Streamliners primed for Bonneville Shootout

There aren't a lot of competitors, but the stakes will be high at ‘Mike Cook's Bonneville Shootout' invitation-only event which will be held at the world famous Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah from September 12-16.

Then again, not everyone has the wherewithal at attempting to break world records, but that's just what will occur in just a few days, as four motorcycle streamliners set out to break the current land speed record of 376.363mph, held by Ack Attack with its pair of turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa engines enclosed in an aerospace-inspired carbon-fibre body. Ack Attack set the record in 2010, and its exit speed from the run was 394mph - an eye-watering 634km/h! Travelling at that speed it would take the rider about an hour-and-a-half to travel from Sydney to Melbourne…

Ack Attack was in Australia back in 2006, contesting the 2006 Lake Gairdner Speed Trials.

Rocky Robinson was at the controls of the Ack Attack during the record-breaking run in 2010, and the pair will again reunite at this year's Mike Cook event, against three other streamliners: BUB 7 (the record holder before Ack Attack), Sam Wheeler and Triumph Castrol Rocket.

Castrol Rocket (pictured) is the newest creation in town, and it will be ridden by AMA road racer Jason DiSalvo, with power coming from two Triumph Rocket III engines with liquid-cooled turbochargers. That equates to about 1000hp at 9000rpm, and about 678Nm.

“Piloting the Triumph Castrol Rocket is a unique and thrilling challenge, but what really stands out is the unbelievable amount of power the machine produces,” said DiSalvo. “It simply defies explanation and belief. I find myself tapping into all the honed skill I have developed in my racing career and learning new ones as we continue to eclipse new speed levels.”

Triumph is no stranger to setting records. The naming of the Bonneville, Triumph's best known bike, is in tribute to the company's accomplishments on the salt flats. Triumph held the title of “World's Fastest Motorcycle” from 1955 to 1970 with the exception of 33 days. Its rich heritage in land speed racing features four record-setting streamliners: Devil's Arrow (1955 at 193.72mph), Texas Cee-gar (1956 at 214.17mph), Dudek Johnson (1962 at 224.57mph), and Gyronaut X-1 (1966 at 245.66mph).

We'll check back again after the event to see if a new land speed record has been set.

Meanwhile, in the ‘sit down' motorcycle section, Aussie farmer Greg Watters is the sole competitor on his turbocharged Hayabusa. In 2012, Watters hit 256mph on the Bonneville salt flats.

Watters hails from Wunghnu (pronounced "one ewe") in country Victoria.