Not The Salt Flats AGAIN!

Note from the desk of Tom Webb: The following is the first of an on-going series of reports coming from Dave Simon, the owner of F2 Racing. Dave and Steve Hengeveld set the world speed record for their class last year on a modified Honda CRF450R. 

Well it’s that time of the year again. Time for the BUB speed trials at Bonneville and time again for F2 racing to see if they can defend an improve on their record from last year.  This year they have 2 bikes entered in the same class. That class is 500-mps-p and it is the same class they got the record in last year.       The bike on the right is the 450X that Steve would race in baja if he were on bikes. The only difference between this bke and what is raced is the tires, rear wheel, gearing, cut down pipe, cut down handlebars and of course the fairing. It is being ridden by Brett Helm, who consistently remains untouched as the 40 class champ in Baja racing.       The bike on the left is an 07 450R with hopefully optimum streamlining for this class and much more juice than last year. Even though the motor is what would be used for motocross, desert, supermoto or the new super singles class in road racing, the bike is obviously dropped and shaped to go faster than it’s taller stock stance would allow. It s being ridden by 10 time Baja winner Steve Hengeveld.       The event is Tuesday, Sept 2nd through the 7th.        Well, this year is definitely different than last. For the good and bad.  The good is I know so much more going into it. Like take a trailer with air conditioning so I don’t get heat stroke like last year. Also, I understand the rules where as last year I didn’t really know what you could and couldn’t do as far as the bikes.       The bad is, there has been no real good testing. The hardest part is finding an un-used flat straight road where you can just go. Keeping in mind that pretty much anywhere you try this, it’s going to be illegal, that’s tough. Last year I got away with a lot of runs on the road I found without to many run ins. This year, the same Sheriff got me every time.      I only managed 3 runs between the 2 bikes. I just got up to 128 on the X as I saw the white Chevy Tahoe coming towards me and had only gotten to 100 on the R when here he came again. So after my two options of jail and bike confiscation or him watching me load up and leave, I loaded up and left.     So Tuesday I ride and test and set them up on the salt. Hopefully the R won’t wobble at speed and pitch me and hopefully nothing blows. I guess we’ll all know Tuesday night.     Some of the great companies who helped with this effort are Scotts stabilzers, WebCams, Crankworks, Worldwide bearings, DID chains, Dirtwerks sprokets and Vemar helmets, so thank you to you all.