Suzuki Boy at World Finals/ MV Agusta did not show

[Randall Parker]

   Day 1, Tuesday 10/2.   Tech is a hellish place when you have been accused of cheating by your "factory?" competition.  I forgot my log book on Tuesday and tech refused to even look at my bike until I produced the original Log Book.  They would not accept my purchase of a new one so that day was done.  I called my buddy Chad at Honda-Suzuki of Salt Lake and he agreed to ride my ZX-12 out with Log Book in pocket for the next day.  I love living within an hour by ZX-12 of the Salt flats!

Day 2 Wednesday 10/3.  Tech opens at 8:00am and I am there.  A gentleman I do not know takes my paper work and log and starts to inspect my bike.  He does all the inspecting I am used to, fails my chain guard and my leather pants then asks me what I have done to my fuel injection system.  "Nothin", I answered and he asked to see.  So I lifted my fuel tank and pulled off the air box and he looked at my completely stock factory issue fuel injection system.  He then asked to see my air box which I handed him.  It then occurred to me that he was looking for a Nitrous Oxide system, like a "sneaky Pete" to see if MV's accusations were correct.  He then asked to inspect my fuel lines and fuel tank.  He continued scrutinizing my bike while I wondered how I was going to extend my chain guard.  I finally sent Chad to borrow a hack saw and I sawed off the end of the ZX-12's chain guard and bolted that on the end of the chain guard I made for the GSXR.  (What a precise piece of engineering those GSXR's are!) OK I couldn't resist, I just read MV's blog about me and their speed week efforts.  The inspector casually asked what I had in my trunk and I showed him my bill of sale and registration which is all I had in there.  It was now 11:30am and it was becoming clear that this was going to take a while.  I sent Chad on another errand to purchase a pair of leather work gloves to cover the perforations behind the knee on the leather pants and waited.  We finally got through tech.  Falkner Livingston got their ZX-14 and their GSXR 1000 through 1 hour before me and they got to tech at 9:30am.  Paul laughed that this would be the first time they beat me to the line.  I guess I am getting a rep.
      1st pass, mile 5, long course I went 191.8 mph! and that is the best mile.  Oh great, now everyone is going to think MV was correct in calling me a cheater.  Paul Livingston's MPS-G GSXR which was built by Dyno-Jet and is packing a super bike engine that a race team loaned them only went 189 mph.  Paul said he road the bike soft and that is normal for him on his first pass.  I am thinking that I didn't and I am worried.  Last week I retarded my intake cam and re dyno tuned it at Salt Lake Motorsports for a net gain of 5hp over what we showed for Speed Week (174.5hp now but at 65 degrees f).  I had also put a shorter gear on and that I removed and went back to the same gear I was using at speed week.  I lined up again, it had warmed up to 68 f I think and the next pass was 195.8 mph in the 3rd mile but the bike laid down to 193.3 for the 4th and 5th miles.  I didn't know why but I would take it, I was in impound.  Paul Livingston went 194.9 mph and also qualified.  I was very relieved I was able to repeat.

Day 3 Thursday 10/4.  The morning is 36 f.  I am eccstatic.  With the density altitude at sub terranium levels maybe 200mph and the long lusted after 2 club. (since 1974 when I first visited a Bonneville Speed Week event with my Father).  As was expected I was first on the line.  The starter told me to take as much time as I needed to warm up the bike but I was impatient and took off with the engine temperature reading 74 f and figured it would warm up in the first mile.  I went 188, 189, 191.7 and did not back it up.  Paul Livingston did not back his up either and went 188.  Scott Guthrie and Jon Amo both told me to richin up the mixture.  I didn't listen.   

The deal with Chad was I let him get his licensing passes done, so I handed him my leathers and my bike.  The lines on the Short Course were non-existent and he got his D, C, and B licensing passes done before lunch.  About 1:00 pm we lined up for his first ever Bonneville pass on the long course and he took off.  195, 194.9, 195 with an exit speed of 197.007 mph!!! That rookie little shit qualified my bike on my record on his first pass ever on the long course.  Any way we were back in impound.  Tom Evans wants to compare my bike with another GSXR to make sure it is as sold on the show room.  I do not blame him. 

The next thing we hear is weather is coming in and they are going to do record runs at 4:00pm.  We were lined up next to history in Vesco's stream liner.  I got a great Pic.  The wind is kicking up at 6-9 mph from the north east, head wind.  Chad took off and went 191.85 mph and that was that.  Paul Livingston went almost the same and also did not back up his qualifier again either.  We watched the clouds stall and the wind pick up so we packed up and drove back to Salt Lake feeling very vindicated even though we did not get it done.

Thanks to the SCTA for a very good long course,  It was much better than speed weeks.    Randall Parker  PS; I will write a day by day report on speed week soon because people are asking.

[JackD]

I think we have a WINNER !!!
You are a good writer and should format your experience with associated pictures and seek to get it published in a periodical that has a wide distribution.

[Dr Goggles]

I think we have a WINNER !!! wink
You are a good writer and should format your experience with associated pictures and seek to get it published in a periodical that has a wide distribution.

That's EXACTLY what I was thinking when I read your post Randall.....very well written .Hats off to the "little" guy who stands up and says "I'm here" and tells it straight....there's something about a factory backed effort making things difficult for a loner that more than a few here would find somewhat unappealing

[Nortonist 592]

Well done!!   I went back to re-read the MV blog.  Out of curiosity was an apology ever issued for their cheating accusation?  Or were they lacking in certain male attachments?

[JackD]

With your cooperation we can have some fun.
A video tape of you on and around the bike but with a slight limp.
I could provide it to our heroes and suggest that the "MV All Stars" file an official protest with the appropriate fee to check your hollow leg for a NOS bottle.

Oh Damn, it's too late !
Oh well, there will be another time.  LOL

[landracing]

All is good with the post but the things that make me sick about it was the incosistencies with SCTA Tech.

I watched at World of Speed when Tom let leathers thru with cloth panels behind the knees.
And the second thing is I have personally lost my log book on my bike and I was allowed to purchase a new log book. There is no reason why you couldn't buy a new one.

Great post Randall and glad I was finally able to meet you at the event..;

Jon

[Stainless1]

All is good with the post but the things that make me sick about it was the inconsistencies with SCTA Tech.

At least he didn't have to chop up his fairing... or should we start a new thread for everyone that found out their fairings were "all the sudden" illegal after setting records for the dozen or so years... 

Great job Randall, it was great talking to you, keep up the good work, with a little luck maybe you can get Suzuki to change their parts manual like the MV guys did so you can run without your air hook...

[JackD]

If the bikers are guilty of anything it is "Preaching to the Choir."
That in it's self is bad enough, but they are doing it the following week and only talking to themselves.
You can bet they are being heard, but no one is listening because their is no penalty for just ignoring it and doing all the scattered things that the program is the victim of.
When decisions like that are left up to the individual, that is bad enough, but when each of them has their own view, it is worse. 

Was that a little harsh ?

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Randall, I've got a question for you -- regarding the chain guard that was "failed" by the inspector at WF.  I remember inspecting your bike at World of Speed -- and not allowing you to run with the chain guard you had on the bike when you presented to inspection.  You made some modifications -- as I remember, added a strip of what appeared to be thin copper strap) that improved the guard -- but still didn't meet the letter nor the intent of the rule.  Nonetheless we (other inspectors and I) elected to let you run -- but I do think that it was recommended that you improve your chain guard to meet the specifics of the rule before the next meet.

From your comments that started this thread -- I guess you didn't do that.  Maybe some of your frustrations at World Finals could have been avoided if you had heeded our suggestions -- and done the work as required in the rulebook.  For that matter, I believe I suggested a vendor that would supply you with a chainguard that would certainly pass tech -- and that might even sell you said guard at a lower-than-retail price if you identified yourself as a land speed racer.

As an inspector I try to help the racer be safe, try to help him pass through tech so he can race, and try to offer what knowledge I have to make his transition into the world of LSR as easy as I can do.

I didn't inspect leathers at either event -- but I imagine that the fabric patches behind the knees were pointed out each time you went through tech, whether or not they were approved for your use.  Wouldn't it be easier for you, the racer, to attempt to rectify any discrepancies found at one event -- than to appear at the next event and hope you could get by with said discrepancies again?

[bak189]

Slim, I hope you are able to understand my English and spelling.......but being a Alien allows me direct contact with the MV Factory ......and your check is in the mail......however, it will not be for the amount agreed upon earler, due to the fact you did not find anything wrong with the SUZ. "cheater" bike.....but the factory does appreciate your outstanding effort.
Tot Ziens....B.B.
P.S. Don't you just wish you had your crankshaft
so you could go racing, and not have to put up with all this egro............but we do love you...........

[bak189]

Oh,so sorry Slim......you did not inspect the "cheater" SUZ.................O.K. that means the money will go to Tom................................................

[Stainless1]

SSS, hopefully you wrote that stuff in his log book, that is what it is for, not just recording records.  Written suggestions are so much easier to remember, especially if it says fix before next meet...
BTW Thanks for volunteering and trying to make landspeed racing better.  See ya next year.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Interesting item pointed out to me at the dinner table last night:

Nancy, my wife, was working at the safety garb inspection location, and saw Randall's leathers sans patch behind the knees.  She noticed the pattern of stitching behind the knees -- where patches had been installed for a previous event -- most likely World of Speed -- and then removed.

If Mr. Parker added the patches for one event but then removed them -- why does he express apparent dismay that his leather pants didn't pass?  Didn't he understand that the rules for both events are identical?

Stainless -- you've got a valid point.  I don't remember writing the "fix better before next event" (re: chain guard) in the logbook.  I therefore have to assume that I didn't, and therefore that I'm in a weak position to point out the failure to make the guard 100% acceptable.I apologise for my omission in the logbook.

Yes, I certainly hope to see you -- and you, and you -- next year.  Thanks for all the fun in '07.

[Randall Parker]

I know this is 8 years late.  I never attended WOS 2007.  Patches on my leather pants were spray glued on during Speed Week 2007.  Fell off apparently and I had to cut up some leather gloves and spray glued them on again for WF.  Chain guard was just not long enough.  It was an after market aluminum job and I bought 4 of them one ea for my two GSXR 1000 bikes and One each for my ZX-12's.  Interestingly, the log book I waited for went missing out of the impound trailer and was never seen again.  But that is racing. 

[**RP**]

The 2006 and 2007 MV Agusta team that ran at Speedweeks was not really what you would call a factory effort.  The bikes were privately owned, and the motors were totally stock just like they came off the assembly line.  The motors were not opened up and not built with aftermarket racing parts, and were not dyno tuned at 4000 feet.   Just saying they ran respectable speeds for off the showroom motors.