LSFW - Land Speed attempt down under.

[DJ Down Under]

"Lake Gairdner set to host FIM land speed record attempt February 23rd, 2006 A Suzuki Hayabusa-engined motorcycle – the “Ack Attack” – will attempt to break the 16-year-old FIM land speed record at South Australia’s Lake Gairdner in early March. With conditions at the spiritual home of land speed racing, Bonneville, not up to scratch in 2005, the Californian-based Mike Akatiff has decided to shoot for the record in Australia, with the initial run planned at first light on March 6. The record attempt will be the highlight of the 2006 Lake Gairdner Speed Trials, which runs from March 6-10. The streamlined Act Attack, designed by Akatiff and constructed at the Akatiff-owned ACK Technologies (an avionics emporium) in San Jose, is powered by two turbo-charged 1300cc Hayabusa engines, which are ensconced in chrome moly tubing and a predominantly carbon-fibre skin. Output is around 900 horsepower. There is a 68-litre ice and water cooling system.

Here's a link... http://www.gizmag.com.au/motorcycles/

I'd love to go...:icon_mrgreen:

DJ

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~djp1/mypic2098.JPG

[DarthRider]

Cool DJ...I hadn't heard these guys were going to Lake Gairdner.
You really should go, but I hear Gairdner is much more remote and less hospitable than Bonneville so accommodations would be a problem.

I saw this streamliner race at Bonneville in 2004, it's first year. My friend Ed Mabry and I had driven to mid-course, about the 2-3 mile marker, right where the 'liner crashed at ~300MPH. Jimmy Odom former US AMA Class C pro racer was driving. Minimal damage, no injuries.

That was the first crash I had seen when I was looking directly at the vehicle when it happened, and the closest. It's not something I'd want to see everyday. It's much more fun and exciting when they just GO FAST! I saw Vance Breeze stand a Harley powered 'liner on it's nose and pirouette like a ballerina at 220 MPH, all wrapped up in his drag chute. What a "bell ringer" that was!

Sam Wheeler who is going to attempt the first record is a friend. He is a really class act and if you saw and talked with him he's the last guy in the world you would think would be driving a 400 MPH streamlined motorcycle!

I hope you can go...and take tons of pics!

Dave

[BobFV1]

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~djp1/mypic2098.JPG

Am I the only one who noticed that this thing looks like a giant enema tube???

[Sir Limpsalot]

WOW! There's a name to bring back the memories. Sadly only memories from film and magazine reports in my case as I've never managed to get to a Mile or Half Mile event. But I will one day, I bloody well will!
Great to know he's still out there, and still going fast on a motorcycle:eusa_clap:
Keep us posted on the record attempt please DJ.
Si

[Deans BMW]

ACK Technologies is only a few miles from San Jose BMW and Mike Akatiff is a good friend of Chris. I have been to Mikes shop several times with Chris to see the bike. The streamliner since that pic has had San Jose BMW stickers added to its side. Mike called Chris on the phone and had Chris airmail several stickers to him in Oz.

Amazing how small this world is.

[Deano]

"... is powered by two turbo-charged 1300cc Hayabusa engines, which are ensconced in chrome moly tubing and a predominantly carbon-fibre skin. Output is around 900 horsepower. There is a 68-litre ice and water cooling system.

:119: Holy effing crap!

[Deano]

Am I the only one who noticed that this thing looks like a giant enema tube???

Fortunately, I remain unaquainted with enema tubes, large or small.

[JCsman]

Am I the only one who noticed that this thing looks like a giant enema tube???

Yes.....and there's likely a very disturbing reason for that.

[DarthRider]

Si -
I saw Jimmy Odem race a number of times back in the 70's...including his National win at the Astrodome season opener one year. I *think* he won the TT race on Friday night rather than the short track on Friday but it could have been the other way around.

One of my buddies' wife went totally ga-ga for Odem that year and thought he was so cool & handsome. When I saw Jimmy at Bonneville with the Ack 'liner I told him that I knew *he* didn't know about it but that he almost got laid in Houston that year! Then I told him the story about the friend's wife. He got a big kick out of it.

By the way, he is the 2nd guy from the right in DJ's pic of the 'liner.
Apparently he's not involved with that program anymore, he's not mentioned on Ack's website, just Sam Wheeler and John Noonan. The owner may have been pissed that he cracked up the liner...never did hear just what happened but it *looked* like he got the drag chute out a bit late when the 'liner swerved and *might* have got it straighten out before it flopped and slid...at least it didn't do the deadly "pencil-roll". But I am certainly NOT second guessing anyone with the cajones grande to pilot a 400 mph motorcycle!

Sam Wheeler was here for a week a couple of months ago. The Triumph dealer in Dallas bought his old 750 Norton streamliner and was restoring it to sell to the British museum in Birmingham and Sam came to help put it back original. He spent the day at my friend Ed Mabry's shop in Fort Worth and looked at all of Ed's racers. He is a hell of a nice guy.

Dave

[DJ Down Under]

I'm looking into going to Lake Gairdner but with the World Supa's here next week I have already planned time off work to go there...bad timing..bugger!

Anyone notice the Peckerhead logo on their poster for the event...:003:

http://www.dlra.org.au/images/speedweek2006.jpg

Maybe next time...it's a fair hike from here and would be two days riding to get there and two days to get back..so I would need a week at least.

http://www.dlra.org.au/images/aust.jpg

http://photobucket.com/albums/y108/dlra2/speedtrials2005-160.jpg

Looking through the pics from last year there were some interesting bikes there..this looks like a Darth machine...:037:

http://photobucket.com/albums/y108/dlra2/speedtrials2005-088.jpg

This is nice..

http://photobucket.com/albums/y108/dlra2/speedtrials2005-099.jpg

[Bones]

Bob,
I was going to say that it looked more like an American guy's schlong. The Aussie schong is much smaller, as I understand it. Not that I have ever seen one, mind you. But Elle McPherson was telling me this after we had sex one night.


Jeff

[DJ Down Under]

Bob,
I was going to say that it looked more like an American guy's schlong. The Aussie schong is much smaller, as I understand it. Not that I have ever seen one, mind you. But Elle McPherson was telling me this after we had sex one night.
WHAT!!!....that lying two timing @#%&#@...that's not what she told me..

DJ

[BobFV1]

Bob,
I was going to say that it looked more like an American guy's schlong. The Aussie schong is much smaller, as I understand it. Not that I have ever seen one, mind you. But Elle McPherson was telling me this after we had sex one night.


Jeff

You knocked the bottom out of Elle - that rocks!!! Don't even think about doing one of those boob reductions on her!!!

[Bones]

She's perfect......wouldn't touch her with a scalpel. And, by the way, I got a little pissed at her, so I ended the relationship. She left early one night with some lame excuse about a photo shoot, but I heard her on her cell phone as she drove away saying "DJ, hold on, I am on my way over right now...."

I won't hold it against her, though. I mean, if it's DJ, who could argue, right?

Jeff

[DJ Down Under]

Yes Bones...I loved it when she looked at me like this...:110:

DJ

http://webdiis.unizar.es/~spd/test/ElleMcPherson.gif

[Bones]

sigh...................

[MRB]

Hey DJ

I used to sail and race landyachts some years ago and Lake Gairdner was one of the venues we used. Also lake LeFroy near Kalgoorlie WA. In 1990 a bunch of us went over to the USA to meet others from Europe, NZ etc and race on Lake Ivanpah , near Los Vegas. Don't have any pictures of that but still have a photo of one of the very pretty British speed attempt vehicles. Last time I heard Bob Dill (USA) held the record at 116MPH (no motor!!) on Lake Ivanpah.
Just found a photo of Ivanpah Dry Lake.
Updated- Aparently the British team will return to America in Mid march 2006, to be on Land record standby from March 20th, for a period of 6 weeks. The Location is Ivanpah Dry lake, 40 km south west of Las Vegas - see photo attached -Windjet..

[DJ Down Under]

Thanks MRB

I used to make land sailers with windsurfer sails...I've sailed a Blowkart...heaps of fun.

It sounds like your rig's are pretty serious...and scary fast..:023:

Have you seen the Yellow Pages boat?...that thing with wheels would be interesting.

Also

Darth and Dean-O

We had a guy at our BMW meeting tonight talk about the land speed record attempt down under next week.

He said the Americans are hoping to do '400 mph' in that 900 hp twin busa engine bike...holy-moly..:icon_eek:

He also said the Americans love it here because our salt flats are so much harder than the US ones.

At Bonneville you can hammer a track marker into the salt....here you have to drill each one and screw them in it's so hard....and better for speed...heaps better.

It all starts in one week...next Monday...I hope they get good conditions for they're attempt...I'll let you know how it goes..and maybe next year I'll get there myself.

DJ