The World's Fastest ...
We’re here to watch
the bikes and cars, yet
one stands out, that of
Team 7 and the world’s
fastest woman on two
wheels; Valerie Thomp-
son from the USA.
In this world of wild
machines, wild speed and even wilder competitors we’re
encouraged to get amongst it, to chat to the high-speed
crazy’s, the engineers, the tinkerers. Unlike many other
forms of motor racing, Dry Lake Racers encourage spec-
tators to be a part of the action, to get involved. After all,
this place is remote and at the end of a rough dirt track;
spectator numbers are low and controllable. It adds to the
special feel of the event.
Wandering amongst the trucks, vans and shade tents,
we laugh with competitors, stories of their heroics, or stu-
pidity as one rider puts it, keeps us enthralled.
A hush falls over the area, the drone of another engine
rises in the distance, eyes scan the horizon.
“There it is,” someone yells. We all look in the direction
of the outstretched arm.
“Bloody hell! That’s fast!” I mutter to no-one in partic-
ular.
“That’s a postie bike,” someone unseen, replies.
I shake my head. Unbelievable, a Honda CT110, a postie
bike, doing almost 200 kilometres per hour. But this is no
ordinary postie bike, it’s stretched frame houses a reason-
ably standard engine coupled to twin turbos and an inter-
cooler. This is indicative of what Speed Week is all about.
Leaving the salt, I marvel at the expanse of Lake Gaird-
ner. One hundred and eighty kilometres long, forty-eight
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