News
After shattering a world record that stood for 16 years, Grass Valley's Rocky Robinson was the toast of the Bonneville Salt Flats when climbed off the fastest motorcycle in the world.
Media types swarmed "the fastest man on two wheels," looking to share a moment in motorcycle history with the rest of the world.
"The turnout has been incredible," said Robinson. "There's all kinds of media here, too. We did something with Dave Despain of the Speed Channel the other day. I guess there all here because this is history."
But that was Sunday.
On Tuesday afternoon, another team with connections to western Nevada County ran down the world record. Chris Carr, riding for Denis Manning's BUB Enterprises, surpassed the record set by Robinson just two days earlier.
Manning set the world land speed record at 265 mph in 1970, before it was finally surpassed 20 years later.
Robinson, who used to drive for Manning's crew, set the motorcycle world record at 342.792 miles per hour atop the Top-1 Ack Attack streamliner. His two-pass times of 344 mph and 340 mph averaged out to easily surpass the previous world record of 322 mph set by Dave Campos in 1990.
"That record stood for 16 years," Robinson said during a phone interview Tuesday. "Hopefully, tomorrow morning we're going to try and get it back."
The BUB team, led by recent Hall of Fame inductee Manning, eclipsed Robinson's record Tuesday, leaving all on hand looking forward to another run Wednesday.
And so goes the story this week on desolate salt flats between Salt Lake City and Wendover, Utah, a pair of western Nevada County men making their bid at leaving town with the record in tow.
"We went back out and ran a 349 on our first pass, but we didn't get a return run," Robinson said. "So I'm going to get on the bike first thing in the morning. Hopefully, we'll get it back.
"I worked for Denis for 15 years," Robinson said. "It's a friendly rivalry, but there is definitely a rivalry. They want the record as bad as we do."
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To contact Sports Editor Brian Hamilton, e-mail brianh@theunion.com or call 477-4240.
Media types swarmed "the fastest man on two wheels," looking to share a moment in motorcycle history with the rest of the world.
"The turnout has been incredible," said Robinson. "There's all kinds of media here, too. We did something with Dave Despain of the Speed Channel the other day. I guess there all here because this is history."
But that was Sunday.
On Tuesday afternoon, another team with connections to western Nevada County ran down the world record. Chris Carr, riding for Denis Manning's BUB Enterprises, surpassed the record set by Robinson just two days earlier.
Manning set the world land speed record at 265 mph in 1970, before it was finally surpassed 20 years later.
Robinson, who used to drive for Manning's crew, set the motorcycle world record at 342.792 miles per hour atop the Top-1 Ack Attack streamliner. His two-pass times of 344 mph and 340 mph averaged out to easily surpass the previous world record of 322 mph set by Dave Campos in 1990.
"That record stood for 16 years," Robinson said during a phone interview Tuesday. "Hopefully, tomorrow morning we're going to try and get it back."
The BUB team, led by recent Hall of Fame inductee Manning, eclipsed Robinson's record Tuesday, leaving all on hand looking forward to another run Wednesday.
And so goes the story this week on desolate salt flats between Salt Lake City and Wendover, Utah, a pair of western Nevada County men making their bid at leaving town with the record in tow.
"We went back out and ran a 349 on our first pass, but we didn't get a return run," Robinson said. "So I'm going to get on the bike first thing in the morning. Hopefully, we'll get it back.
"I worked for Denis for 15 years," Robinson said. "It's a friendly rivalry, but there is definitely a rivalry. They want the record as bad as we do."
ooo
To contact Sports Editor Brian Hamilton, e-mail brianh@theunion.com or call 477-4240.
