Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126336
00 l' 0') The lItr88mliner and its two pilots. Don Vesco went 333 mph one way. Marcia Holley had 8 two wey 8v8rege of 229.381 with one engine. 8onn~ville National Speed Trials Vesco hits 333 mph, Holley firs woman in 200 mph Club By Paul Flanders WENDOVER, UT , SEPT. 24-30 Two precedents were broken at this year's speed trials: A motorcycle took top speed of the event over the cars, and seven days of perfect weather were enjoyed by all. Don Vesco , 39 , of La Mesa , CA, has competed at Bonneville for many years and set many records in various Classes with both 10 cars and motorcycles. He has also been the motorcycle land speed record holder at over 300 mph for three years . But this was the first year he could get it together to take the fastest one- way speed of the week. His qualifying run of 330.27 late Tuesday earned him the ,top speed trophy officially. Due to the logistics and layout of the "Speed Week" course to handle approximately ..250 entries, only a three-mile approach to the timed record mile was permitted, differing from the five-mile approach during " private time" events, as when Vesco set the 318 mph record in August. His speed of 330 was recorded in the last timed mile of the course (four m iles approach), and that would not allow enough approach in th e opposite direction to bu ild up speed for .a record. , Vesco came out for record runs the next morning just to stroke it down at about 260 in the north run and come back all out on the ret urn run to pick up the time given out for the last timed section of the course (giving him a five mile approach for a fast one-way speed). His speed in this section was , 333.117 . Since the speeds in both direct ions which are averaged together to set a record must be attained in the, same piece of real estate, his official average of 294 .996 mph was a little short. Vesco's run was really just a show of power and tuning run for what could be done after speed week if necessary. Dave Campos, 36 . of Albuquerque, NM , rid ing Bob George's Harleypowered Jammer Streamliner. is the only one with the potential currently to break Vesco's record . Some new ' refinements to this machine included fuel injection to the two 1500cc H -D motors. But connecting rod , .clutch and transmission problems plagued them all week, and they turned a best .. time of 245 mph. ' The Jammer definitely has the potential for runs in the 350 mph range as soon as they get everything operating as it should. It took Vesco about five years to set and hold onto the record. The, Jammer is' almost through with its initia tion and ready for some serious content ion after three years ironing the bugs out. Practicing for Bonneville is virtually imposs ible with a streamliner, so it's 11 months of Preparation and second-guessing what could go wrong, then one week of finding ou t. If you break some specially machined pan that took four days to make , you're out of luck for a long time. The Jammer will be back! The third fastest time of the event for motorcycles belongs to a young lady by the name of Marcia Holley from San Juan Capsitrano, CA. She teamed up with Vesco and Kawasaki to ride in Don's streamliner to a single engine supercharged class record of 229 mph. In so doing she became the first woman to join the elite IskyBonneville 200 mph Club. , Not afraid to get her 'hands dirty, Marcia was also the major component of Vesco's all female pit crew (wife Norma Vesco and Susan McCarty were the others) when not riding. Marcia learned how to handle the 'liner in on ly eight runs. When she finished her record run, she parked the 'liner, non-stop. unassisted, right next to the official's trailer in the