VOL. 54 ISSUE 33 AUGUST 22, 2017 P99
sible time we could run, and we
were able to get that record. I
was thinking déjà vu here." But
more struggles were to come
for the team, this time during a
run that reached 378 mph as the
Ack approached the speed trap.
With the twin Hayabusa engines
at full tilt and gaining speed, the
streamliner instantly lost power.
Both motors quit and Robinson
coasted through the timed mile at
338 mph. Robinson elected to do
as he had done before and coast
it all the way into the pits in order
to save valuable time in traile-
ring the streamliner back. But a
problem arose when he found
go to Bonneville Salt Flats, and
the Rice brothers [FIA-authorized
timing officials in Bolivia] do the
timing there. I wish the containers
would have been here earlier. But
it's out of our control. We've come
to a foreign country. It's been
challenging, you might say."
Taking it all down to the last day
isn't new to the Akatiff team. In
fact, it's come to be a signature
of the Ack Attack. Their existing
world record, 376.4 mph set in
2010, came down to the wire, as
Akatiff recalls.
"That day, that whole week,
nothing worked for us until the
last 45 minutes of the last pos-
was so slippery through the air it
lost some stability, though it was
somewhat countered by the great
traction on the salt.
With Saturday gone to setup
and troubleshooting and Sunday
now gone to shakedown runs,
it all came down to Monday, Au-
gust 7, the final day of the meet.
As course creator Mike Cook
explained, he and his team didn't
have the option to stay longer to
give the Ack Attack another day,
as they had to head straight from
Bolivia to Bonneville for SCTA
Speed Week the next day.
"Tuesday evening, we got to be
outta here," Cook said. "I have to
TAKING IT ALL DOWN TO THE LAST DAY ISN'T NEW TO THE AKATIFF TEAM.
IN FACT, IT'S COME TO BE A SIGNATURE OF THE ACK ATTACK.
