jolt of energy. I cranked the throttle, letting the rear end step out a bit. I yelled in my helmet, YEEEEHOOOOOOOOOOO!!! In top gear at about 170 mph the Busa started to sing. I got into my tuck watching the mile markers fly by.”
“I looked at my tachometer, I’m in top gear on a Hayabusa at full-tilt-boogie and the rear tire is spinning! I fight for traction all the way down the course, shifting my body and making throttle and steering corrections. The turnout into the crusties is the most difficult part of the ride.” His concern is wiping out in the loose stuff on his “rookie run”. He’s since become a member of the prestigious Bonneville 200 MPH Club and is still upright and on the gas…
Erin Hunter poses next to the 5050 streamliner built by Jack Costella.
has become a regular contender at Bonneville. Her first attempt was onboard Jack Costella’s “5050” streamliner. Jack’s unique design positions the rider face down in a flying “Superman” position a half-inch off the salt.
Erin recalls her first run: “It’s very quiet inside 5050, almost Zen. They strap me in, close the lid, line up the push car, and signal me to do my thing. Everything felt and sounded right; the motor was running perfectly. I take a breath, and off we go as a hood ornament on the push car.”
“About 30 yards from the start I lose visibility and can’t lift my head over the front wheel. Terror strikes. With no visibility 5050 is impossible to keep straight. Small tweaks in body position cause chaos. My push car is doing its best to correct my zig-zag, but he doesn’t know that I can’t see ANYTHING so he’s trying to push me faster and wondering why I’m driving like a drunkard.” The hatch flies off adding to the drama.
Erin continues to push her limits, as seen here on a mighty
GSXR-1000.
“I climb out of the streamliner 50 yards from the start completely off course next to a port-a-potty. A panel in the cockpit came loose and lodged against my helmet making it impossible to see. Even more humiliating, I was told to “see the timing tower.” If you race Bonneville you know that’s never good. First time = worst time for me!”
Best time: “We fixed the panel and visibility issue, and returned to Mile 0. On this occasion I had the pleasure of racing 5050 to a top speed of 146.622 mph with an 80cc motor, setting FIM World and AMA National records and becoming the first woman ever to set a land speed record in a streamliner motorcycle.”
Next time: “I’m working on an FIM/AMA 1000cc Production record and under ideal conditions—a place in the 2 Club. I hope to add my name to the current roster of only 10 women who’ve raced bikes over 200 mph in the U.S.”
Nancy with Tom Evans, chief motorcycle inspector, posing after the bike passed tech for the first time.
went to Bonneville for the first time so Jon could see the fast vehicles—and she could get some Utah sun. Nancy had no intention of ever racing anything. But, after a few years of Jon having all the fun, he decided to help Nancy set up her
250 Ninja for the salt.
Bill Taylor, the starter, giving last minute instructions on her first run: “Don’t forget, the throttle goes both ways.” Then, “The course is yours,” Off she went, buzzing along at an astounding 100 miles per hour.
“I qualified for a record, or at least that’s what we thought since there was no official record in my class.” They took the bike to impound and got ready for a return run. The time flew. Before they knew it Nancy made her return and indeed set a new record.
At impound the fellows showed her there was a record in her class after all—that somehow there’d been an omission in the printing of the rulebook’s records. That disappointment taught them the value of researching their class thoroughly.
Nancy and the ZX14R which she rode to a 198.9 mph record at Speed Week this year. She’s also made a few passes over 200 on this machine and is looking to add a new red hat to her wardrobe.
Jon was racing his ZX12R, which luckily was too tall for Nancy to compete on, so she hadn’t given the more powerful steed much thought. Jon later fitted the Kawasaki with new bodywork—which sat much lower than before. That’s all it took. Nancy wasted little time adding more speed to her resume, making a pass over 185 mph earning her “B” license. “I didn’t have the pressure of trying to set a record since Jon held it, at over 200 mph—way beyond my capabilities at the time.”
Nancy’s best run came at World of Speed this September where she made her first-ever runs over 200 mph on Jon’s new
ZX14R! “I FINALLY could get my “A” license. I was now going to be allowed to race at speeds up to 250 mph!” All in due time… For now, it’s about getting a record over 205 mph which would put her in the elusive 200 MPH Club where she’ll have to modify her wardrobe to go with her new red hat…
-Rocky
