The Fastest woman timed on an open wheeled motorcycle is a Canadian. I went to Maxton this month with one goal in mind to become the fastest women on an open wheeled motorcycle. I spent the winter being only 3mph short of that title and now wanted it really bad. On route to Maxton we stopped at RCC turbos, owned by our bike builder Richard Peppler for some last minute adjustments and a run on the dyno. I left the shop knowing I had a bike capable of 240+mph, packing approx 500hp. Friday morning we arrived at the Maxton air strip to have the bike teched. The tech lines were long so Jody and I did what we could helping people fill out their run logs and checked gear. At this point I was starting to get way too nervous and had to reminded my self over and over to stay calm an just enjoy going fast.
Saturday morning we arrived at the air strip, pulled the bike out of the trailer and drove it to the line. At the line fellow land speed racer and my competition Debb Dross was getting ready for her first pass of the day on her stock Hayabusa. Debb had teamed up with the expert landspeed racer Scott Guthrie, probably aiming for the same title. Three of the fastest turbo bikes owned by Scott were at the lined with Debb’s name on the side of the windshield. This may have been an intimidation tactic, I don’t know but it worked. I literally felt sick to my stomach thinking that all our hard work this winter may not pay off, she would be getting three times the runs that I would. A couple of deep breaths and focusing on what I had to do put me back on track.
My first run felt great, running threw the traps at 210mph reaching my goal on my first pass of the day. This high, only lasted for two minutes as Debbie Dross went through the traps at 212mph. What a run, but then we heard the words that no fellow racer wants to hear over the radio “rider down”. My eyes filled with tears and my heart was pounding, praying inside that she was going to be ok. Everyone was waiting in silence by the radio, with blank faces. Then over the radio “she is going to be ok” I could breathe again and whispered to my self thank god!
Back in line waiting for my next pass I put my helmet on and went over my next run in my head. At the line I became very nervous, thinking about what had just happened, but managed to pull a run of 211mph. Back in line again I knew this was it, the last two runs felt really good, and the bike was handling like a dream. Took off the line, getting on the gas in first second and third gear, short shifted into fourth so that I didn’t spin, and rolled into the power in fifth and sixth gear. I knew this was the fastest I had ever been. Every time I hit the air shifter it felt like my body was going to slide over the hump on the tail section. Through the traps I applied steady braking then let off to steer through the corner and back on the brakes to shut the bike down. Picked up my time slip on the return road “oh my god it read 218mph.” Guy Caputo of Tiger racing was the first to congratulate me “We are so proud of you, great job girl.” Many others followed, and I appreciate the recognition from everyone. It feels really cool to be the fastest timed woman on an open wheeled motorcycle. I backed up this run with a 217mph on Sunday, then passed the bike over to my boyfriend so that he could reach his goal. Jody is now a member of the 200mph club, running the bike through the traps at 204 in the unfaired (naked) class, on his last run of the meet. Overall the best weekend nickelcity racing has had at Maxton.
Trillium 218mph
