Chop N Grind, those salt-snortin' bastards, were also there. Pilot Larry Petrie pushed a team-owned bike through the traps at a record 148.307 mph for a new record in the 1650-M-PG class, hitting more than 150 mph on one pass. Bob Tronolone and the boys will definitely be back.
The crown jewel of the weekend was up for grabs. The absolute motorcycle land-speed record had stood since 1990. Dave Campos, who was in attendance, and the Easyriders crew had held the record for 16 years-hard to believe in this day and age. Three streamliners had a shot at the record: a twin-engine Hayabusa designed and built by Mike Akatiff and piloted by Rocky Robinson; the EZ Hook Streamliner powered by a turbocharged Kawasaki ZX-11 and piloted by Sam Wheeler; and the BUB No. 7, designed and built by Denis "Bub" Manning and piloted by Chris Carr, seven-time Grand National Dirt Track Champion. Would the new Prince of the Salt come from the dirt?
On Sunday (Day One), Rocky, riding the Top One Ack Attack, blew the 16-year-old record out of the water on his first pass with a speed of 344.673 mph and a return pass of 340.922 for a new record of 342.797, improving the record by a full 20 mph (to break or set a record, you must make two passes within two hours and average the speeds for the record). The salt people were elated. The question in everyone's mind, however, was, "Would it hold up for the next four days?" In a word, no.
Chris Carr and the BUB No. 7 would make their initial (and only) complete pass on Tuesday. Rocky Robinson and the Top One Ack Attack had held the record for two days. Chris, fresh off the dirt flat track, made his first pass at 354.832 mph. That's more than 500 feet per second, or a football field every 6/10s of a second. Chris and Bub were stunned, but a record ain't a record 'til you back it up. Chris had two hours to make his return pass. Several bikes made their return pass as the villagers waited. The damp air became thick with anticipation, and the crowd was getting restless. He needed a pass somewhere over the 331-mph mark to better Rocky Robinson's new record. Then the announcement came: "No. 7 is staged," followed by "No. 7 is on the course." We love this part. This isn't Indy with 250,000 fans or a NASCAR race with more rednecks drinking PBR than you can shake a stick at. This is the Salt, a village full of speed purists numbering only in the hundreds. Then came what we had all been waiting for: "The rider has entered the mile"...the mile...sacred ground for a salt racer. The Bub No. 7 literally flew by the pit area, and those gathered there knew it was special. Then came the confirmation of that special feeling-"No. 7, speed 346.937 mph, for an average of 350.884 mph." There was a new Prince of the Salt, and he actually did come from the dirt.
There would be a chess game played out over the next couple of days. The Ack Attack would make a few attempts to regain the record, and No. 7 would stay prepared to match each attempt if the record was broken again. However, the Ack Attack could not overcome mechanical problems and a bout with the wind.
The gods of the salt had smiled on Denis Manning. Sam Wheeler made one pass at 355.303 mph, but due to a flat tire and no spare, he could not make the return pass within the two-hour time limit.
It is now a cliffhanger reminiscent of who shot J.R. What will happen next Labor Day weekend? Can Sam Wheeler and the EZ Hook (the fastest man on the flats) make two full passes? Will King Bub defend his crown? Will Prince Carr stay loyal to the crown? Will Rocky Robinson and the Ack Attack show up to regain what was theirs for that one fleeting moment? You'll just have to wait 'til next season to find out.
This was as amazing an event as we've ever attended. It's our humble opinion that this will become the premier event for the motorcycle purist, the speed junkie.
The week lends itself to several articles, as every team at the event had a story. We met more interesting people than we could count, including Sonny Angel, who has made 49 trips to the Salt since 1954 to run the same '47 Vincent. There are names that need to have their story told to a massive audience, such as California Fritz and Wink Eller (Wink set a record of 178.678 mph on a bike with a sidecar). Jay Allen, owner of the Broken Spoke Saloon, and Samantha "Sam" Morgan of the Wall of Death set class records on a Harley and an Indian, respectively.
We saw a 50cc motorcycle do more than 130 mph (think about that the next time you start your lawnmower). There is a whole series that could be written about Dnnis "Bub" Manning who, along with his daughter-in-law Delvene Manning, hosted this whole event. Bub was just inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame and is a legend in landspeed racing circles.
Suffice it to say, we will be in attendance next year. Last year, 95 entries made passes on the Salt. This year there were more than 160 entries making over 400 passes. Next year, who knows? What we do know is that you should be there.
For more information on land-speed racing, go to www.landracing.com or www.speedtrialsbybub.com.