New Land Speed Record Set at Bonneville
AP News-Wendover, Utah, Monday June 14th, 2010.
Mark Kratz poses by his 2005, Honda ST-1300 ABS with Uni-go Trailer at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Mark was returning from a 31 day long ride from Austin, TX to Hyder, Alaska when he decided to make the World Record Attempt.
Mark Kratz of Georgetown, Texas set a groundbreaking land speed record at the Bonneville Motor Speedway in the “Heavily Laden, 1,000 CC and Up Sport Touring Motorcycle, Towing a Single Wheeled Trailer, Class”. This Official Unofficial Record was for the highest speed attained while towing a Uni-go Trailer. Mark was able to reach an indicated top speed of 110 MPH with a corrected speed of 102.5 MPH after factoring the factory speedometer error factor of 6%.
The record attempt was hampered by the recent heavy rains which have flooded the normally dry salt beds which form the famous Speedway’s surface. All other Speed record attempts were canceled due to the flooded conditions.
When asked why he would attempt such a record Mark exclaimed: “To my knowledge, no one else has published an attempt or attempted a Uni-go Trailer Land Speed Record Attempt at the Salt Flats”. “I just wanted to be the first and I was!”
Bonneville Salt Flats Motor Speedway, Wendover, Utah. You can see Mark’s ST-1300 in the distance. 1/2 to 3 inches of standing water just floats upon the surface of the dry lake bed forming a slimy sludge.
Unable to run on the lake bed surface, Mark used the entrance road for the miraculous world record run. The entrance road is perfectly straight and runs for 3 miles to the entrance of the lake bed.
The speed run was terminated due to a high speed wobble which occurred when Mark reached the 110 MPH mark on his speedometer. “I was literally quite shaken as the trailer induced a high speed wobble, causing oscillations of high frequency.” “I was able to roll off the throttle and the motorcycle and trailer began to stabilize as I decelerated to a speed of 85 MPH”. “I didn’t want to push it”. “Since it was the first published attempt, I was just happy to exceed the 100 MPH mark”.
Mark’s attempt was witnessed by Retired Police Officer Dennis Madsen of Salt Lake City, Utah. Dennis was following Mark and observed the attempt and the subsequent wobble which ended further attempts to exceed the established mark.
Mark Kratz of Georgetown, Texas after his successful run.
The salt got every where. Icky sodium chloride residue got stuck on the brake rotors and hampered the braking ability of the motorcycle until it could be washed off.
Ethan Fitzgerald of Salt Lake City looks on as Mark exits the normally dry lake bed. Photos courtesy of Dennis Madsen.
Mark returns to dry land after testing the integrity of the Lake Bed’s surface. “I caution other riders not to attempt to ride on the Lake Bed during these freaky type of conditions”. “It would have killed a normal man”.
Mark, Sorry I missed you while I was in California. Hoping to get to ride with you in the near future. Mark
Thanks Brad, I will see you soon!