Burt Munro and 200mph ??

[Nortonist 592]

I don't think anyone could be extremely proud to take his record with the technology of today.

Amen to that!   I, for one, wouldn't go around bragging that I broke a 40 year old record held by a 90 year old bike.

[joea]

...yeah...Al Teague and or Don Vesco should be ashamed of themselves for
trying to break a Summers brothers record as old as Burts....sheesh...what were they
thinking...?...

...and Bud Fab and Jack Costella should be ashamed of themselves for going after records set in the 1950's set
by some old outdated outfit named NSU.....

....i dare recon that those old record setters want their records to be put aside and protected from challenges...

...they earned their "history"...we can never take that away.....

...records on the other hand....mean nothing without challenges....

...lets celebrate history by passing on stories...hall of fames...gas ups etc....not diluted down the achievements shielding them...

Joe

[hotrod]

A case can  be made that the record becomes more valuable as more people try to break it and fail.
That is one of the things that made the Summers Brothers record so important is that it took multiple highly qualified teams/cars 45 years to break the record.

I think you are honoring the record holder by taking your best shot at breaking his/her record. An unchallenged record is not as respected as one that has been challenged many times and still stands.

Although newer technology makes it easier to make power the salt still has its say in the matter, and other issues like good organization, attention do detail, luck with the weather, a favorable temperature and wind situation all are factors in a new record.

Like the 4 minute mile, has become relatively easy to break with modern tracks, track shoes and training methods, but it is still respected as an important milestone that all serious milers attempt to reach, and few achieve.

Larry

[Buickguy3]

  Hotrod,
   Let's see, what year did Roger Banister do that? 

[Freud]

1954

I think Aug 6 or 7th.

I'm wrong. The Miracle Mile in Vancouver was August 7th. 4 minutes had been broken in June.

The Miracle mile was 3:58 between Bannister and Landy and Bannister won.

That was the day after Doris and I were married.

FREUD

[hayaboosta]

...yeah...Al Teague and or Don Vesco should be ashamed of themselves for
trying to break a Summers brothers record as old as Burts....sheesh...what were they
thinking...?...

...and Bud Fab and Jack Costella should be ashamed of themselves for going after records set in the 1950's set
by some old outdated outfit named NSU.....

....i dare recon that those old record setters want their records to be put aside and protected from challenges...

...they earned their "history"...we can never take that away.....

...records on the other hand....mean nothing without challenges....

...lets celebrate history by passing on stories...hall of fames...gas ups etc....not diluted down the achievements shielding them...

Joe

Can I get an AMEN!   

[Tom Bryant]

I say AMEN to that...my comments about Burt's record being set in a different era is that most everyone I know buy their power off a shelf. I fall into that category myself. It was much different making hp when I started. All records are made to be broken. I have set my share and do not see them as holy. Today they are soft and I will congratulate anyone that get them. Back in the eighties, Betty Burkland and I struggled to take an open record of 205 mph...things have changed!

[fastman614]

Burt Monroe's last time on the salt was Speedweek 1971. He had planned to return in 1972, but his health disallowed it. I got to know Burt fairly well over the years (1962 through 1971) I admired his ability to "Make Do" (his much used expression) and accomplish what he did, designing, developing and making his own parts. As much as many would like, he did not officially exceed 200 mph. I don't think anyone could be extremely proud to take his record with the technology of today.

Tom.... You are absolutely right, as far as I know...... Bert NEVER officially exceeded 200MPH.... there are several anecdotal reports though of him UNofficially running 200+ MPH.... and.... Iknow he was NOT using a rev limiter but the sound of his 'liner was like it was hitting a rev limiter.... cutting in and out..... as it accelerated....

[dw230]

After a couple of pre-dinner margaritas, some wine with the meal we went to the movie. Old Burt was WOT at the 10 mile sign when my wife blurted out "Whats he doing down there, there are no clocks" ...

Great gal!

DW

[fastman614]

I said pretty much the same thing, Dan......LOL

[Seldom Seen Slim]

I've een asked about the movie oh, about a zillion times, and one of the frequent queries is if the course is still 10 miles and more long.  I demur, saying that it sure isn't these days.  Was it ever - or is that just a bit of Hollywood hyperbole?

[Glen]

As far a I know the course has never been over 5 miles, with the last 3 timed. The mile markers go to the 7 mile. Some private time has had more area for running the Timed Kilo & Mile.That is what is known as the international course or the old hot rod course. That part of the course passes the road in and is not used for speed week due to traffic coming/going on the lake bed.

[dw230]

In the past there have been mile markers out to 9/10. When we run the shootout with Mike Cook we have signs to the 11, course permitting.

In my 47 years I have never seen timing lights beyond the 5 sign. In the old two way run days the long course vehicles would start at the 7 sign so that the two mile approach was equal on both ends. Many a driver needed a road map because running back to the start line (0) the signs were numbered backwards.

DW

[TouringComet]

It was private time of course, but one year, Rollie Free set a 10 mile record, making the down run, then a wide turn without stopping, and went back the other way.  He had to be helped off the bike, due to the fatigue of holding on to the bars for that long of a time.  Can you imagine going flat out for 20 miles?

[velocity]

Roger Donaldson is to be simultaneously commended and cold-cocked for his film "World's Fastest Indian". On one hand he did a wonderful job sharing with the world the sport of land speed racing. However, since he sold tickets using the tag line grabber "Based on one Helluva true story", he had a duty to not screw up the sport's history -- something I asked him to be very careful with when he came to my home looking for help before the film went into production. I reminded him these were real lives, real people and he should take care to be sure the LSR community was happy he arrived and not sorry he ever came once the film was released.

You can't proclaim truth and then mangle it to fit your fantasy facts.

Donaldson ignored me and several others when he explained that Burt NEVER went 200MPH and he said that the audience would never care about anything less than 200MPH. Where he got that idea in his head is beyond me.

What's more, by screwing with the numbers, he trashed Bob Leppan's record integrity in the public forum. I have asked Bob about this and all he says - bless him -- "Anthony Hopkins certainly knows how to grimaces very well sliding on his side." Lest we forget, Bob's arm was nearly ground off in the real-life version of such a scene. Moreover, bob and Burt were very close friends (I have letters written between the two) and I am sure Burt would be VERY annoyed with Donaldson for short-shifting his racing comrade in the hopes of selling a few more tickets.

Frankly, that Burt's record is STILL at the top of the game all these years later is a testament to one man's dedication to speed and it is my opinion that Donaldson screwed himself, his film and his supposed friend Burt with his Hollywood tricks. Shame on him.

I repeatedly asked Donaldson for a copy of his script (he wrote it) and he repeatedly stonewalled me -- the problem iterated throughout this thread are precisely what I had hoped to avoid. Nevertheless, it's not the last, I just corrected the New York Times article of Bill Summers Obit wherein the reporter screwed the records of the Goldenrod, Teague's Spirit of 76, Nearburg's Spirit of Rett, Burkland's 411, Campbell's Bluebird and Don Vesco's Turbinator ALL IN ONE sentence.

Sigh.

LandSpeed Louise