Here's the Team Forstall report from the Loring Maine Event 2021. Steve Knecum burned all the candles from both ends for a long time to get 3 bikes ready to race. Steve rode the just-built 1349cc Production Busa (current record 211.0 by Ransom Holbrook at Loring in 2009), Mark Deluca rode the 1649cc Production ZX14R (current record 217.6), and I was lucky enough to ride a WICKED 1649cc naked NA bike, the Streaker. All conceived by Larry, and built by Steve.
The Streaker burns gasoline, but since Steve already had the AG-1650 records, the bike was entered in AF-1650. The goal for this bike was to top the fastest NA naked speed of 218.2 in the standing mile, held by Ryan Ostergard at Beeville in 2013.
The weather was predicted to be mixed / rainy, with tailwind on Wednesday, shifting to crosswind as the week went on. Racing started at 2pm Wed, and we all made shakedown passes, but the computers were glitchy and we didn't get our speeds until later. We cooled down the bikes, looked at data, and prepped for full runs. Riding the Streaker is like being launched out of a cannon, the bike is really light and makes a ton of torque, so there is just no way to get to WOT until the middle of third. No boost to turn down on this beast!
The second pass I was a bit more prepared, tried to be smooth, and focused on keeping my helmet on the tank so I could see the dash a little. After shutdown I pull up to Steve on the return road and he is grinning. "Man that thing sounds so f**king awesome coming down the track' Tom Shaeffer (700+ records) pulled up on his Motus and held up one hand: 2 fingers, then 2 fingers, then 4 fingers! It went 224!!! Hell yeah!!! Steve and I were ecstatic.
Mark went by next, sounding silky smooth, and got the PP-1650 record by a tenth! Steve's pass was strong but the tuneup needed tweaking, the bike had never been on a dyno. Not bad for the first day.
Thursday was 20 degrees hotter and the tailwind was gone. We tweaked the bikes, and Steve got the 1350 to within a half mph of the record, but the conditions weren't there. If he could have run with the right tuneup on Wed, he would have had it for sure. He will go back in September in the cool air and try again.
We saw a bunch of good folks, including Tim Kelly & Joe Daly, Joe & Donna Timney, Don Hass and Scott Horner (who went 233 on a shakedown on Don's bike before the trans went) and lots of others. We met Team Keselowski who went an unreal 269 in their unblown nitrous 355ci Cup car. Good times.
Thanks to Larry Forstall for making it all possible, Steve Knecum for building the baddest bike engines on Earth, and all the Loring folks for a great event.
Dean
