Thompson in 340 mph crash
Valerie Thompson survived a horrific crash in the Team“ 7” Racing Streamliner while attempting to capture the world’ s fastest motorcycle title during the 28th Annual Speed Week and World Speed Trials competition at the Lake Gairdner dry lake bed in South Australia. While falling short of the ultimate goal to become the world’ s fastest motorcycle, the team collected a new speed record and proved the superiority of leading- edge streamliner design by team engineers Denis Manning and John Jans. Hosted by the Dry Lakes Racers Australia( DLRA), the 28th Annual Speed Week competition was open to cars, motorcycles and trucks. The World Speed Trials, a first-time event for motorcycles only, was held March 17-19. Thompson set a new streamliner record of 328.467 mph( 528.616 km / h) during the Speed Week competition on March 15, earning her membership in the Dry Lake Racers Australia 200 and 300 MPH Clubs. She is only the second competitor to gain membership in the DRLA 300 MPH Club and was honored with the“ Fast Lady on the Lake” award. Thompson’ s attempt to break the world’ s overall fastest motorcycle record of 376.36 mph( 605.69 m / h) on the last day of the World Speed Trials went horribly wrong. When she
Photo credit: FIM- Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
had just passed the four-mile marker on a twelve-mile course the rear of her streamliner rose off the racing surface, sending the vehicle airborne at 343.7 mph. Parachutes slowed the vehicle as it flipped and rolled multiple times, scattering wreckage for more than a mile across the Lake Gairdner salt flats. Thompson walked away with only minor bruises and lacerations.“ We had a singular goal of running 377 + mph to capture the record during the World Speed Trials. We used Speed Week to test and tune the bike, and I’ m happy we set a new record and received the‘ Fast Lady on the Lake Award’,“ said Thompson.“ The wreck during the World Speed Trials was unfortunate, but we are not giving up on our quest for the new record. Most importantly, we proved the superiority of the moncoque carbon fiber design and safety features utilized by Denis Manning and John Jans.“ Without their dedication to high speed safety engineering, I would not have walked away- nobody has ever walked away from a 340 + mph crash on a motorcycle. I’ d also like to thank the DLRA and all their race course workers who helped ensure my safety,” added a grateful Thompson.“ We’ ve not yet determined what caused the problem- we’ ll know more once we analyze the onboard data collection systems and review films in more detail,” said bike designer and AMA Hall of Fame member Denis Manning.“ Valerie did an incredible riding job, doing everything she was supposed to and more.
Indian Wheels and Waves Support
Indian Motorcycle has announced that it will return this year as the main sponsor of the increasingly popular 7th annual Wheels and Waves( Biarritz, France, June 14- 18). Returning for the second year as the event’ s main sponsor, Indian Motorcycle is offering show attendees a 4-day pass for automatic entry to win a Scout Bobber and test ride the fleet of Scout Bobbers, Scouts and Scout Sixty bikes. Indian will also entertain crowds with its“ Wall of Death” in the main village with the Indian Dirt Riders Association( DTRA).“ Wheels and Waves is all about riding culture. This gathering is a time for pure pleasure and the essentials of living. For four days Wheels and Waves stimulates all the senses. The power of the road exposes all kinds of sensations and is tamed by the strength of the sea, the harmony of the wind
18 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER- MAY 2018
and the waves, all while the south west sun burns down on the tarmac, steel and sand.” On Saturday 17th June“ fans will ride over the Basque country border with Spain to San Sebastian for a day of flat track racing. Indian will be there with its‘ DTRA Hooligan’ team and swag bags for those who get in the queue first.” Founded in 2008, the Wheels and Waves event is the successful realization of the dream of a group of friends, the Southsiders, who are passionate about motorcycles. Lovers of the Basque Country, Julen Azé,
The existing world record was set in 2010 by Rocky Robinson in the twin Hyabusa engined Ack Attack streamliner. It had previously been twice set by Flat Track race legend Chris Carr in an earlier iteration of the current“ 7” bespoke 3 liter 90-degree V4 engined streamliner. Both teams are engaged in a duel to put the record over the illusive 400 mph mark, with Team Ack Attack having gone to the Salar de Uyuni high altitude( 12,500 ft) salt flat in Bolivia- the biggest salt flat on Earth( 4,000 sq miles) in the same search for salt that took Valerie Thompson and her team to Australia. The record that Carr set in what was then called the BUB Seven Streamliner( at Bonneville Salt Flats in September 2009) was a two-way average speed of 367.382 mph to set a new FIMsanctioned International and AMA-sanctioned National land speed record for motorcycles- Carr having piloted it to a 372.534 mph run on the way to that record.
Thompson is an eight-time land speed record holder on a variety of bikes ranging from Harley-Davidsons to BMWs and streamliners. She is a member of seven land speed racing 200 MPH Clubs, one 300 MPH Club and the first female to exceed 300 mph in Australia.
Vincent Prat and Jerome Allé have brought together hundreds of like-minded individuals who gather in the spirit of companionship.“ Wheels and Waves is about eliminating social barriers and bringing different sets of people together without judgement. It’ s about the joy of mixing together all kinds of communities, languages and cultures. It’ s about living in the present without being nostalgic for the past, but not losing sight of the best moments of the past.” www. wheels-and-waves. com
www. AMDchampionship. com